Happy Thursday to all the folks out there! Hoping you all are ready for the upcoming weekend and you have some plans to get out and test suspension, break in new top ends and tear up some rubber on tires! It’s been a little while since I wrote something as life has had me by the horns. I have however been certain not to slack on one of the key things I am writing about here today and that is training.
Since I was 10 years old and first introduced to competition on an individual level of sport (not team) I always loved training. I remember riding Bicycle Motocross and always being what they consider “on the bubble”. This means in the semi final they only have room for 8 people in the main event so they run 2 motos prior and take the top 4 of each. I was consistently finishing 5th. “On the bubble”
My father, a retired Special Forces Green Beret, asked me if I wanted to go further and he took the reins. We would practice moto Mondays and Wednesdays, race Fridays and Saturdays and typically did a clinic on Tuesday or Sundays. We also incorporated running distance and stairs on Tuesday and Thursdays.
I am not outlining a training plan for anyone here but just listing a lifestyle. It’s a commitment to take a sport to its highest level. The folks racing in the top 10% of FTR are fast. They work extremely hard to be where they are in the racing scene, even if it is “club” racing. The guys in GNCC and Full Gas take it even further and choose a lifestyle that is incredibly demanding.
Remember it’s not always going to be fun, training and even riding your bike is not always going to be something you want to get out and do. You know, though, that it’s a good idea. If your goals are to be a champion in your class you have to set yourself apart. A lot of early mornings and late evenings. Lots of washing laundry because your going to go through jerseys and pants like they are going out of style. Side note: shout out to all the moto moms that make sure we are at least smelling fresh on the way out the door! I Want to encourage you to also think about things like triggers.
Triggers are something that pushes you or engages your mind to do something or to not do something.
Listening to upbeat music can motivate you to workout. Watching a sad movie can motivate you to sleep in and sit around. There are triggers all around us and we have more control than we think to work within them. My good friend Jason Ennis is a great trigger for thinking about new ideas in business, being a Dad and life applications. Just being around someone who has those kind of energies rather than someone who complains often about their job can make a big difference. Think about it this way for the little guys and girls. Do you have a friend that just loves playing video games? You may be someone who likes video games and riding dirt bikes. If you are always surrounded by that person who just loves staying up late and playing video games all the time day and night then I guarantee your riding time will go down in comparison to if you hang out with that person who is always wanting to get out and ride.
This is not to say cut anyone out of your life but just to show you how much influence others have on YOUR life. You have a choice of what inputs you allow. How much TV you introduce to your days. How much reading you do. It all ties in together especially when you have goals like racing to the top of your class. It is going to come with sacrifice and I recommend you examine what triggers are in your world to help you achieve those goals!
That’s it for this week folks! If there are any topics or questions you have always know you can email us at FCSOffroadRacing@gmail.com
Send us your questions or product reviews and we will be happy to get you feedback! Hope to see you out on the track!