CROSS TRAINING.....WITH A .45

When was the last time you did some Cross-Training?

We hear about it all the time but rarely take the time to really think about it or actually do it. Cross-Training (for riding your motorcycle) can be anything from golf to bicycling to archery to shooting.

I recently picked up a 9mm Beretta that I have owned for years but had not shot for a few years. I was lucky enough to meet a few guys (read Geezers) that shoot on a regular basis and they invited me out to shoot with them. What a surprise! These guys could shoot and none of them were under 60 years old! The Super-Geezer of the group is named Bill and he is just short of his 83^rd  birthday. Simply amazing.

Then there is Tony, Terry and Tom, all excellent shooters with Tony being exceptional in his weapons handling and quickness with a firearm. I am learning to watch Tony closely because I see things he is doing that I should be doing if I want to improve my shooting proficiency.

These guys are all very enthusiastic about shooting and enjoy being out doing what they do. I doubt they will ever be sitting on the couch complaining of having nothing to do. Truly an inspiration for kids like me.

So what I learned from these guys is to stay motivated, stay involved in something you enjoy and get off the couch no matter what birthday you are about to celebrate.

I also learned from them that I need to work on my concentration, focus and consistency, no matter what sport I am engaged in at the time. In other words, I sucked when I first shot with them until I did these things and put the pieces of the puzzle together. I will continue to shoot with them and hopefully they will continue to teach along the way.

Thanks guys, but know that I am gunnin’ for you!

#33

Trail Ride...Or Wood Cutting?

Be careful the next time you get invited to an EXCLUSIVE trail ride!

I was invited to go on a trail ride with a couple of buddies and that there would only be 3 of us. They said we would be riding seldom used trails that would provide us with hours of adventure.

Now I am not sure, but I am thinking when you go on an adventure of any kind on a motorcycle it means some really excellent riding. What I didn’t realize was that my “buddies” invited me because they needed help clearing the trails they wanted to ride on their little adventure!

We spent half of our time riding on some of the best hidden, underused, pristine trails I have seen in many years.

The other half of our time was spent moving downed winter logs, negotiating snow, sawing logs and cutting limbs and branches to make some of these seldom used trails passable. The riding half of our time was getting from work point to work point. Of course this did include riding some of the coolest and most beautiful trails that took us from one trail clearing place to the next.

We rode on trails that I am not sure I could find again and had to follow my ride leaders Frank and Larry in order to find them at all.

I had a great time and would be first in line to go again, it was such good riding and the clearing became a game and a challenge to figure out how to move the downed timber. Just imagine riding your motorcycle and throwing in a circuit training exercise course for a little extra exercise. I am pretty sure I worked harder and sweated more using the hand saw than I did riding the bike.

I had a smile on my face at the end of the adventure. Good times!

Thanks guys,

#33

Honey Lake... A Good Old Time MX

Let me start out by apologizing if you missed the Honey Lake Old Timer MX this first weekend in May. It must have been my fault for not getting information out to you or surely you would have attended!

Then let me say Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Nah!!!

You missed an awesome track, cool personalized trophies, a fantastic dinner, a great entertainer at dinner, just about perfect track weather, a raffle courtesy of MTA West and some of the best racing in 2011.

I have to mention that the raffle alone was worth the trip. There were a dozen or so tires, riding gear, helmet, many sets of goggles, a bunch of sweatshirts, and a bazillion small items. Things like mud scrapers, overflow hoses, hats, grips and on and on.

Sad to say that the turnout was smaller than expected, but we did have high expectations. However, the riders that took the opportunity to ride the legendary Honey Lake track were treated to a condensed program. That meant bigger than average gates and a program that didn’t have you waiting around for hours to ride your next moto. It also meant that the racing was completed in a timely fashion with plenty of daylight left to spare to prepare for dinner without hurrying or watching the food line form as you went to the line for your final moto. I have been riding my final moto on more than one occasion at other tracks while others were being served dinner.

I observed people strolling around after doing their bike prep for the next day with clean clothes and their beverage of choice in hand (mostly beer!) visiting their friends and neighbors while they had a little time before heading up the hill to dinner.

The dinner was catered and the main course was Tri-Tip, with the trimmings, beans, veggies, baked potato and desert. Good stuff, I thought about trying to sneak back for seconds on that Tri-Tip but was afraid of Larry’s wife Lise. Just kidding!

Lise is a sweetheart and does such a fantastic job of running the program in sign-up and scoring that I don’t know how she maintains that sunny disposition all the time and the smile that seems to never leave her face.

Larry is busy running the outdoor part of the operation and obviously has learned a great deal about running a world class facility along the way. He seems to never stop moving, is always doing something, making something happen around the track like driving a water truck, dealing with issues that pop up all day long and never gives the appearance of being annoyed with people. During all of this never ending commotion over three days of running the track and crew he still took the time to stop to see Lise and the kids and made sure to give the little ones a hug while he was there. Amazing man really.

The weekend was just about as good as a rider could ask for with some sunshine, some clouds that kept the track from drying too quickly and a minimum of injuries throughout the weekend. I believe the worst being a broken collarbone, but no ambulance rides which is a very good thing for a bunch of Geezers!

So if you were one of the unfortunate ones that didn’t make it to Honey Lake for the OTMX you will have to wait for next year. But my advice to you is to put it on your calendar so as not to make the same mistake twice. Only now you have to show up and ride against a bunch of your friends that have one up on you. They have ridden one of the best tracks in the Motocross world and will use that experience to their advantage.  Bring it on!!

See you there next year!

#33