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Slim for Life

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In a recent discussion with a girlfriend of mine, we reminisced on how wonderful it was to not have to worry about weight when we were younger. How we just seemed to metabolize so efficiently even with little sleep, excessive drinking and minimal exercise. Seeing that time has come and passed I must resort to the good old fashioned way…exercise, eat well, less stress and get more sleep. In fact it was right about then we ordered a second round, mostly to numb our brains from continuing down that road the rest of the night ;).

I ended up coming across an article in Shape a week later that was related to our discussion which I found interesting and educational and wanted to share it with you. I am not naturally slim, nor do I have a great metabolism, I have to work at it and it does seem to get harder by the decade. But that being said, if I hadn’t been as diligent I know that I would not be in nearly as good a shape. So it is promising to know that just a few tweaks here and there can help us from sabotaging our health and waistline for many years to come.

In your 20’s your muscle mass is at its peak and it requires more energy for your body to maintain it, this is when our metabolism is at it’s highest. If you have put on a few pounds and decide to crash diet or juice fast you are eating at the muscle mass you are presently naturally blessed with and that will end up backfiring on you by slowing your metabolism down. This can also mess with your thyroid which will slow bodily functions and end up making you gain weight. A better solution is to just eat healthy most of the time and splurge on occasion (i.e. a small bag of chips or a cupcake) so you don’t deprive yourself. Also don’t forget to count those liquid calories in coffee drinks, soda and alcohol which can significantly add to your daily caloric intake. If you haven’t been active, now’s a good time to start a fitness routine and at least get 30-60 minutes of moderate aerobic activity 5x/week or vigorously 3x/week. Strength training 1-2x/week is also a good idea.

In your 30’s your metabolism starts to drop 2-5% per decade and after menopause it drops even faster. Meaning you need to burn at least an extra 40 calories a day or risk gaining at least 15 pounds of fat every 10 years. Most women in this age group are juggling parenting, work or both and this may mean skipping meals, stress and not enough sleep which start those love handles into making their not so welcome appearance. It is important to eat regularly to keep our hunger and satiety hormones in check. Eating protein (eggs, nonfat yogurt) paired with a slow digesting carb like whole grain toast or berries for breakfast is a top priority. For snacking: nuts, veggies with hummus or crisp breads with a lowfat cheese help curb your hunger and keep you sharp throughout the day. Get more sleep! Skimping on your sleep can actually alter your metabolism and affect your hormones that control your appetite. I consider that a serious double whammy. This is also an important time to incorporate strength training to avoid muscle loss. It’s important to keep that muscle mass up to keep your metabolism on high so sneak in cardio whenever you can at least 3x/week. If you are looking at losing weight and boosting your metabolism make the most of your 20-30 minute workout with interval training. One minute of intense activity (jogging) with 1 minute of recovery (walking) and you will burn 10-20% more calories than if you had worked out at a contact pace.

In your 40’s stress is a major factor (between work and family) and it increases the production of cortisol, a hormone that increases blood glucose levels, which in turn can break down your muscles. Excess cortisol can also lead to insulin resistance, keeping glucose in your bloodstream instead of moving it into the cells which will make you tired and hungry. Here’s the icing on the cake…our ovaries also start to produce less estrogen and our testosterone also decreases which distributes the body weight to new areas we never had a problem with (from the butt to the gut), oh and let’s not forget to add that we are still losing lean muscle mass (causing our metabolism to be even slower). Here are some solutions to this depressing list of items…if you feel the need to munch, wait a few minutes or brew some black tea which has been shown to cut cortisol levels or green tea which contains theanine, an amino acid that keeps mood swing in check and can keep you calm. It also has been shown to help maintain your metabolism, research says 5-6 cups a day is the magic number. Get more fiber, it slows down the digestion process, 25 grams a day means you’ll absorb 90 fewer calories. Relax! Try yoga it lowers cortisol levels and many different poses actually build muscle. If yoga isn’t your thing, increase strength gaining to 3x/week and push yourself, sculpting more muscle can boost your resting metabolic rate by 7%. Continue with interval training and if that is getting boring try high intensity circuit training for as little as 14 minutes per session. It involves 2 to 3 7-minute circuits that include vigorous moves (jumping jacks, stair climbing) doing each one for 30 seconds, pause for 10 seconds between them and then repeating the circuit.

