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Through the Lens

As things wind down, it'll soon be time to start looking through the lens towards next year. I personally am already looking forward to the New Year, and it's only October. With that said, I think it's important to remember and acknowledge what we've accomplished among the many hurdles encountered throughout the season – and let it sink in, if only for a moment. That's just what racing often is – a series of hurdles with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Clearing those hurdles feels great and tripping up on them is why the turnover in the sport is so high. I really feel the challenges presented in racing – whether bike, car, plane, boat, or whatever - are fully transferrable to real world situations. Whether it's the late night tearing a bike apart and putting in a motor before Friday practice, or handling the pressure of being shown a wheel throughout on the last lap of a race and not giving in to the pressure, or any of the other numerous facets of racing – it's a tough sport that demands perseverance and dedication, both at and away from the track.

At the last race event, Doug and I stood watching my dad during morning practice and we were talking about riding techniques – I don't completely remember specifically what exactly. As we continued talking, the topic came up where I said one of the things I miss most at the track is morning practice. It's the calm before the storm. The time when you can go to work. Some people like cruising around, but this was the time where I put my head down and went after it. The air was cool, the bike would be running strong and it was perfect conditions for dialing in how the events of the day would go. It was an analytical time to go out and work on sections of the track, riding technique and bike setup. Together as a team, we always have had a methodical approach to it that showed results as the day went on – and standing right there watching bikes go by, I really missed that.

Admist my ramblings, I find myself continually looking back to this past season, while also looking forward to next season. I want to relive the good times and improve upon the challenging ones. The above photo that Tammy took at Honda East reminds me of that.

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 | POSTED AT: 11:29 PM
FILED UNDER: General