Video: Mongolia - Leech Interview - Larocque Edit

Professional Mountain Biker, Yoga Instructor & Personal Coach, Ryan Leech was part of the team the headed over to the land of Genghis Khan last summer for the 2012 Mongolia Bike Challenge presented by Orbea. Ryan led the athletes in very well-received, daily restorative yoga sessions. Team MBC's Chris Ganeff catches up with Ryan post-race to hear his perspective on how things went down in Mongolia.

Video edit of Ryan in Mongolia by Aaron Larocque. Aaron's half-hour documentary on the 2012 Mongolia Bike Challenge will be released on Pinkbike on December 1, 2012.

You found yourself with us in Mongolia this summer. Could you describe your personal experience there in one word?

Exposed.

From your perspective, what were racers experiencing?

They were in process. Sure there was plenty of time to relax and hang out, but still, even those times were steeped in the gap between that moment and the end of the race. It was like a marinade, and the racers were cooking in it, and no one could ‘eat it up’ and enjoy the full flavors until the race was complete, and actually, that’s partly where I came in, to encourage them to step out of the marinade for some fresh perspectives.

You are a professional yoga instructor, run Ride & Reach workshops (in some amazing locations!), and recently shot a ‘yoga for cyclists’ video… should we (mountain bikers) all be doing yoga?

I would say give it a try rather than 'should', as it’s not for everyone, but you don’t know until you try it a few times with a few different teachers. Yoga is certainly a great solution for many challenges cyclists face, and cyclists usually get more than they bargain for when they take up a yoga practice. It’s a common story, they start yoga to recover from and prevent injury, or to find some solace from the strains and stresses of life; they get that of course, but also find that the combination of deep breathing and introspection during movement allows them to learn so much more about themselves than they bargained for, yoga seems to trigger people to make major life shifts, such as changing diets, jobs, and relationships.

What does the practice of yoga offer athletes?

At the MBC, we practiced a very slow and restorative style of yoga, and my delivery was designed not only to sooth the well-worked body, but also the mind. As I mentioned before, when stepping into a 10-day race, it marinates your entire being, and that can take a toll when you’re off the bike even if you think you’re relaxing. So through yoga, if I can help to re-set the inner body, their outer bodies will be able to relax and recover more efficiently.

I have heard people rave about your teaching style here in Vancouver. The term 'progressive' has come up. What makes your teaching style unique?

My yoga teacher Eoin Finn is a fun and progressive teacher, so my style was naturally built off his. He taught a hybrid style of yoga, blending a variety of traditions in such a way that it was more in tune and service to the average westerner's body. Additionally, I bring a history of practicing yoga through a pro rider career full of injuries, stress, and set backs, along with an education as a Professional Integral Coach which more than anything allows me to take a more holistic perspective on life when designing yoga routines and dialogue.

You had a pretty good following for your daily post-race, restorative yoga session – many racers made it part of their post-race ritual.

I had designed the routines as being progressive, taking in to account what body parts might need some attention and what the average mental state was like depending on the how hard the stage was, what the weather was like, what day it was, etc. When so many things are taken in to consideration for the health and well being of the athletes, I think it is recognized and appreciated, the riders picked up on this, and the feedback was indeed grateful.

You talked of ‘stillness, grounding, and connecting’ during your sessions. What were you trying to provide the athletes?

Because the race is so physically and mentally intense, there is not much left to truly register the scenery, the friendships, the culture, and the immense spaces that are Mongolia. So through the guided dialogue during my classes I create a vibe of stillness and groundedness. This opens up a space that can then more truly register these things. Here is a stab at an analogy: the end results of those taking the yoga sessions may be like having a photo album with space between each picture rather than having all the photos superimposed on top of each other. Less noise more clarity.

Mongolia Bike Challenge Website: www.mongoliabikechallenge.com
Race Contact: info@mongoliabikechallenge.com

Photos: Margus Riga

Video Link: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Mongolia-Leech-Interview-Larocque-Edit-2012.html 

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