Love and Fear

I have recently, often recalled to myself, a time when I was watching a race, in between my races, at Marshalls quarry, Hatfield, Doncaster. It was an overcast, cool, still day at the beginning of the year. I remember where I was stood watching and having a conversation with a riders dad. I could only just hear him as it was quite noise where we were stood.

He said something that sounded interesting and I didn't quite catch what he said. Luckily, rather than nod my head and say yes, I asked him to repeat what he had said and he repeated 'There are two things you need when you race Motocross.......Love and Fear, you have got to love racing and be scared(fear) of loosing'.

This was said to me 17 years ago and now after listening to Bob Proctor talk about setting goals, he suggests that we set extraordinary goals that empower us and scare us at the same time.

I have blogged about having these feelings previously, and as you know, I have set a big goal!

Spitting through the wall!

I have recently been listening to a self help, audio disc set by Bob Proctor. It is really interesting and I have had fun listening to it.

On the disc covering 'Persistence', I was relieved to hear that the higher your goal, the greater resistance you will face in achieving your desired outcome.

This comes at a good time, as I am, at the moment, facing obstacles that are in my way. Piece by piece, I am getting through these obstacles and using my friend Geoffs terminology, I am having to 'spit through the wall'! It appears to be a thick wall at the moment, however, I am determined to break it down. Not to just push the wall over, I am going to jump on it, squash it and give it no chance to rear it is ugly head ever again.

So now I am quite pissed off because I have allowed these walls to grow, I let it happen. Now, I need to learn what I can do to make sure I avoid this from happening again. I need to change again, as I step up another level in my human growth.

I think, if anyone was to ask me 'if you where to be some kind of animal what would it be?' I would have to reply 'A snake!'. A snake can shed it's old skin and this is what I feel that I have done each time I go through new experiences. I am really happy with my old skins, even happier with the new.

I want to be MX3 World Champion and the want for it is increasing!

Good Feeling

I have practiced twice now with different competitors, one, who I was roughly the same speed, although, I could see a few areas where I was more technically advanced and the other who I was quicker than.

What I really enjoyed was listening to their stories of how they have been quicker than other riders we will be competing against, and, on my drive home from practicing I had a smile on my face and thought to myself 'wouldn't it be funny if, I can win my first race'.

I am riding well at the moment, however, I am unsure if I am match fit and have no expectations, other than my goals I have set for this race. I just have a feeling that, I may well exceed them!

Fitter

I chose to substitute a practice session on the motorbike for a cycle session and really enjoyed the ride.

With my head phones on, I set off on my lap, which usually takes me one hour. I was enjoying being on my own and having the opportunity to think in solitude.
I also noticed that, it's great where I live. On my ride I go through a small town where I used to go to school and the rest of the circuit is on quite roads, through small villages and lots of open fields. The fields, separated by hedges are mostly green, with some ploughed and this gave me a great feeling, that spring is on it's way.

I myself felt really good on the bike and on my return had ridden with really good speed, a couple of minutes quicker than usual, however, what I was really stoked with, is that my average heart rate was around 22 beats low than last time I had done this circuit.
By measuring my time and heart rate I am able to get this important feedback. I am a lot fitter than when I did this session in January.

Contrast in Music

Recently, I have got a new phone. It's a SonyEricsson 810i. The main feature I wanted on the phone was the mp3 player.

Last year I was listening to G-unit a lot, I really like the bass and the rhythm of the beats and the songs are usually quite aggressive, which help me get fired up.

Now, I have fallen for an album by the Foo Fighters. I like the Foo Fighters because of the fast tempo and fairly aggressive voice that he sings with, however, the album I am listening to 'In your honor', disc 2, is so mellow and his voice is so smooth and relaxing, I am hooked and I listen to the album when ever I get chance. I am listening to it, as I write this now!

Looking after 'THE' goose

As the wet weather continues, I found myself in a dilemma on Wednesday. First of all, I was finding it hard to motivate myself to ride, as the track was in a poor condition and only a few customers stayed to have a go.
I had conflict going on inside my mind and I new that if I was to ride, I needed to have a clear mind (especially in these conditions) and after a short conversation with my wife, I had dealt with the conflict.
So, at the track I did my warm up and my first 40 minute moto, which I really enjoyed, however, it was very demanding on the bike. Wanting to look after the goose (my bike) I wondered if I should do my second moto. I decided that I should ring my friend Andy Kyffin and talk through what would the best approach.

The response I got was fantastic and immediate: 'do another 40 minute moto, you've got to look after the goose'.

