Trials, it's in your head

[Jonala]

Yesterday was the first trials event in N.CA.

I rode Sportsman class with is the next step up from beginner. Fresh from a refresher trials class, I went into this event with some confidence that I will not shame myself.

With the exception of one section the other nine sections were within my abilities.

On the first lap, I did the best I have ever done since I started riding Sportsman.
At the first section on the 2nd lap, I went out of bounds while trying to jump over a log. Jumping logs is what I practice on all the time. As much as I tried to control my emotions, I lost my confidence and concentration. The second section was the toughest for me, so I got two 5's in a row.

From that point on I couldn't do anything right. I was even having problems just riding from section to section.

I tried to analyze if it was lack of confidence or fatigue. Riding from section to section was challenging and fatiguing let alone riding the sections themselves.

My score for the second lap was twice as much as my first lap with no cleans or even a 1 or 2! Just 5's and 3's.

Before lap 3 I was talking to a friend hoping maybe I would just loosen up. I ride up to section 1, determined not to screw up. I nail the first and section logs, and go out of bounds going over the third log.

Instead of moving on to section 2 I asked the checker if I could do the section again without a score. She let me ride it again. I hopped over the logs like Cabestany?? Go figure...

With confidence reinstalled, I screwed up section 2 but I had already tossed that section out of my plans. I then did just as well as I did on my first lap.

I'm thankful that the people that run these events know everyone is out there to have fun and try to do their best. They'll let you re-ride a section and give advise if you ask for it. What did I learn? I still choke when points are involved, I lose my confidence easily, and if I can do something to regain my confidence, I'll do just fine.

Next event if I screw up a section, I'll try to find something to practice ride, to work out my problem before going onto the next section.

 

[Patman]

You still did better than I would have..... if I still had a trils bike :(

 

[georgieboy]

Jonala, great educational story. 3 weeks ago i did my first ever clubtrial. Being an offroad rider i am loosing it on the basic stuff. Namely the turning and balancing part. Logs are not my problem but the simple stuff is. :bang:

 

[MOTOMILT]

Good story.

Sounds familiar.
I start talking at the wait to go in the section and i'm guaranteed to screw up.
I screw up in the section then i'm pissed enough at myself to screw up the next one.
Then it's usually back to normal. :bang:

There are serious ppl that forget to have fun.
They don't want to talk or smile even before a section.
The funny part is alot of the time they aren't that good.
If i can laugh at my mistakes then I had a good time.

The BS after the trial is hardly ever about cleans it's about the stupid things we did to get points.
( did you see me at section 6, my bike went left and I decided to go right) ( did you see me crash on that pebble after I cleaned the giant boulder,geesh)

You had FUN that's what counts. And you know what to work on.

What I try to do is practice all the stuff from the class above me,so when you get to the trial, I have confidence on any obstacle they throw at us. Now concentration is a different story?

Milt :bang:

 

[Jonala]

Thank you all for the positive feedback. :cool:

 

[wayneg]

Go out there and give it your best - even scoring doesn't matter if your focus is on how you "feel" you have ridden, with an example on the first section on the 3rd loop, where you did ok for most of the section, but messed up the last bit. I really try to relax as much as possible - which also helps with the fun issue. Why not ride an event and start the bench racing at the start of the first section? If you can find someone else who wants to clown around you will have a great day - if not then people will think that you are a bit strange, but laughter is usually pretty contagious.

 

[kiwi_925]

Have to say tht this is the same problem that my older brother has, he's a choker, and as soon as it starts its down hill. But if he was trying to better me at something no worries, he does it fine, and if its trials alot better than me ( and then i remind him to come to a motocross or cross country ). But it's a mindset, and my brothers gets worse when any of us show up to watch him, which we usually dont as he feels the pressure to get it right infront of us. Hamish Carter ( a New Zealander ) won the gold medal in triathon(sp) at the games in Greece, he's frame of mind was to have fun and no worry about the end result, he knew if he enjoyed the race, the bi-product would be a gold medal, which it was. I find trials like golf, and really the conditions are the same for others (in your class ) but its down to you, and how you react when things might not go right. Just enjoy the trial and think, it sure beats the monday to friday, even if it is raining!

 

[Jonala]

Update:

Rode my second trials event this year. I rode the intermediate line of a AHRMA event. The lines was well within my ablities. I was hoping to just regain some confidence. I did much better than the first event.

I almost cleaned the entire 3rd lap. I had a problem with one section, that had a very observant checker. After I compeleted the third lap I went back to that section.

I asked if I could re-ride the section when no one was there. I was able to clean the section 3 times in a row. It wasn't as hard to do as I was making it. I just had to use better techinque on the first turn.

 

[GETMETOCA]

Great job Jonala!! BTW, I am probably going to sell the Montessa to one of Karna's Dad's friends :(

I have ridden the Monty once in the year that I've owned it. I didn't get into trials the way I thought I would. Another time maybe.