Use This Jedi Mind Trick for Next-Level Fitness
Whether biking, hiking, or hill running, don’t fear the Dark Side
“Tell you exactly why this works I cannot. But work it does.” ~Master Yoda
The local mountain — Cowles — is the tallest within San Diego proper. The hike is roughly one mile to the top, with an overall rating of “moderately” strenuous.
But one particular segment, about 3/4 way up the Eastern approach’s fire road, is especially treacherous. It’s steep, uneven, and more slippery than most other chunks of the trail.
At 1/10th of a mile long — if that — this area is short but stands out as dreadful. But, unexpectedly, one particular hike saw me breezing through the “turn of doom” as if it were nothing more than an “ordinary” steep hill.
So, what happened? Well, my friend, they say timing is everything. And this time they’re right.
Bathe in Moonlight
For best results, I wholeheartedly recommend training when the moon is at least 75% illuminated. Or at the very least, on well-lit streets.
Now, in case you haven’t guessed, the secret timing trick is … training at night.
Climbing hills at night tricks your brain into thinking the incline is less than what’s really in front of you.
My theory is that since your brain is unable to see clear and refined details of the terrain, the “uh, oh, this is steep!” wave pattern never fires up.
In other words, your brain (and body) doesn’t know how steep the hill is. We all know it’s there, but the specific incline and resulting difficulty is just a hazy guess.
Double Confirmation
I’d been up the fire road maybe 100 times before attempting a nighttime ascent.
Perhaps the distraction of friendly conversation also helped, but that first moonlit trek taught me that disliking a particular stretch of trail is nothing more than a self-created obstacle.
The theory also held water after putting it on wheels.
One of the hills on my regular bike route is a heart pounder. But that same hill at night? Sure it’s still tough, but decidedly less than before.
My night ride is on a paved street, mind you. I’m not condoning downhill mountain biking in the dark!
Conclusion
On every fully-lit trip up mountain or street, the once-scary hills aren’t as bothersome. Ironically, hills cast in shadow shine light upon how deceptive our senses can be.
So, next time you find yourself cursing a segment of your uphill training regimen, try it at night and watch the magic unfold! You may just find yourself faster, fitter, stronger.
