So when the inevitable post-Christmas ride call up came, I was unprepared. The plan was to head out to Betws-y-Coed, an hour and a half drive north through the borders and into the Welsh hills<\/a>. The woodland just across the river is ribboned with bike trails,<\/a> and we found ourselves on the cross-country loop<\/a> around two forested mountains.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n I\u2019m not a cyclist who loves riding uphill<\/a>. Discovering that, for many cyclists, the pursuit of the uphill is not only enjoyable, but something actively sought out, has boggled my mind. I still don\u2019t get it, though I am secretly green with envy.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong, looking back down a steep hill after getting to the top is unbelievably satisfying, but its a process I dread. So when we arrived at a trailhead only to ease into some downhill before being rudely interrupted by a rock-strewn technical uphill<\/a>, I was furious. And the entire trail seemed to follow this ruthless pattern.<\/p>\n My friends plied me with rice crispy bars and dates<\/a> – even the mince pies I\u2019d made the night before couldn\u2019t pull me out of my slump. Everything felt hard. Even going downhill was tricky on my trembling thighs. I felt like I\u2019d lost my spark – the sport I loved was\u2026hard, and – more worryingly of all – not fun. I was counting down the kilometres till home.<\/p>\n \u201cI hate cycling!\u201d<\/p>\n In Buddhist theory, the monkey mind is the whirlwind of thoughts that can drag us away from presence and calm. To tackle the monkey mind is to observe thoughts as they arise and to let them go. But this is harder than it sounds. Observe the monkey mind, and it is the unruly, noisy part of your brain – it’s flinging muck around, shouting, saying the things most dangerous for you to hear. Mid bike ride, being furious and exhausted<\/a> is a pretty rubbish combination.<\/p>\n Meg is a Cycling Weekly staff writer who first got a taste for cycling off-road – she’s still learning how to override that monkey mind when the ride gets tough. Any tips gratefully received!<\/p>\n And this all comes from someone who prides themselves on being \u201cchill\u201d. If doing something isn\u2019t essential, if the consequences of my non-completion are low, I tend to let myself off the hook. This perspective is, I think, a good one – I\u2019m genuinely happier for allowing myself to move slower, but when it comes to sports, my progress hits a wall.<\/a><\/p>\n And that voice in my head incessantly chanting, \u201cI hate cycling, I hate cycling, I hate cycling,\u201d was short-cutting my way back to abandonment. It was saying, \u201cstop now! It will be easier, and pain-free to leave now – we will forget all about this.\u201d<\/p>\n But another voice was telling me to push on, to push past that negative voice and to trick myself into: \u201cI love cycling! I love cycling! I love cycling!\u201d The burn in my legs was progress, not impediment, my loosey-goosey downhill riding forgiven for the fact that I was outside – cold fingers, warm body – with my friends,<\/a> doing something that was good for my mind and my body<\/a>.<\/p>\n The rest of the ride was bearable, if not enjoyable, until the trail rewarded us with some flowy singletrack.<\/p>\n![\"Meg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/tcRC5XVqafzfk4txXLhKE8.jpg\")
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