2017 Race Blog - The Trials & Tribulations of a New School Newbie (in Japan)!

[Mikku]

So yesterday saw my 2nd return to competitive action at Midoriyama. I say competitive because I’m gradually becoming more so! The last 2 weekends focus on practising starts paid off because I’m now coming out of the gate a lot faster, and at about the same time as a couple of the other riders. I definitely need to work on the snap, but I’m making progress! That was shown by my first bit of rider contact in 30 years, as in the 2nd moto the guy to my right nudged into me as we hit the first roller together! He did apologise at the finish, though.

There were 5 riders in my class, 3 of whom I was riding against last time out. Although I finished 5th in all three motos, I was much closer to the others than before, being at the back of the pack rather than lagging behind the pack. So results-wise, I did about the same but my on-track performance was much better, which I was well-pleased with. As an added bonus I made the main. Yes I know, not from a qualification point of view but as there were less-than-full gates in many of the classes, the organisers decided to allow everyone to qualify, which included me! So having started to relax and wind-down after the motos, I had to gear myself up again to race. It was well worth the effort though because I actually enjoyed the main the most. The other riders were in lanes 1-4, and I could choose my lane, so went for (lucky) 7! This meant I could focus on my start and not worry about the others to my left. I made quite a good start and was level with a couple of riders over the first set of jumps, then slotted in behind them after the first (left-hand) berm. I had a sniff up the inside of one at the next (right-hand) berm but didn’t have the energy to do anything else. So again I finished 5th/last, but that was my most competitive race to date, and I loved it!

Overall, it was another good day at the races. Again, I need to work on a few things to get myself into the pack but I definitely feel that I’m not too far away from that. I’m also thinking about a slight change of gearing – more about that here:-

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,190490.0.html

The next race at Midoriyama is mid-June but there’s a race at the Kawaguchi track at the beginning of June, so I’m thinking of entering that and therefore plan to go there this weekend to get some practice in! Report to follow!

I was travelling alone this time, so don’t have any race pics to share but did take the following ones of my class moto sheet (no prizes for working out who I am - yes, I'm the rider with no team!); my non-team, race transportation (a hire car, I hasten to add!) and a record of how hot it was, which was taken in the lunchbreak after the motos and before the main. God help us in the hotter summer months!!!

[griff]

great stuff Mick - keep it coming 

[Mikku]

Thanks griff! Was planning to go to Kawaguchi today (Sat) but it rained all day yesterday, so the track would've been damp. Bearing in mind what happened when I was last there, I'm heading up there tomorrow instead.

[Mikku]

After stopping off at the Happy Bike Meeting en route (pic below), I spent a few hours at the Kawaguchi track in Saitama yesterday afternoon. Like the last time I was there, the track was a bit damp in places but unlike last time, I didn't fall, which was handy because neither did I have the place to myself! This time there were about a dozen other riders there, including a few I've seen at Midoriyama, so it was useful to watch the regulars and see how they tackled the various sections. As well as trying to get to know the track better, I was really focusing on my pumping, trying to be smoother on what is quite a fast, little track. I must admit that I'm looking forward to racing there, though the weather forecast is currently showing a bit of rain for the weekend, so fingers crossed Sunday's race is not affected too much.

[Mikku]

Have just been notified that this weekend’s race at Kawaguchi has been cancelled. No clear reason has been given (this is Japan, afterall) but am gutted, as I was really looking forward to racing there. Oh well, such is life, and I may go there anyway to get some extra practice in.

On a side note, for the past month or so I’ve been looking at used wheelsets to replace the generic set that came on the Crupi, and I may have some news on the front in the coming weeks, which Dan will be pleased with as I'm forever emailing him for advice - thanks/sorry mate! In the meantime, check out the latest, high-tech mod to the bike in the pic below! I was fed up with the handlebars slipping on walls and scraping the plastic bar ends on the ground, so dug out some rubber bar ends from my spares box. I think these were on a racer that I had 35 years ago! Not the coolest addition but hey, they do the trick and they were free!!

