#565 Round #3 - The pink and the stink

[The Snowman]

The pink: since my bike's purple paint tends to look like black unless you're right on top of it, we decided to add some fluorescent tape to it. The color of choice: pink. It was definitely noticeable.

The stink: was how I felt I was riding. Coming off round 2 and dropping 3.4 seconds off my previous personal best in that round to 1:22.649, I had set the bar a bit high for myself. I never turned a lap faster than 1:24.159 this round.

Cliffs:
Friday, LWGP: 7th of 17 starters. Best lap: 1:24.159

Saturday: 8th of 16 starters. Best lap: 1:24.823.

Sunday: LWSB: DNF. Best lap 1:25.403.
This race was a mess. Every possible thing that could have gone wrong, did. First start, I stalled. But a red flag in T2 forced a restart. I was 6th into T1 on the restart and lost 4 places on lap when I missed a shift into T1 and took a trip on the Nascar turn.

I managed to pick 2 riders off and was trying to get around #115 Aaron Wolfe. I got along side him once in T1A and had to check up, or he would have hit me. Next lap, I did the same, but held my line and he DID hit my front wheel. (my fault, as I wasn't past him and he most likely didn't see me.) I bobbled and managed to stay on, but lost the two positions I had gained.

I began to get psychologically out of it. Tow laps later, I was stood up in T12 when an unnamed expert hit me as he flopped left into T12 and forced me straight up and through the grass.

I wanted to finish, but was so angry, that I couldn't get my head back in it and pitted in the next time around.

All in all, not a bad weekend. My second round as an amateur and I'm running in the top 50%.

I just need to shake things off for the next time.

[Chippertheripper]

You at ttd tomorrow?

[Pittenger5]

Some weeks youre the dog, and some weeks youre the hydrant. Another weekend coming up Chuck

[The Snowman]

You at ttd tomorrow?

No. Limited vacation time this year.

To be honest, I couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough. I was so pissed at how I felt I ran.

Hopefully next time I'm up there, I'll have a clear head. I had just come off a stressful project and travel and was heading back to another stressful project today. I had a lot on my mind and most of it wasn't racing.

[Chippertheripper]

I feel ya. Me too, that's why I was absent. Better luck next time, I guess. You know you can be a contender, putting the pieces together to make it happen isn't always the easiest.

[Paul_E_D]

Yeah, take er easy Chuck. You can't expect to lop multiple seconds off your times and make it stick. When you knock that much time off, you usually can't really say how exactly you did it. It's emotional riding, as opposed to using marks from experience.

Refocus on your marks and work on your times patiently, little by little. It's the best way to drop time AND gain consistency IMO. Emotional riding is dependent on your, well, emotional state. You found out this weekend that you can't just turn it on when you get to the track. Back to finding marks.

[butcher bergs]

Remember, race from the heart, not from the head, Charles-san.

Re-center, re-group and re-try

BTW; it was great seeing you and Annalisa this weekend.....and thanks for starting the butcher chant on Saturday.

[The Snowman]

Yeah, take er easy Chuck. You can't expect to lop multiple seconds off your times and make it stick. When you knock that much time off, you usually can't really say how exactly you did it. It's emotional riding, as opposed to using marks from experience.

Refocus on your marks and work on your times patiently, little by little. It's the best way to drop time AND gain consistency IMO. Emotional riding is dependent on your, well, emotional state. You found out this weekend that you can't just turn it on when you get to the track. Back to finding marks.

Remember, race from the heart, not from the head, Charles-san.

Re-center, re-group and re-try

BTW; it was great seeing you and Annalisa this weekend.....and thanks for starting the butcher chant on Saturday.

I'll write it off as a learning experience. There isn't always improvement, but something to learn by.

If I learned anything this past weekend, it was that trying to go fast doesn't make you go fast. It just makes you work harder at going slower.

[Sheppo]

Emotional riding is dependent on your, well, emotional state. You found out this weekend that you can't just turn it on when you get to the track. Back to finding marks.

That's great advise !

[BrianC]

Good report... I kind of felt the same way this weekend about my times even though I dropped a second. I just felt like I was going so much faster than the times reflected... I accept the fact that this isn't going to happen over night but I know it will happen if I keep focused and don't give up. I know that if I keep working on the different areas and get decent at them, one of these days I'll string 'em all together for a good lap and the times will then reflect that. It can be frustrating, but it will feel that much better when we reach our goals!

[Doc]

No. Limited vacation time this year.

To be honest, I couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough. I was so pissed at how I felt I ran.

Hopefully next time I'm up there, I'll have a clear head. I had just come off a stressful project and travel and was heading back to another stressful project today. I had a lot on my mind and most of it wasn't racing.

Any day at the track is a good day. Don't let it get in your head and piss you off, that does no good. Just let it go and come at it fresh the next lap.

[The Snowman]

Well, I've been looking through the photos that Annalisa shot and one of the biggest reasons that I wasn't doing well was HOW I was riding.

I was so focused on going fast that I completely forgot my body position. I went back to the crossed up technique I was using at the beginning of the season. Here's a good example of what I'm talking about (head isn't moved from the center of the bike, shoulders aren't dropped, and looks like I'm really tense):

[PainfullySlow]

Tough it out, Chuck. There is always something to be learned and I am sure you will come back faster than ever once you get your head in a good place.

[landricscustoms]

bike still looks great Chuck....

[OreoGaborio]

Yeah, take er easy Chuck. You can't expect to lop multiple seconds off your times and make it stick. When you knock that much time off, you usually can't really say how exactly you did it. It's emotional riding, as opposed to using marks from experience.

Refocus on your marks and work on your times patiently, little by little. It's the best way to drop time AND gain consistency IMO. Emotional riding is dependent on your, well, emotional state. You found out this weekend that you can't just turn it on when you get to the track. Back to finding marks.

Re-center, re-group and re-try

Any day at the track is a good day.

Tough it out, Chuck.

bike still looks great Chuck....

aaaand I'm done!




I know it sucks going off track because of another rider, but sometimes crap happens on the track that sets us off... it's not easy to do, but you gotta let it go and keep your cool if you wanna maximize your points.

Basically.... Don't be a V

[The Snowman]

bike still looks great Chuck....

You have to get close to it to see the crash damage. I reinforced the 3 cracks on the left side with fiberglass and touched them up with the leftover purple you gave me.

The worst of it is the tail, where I had to push out the 2 dents it had in it.

[landricscustoms]

You have to get close to it to see the crash damage. I reinforced the 3 cracks on the left side with fiberglass and touched them up with the leftover purple you gave me.

The worst of it is the tail, where I had to push out the 2 dents it had in it.

if you need any help let me know

[union]

Chuck I didnt get to see any of your races this weekend. Sounds like a tough one. There are a few barriers out there we all hit on our way to getting faster. What really helped me was having someone with more experience pick me apart. Doing the advanced class over and over has made a huge improvement in my riding. Between Eric asking me what the fuck am I doing out there and riding a couple of sessions with Shane, and Jason Carter where they would pick me apart at the end Ive dropped a significant amount of time without really pushing my comfort level. If you can swing it do the school over and over.

Rich my bike still look pretty even after I let Pete ride it

[ThisBitch]

Maybe my rub on you got you all flustered?

[The Snowman]

Maybe my rub on you got you all flustered?

You might have something there.