I train well, eat well, drink well and practice well, however, this comment woke me up to consider that I am the goose also!
My second 40 minute moto was awesome and I felt great.

This goes to show that, I do have a good team around me and that achieving my goals is a team effort, there is no way I am doing this on my own because of the support and help I get.

Patience

Fantastic news. How about this, as soon as I have said that I am still waiting for conformation on product support, Motul Oils have agreed to help me for this season.

I am especially pleased because Motul is a growing name in the motocross industry (it is already huge in road racing) and the quality of their products, is second to none. Again, this is great news.

Test of mental strength.

I am having a slightly tough time at the moment. An area which I have blogged about previously, was to avoid resource depletion. With the winter seeming to last for ever, the track has been closed too many times and I am still wait for word on product support for bike spares.
With my training taking a lot out of me, I am really having to make an effort, to be, mentally tough and strong.

It would seem that, as my physical training and bike practice come to an end of a cycle and becomes easier, I am now faced with the new challenges of maintaining adequate resources, (which should only last for a short number of weeks) and learning how to deal with racing and make sure that I keep on improving, so that, I can finish 3rd overall, in Roggenburg, Switzerland on the 3rd September. When I do this, I know 2008 will be all mine!

Speaking with Harry Everts (a four time world champion) in Spain, he told me (his opinion) that the first World Championship you win is a gift, every world championship after that is yours to keep.
He was saying this to someone who has won no World championships and I would love the gift of the first one, however, it still fits in with my plans that I can win two World championships, I believe I may be setting another goal as this year progresses!

Low resting Heart Rate

On our last day of riding, my body had no aches although I felt sleepy tired. I was very pleased when I looked at my heart rate monitor when I sat on the bike, ready to go out for my first moto.

The reading was 50 beats per minute (bpm). I had to double check and waited a few more seconds for it to jump up to, may be, around 65 bpm. Whilst I waited, it went up to 53 bpm.

I am very pleased with this, as it is an indication that my fitness is good and that I am relaxed about being on my bike.

Team building

Whilst on our journey home, I was able to reflect on what has been happening (on my journey)and I noticed that the team I am building around me is truly international.

Again, on my first visit to see Ashley Scott, he made a comment, of which I was aware (although not the importance), that I needed to do. To build a good team around me. At this time I thought I could take the world on myself and on my own and how very wrong I was.

I have been unaware that I have been building a team. It is more like a group of individual friends who are all interested in Motocross.

I first met Ashley in January 2005, when he made this comment and my unconscious mind immediately started to work on it. Now just over two years later and on a trip home from Spain, I am able to reflect on this comment.

My friends who are helping me on my journey, although they may be unaware that they are helping (as they are friends), are from far a field, such as, Iceland, Belgium, Holland and in the U.K from the north, west, east and middle.

I would like to say a big Thank you to everyone involved and if you think to yourself 'I wonder if I am involved'. It means you are.

All you need is Love!

Ashley Scott has helped me become the person I am today and has a canny knack of telling me things, just at the right time.

Some time ago, now, Ashley told me that there are only two emotions. Love and Fear and that you could actually say there is only one emotion and that is Love. So, as I begin to appreciate this and notice, these two emotions, where it is in mine and other peoples lives, I could give no other thought to the fact that, there could be only one emotion, Love.

After blogging about, looking after the goose, I had started to notice how much, I love everything I do, whether it be riding my bike or changing my daughters dirty bum or the washing up.
After sending an e-mail to Ashley on an observation I have made, he asked me to consider, again, that there is only one emotion, Love and the absence of Love.

This question was asked at just the right time and 'Ashley, if this was a conscious decision, fair play'.
Myself and others in my life will benefit from this.

Think it, do it!!!

Last week, I blogged about how Harry's school looked like from the outside. Yesterday, on my day off, I watched and listened to what Harry had to say. I really enjoyed listening, there was only small instruction on technique. Most of his time is spent, telling riders how to make the bike go faster around the corners, regardless (to some extent) of technique. Andy, Petur and myself have found this very refreshing.

For me, riding in the second group, we've been doing motos. Harry has picked me up on two things I need to concentrate on. Once he had told me, I went out and did it straight away and continued to do so, each time after. I love being told what to do on a bike. I know I have a natural ability to do things on a bike that other riders don't. I have seen areas on the track, both last week and this week, where I was the first rider to start new lines and ride sections in a different way to get better results.

Whilst talking with Andy last night, I am sure that I am returning home on a higher level of riding from when I arrived here.

This was my plan. Awesome!

