The Art of Mountain Biking

Using your mind to break boundaries requires skills, and Braydon has so many of them.

Braydon Bringhurst joins the podcast to share his journey from competing in sports like BMX and pole vaulting in college to discovering mountain biking and, ultimately, climbing the Whole Enchilada. He discusses overcoming challenges with self-confidence and academics to graduate college, and how working with a sports psychologist helped develop important mental skills that supported his success in sport and life.

Braydon is a husband, father to 3 little girls, and a professional mountain bike rider. His goal is to share his passion for riding and pushing himself to hopefully inspire people to go after their goals.

CONTENT NOTICE: This conversation includes mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can find help at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Visit their website or call/text 988. Please keep going.

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Shoutout to Cary Judd for helping arrange this episode! Thanks for being such a supporter, Cary.

Themes and topics:

• Braydon's journey from competing in various sports as a youth to discovering mountain biking later in life.

• How working with a sports psychologist helped Braydon develop important mental skills to overcome challenges with self-confidence and academics.

• Braydon's climb of the iconic Whole Enchilada trail in Moab, Utah, which was documented in his film 8600’.

• The mental process and support system he relied on to complete the challenging climb and not give up.

• Using one's talents and skills to help and inspire others, which was Braydon's motivation for undertaking and filming his climb.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

8600FT Film

4 intelligences—mental, physical, emotional, spiritual

Dr. Craig Manning at BYU

Corner Canyon trails

Whole Enchilada trail in Moab, UT

The writer Kim Cross

The Law of Occupied Space

Hick’s Law

Danielle mentioned a bunch of different types of research in this one, and paid subscribers will get a deeper dive into this research soon.

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

Unpacking the transformative insights of adventure psychology. 

Adventure Psychologist Dr. Eric Brymer shares insights from his research on the impact of adventure and the human-nature relationship on health and well-being, as well as effective interventions to promote personal growth and development. As a leading expert on the subject, Dr. Brymer unpacks the transformative effects of adventure psychology and discusses how thrilling pursuits can help individuals find meaning in their lives.

Dr. Eric Brymer is an endorsed sport and exercise psychologist at Southern Cross University in Australia and a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Eric is interested in the psychology of performance, wellbeing and learning in adventure and nature-based contexts. His research is particularly focused on the impact of adventure and the human-nature relationship on health and wellbeing and the design of effective interventions.

Themes and topics:

• The impact of adventure and the human-nature relationship on health and well-being.

• Understanding how thrilling pursuits can lead to personal growth, development, and transformation.

• The connection between human nature, meaning, and the desire for adventure.

• Strategies and interventions that harness the benefits of adventure.

• The profound connections between individuals and the natural world.

• Insights on the process of conducting research in the field of adventure psychology.

• How. the findings from adventure psychology research can be applied to improve individuals' well-being and quality of life.

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

Ecological psychology, which is a school of psychology that rejects cognitive psychology’s mainstream explanations of perception

Listener Scott’s beautiful message about the moment that was meant for him

Parkour

Why Do You Ride? A Characterization of Mountain Bikers, Their Engagement Methods, and Perceived Links to Mental Health and Well-Being research paper

(I’ve also summarized a few of the findings of that one here.)

Hämeenlinna, Finland

Phenomenology 

Phenomenology and the Extreme Sport Experience by Dr. Eric Brymer and Robert Schweitzer

David Abram’s The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World

Max van Manen

Phenomenology and Nursing Research by Michael Crotty 

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

The edge marks the boundary of a limitation. How can we push past it?

This episode dives into the topic of limits—both physical and mental. We discuss our personal experiences of hitting edges while mountain biking, how it manifests differently for everyone, and how to recognize and work with your edge.

Themes and topics:

• Identifying physical and mental limits through breath loss and other physiological indicators

• Backing off from the edge to recruit skills, breathwork, and other resources

• Playing at the edge mindfully to stretch limits and enter a flow state for enhanced learning

• Recognizing edges manifest differently for everyone based on personality and situation

• Supporting others who are at their limit without being overbearing

• Managing emotions like fear, anger, and vulnerability when hitting a limit

• Finding edges in various areas of life like work, relationships, health and wellness

• Expanding the "window of tolerance" through challenging comfort zones in a safe way

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

SkiErg

Ellie Herman’s Pilates Reformer

Episode 47 with Melissa Gill

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

A listener's beautiful take on the changing nature of flow. 

Happy Friday, y'all! The weather is finally cooperating this weekend in Utah. So I hope you all are going to get out and ride, I know I am.

I completed an interview yesterday with Dr. Eric Brymer. This interview will air on Tuesday, May 21st, but we got to talking about the existential or mystical facet—the spiritual facet—of adventure, and adventure in nature, in particular.

And it was interesting that I conducted this interview right after I had received the most beautiful message from one of our listeners, Scott (Scott, if you’re here, say hi in the comments so people can respond to you directly!), who lives in Utah. He responded to the form I put out this week asking for feedback about the podcast, (thank you to everybody who filled out that form, btw. I really appreciate it.), and he suggested we talk about some of the differences in how flow feels between cross country and downhill.

So I reached out to him saying that I loved his point about cross country flow vs. downhill flow, and I asked him which one he tended to prefer. And Scott had the most beautiful response that spoke directly to what Dr. Eric Brymer was speaking of in that interview. It was so beautiful that I asked him if I could share his message with you all.

I get these messages from time to time from riders that just blow me away at who is listening to the show. If you see yourself in Scotts message, just know that there are so many of us out in nature, on a bike, finding these deep, meaningful, impactful life changing experiences out there. And I wanted to share this one.

 

If you have a message you’d like to share with the AOMTB audience, message me directly on Substack or send it to [email protected].

