Linda Paluc Tells You How To Succeed

Spring is here. I can feel it in my eyes and nose - my allergies alarm me the moment it arrives. But that shouldn’t be a problem because another great thing comes with spring – my one and only love – Mountain biking.  With this short blog, I would like to help all beginner mountain bikers start their season being as prepared as possible – to avoid injuries and have the highest amount of fun ☺. As every other sport, it requires a certain amount of readiness before you begin the season. There are many different ways you can go about getting ready for biking when spring strikes, but I’ll tell you about mine (which I find to be very fun and enjoyable).

 

The first rule to follow is – the season is never over! That means you should not throw your bike in the corner as soon as the first snowflakes start to fall. Of course, you should take a brake from biking, but definitely don’t go the whole winter. Whenever the weather allows you, take a spin with your bike, just so you don’t forget how much fun it actually is. It also keeps your level of riding up during the whole “off season”. Other winter sports help you to develop motor skills that are helpful for mountain biking too. For instance, I snowboard a lot during winter which helps me keep those finely-tuned skills.

Another very important thing is to keep your level fitness/condition as high as possible. There are many different ways to achieve that, as we all know, but my favorite is hiking or running in the mountains. Nothing can beat that harmony between workout and the peace in your soul. If you’re not that type of a person, you can just go jogging around the neighborhood or working out in the gym, it also keeps you in shape! I recommend working out at least two times a week. It’s not only great for your personal fitness, but also for your general health, as we all know.

In addition to hiking, I also do cross fit. I’m not a fan of indoor workouts, but it’s just a MUST if I want to stay in perfect shape and condition to ride my bike the way I want to. Though you don’t have to do all of this if you’re just a beginner, but it’s absolutely not bad for you – it only makes things easier when you get out there on a bike! If you decide to add crossfit to your workout, just be sure that you are doing all the exercises right! This is very important so you can avoid risking doing any permanent damage to your joints and muscles. There are many tutorials on the web that can help you learn safe practices with that.

 

Biking is a very comprehensive sport. By that I mean, it combines the skills you learn from every other sport you do and helps you ride easier. If you were ever a snowboarder or a skier, or even a horseback rider, things on your bike are going to be easier for you. But don’t worry if the beginning seems hard. Practice makes perfect and Rome wasn’t built in a day – so take your time and enjoy every minute with your bike to the max.

Now my time is up and my Specialized Enduro is waiting for me to take him for a spin. I hope that this was helpful and if you have any questions about biking, don’t hesitate to contact me on my Facebook – Linda Paluc.

Enjoy!

Watch the new teaser for Linda’s upcoming Mountain Biking video: Ponytail Trails!

May 19, 2015 — Jenna Kuklinski