Author Topic: 2018 Race Blog - Keeping it RAD in Japan! (Read 31447 times)

Mikku · « **on:** January 02, 2018, 12:47 PM »

Happy New Year Radsters! So here we are again. It’s the beginning of January and I’m back for more fun and games on the race tracks of Japan, though hopefully a bit wiser, if not faster, after the trials and tribulations of last year!!

The Crupi’s had a few changes over the Christmas break including a new seat, seat post clamp, wheelset and drivechain. I’m also probably going to run with a different number plate this season but whilst I wait on my new race number, I need to sort out my back, which is giving me a shedload of jip at the moment. What seems to have happened is that, either consciously or subconsciously, I’ve been protecting my shoulder when riding and in doing so, have put additional stress on my back. I've literally just finished having physio on my shoulder, so am going to continue with a few sessions on my back. Hopefully that can fix things in time for the first race of the season on 28th Jan.

Anyway, injuries and ailments aside, this year my plan is not only to get more races under my belt at the Midoriyama and Kawaguchi tracks but if the chance presents itself, to also try out another track or two, at least for a practice session if not a race. That’s the plan anyway, though as I found out last year, anything can and probably will happen!! Hopefully you’ll join me for the ride!

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2018, 02:22 PM »

Hope you have great success this year bud... love the image !

大成功をお祈りします

hotdog · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2018, 02:28 PM »

Keep the posts coming

I really enjoy reading about your racing exploits and the japanese scene.

Mikku · « **Reply #3 on:** January 03, 2018, 01:44 AM »

Thanks guys! Dave, that pic is to do with the first dream you have in the new year - called hatsuyume in Japanese. What you dream about will determine how lucky your year will be. A dream including Mount Fuji is the luckiest, followed by ones including a hawk and an aubergine! Needless to say before I go to bed I've been imagining a hawk flying around Mount Fuji with an aubergine in its mouth!!!

Mikku · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2018, 02:51 PM »

New year, new look bike (with new wheels, drivetrain, seat and seat post clamp) and now a new race number!

steve · « **Reply #5 on:** January 11, 2018, 12:26 AM »

sweet hubs

Mikku · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2018, 01:10 PM »

Quote from: steve on January 11, 2018, 12:26 AM

sweet hubs

Yeah, I love ‘em. They remind me a bit of the old Son-lite hubs though a little chunkier and a lot cheaper. They also spin like the proverbial butter and the rear cassette purrs like a pedigree cat!!

Drawn · « **Reply #7 on:** January 12, 2018, 05:44 AM »

A Mates son has them. Very tidy and also reasonably quiet.

Looking forward to this years blog, will be great to see more progress.

In2bmx · « **Reply #8 on:** January 12, 2018, 09:03 AM »

. yeah keep the photos coming .

Mikku · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2018, 11:54 AM »

Thanks gents! No more photos for the time being, just a bit of an update. There was an official practice session at Midoriyama today in readiness for next Sunday's opening race, but unfortunately I couldn't go due to my ongoing back problem. That's now been diagnosed as a herniated disc which is quite literally a pain in the arse, with nerve pain radiating down from there to my right calf!!! However, the good news is that it's responding to the twice-weekly physio that I'm squeezing in to my schedule, so whilst next weekend is out of the question, hopefully I can make the February race, failing which the March one. Not the best start to the season but the positive thing I'm taking from all this is to take more care of my body, and to put in more off-the-bike training than I did last year. Hopefully that will make me a fitter and stronger rider, as well as a little more resistant to injury!! Good fun this racing in your 40s lark, eh!

Drawn · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2018, 07:04 AM »

Sometimes these things happen and you just have to go with it.
Hopefully you heal up soon and can get back out there quickly.

Best recommendation though if you still want to and can get involved is to see about helping out at club days.
Seeing you like to take photos, maybe ask if you can photograph and then put them up online for the people to view.
We are lucky down here to have a few of them and people love seeing pics from the events.

Mikku · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2018, 10:34 PM »

Yeah, that's a good idea about the photos. I might sound them out this weekend, failing which I'll keep snapping away and posting on here!

As for the ol' back, I was gutted about the "no racing (or snowboarding) for a month or 2" news, I think because I was just starting to get back into the swing of things following my shoulder mishap! However, I'm now quite philosophical about it and as you say, sometimes you just have to roll with it, if not ride with it!

