....and the penny drops

I have mentioned in previous blogs, that I have set a massive goal, one that is going to take a lot of conviction to achieve.
Listening to a Bob Proctor CD, it is said that the bigger the goal, the bigger the resistance. As I listen to this after my first race, it has now become incredibly obvious what that means in my situation.

The high the goal, i.e MX3 World champion, the higher the resistance, i.e the better the competition.

All I need to do now is see ALL riders in front of me as resistance and once I have found the way to get each one behind me, I will be able to achieve my goal.

First Race

Well, how did my first race go? The track was great, hard pack and slightly hilly, with some great jumps. Before practice I was nervous, at one point feeling sick. I just needed to get on the track so I could ride.
As I was building my speed up for time training, I lost my front end on a slippy part of the track and broke my clutch lever clean off! Luckily, I fell right next to the working area, so I pushed my bike in and ran back to the van, remove the lever off my spare bike, run back and fit the lever back onto my race bike. I think this actually helped me keep calm a little, I was a little disappointed that I was as low as 24th in qualifying.
With this feedback I was able to consider what I was doing to be slower than I was aiming for, which, I had worked out.
Before the second race, I was feeling really negative, and was scared about going into race with other riders. Fortunately, my dad (who was with me) said just go out and enjoy yourself. I felt quite alot of relief when I heard those words.
In the races I felt that my corner speed was good, most of the time (I write most of the time because finishing in 23rd and 24th, clearly the speed was not high enough)and I know I let myself down on the whoop section and the bike didn't feel particularly fast on the straights.

I need to finish building the best bike I can get, so that there is no hesitation about the bikes performance. I am fully aware that the first 5 or so bikes are factory backed (if not, well prepared, performance wise) and that most of the riders have got some kind of mechanical support.

As I get more races under my belt, I will start to get better results with what I have got, which is great.

I am racing in France this weekend, on a track that I have ridden before that is a really fun track to ride. I will write about my experiences when I get back.

Preparation

My preparation for my first race this weekend is going really well. I rode Tuesday and Wednesday (Doncaster Moto Parc was in fantastic condition) and today I will be cycling for one hour and then, physically, I have prepared myself the best I can. The rest of today and tomorrow will be spent preparing my trusty steed.

As Sunday gets closer, the feeling of excitement, is building up quite considerably. I need to concentrate on checking my thoughts over the next few days! Whilst I am really excited about racing, I am also a little nervous, as I haven't been filled in with roost or spent 35 minutes banging bars with other riders since last summer.

My goal is to finish 10th or better in both races. I will be really pleased with two 10th place finishes, I believe I can finish a lot higher and I will have to carefully look at any feedback I get for finishing outside the top 10.

Lots of Enthusiasm!

I have recently been training in Belgium for two reasons. Firstly, to train with Harry Everts and secondly, to have a look at the facilities of the Hondapark circuit, which has confirmed my ideas that will come about at Doncaster Moto Parc.

With great enthusiasm, myself and Andy Kyffin, set off from my house at 11.00p.m arrived at the ferry for 4.00a.m, landed at 6.15 am and slept in the van. We started riding at 2.00p.m and finished at 5.30p.m.
After finding a hotel, we were in bed for 10.00p.m and up at 9.00a.m. We started riding at 1.00p.m and left the circuit at 5.30p.m. We arrived home at 3.00a.m in the morning and I was working at the track at 9.ooa.m.

So, as you can see, we where busy to make two days training happen! It was a lot of fun and this made it really easy to do. What has surprised me though, is that, although I feel very clear minded and healthy, I have got a cold sore on my lip. This is something that is associated with stress or being run down, neither of which I feel.
What I am really pleased with is that the cold sore is almost gone, after 48 hours of it arriving.

Although it was good to push the boundaries, there is a price to pay for it. I feel lucky that my body told me that I need to recover. One more good nights sleep, tonight and everything will be back to normal. Awesome

Think about it!

I have had a great day training today, the track (Doncaster Moto Parc) was in really good condition. Damp, soft and very flat. The later being a draw back because a flat track is less demanding, physically, than when it's rough.
However, I gained some valuable feedback and I got the chance to ride the bike at high speeds, which is always fun.

In fact today is the second day in a row where I have had the opportunity to ride at high speed, as I rode at Thoresway Moto Parc on Sunday, where I was a little rusty to start off with and in my last session, I was beginning to feel at home on the circuit (it's been some time that I have ridden on a dry hard pack track).

Regarding the feedback I received today, I noticed something whilst I was riding. I want to overcome, fading, physically, after twenty minutes in to, a forty minute moto.
As I mentioned above, the track was flat with no bumps and my average heart rate after my warm up was 160 bpm. The track is so flat and my fitness is at a level where I should be able to ride full speed for forty minutes, so I really had to think to myself 'what is it, that is making me feel tired at twenty minutes?', my fitness is good, I am comfortable riding at high speed.
To start off with I thought that to overcome feeling tired, I just need to ride more, so my body can adapt to riding for this length of time, which, I am sure is true. However, this is not the real answer.

I was focusing on the problem, fading at twenty minutes.... This is something I don't want. This made me ask the question.... what is it that I really want?.... of course I want to win races.... What is the most important part of any race?.... the last couple of laps..... I want to be so fast at the end of a race, so I can beat the opposition and win races.... what do I want to focus on when I am training?.... putting faster lap times in at the end of a moto.

I was thinking this during my moto and needless to say I was making a few mistakes! however, I am really happy to have noticed this, rather than, riding (for me) incorrectly.

