Mentoring newbies

[lph]

Good work, Nuliajuk. I like that you have a sense of the longterm learning process, and that it takes time for a new habit to overlay an old one. I took my drivers licence not that many years ago, and my poor instructor was quietly pullling his hair out at how he'd teach me something, I'd focus on practicing it, but the next time I had to do it in a hurry the new skill would go out the window. It was pretty obvious too that 38-year olds learn slower than 18-year olds... :-D

I just read "Born to Run" (fantastic book! enough to make anyone want to buy a pair of huaraches and hit the trails) and there was something there about trying to run barefoot "if it feels easy you're doing it wrong", ie. if you're actually trying to make a relevant change to a entrenched habit it will and should feel clunky and clumsy at first.

[Owlie]

Owlie, what's kind of scary? The fact that I'm not that coordinated, or the woman who couldn't shift? THAT was scary; my lack of coordination, not so much. I push my limits regularly and I'm actually better from riding, despite my advancing age!

Not your lack of coordination, the woman who couldn't shift. I'm not exactly coordinated either! I do better on wheels than I do just walking around, though.

[Crankin]

So, I saw the woman who couldn't shift on Saturday. She came on our ride, but was with the slower group. She thanked me profusely for my patience and said she had been practicing like crazy since May. When I saw her at the lunch stop, she was happy as a clam.

[Melalvai]

Aw, that's sweet. I'm glad she's doing well.