Is This The Biggest Racing Mistake?

I have been actively racing dirt bikes in off-road since I was 10 years old. After I incorporated this one thing into my program for racing, I finally earned my first National Championship. 

From when I first hopped on the bike, I absolutely loved to go out and ride. Motocross tracks, trail rides, pit bikes, races, I used it all to hopefully get me into better conditioning for the racing that mattered. It worked up to a certain point, then I was competing at a level that made me question how the other guys were able to beat me by so much. I wanted to win. 

These were all people I looked up to and some of them were even friends. So naturally, I would look at their social media to see what they were up to during the week. What were they doing? They were not only getting seat time on the bike, but they were also in the gym, going on runs, riding a road bike, and building physical endurance. 

The light bulb finally went off in my head. I needed to have a strength and endurance conditioning plan to get stronger and compete at their level. I started running and working out. This came natural to me due to my sport background in high school (football and wrestling). Over the next few races and years, I was able to kick it up a notch. I was getting closer to their speed. Something was still missing that the other guys obviously had. 

Fast forward to 2020, the year of my breakthrough. 

I had someone reach out to me about doing personal training virtually. I took a chance and signed up. I was ready and willing to try anything to get me up into that new level. That is when everything changed. 

I started to perform better and be more consistent in everything I did. My fitness was increasing, my lap times were faster, my ability to maneuver the bike was better, and I was losing weight. All this combined is what led me to my National Hare and Hound Open A championship. 

As I reflect on the past and the journey to that first championship, it was not just that I was doing personal training. It is that I had clear direction and purpose for each workout I did. What I lacked before was the structure. That is what I feel the biggest mistake in racing is. 

Racing athletes have the drive and willpower to endure incredible challenges. We are built to compete. There comes a time when that alone is not enough to win. You need structure. You need direction. Without direction, your effort is wasted. 

Everyone’s goals are different. What I am telling you is that if you are thinking “man why have I not broken through this plateau yet,” you need direction, so your effort is not wasted. Meet with someone or sit down to write your own plan. 

Then stick to it and watch the results come. Because they will.