GUILTY as charged!!! LOL!
I definitely fit the roadie trying to MTB category... I ride solo so it's not that my friends MTB. For me it's about mixing things up and taking on new challenges and opening the door to more race opportunities. You are spot on about being too tense and needing to relax. I was on vacation last week and i spent the whole week camping at the state campground that has a nice trail system. Left the road bikes at home and only bike i took was my MTB bike! So i spent the whole week practicing on my MTB... and by the end of the week I was much more relaxed and confident... and faster! I was amazed how just spending some dedicated time on the trails really helped me improved. Oh, and i spent the evening reading MTB articles...
Bottom line for me was... practice more.... relax (no more death grip)... and perhaps the most important thing, TRUST MY BIKE...
