What did Motocross Teach Me?

A lot actually. A great deal more than I initially thought it would. To be honest, I knew I would learn about the sport and all that comes with, I just didn’t anticipate learning so much about myself in the process.

Quick backstory: I’ve been riding motorcycles for 30 years, primarily on the road. I have owned a couple of on/off road models, but nothing remotely resembling a purpose-built motocross racer. I held a popular belief that most motocross riders were crazy, adrenaline junkies that got drunk at bars and purposely picked fights, all after cutting you off on the freeway and running over your cat. To be 100% fair, there ARE riders and racers like this, but they are rare and very much outside the norm. I never gave motocross a serious thought as something I would ever get into. Plus, it’s one of the most dangerous sports in the world! Thanks, but no thanks.

I have been an avid mountain bike rider and amateur racer for years; and combining these skills with my love of motorcycles, it would seem natural that motocross would be on my radar. I had a passion for riding mountain bikes on dirt trails, and at age 30, I entered a few local cross-country races as a personal challenge and to motivate my training. My first three or four races were all about survival, but I kept at it and got better. I knew I’d never be a top racer at 30 years of age, but I worked hard, I was competitive, and I was perfectly happy with that.

A good friend of mine who was a training buddy and did races with me spent a few days riding on a motocross track. He raved about how fun and wild it was, riding motocross on an actual motocross track! He was older than me, but a much better rider and he decided to invest in a motocross bike and all the requisite gear. Curious to see what all the fuss was about, I went to a local track with him and tried it out. Even though it wasn’t the “main” track, I was hooked after one day and wanted more. I do need to admit that the sight and sounds coming from the main track were very intimidating; those riders were FAST and the track layout was serious. The track was built with some intimidating jumps that took skills I did not have to negotiate safely. I still held some preconceived notions about motocross riders/racers and the very real threat of serious bodily injury made me apprehensive about riding the big track. However it wasn’t long before my curiosity got the better of me. I had some skills from mountain bikes and street motorcycles, so I knew I could eventually figure all this out.

My goals were simple: get a bike, learn to navigate a track and not kill myself in the process. Seems simple enough. I was able to do that, for the most part, but was struggling with speed and comfortability on the track. I took some specialized lessons from some trackside instructors and that helped immensely. I also invested in a better bike for serious track work and some improved gear. I was better, but still not fully comfortable and still nowhere near where I wanted to be. I then made a life-changing decision to start racing motocross and I jumped in with both feet. Pushing myself when to race mountain bikes really improved my riding ability and I knew this would help my limited motocross skillset. I picked a local race, entered (no turning back now) and started training. I began eating better, working out and riding as much as I could. I continued to push myself and then it happened- my first serious crash that sent me to the ER. A broken wrist was a setback for sure, but I wanted to see this through, and was determined to continue as soon as my injury healed. I was committed at this point and despite some compelling arguments from my friends and family against continuing, I soldiered on, once my wrist was healed.

I joined a race organization for motocross riders over the age of 30 and started racing with them. I found a great group of people within that organization and my previous notion of what it meant to be a motocross rider/racer started to evolve away from my previous assumptions. Most of these riders were good people with kind hearts who challenged and encouraged me to get better. For over five years, I trained hard, raced hard, won a few races and even a class championship. As I was about to start my sixth year, I had an unfortunate crash that was fairly major and put me in the hospital for multiple days. A compound fracture of two bones, multiple plates and screws and 3 total surgeries will definitely give you time to think. That crash effectively ended my racing career. I decided to stop racing, but I still have a bike and ride motocross for fun, without the pressure and risk of racing.

So, after all that, what did motocross actually teach me?

Well for one, never assume that you can’t do something. It may seem farfetched today, or highly unlikely, but keep it in the realm of possibility. It does not need to be a crazy, risky, adventure sport- it could just be something simple, like finishing your degree work, authoring that book, buying a home, or completing a marathon. Often, we look at some things as gigantic in scope and when viewed as a whole appear insurmountable. Instead of letting the totality of something keep you away, dig deeper and start to get to know what it will take to do that thing that scares you, approaching it step-by-step. Just because you are not doing it today, doesn’t make it impossible down the road. For certain, we all have limits, however, until you push those boundaries, you may never know your true capabilities. We are often our own worst critic, and our fears can limit our full potential.

Being successful takes demanding work, dedication and determination. This is a generally accepted notion, but what does it really mean? In my personal journey to achieve success in motocross, it meant I had to make tough choices and sacrifice some of the things that I loved to make room for the demands of this new passion. The sport of motocross can be all encompassing and I had to make a conscious decision to put other hobbies, fun and trips on hold to focus on motocross. This sometimes mean fewer vacations, less camping trips, and spending less capital in other areas of my life. These were some of the sacrifices I had to make to reach my goals. Motocross is very physically demanding, and I had to work hard, both on and off the track to stay in shape and adhere to a very healthy diet to maintain my competitiveness.?I accepted that my other hobbies and commitments would have to wait, while I pursued my current goal. Maybe you may have to put off having children while you finish your Masters or drive that Honda Civic a few more years longer than you would like; so you can save money to buy a home or have other things that you want from life. Never lose sight of your goals, be comfortable with your sacrifices and never lose your determination.

Do not underestimate your task. Taking the bar exam to be a lawyer, climbing a mountain, or running a marathon take a lot of time and focus, learning and preparatory work. Do not skip it. Do the work. Becoming CEO doesn’t happen on the second week of your job. You may need to spend year after year pushing, proving, and driving yourself to learn and grow. Put in the time. A marathon may seem like a long shot, but start with walking, then short distance runs and work your way up to running longer distances. One of the most rewarding parts of the journey is achieving your goal when it seemed near impossible at the start. Do not sell yourself short!

Perceptions are not always reality. Keep an open mind. I had a very firm belief in the type of person that rode, and raced motocross and that preconceived notion can limit our capabilities. But when I entered the sport and opened my eyes to reality, it didn’t take long for me to realize my assumptions were wrong more often than they were right. Every sport has dirty players with poor sportsmanship and motocross is no exception. But on the whole, most of the people in motocross have a common goal of enjoying the sport, pushing oneself physically and mentally and getting home in ONE piece! What motocross racers and riders do IS dangerous, and a poor attitude more often than not leads to injury, for ALL involved. Keep an open mind and challenge your perceptions! You may surprise yourself.

Scaring yourself can be a good thing. If we never push the boundaries of our comfy lives, how will we ever know what are true capabilities are? Keep in mind the dangers and challenges of what you are doing and protect yourself as best you can. But taking that leap, diving with sharks, climbing that mountain, applying for your graduate degree and pushing your limits will teach you a lot about yourself, your capabilities and help you grow as a person.

Motocross taught me to challenge my assumptions and push my limits, both mentally and physically. Nothing I have done, to date, has been more physically and mentally demanding than motocross and that does include scuba diving with sharks, skiing double black diamond runs and mountain bike racing. “Never,” is one of those words that can prevent enormous personal growth, so never let that happen to you. Everyone dies, but not everyone lives. We get one shot at this; don’t waste it. Personally, I’d rather live with some plates and screws in my body (I do) instead of living with regret (I don’t). We grow when we learn, and nothing teaches us more about ourselves than overcoming our fears. Fear of what we don’t know. Let the fear become your determination.