In your 50’s your metabolism takes the biggest hit after menopause which typically occurs around 52. Due to the hormonal changes, you don’t absorb protein as well and your muscle loss accelerates (whereas you were losing 5 pounds of muscle per decade, you are now losing up to 10). It is even more crucial to stay active and it will help with keeping you in good shape as well as keep back and joint pain at bay. Low-impact activities like swimming, cycling and brisk walking can help alleviate joint and muscle pain. Varying your cardio routine daily will help with overuse injuries which can happen with repetitive motion. Stick to strength training 3 times a week if you want to stay strong. To stay slim, find ways to eat less at every meal (like extra serving of veggies and half the amount of pasta or potatoes, cook with less oil and butter, eat 3 fewer bites). Extra protein is also important to fending off those pounds (multiply your body weight in pounds by .7g to figure out how mud you should be consuming each day). Protein load after workouts, you have a 30 minute window when your body will absorb the most amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle. Aim for around 20g right after your cool down to see the best results.

Staying active and being fit allows us to enjoy life, friends and family and most of all the sport we all love. Let’s stay lean and mean Vixens!

Cold Weather Riding

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As the season is mostly over up here in the Pacific Northwest, it is time to winterize your bikes if you plan on putting them away for the winter and a good time to inspect your bikes as you spend less time on them.  It is also a great time to recollect all the memories you’ve created with your ever faithful machine and baby it a bit by doing a more in depth inspection.  As always, check tires (condition and pressure, if they are iffy then get some that will work for your fall/winter riding) and do a quick once over on the bike before you go out in the cold.  Then make sure that you are adequately dressed in warm gear to endure the biting cold when you ride, for those of you that have heated grips (I am no longer one of those blessed few) it will be heaven, for the rest of us there are heated gloves out there to help fight off the bitter cold.  I am not a huge fan of plug in gear, but I’ve heard it’s heaven and makes riding very comfortable…I opt for the heated vests that now have little battery packs that you recharge and plug into the vest to keep you toasty on the ride.  I find keeping the core part of your body warm tends to keep the rest of your body from being uncomfortable.  As always, you fuel your bike so don’t neglect fueling yourself before heading out, don’t want to get dingy from lack of energy and making poor decisions, focus and being alert requires a lot more energy than you think.  And please if you start to feel tired or loopy stop, get a warm drink or some food and take a break, no need to push it and then regret the consequences…we are at the disadvantage of being on two wheels and unprotected by a steel cage so we have way more to lose.  Our families, friends and loved ones need us so let’s just be extra vigilant as we go out there and enjoy this sport we all share and love.  Have a wonderful holiday season everyone and I look forward to starting up again in early spring to get everyone excited about all the new track days and events for next year!

In the meantime, I will post every so often some health blogs to keep us primed and ready to go next season.

Vixens Ride, even when it’s freaking cold!  😉

Passing of John Ryan

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As many of you may know, I recently lost a friend of mine…it has been a tough week or so and it has made me reflect a bit on why so many of the road racers I now choose not to ride on the street.  While I do not share this sentiment, I understand their choice and respect it completely, especially since John’s passing. http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20131018/NJENT01/310180042/John-Ryan-former-Melody-Bar-bouncer-dies-motorcycle-crash.  He was a very accomplished rider which you can see on this Utube video :  [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Fbuozapts[/youtube].  John Ryan did his most famous ride from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Key West, Florida in 86 hours and 31 minutes breaking the previous record set by Billy Ray who did it in 96 hours.  He truly had an Iron Butt!!!  While he is no longer with us and we are sad at his passing, he did it doing what he loved, which is more than most of us can say.  There is something about that that at least brings me some peace.  Our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.