Another part of my riding today, that I am really benefiting from, is advice given to me from Harry Everts, which seems a little obvious, however, it takes conscious thought, for me to continually use the technique, it has definitely improved my speed with no extra effort, would you like to know whats involved with using this technique? do you want know how to do it? are you ready?.... when you let go of the brakes (when braking for a corner) put the throttle on straight away! How simple is that? I am riding faster for this simple instruction!

It's all about the Candy!

Whilst on the A.C.U. coaching course, Ashley Scott, who covers most of the work, spends a lot time talking about C & E (cause and effect) and how it is important to stay on the Cause side.

I was able to relate to this, as I can recall a time, when coaching, when I was on the Effect side of my own actions. Ashley described C & E in away that, when I made a decision to become truly independent (I wrote about this in my very first blog), it was easy because I knew that as long as I accept responsibility for my actions, I would find it easy to stay on the Cause side of the equation.

I find myself saying (to myself) 'it's all about the Candy' (C and E) when I need reminding!

Bluebell Wood Childrens Hospice

A number of years ago, I think five, I was really moved by some information or an article I had read. It was about the Bluebell Wood children's hospice.
I got to really understand what a hospice is and what it does for severely disabled and terminally ill children. Thinking now, it was at a time when my eldest daughter was a small baby, a time when I was even more grateful than I am now, for a healthy child to be in our family.
Within a few weeks of me knowing this, I was approached by a group of local riders who wanted hold a 24 hour motocross event, of which, I agreed to, so long as, I could choose the charity, of which, they agreed.
I was really pleased about this and happy that we could raise money for the Bluebell Wood appeal.

The same group of guys are holding the event again this year and the money raised is still going to the same charity, I take my hat off to these people for making this happen. As you can imagine, there is a lot of effort required to organise an event like this, for example, getting permission from the council, arranging lighting, organising sponsorship forms and getting it! and all this happens before they even get on their bikes and ride for 24 hours! Fair play to you guys.

Therefore, I have put a link on my website home page, www.edbradley.co.uk , so that anyone wanting to make a donation, can do so, quickly and easily.

So, when, you want to make a donation, please do so to help parents and children who need to use the Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.

Thank you.

Welcome

I have been writing my blogs for some time now and have covered many experiences and different topics, that I have come across, on my journey to achieving my goals.

As I benefit from writing my thoughts down (a great exercise, in itself), I hope that anyone reading what I have written down, can benefit from my experiences, if so, brilliant.

So far, I have only e-mailed my blogger to friends and family and I guess, this has gone further a field, since I have been writing blogs for quite a while now. So, I have decided now, to put a link on my website home page www.edbradley.co.uk , so that, if possible, customers of Doncaster Moto Parc and people interested in motocross, can get an insight of what I am up to.

I hope, I can keep producing interesting blogs and I will start to include what activities I am involved in, at the track.

Awesome feelings.

I have recently returned from a trip to Holland, where I have spent a few days, with Jacky Boerman, preparing my Honda 490, for the MX3 races. Surprisingly, most tracks where water logged (the majority of tracks in Holland are deep sand and drain water really quickly). We were Lucky to find a track that was open.

When we arrived, I was really excited as the track was in perfect condition. We tested two different types of exhaust pipes that Craig Elwell, at DEP exhaust, had given me to test. One header pipe that produced lots of bottom end power, with less top end power and the second header, which provided smooth and strong bottom and mid range power and a really hard hit just after the mid range and all the way through the top end power. We have chosen to run with the second pipe, as this one felt awesome and made my lap times even faster. This is great news.

I also experienced one of my favourite feelings. A feeling that makes riding motocross so addictive.
At the end of a fast straight there was a long left hand corner which lasted, roughly 40 meters. The line I was using was around the outside of the corner, against a really nice shaped bank. The bike was in 4th gear and I was using roughly half to three quarters of the throttle ( the speed was quite high!) and I was taking the turn stood up, both feet on the foot rests.
This on it's own is an awesome feeling, however, what was really turning me on was that a number of times, I had, the inside foot rest dragging in the sand. This means that the bike was lent over a long way. This was an awesome feeling.

Be Greatful

I am currently writing the second part of my blog (the first being below). During my run, I also thought about an exercise I have heard about. Consider each day 'what you are grateful for'.

I am grateful for the work I have done with Ashley Scott, so that I am able to do what I am doing now.
I am grateful that my alarm clock is set for 7am every morning. Grateful because I can wake up, hug and give my wife a kiss, get myself and my three beautiful daughters out of bed. Get them breakfast in our fantastic house. I am grateful for taking them to school in our car and the teachers doing a great job for educating them. I am grateful that I run my own business and for all the experiences I have had whilst travelling, for all the people who have been on my journey and given me the opportunity to be in this situation that I am in now, this includes my parents and family. I am grateful for all the times I have faced resistance, grateful for character building. I am grateful for the support I am getting now from current sponsors and friends who give me encouragement to go for it (in life, that is). I am grateful that lots and lots of customers enjoy riding at Doncaster Moto Parc. This is just a short list of what I am grateful for.

I am grateful for Ashley, telling me what I know now, before I listened to the Bob Proctor audio CDs. I have been able to listen with an understanding and more importantly......... understand that there is only one emotion and that is LOVE.

Persistence?

I am in Holland at the moment and have just returned from a 50 minute run.

Whilst running, I questioned my persistence in a achieving my goals because in the short term, I feel that recently, I can do better. However, from being a kid I have longed to be MX3 World Champion. I ask myself, have I had any setting backs that have required me to persistant?

In 1989, I broke my neck and was told I would be unable to ride again. A number of years, I had financial set backs. After my best season racing, I broke both my ankles which took 18 months to correct and after having to take care of a fatally injured person, not only did I finish racing, I almost lost my business at the track.

Does this demonstrate persistence or just bad decisions? Either way, these are past experiences and now is the time, to only consider the future.