Check out this "quick tips" article I wrote for MTBR and Girl Bike Love:  Build strength now!
I wanted to give people a quick and easy workout plan when they have little time, and don't have a gym membership. When I refer to 'core' I am referring to shoulders, back, abs, etc. Don't hold yourself up by your arms on the handlebars, use that whole core so your arms can be free to flow with the bike. Enjoy!

Women and Mountain Biking by LINDSEY VOREIS on OCTOBER 2, 2012 

Life lessons you can learn from a bike

Mountain biking is a total mind-body-spirit connection unlike anything else. It can be a vehicle for positive change in your life if you accept the lessons taught by the bike and the trails you ride on.

My Mountain Biking Philosophy

Mountain Biking is challenging, frustrating, exciting, and rewarding. It is a sport that reveals a person’s true character and inspires personal growth. I wish more women would experience what it can do for their lives.

It requires intention, focus and perseverance, and most importantly, belief in oneself. Lessons learned from the bike have changed my life in so many ways and I hope by imparting those lessons to other women I can change theirs too.

How My Bike Grounded Me

Life is full of challenges, and realizing who we are to our full potential can be a long journey.

Throughout my journey, the way I felt while riding my bike became a cornerstone around which I could anchor my life when I felt lost or alone. When I met my future husband, a professional mountain biker, I suddenly lost my cornerstone because I was intimidated to ride with him and his world-class friends. After a few bloody and embarrassing crashes and many temper tantrums, I sadly put the bike in the stable for about three years.

However, once I let go of my ego and faced my fears, my bike taught me how to be a stronger more confident person, and it has brought the most amazing people, adventures and happiness into my life.

Along the path to become a better mountain biker (which will never end), I began relating my struggles in mountain biking to my struggles in life. I found beautiful symmetry that allowed me to see myself more clearly and grow as a rider and a person. I learned to change my thoughts and actions so they serve me, instead of sabotage me. My passion to teach what I’ve learned runs deep.

I recently ran into a male friend out on a ride with his wife who is new to mountain biking. Knowing her fairly well, I offered to take her out sometime and show her a few things. She jokingly replied, “It’s hard to imagine I need a lesson on how to ride a bike.”

Mountain biking is an enlightening sport. It is more than “just riding a bike.” It challenges your fears in ways that mirror life and provides opportunities to face those fears and overcome them. It’s a sport that can help you gain overall confidence in yourself by discovering you are capable of much more than you imagined. Suddenly mountain biking and life become limitless. 

And so begins my mission: Change women’s lives with two wheels and some dirt.

How Mountain Biking is like life

I am continually finding metaphors between mountain biking and life. I believe each challenge you face on a bike can be related to life and ultimately overcome through practice and the understanding of what the bike and the trail need from you, and what you need from them. It’s a partnership.