Please Vixens, be careful out there…and ride C.H.I.C.

 

 

 

 

Get Outta Your Head

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Now that the busy season has passed, it is time to move on to things that may have been put on hold.  But before you go trying to conquer the mess that has been piling up, remember not to stress…take a page from the guys here (no offense boys), make a decision and don’t look back, good or bad can’t change it now, so roll with it.  You may find that this happy-go-lucky attitude may help you learn to love life again!

As women, we tend to be overly critical of ourselves…must be inherent in our nature, but we can retrain ourselves to be more accepting.  We over think and pick apart things to over think them even more…is it any wonder we drive ourselves crazy?  We instinctually know what to do, yet we recount what we’ve done and wonder if it was the right decision.  Sound familiar?  Yeah, we all do it to some degree, but learn trust yourself…you made a decision you felt was right and pondering over it will not change the outcome, so accept it and move on.  (I am assuming here that you aren’t some evil twisted person, but generally a good person with a heart)  Having more time to make a decision is not necessarily a good thing…mulling it over can lead to more opportunity for error and will distract you from other things that may require your attention (possibly your kids, hubby, significant other) which can only lead to more stress.

Decisions, having too many is exhausting, having too few can feel confining…where is the happy medium?  In certain areas of your life keep things constant so you can put them on autopilot, like brushing your teeth, breakfast, workout time so that when you have to make important decisions your mind isn’t cluttered with stuff that still requires an answer.  Most of us hit a point where there is so much that requires us to make a decision that when it comes to making one as simple as what to make for dinner, we cave and go get take out because we are so overwhelmed by the day.  Making lots of little decisions throughout the day can exhaust our minds and make it darn near impossible to make big ones when they arise, that is when we lose it and those close to us think we’ve snapped.  Thinking constructively is great, but it is a fine line before you cross into toxic thinking.  Do you replay the scenario in your head with several outcomes?  Yeah, well I’m talking to you then, STOP IT!  Analyzing it won’t change it and you’ll probably alienate all your friends as you recount it over and over or we’ll all become raging alcoholics having to listen to you.  Learn to trust your instinct and decisions and move on…what is done is done so accept it and be ready to tackle your next challenge.

Take a break.  Simple, when things get really crazy, go shopping, see a movie or even go for a hike.  I used to think my brother was a few cards shy of a deck when things were so nuts and he just said “f it” and went out with friends.  It drove me nuts, how could things be left undone?  Well, turns out he taught me something, problem is still gonna be there, but maybe coming back to it later I’m better equipped to fix it.  Plus he tended to be happier as I was constantly stressed.  HMMMM, yeah you get where I’m going.  You can think better when you aren’t stressed, come up with better solutions and you are happier in the process.  Meditate, yeah I know, we’ve all heard this before…but meditation is just making time for yourself to clear your mind and focus your attention on something as simple as your breath.  But it could be riding a motorcycle, for others it could be a spinning class, running, walking the dog.  It is all about being in the present and focusing on that moment.

Make sure you are well rested.  Sleep deprivation is the root of all that ails us, not getting enough of it has terrible consequences on our health.  But did you ever stop to think what it does to us psychologically?  Fatigue makes it hard to make good decisions and then when we do make them in this state we wonder if it was right, then we stress and eat crap, don’t exercise, start to gain a few pounds, become critical of ourselves and then well, you get the picture, it’s a terrible vicious cycle.   Disconnect from anything electronic an hour before you sleep and if you can, keep it out of your bedroom, that way you can ensure a great night’s sleep.  Clear your mind at the end of the day, it is over and have faith in yourself that you did everything you could and it’ll all work out as it should.  No amount of wishing and hoping will change the outcome so fretting about it will only cause you to lose sleep.  Believe in yourself.  We are all amazing in our own right and celebrate that, stop criticizing everything you do.  Implement a plan, be flexible with it and see where it leads you.  Things work out the way they should, so mount up and enjoy the ride ladies!