Mikku · « **Reply #12 on:** January 27, 2018, 09:52 AM »

It snowed quite heavily in and around Tokyo on Monday, which in itself was not too unusual but the subsequent cold snap has been, with temperatures hovering around zero all week. The upshot is the photo below, which was taken on Friday, and the message is self-explanatory! From a personal point of view I'm not too disappointed since I couldn't race anyway but it's still a shame not to get the season underway, plus I always enjoy watching the racing even if not competing. What's more, the next race scheduled for Feb 18th is also under threat, as there's filming going on at Midoriyama, which is part of a tv studio facility, so the land around the track is often used for tv and film sets. There is another race at Kawaguchi at the beginning of Feb but I'm not available then, and it's too soon for my back in any case. A more likely return for me is the Kanto Open, which is a regional race held at Midoriyama on March 18th. That should give me plenty of time to get (my) back into shape, get back on the Crupi, and get back on track!

Mikku · « **Reply #13 on:** February 07, 2018, 02:20 PM »

Another weekend, another race cancellation, though this time at Kawaguchi's Gorilla Park. I was busy anyway, so it didn't affect my plans but that means this season's calendar has still to get under way. There's another race scheduled at Kawaguchi on 4th March, though I don't think I can go, so I'm keeping to Plan A which is to go to the practice sessions at Midoriyama on Feb 25th and March 11th in preparation for the regional race on 18th March. That's subject to my back, which is as reliable as the weather! That said, it's slowly getting better and I'm now riding again albeit just around my local roads to keep the ol' legs going!

Drawn · « **Reply #14 on:** February 08, 2018, 08:31 AM »

It would almost be easier to fly to the Oceanias in Bunbury for your first race of the season.
Atleast itll be warm haha

Mikku · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2018, 12:43 AM »

Looks like a fun track!

Mikku · « **Reply #16 on:** February 26, 2018, 10:27 AM »

After an 11-week break and for the first time this year, I hit the race track again yesterday. That gave me a chance to give the new parts on the Crupi and my back a good workout. Thankfully both passed the test! Although I didn’t notice the slightly longer wheelbase and higher gearing, I really appreciated the extra points of engagement of the Bullitt hubs when I was up on the gate. A few riders run Bombshell and Alienation rims but no-one has any Bullitts, so some of the locals were also asking what they were.

Less impressive was my fitness, which has definitely suffered over the break, so I stuck to my normal routine of breaking the track into sections, and concentrated on one section at a time. I also managed a couple of dozen gates and for the first time, tried to watch the lights rather than my front wheel. The idea is to maintain a better posture and therefore relieve the stress on my lower back. Whether it works or not I don't know but it was certainly a different experience, both from a balancing and timing point of view, so I’ll continue to work on it at the next practice session on 11th March. That will hopefully be followed by my first race of the season, the Kanto Open, on the 18th.

Mikku · « **Reply #17 on:** March 11, 2018, 12:51 PM »

No nootropics in this thread!! Wish I could say the same about cancellations, with today's official practice session at Midoriyama being rained off, or rather, cancelled because of recent heavy rainfall despite being a lovely sunny day. I therefore took the Crupi out for a spin instead, comprising a 40-minute ride followed by 20 minutes of uphill sprint training. The Kanto Open is this coming weekend, so I'm planning to get out on the bike as much as possible this week in order to get my legs and lungs up to speed, or at least in better condition than they were the other week. Must admit to feeling nervous about my first race of the year!!!

Mikku · « **Reply #18 on:** March 21, 2018, 10:05 AM »

After a 3-month break, I finally got my 2018 season under way on Sunday with the Kanto Open, which is one of the biggest races in the JOSF calendar and much like a regional race, so attracts a few riders from further afield. Due to the cancellation of the previous week’s official practice (the track is on private land, so is only available on official days), there was a 30 minute free practice before registration, so I was able to get a few laps in and my legs warmed up. Following race registration (and receipt of the free towel shown below), there was an official practice with the gate in operation, so I got a bit of gate practice in as well.

