Testing Endurance and Muscle Memory

I started mountain biking now that trails in Grand County are totally dry and I need a break from road biking.

One of my favorite rides is up Nature’s Way at SolVista.

As I was riding it today for the first time this year, I remembered how I two years ago I would time the climb. Over a period of a few weeks my times got faster and I was able to stop less; eventually not needing to stop at all.

Today, the trail is a constant climb with some sharp turns that took a while getting used to. I had to stop three times. The ride took 25 minutes from my house to the picnic tables at the top of East Peak.

When I ride (mountain bike or road bike) I always come up with goofy challenges to mix up training days. Here is the challenge I thought about today.

Ride Nature's Way every morning for 7 days and 1) report how much faster I get and 2) see how long it takes to not need to stop. I think that it will be a great study on how fast my body adapts to mountain biking and determine if perhaps muscle memory plays a part.

Definition: Muscle Memory: When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort.

My challenge this week: Ride Nature’s Way every morning tracking time and number of stops. Report back next week