Today was our second trackday of the year and was again at Infineon with Keigwins just like last month...and just like last month, our trackday happened to fall on the 13th. Last time out was my turn for the bad luck--sort of. Second session of the day I went out and noticed a "ticking" coming from the bike. Ticking very rarely means anything good on a bike and this was no exception. A nut holding the rear sprocket had worked its way off the bolt and had dug a nice chunk out of my swing arm. Enzo and I made the decision not to take the 400 out again, so I bumped down to B- group where there was a little room and ran Enzo's R6 all day. I ended up really enjoying myself and learning a lot, but was concerned about my bike...
Fast forward to a month later. I still hadn't worked out the problems with the rear sprocket nut coming off. The causes of this were pondered by many people much smarter and way more experienced in wrenching than myself. Everything from "it's just worn bolts" to "your entire bike might be out of whack" was tossed on the table. Enzo and I ended up doing what we could here at the house and getting some new lock nuts for the rear sprocket and fixing the mangled swingarm. After much discussion with "the experts" decided that I would run the bike today with caution as we felt that there are still some unresolved issues, but I really needed to ride the bike to figure out more.
I was nervous all day yesterday and this morning. My sleep was not sound--partly because we had to go to bed ridiculously early and partly because of my bike. We had to get to the track an hour early today because of the AMA races coming up this weekend. I'm usually not nervous prior and have gotten pretty used to the track routine at this point. But everything was thrown off and my bike might blow up, and we have to park in a different spot than usual, and I'm still not used to riding Sears and, and did I have enough ice in the cooler to keep the mayonnaise on the sandwiches from going bad, and, and... needless to say I was "verklempt".
I suited up and went out for sighting laps with the B- group and didn't hear the ticking. This was confidence-inspiring. My turn-in points, braking markers and lines were working out pretty well on the 400, even though I'd been riding a 600 the last time I was here. I began to feel the oneness with the bike again. I basically hadn't ridden it since Fall of last year and now was trying to deal with a mechanical issue and a relatively unfamiliar track. Still I was having a good time and feeling sold. The bike felt as good as ever--I'd given her a little tune-up with the help of a friend over the winter. Enzo had painted her for me and I feelin' pretty sharp out there.
I came in and checked the bike. All was well. Enzo checked that all the bits were tight. I checked that nothing was leaking, overheating, dragging or anything else that the bike has been prone to in the past. check, check, check, check. She passed with flying colors! I was starting to relax a little and was anxious to get back out and ride with the B+ group. My next sessions before lunch went really well. We had a very small group riding on the track and nearly everyone in my group was faster than me. Passing people is good for the ego, but getting a tow from someone quicker is much more valuable. I found myself able to keep up with a few guys through portions of the track, but then I'd lose them down the straights when I would get passed by other riders. There was a lot of close passing today, but I maintained my line and focused on being predictable and smooth. I soon found that the close passing wasn't really a problem and other riders seemed to trust me enough to keep doing it more frequently as the day wore on. Who knew that getting passed could hold a lesson in itself?
I started noticing some trends in my riding and things I want to work on: I tend to be good on the brakes--a benefit of my weight. I tend to scream into corners when I want to pass someone and then turn in late. That's probably not good from a throttle standpoint, but I discovered that in many corners that I could turn in ridiculously late and it worked out much better than the line I'd take if I weren't passing someone. So next time I went around that same turn and I'd have clean track I'd try that new line--it's scary as hell passing one's perceived "last chance" turn in point to try and turn in later. Even though I did this gradually and would always scrub a little speed off whenever I tried a new line, it still scared me. I'm getting better about this and find that my lines are starting to look like the ones I see faster guys using. I'm getting a better drive out of corners and that means everything on the little bikes.
We took a break for lunch and my endurance and focus was still with me. I have found that with every track season I'm able to go faster and last longer. I used to be physically and mentally spent by 10 a.m. Here it was noon and I felt like I was just getting warmed up! Experience helps, but the biggest change happened when I started taking my fitness seriously. I'm not a gym rat, but I put in a couple of hard workouts every week. I know my body can take the beating and now I have 100% of my focus on the mental aspect of track riding. Another thing: sleep. I can't emphasize the importance of sleep enough. I force myself to get at least 7 hours of rest before a trackday. I sleep whenever I can during the day, too. Even a 15 minute catnap helps me.
Heading out after lunch I was looking forward to working on a couple of specific turns. My bike had been running like a top all morning and I was no longer worried that it was going to implode on me. I had started getting my knee down pretty consistently in a couple of turns. It's still a sensation that I'm not used to and I don't like it. I hadn't made too many big errors in the day--I'd run wide here and there, but never got close to running out of track. I'd not been as consistent about hitting my apexes as I'd wanted to be, but I'd been doing pretty well for me. I had no idea what my times were because I don't run a laptimer, but I felt good out there. I'd complained to Enzo that I didn't feel quite "right" all day, but that taking my time might be paying off in a big way. I find that when I think I'm riding well or trying to be fast that I'm actually a little slower than on days like today.
Meanwhile Enzo had been looking good all day. I'd tried to keep up with with him, but couldn't. He's on an R6, but at Thunderhill when he wasn't feeling great I could stay with him for longer. I was happy for him and was hoping that his two crashes from last year would be the last we'd have for a while. Unfortunately unlucky number 13 was about to strike again. On the second to last session of the day I came around turn 2 and see Enzo picking up his bike out of the dirt. I was ecstatic--not because he'd crashed, but because he was OK. Just a couple of weeks ago one of the instructors for Keigwins was paralized from the waist down in a crash during a race. He was an accomplished rider with lots of experience and a nice guy to boot. It was just one of 'those things" but I have been thinking about him periodically and have been selfishly thankful that Enzo and I have not suffered any permanent damage from a wreck. (By the way, if anyone wants to know more or where they can send funds for his long and expensive recovery PM me.)
I decided to come in early and wait for Enzo. I figured that my focus would be compromised if I were to stay out there, and that wasn't good. The guy in the pit next to me said that his buddy hadn't come in yet either. We waited nervously together. Enzo arrived about 15 minutes later on foot. He'd walked down the hill and although he and the bike were a little banged up, they were going to be OK. About 45 minutes later the guy from the neighboring pit showed up. He had gotten a flat tire and wound up pushing his bike all the way back. I decided to go out and ride the last session of the day since we'd be waiting for Enzo's bike to get towed back to us. It was a beautiful day and maybe half a dozen people ended up riding the last 20 minutes. With the exception of Enzo's mishap it had been a great day with a lot of progress made.
We head back out to Thunderhill in about six weeks for the two-day Intermediate School. Lance Keigwin is in cahoots with Enzo and they're both trying to gently talk me into taking the new racers school so that I can race the AFemme class (It's a no-holds-barred, run-whatchya-brung exhibition race for women only) towards the end of the season. We'll see. I might need to run a lap-timer for that one just to see how slow I am.
Am waiting for photos...will post when they come up.
