Today I RACED… 30th November ’10

…rather than just rode. After the frustrations of the last couple of races I nearly didn’t leave the warmth of the house to brave the freezing temperatures, and even on the start line I didn’t feel like I had much in me, but for once it all came together!

I passed whole groups on the first lap, hunted down faster riders lap after lap and just rode up to the middle order. Something changed today, something in my mind primarily. I heard that little voice telling me I was racing, telling me to scythe up the inside corner after corner, to take no prisoners and if they weren’t going to take the fastest line then I’d use it and pass them instead, telling me to change gear and push it through the long muddy straights and telling me to give everything when someone seemed to be coming back at me. When I dropped a chain and got passed by a small group I had given everything to pass the previous lap, I made the choice not to give up but to get angry and pass them again. I shouted, swore at myself and even growled my way back up to them and when I did the guy on the back moved right over and just let me pass! I think he thought I was one of the leaders the way I gained ground on them, and within 1 lap all but the fastest guy were done again!

It was a fun course with lots of running up steep banks and more off-camber zig-zag sections than you could imagine and I got my tactics right finally. I learned the fast lines and for the first time ever made up time on the faster guys ahead through tactics and technique. I recalled articles on cornering and weight distribution and managed to put it into practise when it counted and at the end anyone watching would have thought I’d just won the damn race!  I still have a huge way to go to bust out of the middle order but I drove home today with a few scalps and finally feeling like a racer.

Bring on the next one…

Thanks, Damon L

All Photos © Guy Swarbrick 2010