Spring is here and summer is on the way and its time to get back in the saddle again. Park City Magazine shares Back in the Saddle Again - Take to the trails with early-season mountain biking tips from a pro. Former mountain bike pro, PMBIA certified instructor, and owner of MTB-focused business Women in the Mountains, Erica Tingey shares tips on how to seamlessly get back into fitness after a long winter.
Start slow. Give yourself some space and expect that youre going to be slow on your first ride outand thats OK, Tingey says. Find a trail thats not challenging for your first ride back, she recommends. I start in Round Valley because there are not any long, sustained climbs. She also recommends riding the RTS Loop Trail near the Utah Olympic Park, so you can do a few laps. Find a loop and ride it a few times to feel yourself improving, and to feel your blood vessels and muscles opening up.
Re-train your vision. Without even realizing it, when youre in mountain bike shape, your eyes naturally look far ahead to anticipate the terrain and any obstacles. Over the winter, its easy to lose that skill, Tingey says. When youre getting back into riding, try to look ahead a little bit more than you naturally would. It takes self-control to do this, and to anticipate whats coming up. The tendency is to look downforce your eyes up.
Loosen up.No matter what youve been doing over the winter, riding always feels different, Tingey says. Your hands might get that itchy feeling from bouncing. And when youre nervous or tired, you tend to grip too tight, and its really hard on your upper body. See if you can loosen up on the climbs and the descents.
Start with an athletic stance. When you get tiredwhich can happen quickly during the early seasonyour posture is one of the first things to decline. Start the year with good habits and think about holding an athletic stance with your core tight, your spine strong, and your neck up. It might be hard to hold a good posture for all three laps, Tingey says, but its a good clue to know that when you cant hold a very good posture, you should call it a day. If youre not riding in a strong position, youre setting yourself up for more accidents.
Turn your fear into excitement. If youre a bit more skittish on technical sections than you were last year, try to put your nerves to good use. When I was racing, instead of saying Im not nervous, Id say, Im excited to be on my bike, Tingey says. Turn it into positive self-talk. As in Im OK to get off my bike and walk it. She also notes that theres a difference between trying and doing. Think Yoda: There is no try.
Just get on a saddle. If the trails are still too muddy, grab your road bike and to get used to being back in the saddle. Using your road bike is a way to get some miles in and get used to being back in that position, Tingey says.
Dont forget a maintenance check. Whether its you or your trusty mechanic, do a thorough check of your bike before hopping on. Check the bolts with torque wrench, clean and lube the drivetrain, and test the front suspension (Tingey says to put a hand on each brake, engage, and stand behind the bike and shock it downdoes it feel like its going up and down at the same rate as last year?). And, of course, put air in your tires, but maybe a little less than you think. This year, try three psi less than you ever have and just see if you can get away with it, advises Tingey.
A reminder: Wait until the trails are dry. Riding muddy trails ruins it for everyone else for the rest of the season, Tingey says. It leaves ruts that arent magically fixed from a summer of riding. They are stuck for the rest of the year. Youre really ruining it for yourself and its also really hard on your bike.
Where to find trail updates: Check the Mountain Trails Foundations website and Facebook page for the latest trail conditions; Basin Recreation also frequently updates the status on its Instagram and Facebook pages.
Forbes has shared The Best Cities In Utah To Own Investment Property - Based on the Census Bureaus annual estimates of resident population, from July 2010 to July 2018, Utahs state population increased by 13.9%, second only to the District of Columbia, and No. 1 out of all 50 states in terms of growth. Utah is an interesting state when it comes to buying and owning investment property. People and businesses have been flocking to the state, and many of its major cities have seen swelling numbers of renters. Major universities, healthcare companies and financial firms like Ally Bank can be found in Utahs main cities, all of which help boost the economy, and increase the number of residents and appeal of the city to potential investment property owners.
1. Logan, Utah - With 61% of its occupied housing filled by renters, Logan is a fast-growing city whose population is expected to double by 2050. A key feature that makes Logan conducive to investment property owners is the presence of Utah State University, with a student population of nearly 28,000, many of which are renters or looking to rent in off-campus residences. In addition to them, professors, university staff and employees, as well as employees of businesses closely associated with the university, add to a large supply of renters and potential renters in the city. Logan also has the highest gross rental yield of major cities in Utah, i.e. cities with more than 10,000 total occupied housing units.
- Percentage of renter households: 61%
- Number of renter households: 10,039
- Median property price: $235,000
- Median rent: $1,588
- Annual rental income: $19,056
- Gross rental yield: 8.1%
- Percentage of renter households: 44.6%
- Number of renter households: 13,442
- Median property price: $229,900
- Median rent: $1,207
- Annual rental income: $14,484
- Gross rental yield: 6.3%
- Percentage of renter households: 58.5%
- Number of renter households: 7,293
- Median property price: $308,900
- Median rent: $1,503
- Annual rental income: $18,036
- Gross rental yield: 5.8%
- Percentage of renter households: 58.6%
- Number of renter households: 5,185
- Median property price: $291,900
- Median rent: $1,394
- Annual rental income: $16,728
- Gross rental yield: 5.7%
- Percentage of renter households: 41.1%
- Number of renter households: 11,318
- Median property price: $315,038
- Median rent: $1,449
- Annual rental income: $17,388
- Gross rental yield: 5.5%
- Percentage of renter households: 59.2%
- Number of renter households: 19,475
- Median property price: $309,000
- Median rent: $1,334
- Annual rental income: $16,008
- Gross rental yield: 5.1%
- Percentage of renter households: 51.5%
- Number of renter households: 39,626
- Median property price: $425,000
- Median rent: $1,598
- Annual rental income: $19,176
The Brothers Osborne, July 7. The Grammy Award-nominated duo features T.J. and John Osborne, who have climbed the country charts with the hits Stay a Little Longer and Rum, while collecting CMA and ACM awards along the way.
The Punch Brothers, July 30. The quintet of mandolinist Chris Thile, guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Paul Kowert, banjoist Noam Pikelny and violinist Gabe Witcher formed in 2006. The bands latest album, All Ashore, won the 2019 Grammy for Folk Album of the year. Thile is known for his work in Nickel Creek, and is also the host of the weekly NPR broadcast Live From Here.
Taj Mahal Quartet, and Marc Cohn featuring special guest vocalists, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Aug. 13. Taj Mahal is a two-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, film composer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with artists such as Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Wynton Marsalis.
Cohn, mostly known for the hit Walking in Memphis, has performed for Park City Institute three times and as a songwriter has been praised by Time Magazine as one of the honest, emotional voices we need in this decade.
The multiple Grammy-winning Blind Boys of Alabama formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind and have since performed for three presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Gone West, Aug. 16. This pop-infused country group features Colbie Caillat, her fiance Justin Young, Caillats longtime collaborator Jason Reeves, and Reeves wife, Nelly Joy. The band formed, in part, as a result of their experience working together on Caillats 2016 tour. The Park City Institute presented Caillat at the Eccles Center in a sold-out performance during that tour.
CAM, Aug. 24. Country singer CAM began her career as a songwriter for artists including Sam Smith and Miley Cyrus. Her 2015 Grammy-nominated song Burning House hit No. 2 on the U.S. and Canadian country charts, and sold more than 2 million copies. A vocal advocate for music education and inclusion, CAM holds a degree in psychology from University of California Davis, sits on the board of the Academy of Country Music and joined the Recording Academys Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion in 2018.
Leave a Reply