Rebroadcasting our intimate conversation with backcountry skier Melissa Gill about loss, grief, nature, and the beauty of life.

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time that calls for reflecting, learning, and engaging in meaningful dialogues about the complex world of mental health. To honor this month, we're reaching into our podcast archives to bring back a conversation that beautifully intertwines grief, mental wellbeing, and the healing power of outdoor pursuits. This is an older conversation that’s worth a re-listen.

Since we last published this episode last May, the Patagonia film The Meaningless Pursuit of Snow, which Mel references in this conversation, is now available. And it’s really beautiful, y’all. Worth a watch.

Content notice: This episode contains real and honest depictions of grief and death.

If you are reading this and you're grieving, know that your pain is valid, irrespective of what prompted it—be it the death of a loved one, a relationship at its end, or the loss of employment. It's a journey without a map, and what works for one person may prove futile for another. Einstein once said, "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." That certainly has been the case for us.

Melissa Gill is a woodworker, meditation teacher, Head of Operations for SimplyMTB and a lover of anything outdoors. She sees backcountry skiing as a playground for adventure and self development and in the summer months, can be found trail running or sleeping in a hammock in the middle of a forest. Of all things in life, she is most is passionate about mental health and creating safe spaces for healing for both her and her community. As a mindfulness meditation teacher, she believes most things in life can be solved, healed and made more beautiful with a heavy dose of self compassion. 

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

Meditation teachers Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.

Danielle has written about the loss she describes in this episode for the Medium publication Age of Empathy.

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

 

MTB Fitness' Matt Mooney joins to discuss how fitness, nutrition, and mindset combine to create a positive upward spiral of health and performance. 

A singular focus on peak bike performance makes sense for the pros—but most riders must fit their biking practice into demanding lives. Matt Mooney of MTB Fitness provides advice on incorporating training into daily routines and harnessing the transformative power of discipline. This guidance is beneficial for riders seeking to enhance their experience on the bike as well as their mental and physical health.

Matt Mooney is a personal trainer and founder of MTB Fitness. MTB Fitness social accounts have hundreds of thousands of followers, and the MTB Fit app helps riders in over 60 countries climb easier, descend stronger, and ride further.

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Referenced in this episode:

MTB Fitness

EMDR Therapy (the one where you move your eyes a certain way)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

Episode 2 on positioning was our most popular of all time. In this episode, we're digging deeper into all the nitty gritty details of proper body positioning on the bike, as well as some philosophical musings on positioning for success both on the trails and off.

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Referenced in this episode:

Episode 2 on Positioning

Episode 4 on Holding Center

Episode 44 with Lennard Zinn

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

Because how many of us are truly industry standard, you know? 

Six-foot-six former national team cyclist Lennard Zinn joins the podcast to discuss how different bodies interact differently with different bikes and give some recommendations for those looking to start customizing their bikes to their own bodies, styles, and experiences. 

LENNARD ZINN is a bike racer, frame builder, and technical writer. After receiving his physics degree from Colorado College, he became a member of the U.S. Olympic Development (road) Cycling Team.He has been producing Zinn custom road, gravel, mountain, cyclocross triathlon, and e-bike frames and complete bicycles, as well as custom forks, cranks and stems, at Zinn Cycles since 1982.

Books by Zinn include: Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance, Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, The Haywire Heart, Zinn & the Art of Triathlon Bikes, Zinn’s Cycling Primer, Mountain Bike Performance Handbook, and Mountain Bike Owner’s Manual. 

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Referenced in this episode:

Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens by Andrea Wulf

Kokopelli Trail

Leadville 100 race

The Haywire Heart: How Too Much Exercise Can Kill You, and What You Can Do to Protect Your Heart by Lennard Zinn

Fraser Island

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

 

Don't let your defaults go unexamined—the affects of our holding patterns compound over time.

Holding patterns, the unconscious positions in the body (and the mind) can develop from stress, injury, or repetitive actions over time. They can also surface as a default response to our own individual structure. Identifying and addressing these holding patterns through mindfulness, play, and feedback can help improve alignment, stability, flexibility, and performance.

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Referenced in this episode:

Our Fall Better episode

Antelope Island (which emerges out of the Great Salt Lake)

Holding pattern definition in aviation

Kyphotic curve, which is an exaggerated, forward rounding of the upper back (so when you slouch, your spine is in this position)

Knees over toes guy

Rocksteady Bodyworks (whom we love and recommend to everyone—tell them we sent you!)

If you’re wondering what Jamie’s “ums” look like in my editing software, they look like this:

 

You’re welcome.

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.

How we approach the trail matters, especially when climbing and turning. Sometimes, you gotta come in sideways, you know? 

Considering the angle of approach is important in technical climbing. It can also be applied to communication and relationships. Danielle and Jamie talk about how considering different angles of approach, both physically and verbally, can make difficult situations and obstacles easier to navigate.

Like the podcast? Send us a tip here or consider a recurring paid subscription. Your support helps us cover the time and resources it takes to create free long-form content. Also, if you’re in the market for a new bike, consider an Ari (formerly Fezzari) bike, and tell them we sent you.

Referenced in this episode:

Moab’s Klonzo network.

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg

“No” energy, as discussed in our Fall Better episode

A note on happiness research: These weren’t mentioned explicitly in the episode, but when Danielle talks about approaching happiness at an angle, she’s drawing on research about some indirect things that bring about wellbeing, like nurturing good relationships and experiencing other people’s joy, and other research that is leery of what they (yes, the royal “they’) call toxic positivity—when people take the goal of happiness a little too far.

Let’s connect!

Please don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and share this if it resonates, and you can DM Danielle now directly on Substack! If you’ve found value in the podcast, consider sending us a tip, here.