Gul Panag shares her experience of cycling in the mountains: ‘It’s a different ball game’

People who go out cycling every day will know that it is starkly different in the plains — where it is easier to push the pedals — than it is high up in the mountains.
Buy Now | Our best subscription plan now has a special price
Actor Gul Panag, who is a fitness enthusiast, took to Instagram to share her experience riding her bike or cycle in the mountains in Himachal Pradesh. In one of her recent posts, as she posed with her two wheeler in a blue jacket and a hat, smiling at the camera, she wrote, “Day 1 of training to ride in the mountains. And it’s a whole different ball game!”

She explained in the caption that she has been “training [the] last few weeks, averaging 25 km 3-4 times a week”. “But riding in the plains doesn’t come close to this.”Best of Express PremiumPremiumPremiumPremiumPremium
The Dor actor also explained that “endurance and strength apart, getting to know the bike takes some getting used to”, adding that on the “very first major climb, while down shifting, the chain came off”.
“And I couldn’t put it back. Needed my father to come and help me. Like when I was little. Also, I got caught in the downpour.”

Gul called it a “humbling” experience. “One starts to think of one self as a cat’s whiskers in the fitness ‘department’, taking pride in form, endurance, appearance, resting heart rate, etc. And then you realise, there’s no destination. Fitness is a journey…”
🚨 Limited Time Offer | Express Premium with ad-lite for just Rs 2/ day 👉🏽 Click here to subscribe 🚨
In a separate post featuring her father, where the two of them rested near a rock, Gul wrote about “day 2 of hill ride training”.

“Resting after a climb. Lots of climb left. Dad uses this rock to rest. But don’t be fooled. He’s been cycling 30-35 km per day for the last 12 years. Glad for this day. Grateful that dad took out the time to organise this training ride. Or else we’d be discovering riding on mountain roads, on the actual trip!”
📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!