Own It!

High above Colorado Springs between the towns of Woodland Park and Divide riding along on a gravel back road filled patches of ice/snow mix under the shadows of Colorado pines, I here Scott yell "Own It Matheny!" as I'd hover over my seat and get my elbows and knees out for balance over my road bike accelerating into half-frozen snow gravel mix with reckless disregard.  Or I'd hear the same while rallying down Longs Ranch Rd or Ute Indian trail on our matching hardtail 26" mountain bikes with our dualling German-shorthaired Pointers, Miles and Buck kicking scree and snow in our faces as, I'd manual into snow drifts to try to clear them without sticking and never hitting the brakes.  It became common as Nagelkerke and I had become the best of training partners and he loved pointing out my bull-headed approach to specific challenges or obstacles we'd approach.  When others would often slow and approach timidly, I would accelerate and attack it.  So thank you Scott for helping me tag my style of #OwnIt many years ago!

Now don't get me wrong, if a brick wall is in front of you accelerating into it is only going to knock you silly.  What I'm talking about is the principle of momentum.  Momentum is your friend on the bike and in life; universal and that beautiful!  Think of track standing at stop sign...no speed and you fall, but accelerate before you tip over and you're golden.  I learned this in my garage at age 15 when I brought home my 1st set clipless pedals and shoes!  I was soooo anxious to ride them but it was raining, so tried setting them up in a single car garage.  The result....crash and burn at slow speed.  That's bad for the hips and elbows, ya know!

That day riding gravel with Scott my technique of "owning it" had worked several times as I'd scoot through short ice patches unscathed without touching the brakes or turning ever so slightly, but the occasional braking bumps got the best of me in a fast downhill corner where I just so happened to approach while nibbling on a bar of food with cold hands.  So yep, I didn't slow and ate shit on the unforgiving gravel road resulting in finishing our ride with blood and torn up clothes.  But you live and learn.  Not always is the steamroller approach the best but this method has stuck with me even as I moved into the momentum of riding, life, and professionally.  From riding wheelies into sand pits or bunny hopping into uphill barriers on my cross bike, to hucking drops in Enduro races to secure podium finishes on blind runs,to diving into 9mths in Africa with Team Rwanda, to coming home putting almost all my funds into a custom cycling kit order for my own coaching; each decision and subsequent pucker moment is steering the mass in what I hope is the right direction.

My message; approach each moment as an opportunity to input a small push of energy to keep the momentum going because you don't want to stall; it's harder to get back moving!  Bask in little successes to maintain positive flow and if you feel like you are at stall; then, yeah it may take a big push to get going.  Rally your troops, friends, training partners, etc. and they'll help by giving you a push!

Get out there and #OwnIt