A Little Clarity Goes a Long Way

In my previous entry, I noted how I was having trouble finding my speed around the track, and I didn't know what to attribute the attrition to; doing track work, new bike, start of the season, all of the above? I wrote that the following trackdays would either confirm or debunk one or the other (or all of the above).

Well, I worked a Z2 trackday the other day again, and thankfully, it became clear to me as that day was.

It was none of the above.

What it was, was riding in a slower group. See, as part of being grid and recovery staff, myself and the rest of the crew basically confer with one another at the start of the day as to who's riding which group (A, B, or C). For the most part, we're all A-group riders, but since coming into the grid, I thought it best to be accommodating for now, and let the rest of the guys and gal ride A-group if they want, and I'll happily ride B-group. No biggie, I've jumped down a group before to ride with my friends, so no harm no foul.

Well the foul is that I am riding in an environment that though I can handle, is not conducive for me to ride the pace I typically do. B-group offers a fair amount of riders that are both too slow and too fast for the group; it's the nexus of skills from the other two groups, which can make for some unpredictable riding circumstances to negotiate. I can negotiate this, but the problem is that I cannot get myself into a rhythm of riding that taps into my full potential, which is critical in continued growth and development, in my opinion.

I realized this the other day at Thunderhill. Though I started the day riding in B-group still, I decided to go back to A-group again. In retrospect, it was probably pretty ballsy of me to do that when I've been feeling not up to par; it was one of those days with the fast A-group with AFM guys like Chris Siglin and AMA guys like Eric Bostrom signed up to do their testings. But what the hell, why not?

Immediately. IMMEDIATELY as soon as I went out there, with no rolling traffic to negotiate and fast guys passing me offering a rabbit for me to chase, I was back to my pace. Just like that, just to be back in the proper environment that offers no resistance for you to give most if not your all.



It felt so good to be myself again.

Regression with Progress

This track season will be my first full season as part of Z2 Trackday's crew, after they asked me to join them late last year. This past weekend's double-header at Sonoma Raceway kicked off my grid work, and though Saturday was only the third full-day I've done grid work and recovery, I ended up having done the most work I've ever had compared to the previous two, and therein came a surprise.

Pick up their crashed bike, then pick up the rider

It's still a welcome change to be working the trackdays now, rather than just sitting around in between sessions as a customer. The time spent working the grid and/or doing track recovery between my riding sessions really does bring a new and exciting chapter during my trackdays. But up until this past weekend, I never thought that my newfound duties would affect my riding abilities negatively. With Saturday's busy trackday, I felt like I wasn't riding as best as I could during my sessions. Understandably, one can say that it was only the first trackday of the season for me, so I'm probably just shaking off cobwebs, but historically, I've usually been able to just pick up right where I left off from the previous season, and sometimes even going quicker. I didn't feel tired out on the track per se, but in some ways, I want to say that the grid work and recovery duties does tangibly affect my riding.

This isn't really a complaint, but more of an observation rather. The next coming trackdays I work will either confirm or debunk this, but in the worst case scenario that I'm right, I'm thinking that I will need to simply better pace myself during trackdays, and/or up my exercise regimen so that I am better fit to be riding and working the track simultaneously. After all, this is a new chapter in my track adventures, so addendums should be expected.

Any new chapter requires a different approach

The other downside to working trackdays that I was afraid of was that a day would come when I would end up picking up either a friend or acquaintance following a track incident. I knew something like this could and would happen, it just wasn't something to look forward to. Well, it came too soon this past Saturday, when I found MotoLiam a victim of another rider's mistake out on the track. Fortunately, he was without any serious injuries, and though his bike sustained damage, it was nothing that Liam couldn't sort out. Not a guy that's wrenched on MotoGP machines like he has.

Taking Liam safely back to the pits



 But you know, they say you take the good with the bad, and I will forever be grateful to have been given this opportunity to have another dimension in an existing passion. Not everyone is handed something like this, and all the benefits of being in such a position far outweigh the drawbacks that every now and then may weigh you down.

So I say, the best progress tends to be those gained out of adversity.