mx775

It doesn't matter that I haven't raced in months or that I don't have the energy or time to train properly anymore: my dad still wants me to try my hardest every time I throw a leg over the bike. He says I need to get back my fitness and mental sharpness so I can be ready.

Ready for what, dad? The long walks spent pushing my daughters' stroller? The tight jar lids that my wife needs me to open? Those narrow openings I must slice through on the freeway to avoid missing the exit to Target? 

No, he doesn't have those things in mind. He instead talks as though I am still half-considering showing up at Anaheim in January (I am not.)  This, of course, makes it easy (and funny) to dismiss his enthusiasm.

Dad: "What are your plans for this practice session, son?"

Me: "I thought I'd scan the track surface for imprints that resemble the Virgin Mary."

Dad: (Disappointed silence.)

But as much fun as that is, he does have a point: what am I doing on the track now? All my life I've ridden so I can get faster so I can do better at the races. But since I haven't been racing, that pattern has become obsolete. Which makes me wonder why, during my practices, I still sometimes aspire to go as fast as I can (in that sketchy, half-assed sort of way employed by people who don't ride often enough.)

Maybe he knows something that I only suspect: there's still a part of me that, after all the concussions and motos of disappointment, still wants to race and do well. A part that still wants to be complimented on its blinding speed and ultra-smooth style. A part that still wants to receive free product for said speed.

In any case, I appreciate that he still believes that I have a reason for trying. It does make me want to race again, as much as I appreciate the post-racing lifestyle I've adopted in recent months. I mean, it's nice to sleep in on Sundays. And eat ice cream 'til my heart's content. And drink beer until the memories of my bad races become distant and fuzzy, like a dream I'm not really sure I had.

I reflect on all this because as I aimlessly drifted around the message board tonight, I noticed there is a race at Stead (my favorite track) in about a month. And the old thoughts came around again: if I worked at my riding for the next four weeks, and really tried to carve out the time necessary to prepare for it, would I have fun? Would I do well? Would someone notice my riding and maybe--just maybe--send a tip to the factories?

Well, probably not that last one. But still, I thought about the others, and the thoughts made me feel like I used to: before the children and the mortgage, before the broken femur, before the nightly ice cream/beer binges. 

Which isn't to say I'll chase the feeling. I may race and I may not, though I think I may just prepare as though I am going to. You know--just in case.

Know what I should do? Please let me know here or on the message board. I could use the thoughts of a wise, objective onlooker...or at least an onlooker. 

And don't bother to post, dad. I already know your stance.

Posted by beaupre716 at 09:56 PM | Permalink

As I've mentioned a time or two, I've had a somewhat hard time writing lately--partly because I couldn't ride until a few weeks ago, and partly because I'm coping with all sorts of distractions that keep me from motocross these days. These distractions--which include a new house and the increasing demands of my two very young daughters--leave me frazzled more often than not, and incapable of writing with much insight.

All I seem to have on my mind are random complaints--nothing too interesting, just assorted gripes about the way my motocross life is going these days. But since I have nothing else to write about, they are going to have to form a makeshift blog entry tonight. Here are my current peeves with my life as a 27-year-old, defacto-retired racer.

--I miss riding so much. Yes, I still ride once a week, but this just means that I am able to carve out an hour of late-afternoon riding on most Sundays. It's fun, but I miss going to faraway tracks; I miss going riding for the entire day, and I miss spending time at the races. Under my current habits, I work on my bike way more than I ride it. And it's not that I love wrenching; it's just that it's the only connection I have to my bike most days, and I need to take what I can get.

--I hate seeing the motocross scene in our area struggle with low turnouts and organizational discord. If things keep going the direction they are going, when I finally do get some time to ride, there will hardly be any tracks or events for me to enjoy.

Mustang, which really seems to have hit its stride lately in terms of track layout and preparation, can't seem to buy a good turnout. And while Shane and Krista are dedicated, it's no secret that a track can't survive indefinitely without decent support from riders. I worry all the time that I might hear bad news on this front in the near future, and that prospect is really a shame. If Mustang goes, where will we ride locally? Moonrocks? The concrete-like Stead? Poorly-guarded construction sites? I really don't know.

--I worry about the rising costs of dirt bikes. Yes, the new CRF450 is gorgeous, but its price surpasses the $7,500 mark. I know it has EFI and all kinds of new stuff, but are rising costs like these pricing would-be racers out of the market? And if so, what will happen to local motocross as a result?

I really wish the manufacturers would bring back two-strokes as a line of lower-cost race bikes. They are plenty fast and cheaper to make than thumpers, and they don't turn into time bombs at the three-year mark as four-strokes tend to do. Those benefits alone might do wonders to bring back the racers who've strayed because of the increased costs and complexities of the four-stroke era.

--Finally, I am tired of hastily writing blog entries late at night because I feel guilty for not writing here more often. I know I have likely made some typographical and grammatical mistakes in this entry, but there's no time to edit it--I have to get to bed so I can try to be ready for tomorrow.

So please bear with me and, with a little luck, I might get back to doing something other than bitching here soon.

Posted by beaupre716 at 10:55 PM | Permalink