[Mikku]

With Sunday's race at Kawaguchi cancelled, I decided to go there anyway to get some more practice in. It was a bit windy but otherwise the track conditions were great with no damp patches to worry about sliding out on. There were about ten riders there, many from the previous weekend, which made for a very relaxed session. I also found out the reason for the race cancellation, which was a clash of schedules with another, larger race at Chichibu (the track I mentioned and posted a picture of on the previous page), so the organisers were expecting a poor and I guess not financially viable entry. Oh well, I still went and still had a good time! Again, I spent the most time practising my pumping over the two rhythm sections and am definitely picking up both speed and confidence.

I also spent more time on the first set of doubles just after the start hill. You can't really see them that well in the pic below but when I first rode them I was quite wary but I have to admit that I now love 'em! I'm not jumping them but it's a real buzz pumping over them at speed, as they really chuck you up.

So after 2 Sundays at Kawaguchi, this weekend should see me return to Midoriyama for an official practice session where I can hopefully continue to work on my gates as well as prepare for the following weekend's race. However, the rainy season is going to start soon (June normally has monsoon-like cloudbursts, before the largely dry but extremely hot and humid July and August) which will obviously affect track conditions, so I'm taking nothing for granted.

[Mikku]

Made it to the official practice session at Midoriyama today. After spending the previous 2 weekends at Kawaguchi, I could really notice the difference between the two tracks. In athletics terms, Kawaguchi is like 110-metre hurdles whereas Midoriyama is more like the 400-metre version. I like both of them but definitely run out of steam over the longer track.

Anyway, I spent a lot of time today up on the start gate, and must have done about twenty gates. A sign that I'm getting better, or at least faster out of the blocks, is that I'm now getting out of shape on the first set of jumps, sometimes worryingly so! In an ideal world, I'd have a nice balance between smoothness and speed, though at the moment I don't have much of either, so will take what I can!!

So next Sunday is race day, and after last weekend's cancellation, should see my 3rd race of the year. Am looking forward to it, and will have course post what happens here!

[Mikku]

Just got back from my 3rd race at Midoriyama.

As you can see from the moto sheet below, there was a full gate of 8 riders in my class, so it was a fun-packed morning. I say morning because rain was forecast from mid-afternoon, so the organisers ran an earlier schedule to beat the rain. Enough about the weather, let’s talk racing! Although my starts are getting better I’m still comparatively slow off the line, though thankfully I’m no longer alone, being the same speed as a couple of others. That means I’m now having to learn something else…. racecraft!! That was particularly brought home in the 2nd moto when I was 6th going into the first berm but came out 8th, the result of taking the wrong line, losing speed and being overtaken. Grrrrr!

Then in the 3rd moto my nearest two rivals tangled over the second set of rollers, so I again entered the berm in 6th, and although I couldn’t catch up with 5th, made a conscious effort to keep on the gas and therefore ahead of 7th and 8th, which I did. This made me realise that I need to be a lot more aggressive than I’ve been to date. It was mentioned earlier in the thread that beginners tend to stop pedalling before jumps and although I’ve tried to stop doing this, I still find myself doing it, or least taking my foot off the gas. I was also watching one of the mains (having missed the cut for mine) and there was one with just 2 riders, including one of my favourite riders, a young lad who rocks a Haro in jeans, baseball shirt and Vans, and flies, literally, as he likes to jump. Anyway, my point is that he rips around the course, seemingly flat out on every berm, with no let up until the finish line. He did this in the main, even though he was well ahead of his rival, as you can see in this pic below. Yes, he’s a fit, young teenager but I’ve no doubt that he’s giving much more on track than I do. Easier said than done I know, but I could really do with taking a leaf out of his book.

So that was my 3rd race. Again, nothing great from a results point of view but I’m getting faster, and above all, am still really enjoying it. Next race is at Midoriyama in 3 weeks, so I'll try to get some practice in at the Kawaguchi track before then.

[Mikku]

Took advantage of a break in the rainy season weather and went to Kawaguchi on Sunday for a practice session. It was a little quieter than on recent visits, though one of my fellow competitors from last weekend was there plus I met another guy who races in the over 30s class. Both of them are faster and smoother than me, plus they manual through the rhythm sections. I really want to get that down but tbh it’s a low priority at the moment – maybe a project for next year!! I therefore continued to work on the ol’ pumping and a sign that I’m getting better is that from a slow start I can now pick up speed through the rhythm section.

