Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas
You can go a lot faster, everywhere. But that's as much about confidence as it is about motor skills. Something to think about as you advance. When you catch yourself thinking "gee, I didn't need to go that slow through there" instead of "crap, I blew that one" it's a sign that you've got the skill right and you have the ability to take it up a notch.
"Sneak up on fast" is a favorite little chestnut for me. Get the skills right and speed will happen all by itself. You've clearly got the right mindset to be a better rider. You think a lot about what you're doing and prepare. You're not just SENDING it, yo.
The trick is to pay attention to what's happening and know that you're ready to go faster. |
After the last session I did on Monday, I am ready to go faster in several areas. As it was, it took me a bit to feel confident enough to pick up bits of speed throughout the day after what happened in turn 4 with me going so wide on Sunday. That was my one "oh, crap!" moment. I went into the turn faster than I had been, thinking I was ready, didn't turn in at the right spot, and as I told you and Ant, suddenly seeing green grass to the side of me and in front, having to yell in my head "turn turn turn turn turn!!!!!!!" Keeping my head cranked to the right to look through the turn and keeping the throttle steady while most likely having to fight my stiff left arm to steer to get through the turn with the grass looking so close, was quite the challenge!
Another thing I did throughout the weekend, I was not using the brakes at all. Just rolling off as needed. The only time I introduced a little bit of breaking was the one time in my second to last session where I decided to try and pick up more speed on the straight and bumped up to 5th gear. I want to go back to working on that since going into turn 1 that time I was wobbly and just not right. So, pick up more speed in the straight (since the fastest I went was 75ish in 4th), get the 2 downshifts cranked out quick and be settled in time to be smooth into turn 1 is the goal.
@
csmith12 take your time lol. I've reviewed my last session a million times by now, and I see plenty of things I need to work on, but your advice will go a long way in helping me out. I know @
adouglas and @
Ducati999 helped a ton with their comments on what they saw while I was there and from looking at the video after.
This trip was worth every penny, and worth suffering through the dark, rainy, fog filled long trip home. The track day organization, @
ttd, the friends I got to spend time with, the many new friends I made, and the track itself, made it worth it. I don't think I would have been able to push through the anxiety about tech, and going out for the first time (the near panic attack in line was not easy to talk myself down from) if not for having adouglas, Ducati999, and his wife there as support.