 

End of Season

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After the call from MJ of Ducati Bellevue on Sunday that the track day was cancelled due to the weather, I got calls, texts and emails about whether or not there would be rescheduling.  Judging from the drastic change in the weather…from hot and muggy to cold and rainy in the span of what seemed was overnight, I would be extremely surprised if it was.  However, I will keep you all posted should there be a freak warm spell and Mark lets me know he is putting one on (he’ll get cabin fever and call Rod I’m sure).  I will post on Facebook if and when it should happen (keep those fingers crossed) so like MotoVixens and you’ll be the first to know!

Speaking of Mark, not only is he the owner of 2 Fast, he is also an amazing racer, my mentor and a friend.  I tend to be self sufficient and stubborn, but when I needed him to show me lines and help me improve, he was always there.  This last year Mark was the #1 plate holder and even without racing every race this year he earned a spot as the #3 plate holder for next year!  I have enclosed the rankings of our top racers in WMRRA should you wish to check it out.

I know many of you are disappointed with how this season ended, but truth be told it might of been for the best since the weather would have been a factor of many a crash.  I know we all hate to discuss crashes, but the rainy day track days tend to cause a great deal of them and I wanted a beautiful day with dry, warm pavement where we could all really enjoy ourselves and get to push the limits a bit more while expanding our knowledge.  Next year we are discussing track days with the women’s school in the months we know tend to be sunny, in fact, I am hoping to discuss a combo school where we can do a co-ed school for those who wish to bring spouses, significant others, boyfriends/girlfriends or even friends.  Stay tuned as we figure out the details.

The weather is turning, but you’ll still see some crazy broad out there riding…that’d be me!  I suppose once you’ve developed crazy it’s hard to be cured, just be safe…it’s all about tires (make sure you have ones for the wet weather), check that tire pressure and most of all be smooth.  If you are putting your baby up for the winter remember to winterize your bike so it’ll be ready to go when you feel like it.  Check out Winterizing for Modern Motorcycles in our archived blogs and I will let you know should we do another winterizing/maintenance event.  Vixens Ride!

WMRA Standings

Novice Racing

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I have recently been asked by several women why I chose to be a novice racer and is it something they can do as well? The answer to the first question is I’m a little whacko and truth be told spent most of my life trying to make others happy while neglecting my needs. Becoming a mother in my mid-twenties and having been a part of corporate America since I was 18, I knew the ins and outs of that world, thus I became a corporate wife (sort of). As my boys were growing up, my marriage was coming to an end and I needed to find myself again and this is how my journey with motorcycles began. Having always wanted to learn how to ride and it having this bad ass kind of feel to it that was incredibly empowering (should I survive) I was game, again this is where the crazy comes in… The BRC class was my first foray into the world of motorcycling and after 3 terrifying and exhilarating days I received my endorsement. Then came the search for continuing my journey, my next step. I found that there were intermediate classes offered but most were after you completed some riding time on the street (since riding in a parking lot wasn’t real preparation to riding in everyday conditions). Not helpful. Then in searching for schools, up popped “track training”, 😉 hmmmmmm what is that? Well, that ladies is how it all began for me…The California SuperBike School (http://www.superbikeschool.com) was the catalyst into finding out about track schools like 2 Fast (http://www.2-fast.org) and OPRT (http://www.optimum-performance.org). Being a gal you certainly stand out in a sport mainly dominated by men, but I believe that walking into racing completely unaware was a blessing, the fact that I was so naive and genuine, those guys took me in, taught and have helped me along the way. By no means do I even know all I should, but now I’m much more aware if what it takes and it’s been a journey that I would’ve taken many times over exactly the same way.

