This was to be my 1st race at Whitney

[Jeff Gilbert]

I've been watching the races at Lake Whitney for 2 seasons of racing just waiting till I thought I could make it around the track in one piece. Today was to be the day I would give it a shot, the final round of the winter series and even though I'm not in the series I had been working hard to condition myself over the last 2 months to be ready.

It all starts the night before, this would be Friday night. At 7pm my buddy calls and says he's got 4 tickets to the power sports AX in Belton and he doesn't like this stuff, if I want the tickets I have to come and get em right now or I'll miss the show. It takes Tigger & me exactly 1 hour to p/u the tickets and make the drive, we get there straight up 8:00. I must say it was the worst setup and least supported event I've ever been to. We left at 9:00 so I could come home and get ready for the big day today. It was 11pm by the time we got home and loaded the RV & trailer so it's time for bed, I'm thinking I need my rest cause Whitney is a big place. At 1:30 am I'm still laying there wide awake yet so tired, by 2:30am I decided to get up and drink some water cause I still couldn't go to sleep. Sometime after that I guess I drifted off because the alarm went off at 5:30 and I was zoning. 6am I was on the road to drop off Tigger for a sleep over at a friend's house, I know her friends' parents think I'm nuts!

It's back to the house to get the RV and hit the highway, it's now about 6:45 and I'm going to be late for practice. I get about a 3rd of the way there and realized I had made this mistake before, racing with no sleep the night before:aj: so I turned around and headed to the local track for practice instead. Now I'm feeling pretty bumbed out cause I had been planning on Whitney for so long.

I pull into the local track as the sun was beaming in my eyes off the horizon and got setup. About 30min later another rider pulled in so I geared up. I had forgotten what it was like to ride on hard hard hard pack dirt. I rode till about 11 when the gas tank was empty. Pushed the bike back to the RV and laid down. I had no problem falling asleep this time.
After about a 2-hour nap I got up and rode till 4pm and every muscle and joint in my body feels jarred. It's not what I had planned but I think I made the right decision.

Anyone else have problems falling asleep the night before a race?

 

[Camstyn]

I know the feeling. Whenever we try to plan to make the trek down to Washougal, somebody gets stuck working late, and it takes a lot longer than planned for the last minute scramble of loading up and trying to remember to bring everything.

Last time we got there at about 2:30am Saturday morning, signup started at 5:30 (if I recall correctly), neither of us were pre-registered so we had to get to signup extra early.

I rode like crap that day (+30 C, 3 full gate motos, finished 33rd/29th/31st of 42), had a little nap between every moto and practice. Got a decent sleep that night (after a few cold ones) and rode 100% better on the final two motos(22nd/17th) on Sunday, even though I was sore and tired from the previous day racing.

 

[sfc crash]

sounds like a bummer jeff, i wonder if you drive out the night before,get there early evening, if it would relax you more knowing you are there? maybe making sleeping easier. me, i'm an insomniac from way back. i don't think i'll get 10 min sleep before my first race this season.;)

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

I'm not really sure why I couldn't sleep but I suspect it from the anticipation of Saturday's race. Like I said earlier, I did ride Saturday only it was at my local track. After a good workout and being so tired I thought for sure I would sleep like a baby that night but I didn't. I slept a little better but I still sort of drifted in and out of sleep that night. Surprisingly I did well Sunday.

I like to go to the track the night before when I can, it makes race day so much easier.

 

[nikki]

Jeff... NY-QUIL!! :confused:

That's my answer when I REALLY can't fall asleep on a race night. Seems to work pretty well for me. :)

 

[dad80]

yeh nyquil would work but it gives me a hangover the next morning we were
at whitney my son raced sat and sun you could have come and raced sun for the whitney series first race we always try to get to the races the night before even when sleeping in a tent the out doors we usually sleep well as long as we can stay warm at night the mornings were cold frost on everything good luck on your 1st whitney race when ever you make it

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

I'm with dad80 on this one, stuff like that usually takes a while to wear off in my system. I can take an antihistamine and feel the effects for 2 days and that's if I take the 4-hour relief stuff. I guess I'm a whimp.:think

 

[Perk]

I have not raced in years, but I used to have the same problem. Try taking two Tylenol PM's before bed. Make sure to set your alarm because you will sleep for a while, but when I wake up eight hours later I have no hangover or heavy head or any side effects. They won't really knock you out, but will help you to stay asleep.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Originally posted by Cam Mitchell
I rode like crap that day (+30 C, 3 full gate motos, finished 33rd/29th/31st of 42),

WHAT?!?! Why would you have been riding +30? I know for a fact that there is still moisture behind those ears!

Nature Boy...I don't think I have ever had a decent night's sleep before a race. Usually because I'm up till 2:00 getting ready. :eek:

(Ivan, please don't mention that 12 pack of bears that kept me awake that night at Devil's Ridge)

 

[Camstyn]

Originally posted by High Lord Gomer
WHAT?!?! Why would you have been riding +30? I know for a fact that there is still moisture behind those ears!

Whew, long story, I was hoping nobody would notice. We drove down to Washougal (7 hrs) in the middle of the night, after anticipating it for weeks. My buddy I went there with is in his 30s so he was planning on signing up for +30 beginner. I was planning on signing up for Support class.

5 a.m. comes early, we scrape ourselves up and over to signup where it's posted in large print on the board, "SUPPORT CLASS FULL, PRE-ENTRIES ONLY".. Nice, first I've heard. I thought I could enquire about it and see if they could make an exception, but that was doubtful so I figured I'd try my luck passing for a 30 year old.

If I were in contention to win or place in a top position I was going to pull over and let everyone by on the last lap.. Oddly, that wasn't neccessary as I spoded my away around in the back of the pack. Bunch o' sandbaggin geezers. ;)

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Bunch o' sandbaggin geezers.

Obviously I wasn't there or you'd have had more company back there!