Just some advice, and suggestions for the next Bike clinic (based on experience).
1. Umbrellas for the organizers, instructors, spectators.
2. The body armor provided free by the organizer (Alphabolt) last time was sweet. Thank you very much!
I wouldn't mind paying P50 extra for renting the armor instead.
The money can be used to buy sunblock, in case you haven't tried using one... Arnel, how's your sunburn na? ;D
3. The accidents in any sport are not avoidable. It's like drinking pee in the pool.
However, keep this in mind...
The clinic is serious learning, physically exhausting and mentally challenging activity.
Treat it that way.
Instead of biking too tired or trying the wall before the clinic, save your energies for the clinic.
Treat the clinic like a race. You wouldn't be pedaling all the way up the wall to join the Men's Health race, would you?
No, you'd drive all the way up, then do some warm-ups when you arrive. You want to be fresh.
4. Eat right, sleep right, prepare the week before every ride.
Puyat is a killer condition that will make even the youngest, strongest rider look old.
Fyi, contrary to the insinuations, I am really a teenager! Really!!!
Puyat lang ako (I just look older than 16). ;D
5. Bring hydration, food, 1st aid in your bag.
Some newbies (like me) had not have the experience and therefore do not know anything about what to bring in the bag, so we don't have a bag!
I forgot to have breakfast. The clinic lasted till 12noon and we biked a hour or so back to UP!
I was lucky I had Ron, Mountain Goatee and Kaneda with me on the way back home.
I was close to fainting due to dehydration, heatstroke and low batt (was sooooo hungry).
They saved me.
6. It's one thing to do a trick, it's another to do combinations. Be careful.
7. Suggestion to the attendies of the clinic.
Be conservative and control your excitement, which is near impossible, I know...
But I would insist on following this rule:
Walk over all the obstacles first.
Learn what to expect.
Think what you're gonna do.
Imagine what you can and cannot do.
or
Roll over the obstacles in slow-mo
and check out how much to modulate/brake at which part of the course.
Why do I insist this?
Pasaways need not follow the story below...
Unlike most people, I'm not mentally and physically sharp inborn.
Everything I do, I had to do it the hardway because I'm a sickly, skinny, plain-good-looking-nerd.
Brain and body sort of work in slow-mo all the time. The body a little slower than the brain.
But let me share with you guys, what I tell my son, my students, my friends all the time.
It doesn't matter if other people are born with their good looks,
superior DNAs, shiny expeditions, swimming pools and fat wallet.
It doesn't matter if other people do not have to burn their eyelashes (sunog kilay)
in studying, singing, or whatever sport because they are gifted and talented.
It doesn't matter because what the Joneses have, has nothing to do with what you can have and become... someday.
If you're poor in anything, spend extra time for the practice.
Buy books, check out stuff online.
Get a competent tutor or 2.
Be patient with yourself.
Sports, just like Mathematics, Literature, Arts, or Spelling, can be perfected with practice.
We can catch up with gifted ones with persistence.
Steep learning curve? Study the science behind it.
Some people get away with throwing humongous weights around without concentrating,
and growing muscles left and right just by eating banana-Q.
I attacked the sport the hard way.
I became a self-trained swimmer/runner/nutritionist years before I became a weightlifter.
At 125, I was able to do 250lbs squats on the fifth year of training.
Maybe a piece of cake for many of you,
but nobody have any idea how hard I trained for it,
and how exhilarated I got achieving the feat.
For people like me, I suggest spending time reading,
talking to experts and digesting the nitty-gritty stuff on the sport.
Know your body and adjust accordingly.
If you can afford it, get the best technology/equipment you can find (carbon/gatorade/XTR/etc),
to catch up with the PinoyMTBiker halimaws running on Single-Speeder and water.
As a parting shot, remember this:
Be a smart athlete. Do not take things for granted even if you're gifted.
Do not be frustrated if you're not (gifted).
Kaya natin yan ("We shall overcome!" by Martin Luther King Jr.)
This "short" post is dedicated to Arnel aka Alphabolt,
who said he loves reading my post for whatever reason.
I'm gonna shop for a nice sofa in case you drop by the store and needed a rest. Luv ya, buddy boy!