As for becoming a racer, it is actually fairly easy. Search for an organization in your area under road racing associations and if you live in Seattle it is WMRRA (http://www.wmrra.com), Portland it is OMRRA (http://www.omrra.com) and nationally there is WERA (http://www.wera.com) too, check your area for a local one near you. Visit their website, find out how to become a racer and start your own journey. There is one thing I wish someone would’ve warned me about though, it is that racing is great until you crash then it becomes expensive and a mad rush to get everything put together again before the next race. Be prepared to spend every free moment searching for parts, finding the right people to fix your bike and make sure you have great health insurance because everyone eventually will require some form of medical attention. Please be aware of the risks involved and don’t believe that you are exempt from falling, we all do and it happens so fast. There is risk in everything, but this allows us to race with controlled risk, every racer knows what they are getting into. We all have to go to work after the weekend is over, have families to return to, loved ones to care for so there is almost a gentlemen’s code that you don’t take out people intentionally, you race with dignity. Sure sometimes accidents happen, but when they do there is no hard feelings and it is funny at times to see one guy walk up to another and say, “Hey sorry about that man” and they shake hands and get busy fixing their bikes for the next race. This is the only place where I’ve seen one guy take out another and they will actually give each other hugs, yeah we are seriously twisted. I’ve found a place where I feel at home, where competition and camaraderie co-exist, feel like I’m a part of a huge extended family, part of a community…I finally found myself in this crazy place that I now call home.

The Frightening and the Beautiful update

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I met Heather at the IMS show in NY early this year and she has been quite busy as you can see, here is an update on what she’s been up to:

Hello Everyone,

Just a note to inform you all about my upcoming exhibition, “Mapping the Familiar”, a survey show here in NYC including work by all of the participants of the BoxoHOUSE Artist Residency program based in Joshua Tree, CA.

Most of you know that this past spring I rode my motorcycle to Joshua Tree and back from my home in Weehawken, NJ to participate in this program, and to create a project called “In Search of the Frightening and Beautiful” which entailed my dropping embroidered art works at sites around the country during my journey (described in the project Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheFrighteningAndBeautiful, and in a blog at http://thefrighteningandbeautiful.blogspot.com). The work on view in “Mapping the Familiar” stems directly from this experience and includes the largest single embroidered piece I’ve ever made (check out the work in progress snapshot attached for a preview). Needless to say, I’m very excited about this show!

If you find yourself in New York within the next couple of months, I hope you drop by and take a look! The opening is this Saturday from 6-8pm at BoxoOFFICE, 421 Hudson Street (between Clarkson and Leroy Streets) #701, NY, NY 10014. The show is up through November 15 and open Thursdays through Sundays, 12-6pm. I will be in the gallery all day during the Saturdays of 10/12 and 10/19 as well… so don’t be shy.

And…stay tuned for further announcements about an artist talk and book launch event! The “In Search for the Frightening and Beautiful” book should be hot off the presses come early November…

Here’s to hoping I’ll see you all soon.

Cheers,
Heather

Heather L Johnson

heather@heatherLjohnson.com
917-499-4226

http://www.heatherLjohnson.com
http://thefrighteningandbeautiful.blogspot.com

Round 6 at the Ridge

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Nothing beats the excitement of the racetrack, the hoards of ez-ups, the smell of gasoline, the racers all lined up for tech inspections and the riders meeting to get the day started. Nothing can top visiting with friends, who are family at this point, as we all get ready for the upcoming weekend. There is a camaraderie that I’ve never experienced anywhere else, but we are all there to race fully knowing that your friend could be your stiffest competition. It is a strange dynamic, yet at the end of the day we all come together and recount the days events, the records broken and the personal accomplishments we conquered. The fact that you get the opportunity to be around talented racers who are more than willing to help you, loan you what you may have forgotten or even give you advice and encouragement is a plus coming into this as a novice this year. This was my last race of the season, I had made plans to get my bike fully equipped for next year so it was bittersweet. My goal was focused on coming in with a time I could be ultimately proud of and build upon that next year.

