Speed is relative.

Speed is relative. I am coming to understand that with Motocross. Each week I go out to ride just like you and soak in the fun. Some weekends it’s a race some it is just a ride. When you ride the same track all the time you play little games with yourself. For me, that game is attached to my wrist. A cheap $6 digital watch with a stopwatch which I time my rides. How many laps can I do in 10 minutes, 20 minutes. Can I ride for a full 30? The last race I was at, I got to ride with some of the really fast guys. Following their lines and trying to mimic them. After the ride I approached them and asked a question or two. What I came away from the lesson was, look Further down the turn. I was looking ahead, just not far enough.

Now back at the local track I gave it a go. Wow. The set up is this. Our local track is comprised of multiple tracks laid on top of one another. Being that there is only myself or a friend on the track we never run into each other. Not saying it isn’t possible. Just rare. In one corner is a big SX style bowl turn that I have been hitting faster and faster. Out of this turn is whoops and a big single. The looking forward trick shot me out of the turn like a bullet. I was a full gear higher and accelerating to then next gear. Before I knew it I was launching off the single and overshooting the next turn. I took a boot size measurement of where I landed at the end of the ride. A full 12 feet further. By the end of the day I had adapted to the further launch and made the turn. In fact it put me a gear higher for the next set of whoops.

What I love about MX is even on the same track, if you challenge yourself you always go home with that Hero feeling. You are better today then you were yesterday.