Onto the racing, there were 6 other riders in my class, so a fairly full gate. In the first moto I got away ok and was vying for 5th going into the first berm, though came out in 6th, which I held to the next berm but then the 7th placed guy slipped inside me and to the back of the pack I went. So not the best start but it was a good dice and I enjoyed the race. The 2nd moto was interesting one, even though I ended up in the same place! In lane 7, I got away ok albeit slightly behind the riders in 6 and 8. The guy in lane 8 is a regular podium-finisher (and went onto to win the main) and with his front wheel in front, started to move across into me. With the guy in lane 6 still in attendance, I suddenly found myself being squeezed!! I’m fairly sure if I had held my ground someone would have hit the deck, most probably me, so with the first jump fast-approaching I decided that discretion was called for and backed off. This meant I lost momentum and ended up going into the first berm in 7th, where I stayed to the finish. I was therefore determined to do better in the 3rd moto and ended up 5th, though this was the result of a mid-race tangle between 2 riders ahead of me. One fell and the other lost speed, so I was able to slip by. So final scores on the doors, 7th, 7th and 5th. Not enough to qualify for the main which I was disappointed not to make, but the positive thing I took from the day was that I was mixing it with other riders albeit at the back of the pack. Plus my back held up to all the excitement!

There’s a race a Kawaguchi in a fortnight but realistically, the next race for me is back at Midoriyama in 4 weeks’ time. Can’t wait!!!

oldschoolace · « **Reply #19 on:** March 21, 2018, 10:48 AM »

Cool towel Mick, given you injury last year and the undoubted age gap with some of the riders id say that was a decent first outing.

Mikku · « **Reply #20 on:** March 21, 2018, 11:53 AM »

Cheers mate! I wish I could use age as an excuse but I’m regularly beaten by a guy in his 50s!!!

He’s the guy with the chrome Daylight I’ve posted elsewhere, and has now bought a Daylight cruiser to go with it!

In2bmx · « **Reply #21 on:** March 21, 2018, 01:17 PM »

Mick . We need vidoes

Mikku · « **Reply #22 on:** April 08, 2018, 12:29 PM »

Not sure my ego could take that!

Went to an official practice at Midoriyama today and had a good workout, including 20-odd gates. Having had a go at watching the lights, I've decided that I much prefer looking down and listening to the start cadence. I think that allows me to focus more on my start technique. That said, I'm still not particularly good at the snap but do feel that I'm getting the power down much better than I was.

As well as gates, I also spent some time practising the berms. There was quite a lot of dust on the track, so the entrance to all the berms was a bit sketchy. I was therefore going easy in but really starting to crank up the speed mid-berm and get a fast exit for the straight. No rocket science there I know but it was good to practice.

Finally, I bought a new laptop a few weeks ago. Nothing fancy, just a replacement of my old, asthmatic netbook but what it does have is a 15" screen. This means that I can now save my tired old eyes from watching youtube clips on my iPhone! The result is that I've been watching shedloads of bmxing including lots of race stuff. Not sure if anything I watch filters into my own riding but it's certainly upped my motivation. With that in mind, I'm super excited about next weekend's race, though the long-range forecast says rain, so I'm hoping that changes otherwise there'll be tears!

Mikku · « **Reply #23 on:** April 16, 2018, 01:41 PM »

Well the forecasters were right and strong winds and heavy rain caused yesterday's race to be postponed by a week to this Sunday!

More rain's due tomorrow and Weds but the forecast's looking good for the rest of the week, so fingers crossed the track dries out and we have a sunny weekend!

Mikku · « **Reply #24 on:** April 22, 2018, 12:19 PM »

In complete contrast to the typhoon-like weather that caused last weekend's postponement, today's race saw scorching heat at Midoriyama. Scorching as in the high 20s, and it's still April!! Unbelievable, though at least we were racing again!

Whether it was the heat or some other reason, the turnout was not great, with less classes and only 4 riders in my class. However, my initial thoughts of fighting for a podium finish were soon dashed when I realised that the other 3 are usually at the front of the pack. That proved to be the case throughout the day, as I would be behind by the first or second set of jumps and thereafter was simply unable to make up ground. I think they each took a win and qualified for the main but due to the small turnout, everyone went through, so I had another bite at the cherry. Sadly my legs weren't up to the challenge, and I finished further back than I had in the motos. Tbh, I was a bit gutted to be bringing up the rear in all four races but such is life. On the positive side, I got some more experience of racing in a main and I didn't crash or injure myself, which is always a bonus. However, I've reached the point now where I really want to up my game. I know I need better fitness and more power, but I would love to have some coaching. Options over here are few and far between but I may see what I can find. In the meantime, I'll keep hammering away at the ol' fitness and sprint training. I also have a couple of days off work the week after next, so plan to head up to Kawaguchi to get some practice in at Gorilla Park.

Author Topic: 2018 Race Blog - Keeping it RAD in Japan! (Read 31447 times)

In2bmx

In2bmx