Rest day......at hospital

Today has been a rest day, which ended up with a trip to hospital!
I had ridden very hard the two days before and needed a rest. I have had interest from Harry, and he has welcomed me to train with him in Belgium.
This, I am really pleased with, Harry Everts is a four times motocross world champion and he has offered to help me train and help with my races in the MX3 world championship. A good result.
The trip to hospital came after loading the bikes into the van and leaving the tip of my finger in the chain and sprocket as the wheeled turned, when lifting the bike in to the van.
The piece of flesh hanging on the end of my finger had a piece of nail attached to the skin still. It looked messy and I was really pleased with how I managed the pain. One thing that did make me laugh was that when I went to ask Harry for some antiseptic, he ran away and couldn't look at the blood, this was really funny!
My last day of riding is tomorrow and then we begin our trip home and then it is straight off to a wedding with my wife and the girls. This I am really looking forward to.

New track, more riding.

Yesterday, we had no training in the gym, as it was hot the day before and it's important to avoid over training. That was the comment made by the Everts team. I was so happy to be riding in the sun! Although it is harder, riding in the heat, I was looking forward to doing more gym work in that morning.

We rode at a different track, hard pack and hilly, a really fun track. Also, it was a free riding day, we could do what we liked, in respect of riding time. This was great, I did two, forty minute motos, after a warm up, learning the track.

My speed was good and I started to fade after approximately twenty minutes. I need to be able to keep going with great speed for a further twenty minutes. With practice, I will ride full forty minute motos at full speed.

Today, Petur and myself our going out for a cycle, carrying out maintainace work on the bikes and washing clothes, this will take all day. Tomorrow, we will be picking up Andy from the airport.

Look after your Goose!

Throughout today I have noticed that many of the riders, and mechanics come to that, give little consideration into looking after their possessions. For example, dirty kit and bikes. This morning in the hotel reception, a group of guys where driving a remote control car around the floor and drove it to destruction, breaking wheels off the car and where no longer able to drive it.

This prompted me to think about a story in the book '7 habits of highly effective people', it's the story of a poor man who buys a goose with his last pennies, as it turns out, the goose lays golden eggs and the poor man becomes rich. In an attempt to become even more rich, the man cuts the gooses head off so that he can pull even more golden eggs out of the gooses body. Of course he kills the goose and is left with nothing.

This story means so much to me now, as I used to kill the goose so many times. I have most fun with my friend Jacky, in Holland, as my bikes used to get very little attention and when we would talk about the bike, Jacky would laugh and say 'have you been killing the goose, again, Ed'

After today, I have realised that I have changed (and continuing to change) because after each day of riding my bike, it is cleaned and I maintain it regularly. This has created something that I wasn't really ready for .... I love my bike, I stroke it affectionately with a real feeling of love for it!

I also think that this is hard for people to consider that, I have changed, as a person, from goose murderer to goose lover!

The story also promoted me to look at the 7 areas in my live (of which I have blogged about before,'balancing the wheel') and thinking about how I can look after the goose in my relationships, at work, with my health and my relationship with my wife.

Looking after the goose has made me feel much happier inside, it has helped me remove conflicts that I have had with myself in the past.

Look after your Goose!

Improvement

Yesterday, was a similar day again, gym first, track second. At the track, we rode 2 long motos. For the first, I was so sleepy tired and feeling drained, my lap times where similar as to previous times, however, quite inconsistent. For the second moto, I really didn’t want to go out and ride, I was that tried.
Something happened when I went out, I found a rhythm and had a really good focus on what I wanted to concentrate on. The result was that, my lap times had improved by 5 seconds a lap and where within 3 seconds each lap, until I started to fade at the end.
After practicing, I felt better than in the morning and when we got back to the hotel, we did nothing, waited for dinner and I was fast a sleep 10pm and woke at 7.30am. Nine and a half hours sleep for me is incredible, I needed it though.
We got a surprise when we went to breakfast this morning as there is no gym and we are going to be free riding today. Time to have some fun!

There are three other British riders here who are a little upset because the school is not meeting their expectations. In Stefan’s group, a plan is made and we follow it. There is no instruction or coaching. This has been great for me as I have made sometime to speak to Stefan and ask him questions that I want answering. He has been very forthcoming with information and therefore makes the training even more worth while.

On our day off, Petur and I went to watch Harry Everts group, training, to see what we will be doing next week and it looked a little unorganized. Riders were pulling on and off the track when they liked and Harry would periodically pull the group over, instruct riders on a certain corner and then watch as the 15 or so riders practiced the section.
This was our view from the outside, next week I can talk about what actually happens on the inside. Regardless of what happens in this group, I am very happy with my coaching skills.