I started this year with a bike, minimal knowledge and a passion to do what very few women would attempt. My hopes were to show women just beginning or even those who had been riding for a while, that if you had passion, you could accomplish great things. I’ve had my share of spills, very lucky ones at that, but with those mistakes came a knowledge an understanding and respect for the machine that you man. Truth be told, your machine doesn’t make the mistake that causes you to crash, you do, whether it is a poor decision to pass, too much throttle, whatever it may be you are the reason…it makes you accountable each and every time. It is interesting to say that it translates to things in your life, I relive each and every crash in my mind for days to recount the decisions I made and what I could have done to avoid them. We are all in search of the perfect feeling…the lap around the track where everything seems to fall into place, where your body and the bike feel as if they are one and working in perfect harmony…it keeps us coming back for more.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to ride my bike has said it is a solid and happy bike and I tend to agree. I also understand that there are changes I must make on my bike in the off season to even be competitive, things that I honestly had no idea about until I took the leap to racing. Equipment, feel, knowledge, hard work and determination are key to being competitive and just the desire to race doesn’t make everything else work in your favor. However, having a trust and bond with your bike, as odd as that may sound, is very important. I’ve ridden bikes before that make me nervous (break out in a sweat), that you just get this strange feeling that something isn’t right and you can’t wait to get off of it. My little R6 has given me some very happy memories even before it came to the track and to have those to take into racing is an awesome experience, with that being said, my season ended with my best lap time to date at 2.01 with no upgrades made to it whatsoever. I have plenty to work on for next year as I came hoping to break under 2.0, but with the improvements I hope that I can do that within the first two races. Keep checking in this fall and winter as I will continue to post the improvements on the bike, the new design and sponsorships for the upcoming year. Come join me sometime next season at the races to cheer us gals on or a track day…I am looking forward to seeing you out there!

PeachesMag.com

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I recently had the privilege to write a post for www.peachesmag.com about my mission for MotoVixens.  Palmer Davis, founder of peachesmag.com, was at the last Ducati Bellevue Women’s track event and did this brief video about our day.  Peachesmag.com is a sexy site for women by women and their main focus is to empower women in every aspect of their lives.  The following is the article I wrote:

A year ago, the idea of racing around a track would have seemed completely absurd and truth be told not even on my radar.  Yet, here I am today not only racing in my novice year, but just getting my head around all the details of what it takes to be competitive.  My introduction into motorcycling has been fairly current and it started as an escape, doing something that I feared, yet I knew would be empowering should I ever find that “zen” place so many motorcyclists speak of.  There was something mysterious and intriguing about that and I started my journey only to seek that place of peace.  Motorcycling was my escape from hardships I was facing, personal struggles that required and sucked every ounce of energy I had, it was the one place I could be that required full focus and concentration and forced me to leave all that “stuff” behind and be in the moment.  Motorcycling helped me reconnect with myself and allowed me to see things differently, with more clarity and patience, it made me a better in every way.  

I started with taking an MSF course, which I strongly suggest to anyone who wants to learn to ride, this will give you the “basics” of riding.   However, those basics will only get you so far and won’t prepare you for the road conditions you face on a daily basis.  I also encountered difficulty in finding gear and spent a great deal of time surfing the web and buying/exchanging items to find gear that actually fit.  There are a few brands that carry gear for women, but they vary drastically depending on your body type and sizing is confusing.  Male riders can pop into any shop and try things on, but women don’t have the same luxury since many stores don’t tend to carry much women’s gear, making it a challenge to find gear to try on for sizing purposes.  Helmets tend to be easier, but boots and gloves are also an issue as most stores are limited in the sizes and styles they carry.   Since I advocate all gear all the time, I bought whatever fit when I first started, but have since found which brands fit me best and tend to stick with those manufacturers.  However, sizes do change from year to year, so what fits this year may not necessarily fit the next model year.  Being female in a male dominated industry definitely does have its downsides.  In my frustration, I decided to start a website for women riders, www.MotoVixens.com in hopes that uniting women riders would allow for us to one day have a larger voice in what we demand from manufacturers, schools, dealerships, etc. 