With the pumping coming on I also want to work on my jumping. When I say jumping, I’m not talking about clearing big sets of doubles but smallish table tops and the smaller doubles in the rhythm section. The trouble is my bottle, or rather, lack of bottle, as I’m wimping out from properly giving it a go. This is definitely an age thing, as I loved jumping as a teenager, though now is a different story, especially after I wiped out when I tried to clear a tabletop on my first visit to Kawaguchi. As a result, I now find myself landing rear wheel first on top of the tabletop rather than nose-down on the downward side. What I need is a riding buddy who’s about the same level as me to egg each other on, just like bitd. Alternatively, I just need to man up and get on with it!

It’s the Japanese National Championships this weekend at a UCI track a few hours away from me, so if I can work out how to get there, I’d like to go and check it out. Alternatively, I’ll head back to Kawaguchi to see if I can clear that bloody tabletop!!

[Drawn]

Pay for the plane ticket and i'll come egg you on haha.
Not going to lie. The hardest part is fear factor, as a kid you don't have to worry or care about going to work the next day.
Am at the same stage in those regards, speed isn't an issue, but some technique and fear.

If you can try hit it with a bit more speed or try to lift up more. Sounds like you could just be casing it a bit.
A good way to describe is almost trying to bunnyhop off the lip. Compress before and then extend as you leave the lip.
Just keep trying and youll eventually get it.

Fear is certainly the hardest thing to get over, but once you can tame it back it will make progression that much easier.

[Mikku]

Thanks mate! I know you've been working hard recently, so the least you can do is to treat yourself to a little cycling holiday in Japan. I think Jetstar do cheap flights from Aus!

Back to reality, I definitely think I'm bottling it from a speed point of view, as evidenced by the coasting before jumps. I know that this is counter-productive, as speed is your friend. It's the same with snowboarding, as it's easier to turn the faster you're going, but most beginners don't want to go fast for fear of falling. Likewise if you tense up, your technique goes to pot. I should just follow the lead of the kids I see every weekend, attacking the jumps at max speed without a care in the world, the crazy idiots!

[Mikku]

Sorry about the loss of photos, courtesy of our friends at Photobucket!

Will try to reload them over the weekend! Keep it 

[Mikku]

Having just resized and reloaded all the photos on here, I realise that it’s been 6 months since I started this blog! Doesn’t time fly!!?? Thought I’d therefore do a quick recap on what I’ve done during the last half year:-

1.  Joined my local BMX club;
2.  Went to a track induction day;
3.  Bought a race bike and race gear;
4.  Attended half a dozen practice sessions (some official, some not);
5.  Fell over a couple of times;
6.  Had three races;
7.  Checked out two other tracks;
8.  Took lots of pics;
9.  Posted lots of stuff on here;
10.Had a blast!!

In school report terms, I think I’d give myself an A- grade for effort and a C+ for achievement. I’ve done quite a lot and am making progress, but need to continue progressing if I am to see an improvement in my results. Manualling can wait, but I want to be more aggressive on track, so hopefully I can work on that during the half a dozen or so races that I plan to do during the second half of the season, starting next weekend at Midoriyama. I'm also looking to upgrade the wheelset on my Crupi!

Overall, though, I’m so glad that I decided to go racing again and am really enjoying the experience, both on and off the track. Thanks to all the Radsters who have read and/or commented upon my exploits to date - I really appreciate the interest and support, and will continue to post my experiences, questions and photos here for the remainder of the year! Fook Photobucket - keep it  

[Mikku]

Yesterday was my 4th race of the season and it was a big one, for various reasons. Following my own advice in the previous post, I was more aggressive than I’ve been to date, with the result that I was the most competitive I’ve been to date. As a reward for my efforts, I spent the rest of the afternoon in hospital!!

Starting off with the racing, there were only 4 of us on the gate, all of whom I’ve raced against before. In the first moto I found myself in the unusual position of 2nd place coming out of the 1st berm. However, the guy behind dived inside me on the next berm, and the 4th placed guy followed him through, forcing me high and wide in the process and I lost speed as well as my position. No complaints though, it was a fair move but it taught me a lesson and I vowed to be more aggressive in that berm next time. Moto 2 saw me 4th into the first berm but I came out in 3rd, though he out-dragged me to the next berm and that was that. With the temperature hitting the mid-30s, I ran out of steam in the 3rd moto and finished 4th again, though a little further back than before. After all that excitement I was grateful for the lunchtime break, and was thinking about starting to pack up when the sheets for the main were posted up and I saw my name on there. I therefore had to gear myself up both mentally and physically for the final, as the thought of a podium finish had sneakily crossed my mind!!! Yes, a fatal mistake I know!!

