Posts
250
Joined
6/12/2009
Location
Arvada, CO, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/26/2012 10:37pm
So as the title states, we all know that crashes & wrecks are a part of the sport & I've had my fair share of them of late. Of recent I had two get offs on my bike to where I had to bail off the bike & pretty much take the rest of the flight w/o the bike. SO I just got back out about 3 weeks ago, went trail riding since I've been having my problems at the track of late. Everything was okay there, took me awhile to get in my groove but I find myself doubting myself & the machine at times. So Yesterday I decide to hit the track & actually go to the track where I had my last spill in March. Rode okay but man I have lost some speed & my mentality & confidence isn't there, I know seat time is one of the only ways I can get it back but any pointers on the mental side & how to overcome it. I basically have developed a little fear & mistrust with myself & the machine. Let's call it Ricky Bobby syndrome. I was timid at times to hit jumps that I have jumped probably 1000 times if not more in my life.
i could not get back up to speed and i had no confidence.
it sounds stupid, but i changed my number, i ran 86 when i crashed, and i changed to 511, after my number changed i was back up to speed,confident and ready to get back racing.
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how was your bike after it? looked like there was plastic flying everywhere?
If you treat every track-day as a clinic...ya might even get faster!
Good luck.
Start a solid training program with your local conditioning specialist. When you build strength, muscle endurance and cardio it makes you mentally strong also. This will transfer over to the bike and you will feel the difference.
If you must ride then go on trail rides, work on turns, figure 8s etc. work on your weaknesses and make them your strengths. All of the the above will transfer when you get onto the track. Keep a positive attitude and when you start to think negative immediately say something out loud that is positive, you will be back in no time and probably faster and safer.
I kinda had a triple whammy...about the time I was turning 50, I tore my ACL which wasn't too bad but then when I had just recovered from that, I had a get off that broke most the ribs on my left side, punctured my lung and broke my collarbone in a few places. In that same fall I ended up knocking myself out for a while and the bad part about the concussion is that I've had about 8 of them through the years and this last one really seemed to put a dent in what riding skills I had.
I've been making a big effort to ride mellow and have fun.
http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/#clip475056
Just started back up again a few weeks ago. I think for myself , that when I started riding again this past Aug-Sept , I really didn't know what to expect. I had total confidence in my bike ( 2010 Yamaha 450 ) , but I was unsure about myself....and other riders. I got better towards the end of that 7 week riding period , but I still find myself looking around a little , wondering where other riders are at. It's kind of hard to explain , but I still have thoughts of people coming strait at me , like what happened in my wreck.
It's not "Just on the bike".....I can be just sitting at home chilling out , thinking about riding , and then all of a sudden I get this little flash of a front fender coming at me. It's not nearly as much as was those first couple years , but I still get it. It doesn't matter though....because I love to ride , and I missed it a lot , so I'm glad I came back to the sport. I bought that bike last summer , on a spur of the moment type thing , and this year I'm coming in a little more prepared.
All I can say is....everyone is different. And no matter what anyone here tells you....it boils down to the way "You feel".....not anyone else. I completely understand where you are coming from though. I just try to put it out of my mind and not think about it , because if you let those bad thoughts ruin the fun , or the sport itself , then you might as well just hang up your boots.
As far as that goes....good luck man. And remember.....just have fun with it.
Making a video of your X-rays set to music in a way is focusing on your injuries, almost celebrating it. I know that might piss you off- but in this sport there is tendency to see yourself as a hero for being injured.
You are on your way to focusing way too much on being hurt, and showing everybody what you have been through. A lot of motocrossers have this tendency. It's like guys who make us look at their X-rays and nasty surgical scars in their avatars. You are highlighting the danger, you are highlighting what has happened to your body. You are not only reliving your crash and your injury over and over again. You are constantly imprinting and reinforcing the fact this is a super -dangerous sport that can have life changing consequences in a split second.
I kind of feel the same way about RV running videos of his mangled leg in front of thousands of people right before he takes to the track. I'm not judging you, I am just suggesting you are focusing ont the wrong things. You should be putting that crap out of your mind, not re-living it over and over.
Pit Row
Your best bet is just to build back your confidence slowly. It's not going to come back over night, but just take baby steps and work your confidence back up to where it was. Go out and take it easy and your confidence should gradually come back (it may take months). The most important thing is that your riding experiences are positive! If you go out and push it too hard and have another bad wreck, that's just going to do more damage to your confidence and make the mental hurdle you are trying to jump twice as big.
There's actually a mental re-framing therapy technique my co-worker was telling me about the other day. If I remember to, I'll ask her what it is called and give you some REALLY good advice (it would be good for this situation). I just can't think of what it is called right now.
Man, that sounds extremely rough and life threatening
Racing motocross, I never fully understood the mental aspect of it. It wasn't until I started road racing that I did understand what these types of feelings can do and how they can impact your performance.
If you aren't comfortable, don't push it.
Most times racing motocross, I wouldn't do certain things while practicing that I would do in the race. There is always a risk and reward.
That weird flashback / thought is the main reason I stepped away from the sport for 5 years. I wasn't going to let that fear ruin my chance at having fun in the only true sport I care about......motocross.
I really don't know what to say about that wreck. Sounds like a worst case scenario come to life. I'm glad it didn't turn out any worse. keep on keeping on!
it happens to the best of us....
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