 I started the site as an educational resource with links to sites I found particularly helpful and had great success with in terms of gear, linked schools for continuing education and blogs pertaining to riding.   I worked with Ducati Bellevue in hopes to open up an avenue for women riders to learn how to ride more competently and with more confidence.  Since starting my website, we have been fortunate enough to collaborate with some of the best companies in the Pacific Northwest.  Ducati Bellevue welcomed the idea with open arms and has been instrumental in hosting Women’s track schools in conjunction with their track days as well as clinics to educate women about their bikes.  2 Fast Motorcycle Instruction and Track Days has been responsible for the performance school provided by Ducati Bellevue for the Women’s Track Event.  WMST is an instructional school that provides MSF, cornering classes, intermediate and advanced motorcycle training and I have since been certified as an On Street instructor (classes for women to be announced next year).  In addition to the educational aspect of riding is also the technical and mechanical portion we tend to take for granted.  Women riders face a greater range of issues from physical height and weight issues to not fully understanding proper maintenance of a motorcycle.   We are only on two wheels, it is even more important for us to make sure those stay in contact with the road.  Suspension is key to a secure ride, whether on street or on track.  I would suggest that you have your bike setup to you to make your ride not only more comfortable, but safe.   There is a resource page on my site that lists various companies that accommodate whatever needs you may have, take a moment to check it out and feel free to call them with your questions and concerns, they are always willing to help you any way they can.

 My mission is be a strong voice for women riders, bringing their issues and concerns to those who can make the difference.  This is why partnering with Ducati Bellevue and 2 Fast to provide a track school was so important…I hope in bringing events like this to women riders they walk away learning more than they could’ve imagined, sign up with their girlfriends, make new friends, gain confidence and feel empowered.  The beauty of this event is that you can sign up as many times as you like and walk away with new knowledge every time.  There is so much information being taught you couldn’t possibly digest it all in one day.   I continue to learn something new every time I get on my bike, new ways to do things differently and more efficiently…turning, gear selection, positioning, etc.  Take the school as often as you like, it can only make you a better rider and what can be better than that?

2 Fast Track Day at The Ridge

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In preparation of the race weekend, I signed up for 2 Fast on Friday, August 30th to get some laps in and to have some fun before the races.  There were quite a few gals, which I love to see and one gal in particular who has attended a few track days who I’ve come to know…such is the nature of the sport, you start to see the gals who love riding so much that they start to become regulars at the track.  I hope that women riders know that this setting is far from intimidating, it is an incredible opportunity to learn and ask questions you may have about riding, gear, etc…

[quicktime]http://motovixens.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_1799.mov[/quicktime]

Track days are not about racing, it is about riding your own ride and improving your skill set, gaining knowledge and getting to go as slow or fast as you wish to your comfort level.  Speed and skill come with time and that is something that just can’t be rushed without consequences.  There is a wealth of information to be sought in the pits alone, caveat being not all information is good information, that being said everyone is extremely willing to help all you have to do is ask.  Also, if you have never ridden two up with one of the guys, take the opportunity to do so.  It will teach you how hard you can actually break, show you better lines around the track and give you pointers on gear selection, it will really open your eyes!

Sullivan has a track day coming up on Thursday, September 5th at Pacific Raceways and currently has openings and OPRT has one coming up on September 9th at the Ridge where I will be instructing.  Also, don’t forget Ducati Bellevue has their Women’s Track School coming up on September 30th, sign up for the first time or again, you will learn something new every time.  Come on out and join us track rats!