So out of the gate in the main, I found myself fighting for 3rd but lost out in the 1st berm and slotted in behind him along the next straight. I then decided to go for it in the 2nd berm but as I cranked hard to get some momentum for the next straight, my front wheel slid out and I went down hard on my left side. I tried to get back on the bike but quickly realised that wasn’t going to happen, as my shoulder was buggered. To cut a long story short, I went to hospital where they diagnosed a dislocated and fractured shoulder, with the possibility of surgery. However, I saw a specialist today who thankfully said that I probably won’t need an op, though won’t be able to race for at least two months.

So that’s blown a hole in my summer race schedule but on the plus side, I wont have to ride in that heat again, and more importantly, up until I went down, that was the best day’s racing of the season. I was also reminded that I’ve met a lot of really good people at Midoriyama, ranging from those who came over to see how I was, the woman who rang around to find the best/nearest hospital for the treatment of shoulder injuries, the kids who loaded my bike into the car, the guy who took me to and waited for me at hospital, the guys who drove my hire car back to the hire car place then delivered my bike and gear back to my house, and the guys who drove me home from the hospital. Some of these people I know quite well, some hardly at all, and some I’ve never spoken to before but in all cases, words cannot express my gratitude enough, which is no exaggeration given my level of Japanese, though hopefully a few bottles of wine will do the trick when I next see them. That’ll be the next race day on 6th August, when I won't be racing as planned but which I’ll go along to watch and support those who helped me.

[CustardLips]

Sorry to hear you took a tumble Mick... them dislocated shoulders don't half knock the stuffing outta ya. Done both mine... my right on my local track then once id recovered done my left at a skatepark in Warrington. Makes you think twice when you need time off work to recover with no pay.   

[Mikku]

Sorry to hear you took a tumble Mick... them dislocated shoulders don't half knock the stuffing outta ya. Done both mine... my right on my local track then once id recovered done my left at a skatepark in Warrington. Makes you think twice when you need time off work to recover with no pay.   

& they bloody hurt too. My only previous experience of dislocated shoulders was watching Lethal Weapon!! What I hadn't realised and nobody warned about beforehand, or if they did I missed it, is they that try to pop the shoulder back in without any anaesthetic!! I nearly punched the guy holding me when the doctor suddenly tried, so they decided to drug me up before having another go! Mine's complicated by the fracture but the main thing is that I don't need surgery. Pic below shows my current state!

I've already taken unpaid time off work to study Japanese, so thankfully there's no difference there but yeah, I'll probably be a bit wary the first few times back on track, especially that 2nd berm!

[HUTCHMAN]

Hope your on the mend real soon buddy 

[richiebozza]

Aghhh what a b****r to have happened! But at least it's only 2 months, sounded like it might have been a lot more. Two months will probably fly by. And now at least you have got the first decent injury done and out of the way!

[griff]

Get well soon Mick!

[Mikku]

Thanks guys!

It could have been worse so yeah, I'll focus on getting the shoulder back into shape (pun intended!) and will hopefully learn from the experience!

[oldschoolace]

Sorry to hear about your tumble mate, sounds a real pain, just as you were starting to get your arm in with the racing ( honestly, no pun intended)
Would suggest you still go to the races and observe what others are up to. Knowledge is power

[x600se]

Sorry to hear that Mick, thats a shame I know you were getting well into it and putting a load of effort into it. I popped a shoulder for the first and only time a couple of years back, was one of the most painful things Ive done I reckon. I think 2 months sounds about right from my experience.

Have a good rest up mate and looking forward to seeing u back on the track 

[Drawn]

That sucks.
Was going really well and the improvement was going nicely.

Hope you still get down there and will be back out riding soon.

[Mikku]

Thanks gents!

Below are a few pre-crash pics. I was going to include some x-rays but can't work out how to open the files!   However, I did find something very apt yesterday whilst reading a BMXTalk interview with Brit pro racer Kyle Evans.

[oldtired]

Healing vibes dude  ,    which used to be a common post on the forum during the os race seasons    ,  don't let it knock your confidence though,  rest up and get back on the bike as soon as your medically fit to do so.