I went mountain biking to some of the best trails in Australia, cycling an accumulative of over 150km. I was challenged in ways I hadn’t been before. To begin with, I fell off my bike on the first day, on a rock that ripped through my leggings and cut my knees, requiring some speedy first aid. So as a result, I was cycling with swollen knees, numerous bruises and a nasty cut on my knee that would heal every night but then open up everyday due to the stretching of my knees the cycling caused. That alone was enough to ensure I couldn’t cycle up to my whole potential, leaving me biking way slower than I would have liked and getting frustrated.
Moving on, the whole lifestyle as a whole was a new concept to me. I hadn’t ‘roughed it’ before, and the fact that the first time I got to shower on the trip was 6 days in was painful enough to digest. Other than that, I used ‘drop down toilets’ in all campsites except for two, and had no access to running water for majority of that week. I brushed my teeth and washed my face with the use of my personal water bottle and surprisingly changed my clothes out in the forest (with no walls around me!)
The fact that I had to cook my own dinner every night was just an added bonus. I never cooked full meals before this trip, and don’t think I’m any more inclined to in all honesty. Because we were cooking in groups, I didn’t have control over everything. I ate undercooked rice and chicken on one occasion and was extremely frustrated. Thankfully, groups got changed the next day and I got cooked food after that.
Above all, just getting up in the morning was exhausting because I knew it would only be tougher after. The second I got up I had to roll up sleeping bags and mats (which took a fair amount of strength and effort on their own), get my morning bathroom duties sorted in record time. Then I had to eat breakfast, which was either cold leftovers from the night before or it was cereal (not Coco Crunch) mixed with milk power that I doused in water. Then I had to pack up tents (again a very strenuous task) and pack my big night bag that was extremely heavy, and transport it to the truck. Then I filled up my water bottle and bladder, and finally we could start mountain biking, just another tiring task considering lethargy increased as the days went by.
The trip did result in many good things too. My mountain biking skills improved so much. During our training days my ‘attack’ position was non-existent, and by the second day of actual mountain biking my ‘attack’ position was one for the books (yeah, that good :)) By the end of the week, I was more confident with my skills. I could go uphill long distances without stopping. I could cycle above rocks without stopping. I was more comfortable going at higher speeds. The list truly is endless, the things the Outdoor Activity trainers helped me with helped me get through that tiring, but in the end, fun, trip. On the last day when we were trying a new trail out, I actually got called out because my ride was as close to perfect as it gets. That was a very good confidence boost.
My willpower increased as the week went on, not only because of the increased confidence but also because of me being more familiar with the outdoors and being more willing to take risks, but also knowing my limit.
From that fall on the first day I learned that going to fast on pea gravel is not something I can handle, at least not with injury free results. From doing numerous sharp turns I realised that I had to look further than just ahead. And from my continued exploration of the Australian Outback, I learned that I should look at every stick twice before passing it off as a stick.
My teamwork improved immensely as the trip progressed. I was more willing to let others take care of tasks instead of micro-managing everything. This is largely because of the increase in trusts amongst my group. As the week went on, I relied on them for help more and more, and in turn I helped them more and more.
All in all, I grew immensely as a person, and toughened up quite a bit because of being let out of the bubble I had back home.
Sounds like an amazing trip and experience. A really nice reflection on the personal learning and growth you experienced both physically and emotionally during this exploration. I wonder how you will build on this and how this personal growth will impact on your future approach in life.