Velocity Racing's 'Honey Badger' Blog

Sunday morning - I wake up bright and early, thankfully it looks like the sun intends to peek out. I've got a long day ahead of me, but one that I'm rather excited for - for starters, it's our monthly Curve Unit ride, so I get to see my sisters. Secondly, I'll be picking up my new-to-me but it-has-plenty-of-experience track bike, the final plunge for me on this path vs horses. This didn't just happen on a whim. Along with selling off my horse trailer and other horse stuff, I had been reluctant to let my saddle go - I love my saddle, and it fit me great. Thing is, I was busy hanging onto something that I was only using on other people's horses (when I could just be using their tack) and even at that was hardly ever using myself. With no new horse in my foreseeable future, it was a little silly. Add in the fact that a simple low-side at the track on my street bike could cost me an awful lot of money, besides putting a big problem on getting to work the next day...

In the spirit of getting my fat, out of shape ass whipped into shape, I laid out a workout plan that is proving to be tough, but sustainable...but also accomplish some quick results since I only have a month between these trackdays, and I don't want a physical repeat of March's ride. So, here's the plan: 3 days a week I am doing a home-made version of Cross Fit . Granted, not as great as having an actual trainer or class (since I don't have the equipment), but intense none the less. I've got a list of about 25 different exercises I can do, and I rotate through them in sets of 4, being sure to hit several body areas each day. Warm up, followed by 20 minutes of butt-kicking rotations, then cool down and stretch. Another 3 days a week I'm doing basic cardio - taking the dog for a run, doing the 30 minute express workout at my gym, Planet Fitness , or something else along that line. One day a week I take off from actually working out - may still go ride a horse ...

March 26th 2012.  My first trackday of the summer, on a track I've only done one parade lap on - Sear's Point Raceway , aka Infineon. But I had shiny new slicks on my ZX10R, and was hyped up and ready to go. Since I didn't know the track at all I signed up for Z2's Novice Class C group. Missed 1/2 my first session because I had to get my tires back on the bike, and between the orientation class and waiting for them to get mounted, I ran out of time. But got out there for a bit anyways. Second session, 2nd lap in I'm getting black flagged...okay, well I knew I hadn't done anything that bad, and since I had just had my bike apart, was thinking maybe I missed something and had some random bit flapping in the breeze so I pull off the track at a safe spot. And sit out the entire session....only to find that they had been flagging my friend who was behind me with her vest flapping wide open. GRRRRR. Two sessions down, and I've not even warmed up my tire...

Okay, less of a party and more like a huge expenditure, some hard decisions, and a lot of sweat with a little bit of blood. So here's the back story: I've been riding sportbikes since I bought my first bike - a '99 ZX6R, used, but it got me going. Unfortunately, it also played to a lot of my "stupid," but we both survived and are both still here to tell the tale, although the bike's life is getting short having rolled over 78,000 miles on the odometer lately. Since then I've had other bikes, up to and including my current street bike, a '05 ZX10R. Nasty little piece of motorcycling heaven, and I love it. I've been riding for about 7 years. Although I always wanted to try track days, I never got around to it due to financial reasons. Last year, I won a hosted spot at Zoom Zoom Trackday's  Women's VIP event in June. I learned a ton, had a blast, and went from slow to less slow (although probably shouldn't have been playing in C group by...