Christie (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} karayzieho) wrote,@ 2008-03-25 14:00:00 |
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Update
So Sunday night we got back from the races and went straight to bed, then I got up at 4:45 to get ready for an 8 a.m. flight to JFK leaving from SFO. I'm now sitting in a sunny airport bar and finally have a chance to write.
So, I like being good at stuff, and this weekend I was far from good. I'm disappointed about it but trying to not be too hard on myself. I have a lot to learn. I didn't crash, but I didn't light the world on fire either. I finished tenth or so out of twelve in my novice race and didn't qualify for Sunday. The cool part is that it was ridiculously fun. I loved the start of the race, where you're poised to take off and watching the man in the tower for the green flag. You hold the clutch in and rev up to about 8,000 RPMs or so, then let the clutch out and off you go in a herd of charging buffalo, packed four or five wide going into the first corner.
I was so exhausted by the time the race came around. My legs, arms, chest and brain hurt. It takes even more physical strength and endurance to actually ride fast, and that knowledge overwhelms me.
But I will keep at it. People have laptimes on record at Buttonwillow on similar or faster bikes that are slower than mine was...so at least I wasn't the slowest rider ever to attempt an AFM race.
Here's a photo.
James did great. Some guy named Jason Pridmore decided to come out and race and gave the AFMers a run for their money, taking first in Formula Pacific after James happily led for a few laps. James seems to race better when he's leading, and literally looks like he has "fuck yeah" written all over his face while he's ripping around, but Jason came from a few rows behind and eventually passed him. James did two seconds a lap faster than he's ever gone at Buttonwillow though, and left the usual AFM suspects in the dust, so he was stoked.
On a personal level, we did great with the stress and intensity of the whole weekend. All in all, a win.
So Sunday night we got back from the races and went straight to bed, then I got up at 4:45 to get ready for an 8 a.m. flight to JFK leaving from SFO. I'm now sitting in a sunny airport bar and finally have a chance to write.
So, I like being good at stuff, and this weekend I was far from good. I'm disappointed about it but trying to not be too hard on myself. I have a lot to learn. I didn't crash, but I didn't light the world on fire either. I finished tenth or so out of twelve in my novice race and didn't qualify for Sunday. The cool part is that it was ridiculously fun. I loved the start of the race, where you're poised to take off and watching the man in the tower for the green flag. You hold the clutch in and rev up to about 8,000 RPMs or so, then let the clutch out and off you go in a herd of charging buffalo, packed four or five wide going into the first corner.
I was so exhausted by the time the race came around. My legs, arms, chest and brain hurt. It takes even more physical strength and endurance to actually ride fast, and that knowledge overwhelms me.
But I will keep at it. People have laptimes on record at Buttonwillow on similar or faster bikes that are slower than mine was...so at least I wasn't the slowest rider ever to attempt an AFM race.
Here's a photo.
James did great. Some guy named Jason Pridmore decided to come out and race and gave the AFMers a run for their money, taking first in Formula Pacific after James happily led for a few laps. James seems to race better when he's leading, and literally looks like he has "fuck yeah" written all over his face while he's ripping around, but Jason came from a few rows behind and eventually passed him. James did two seconds a lap faster than he's ever gone at Buttonwillow though, and left the usual AFM suspects in the dust, so he was stoked.
On a personal level, we did great with the stress and intensity of the whole weekend. All in all, a win.
