Loudon report

[tommymac]

I should have typed this after day one since I rode like crap on day 2.

Made it up there around 7 and got the bike teched, met up with oreo and t/w him and a few others for a bit, then it was back to the hotel for dinner and some sleep.

Get to the track prety early, get situated in the pits, check my pressures and then just chill. There was a very eclectic mix of bikes there. saw 4 buells a very nice TLS along with a lot of SV's and ducatis.

I started out in beginner since I am still getting back into the swing of things, havent been on loudon in a while and I dont know how fast/slow the groups are with TTD. I go out with all the noobs for a 30 min parade lap, was useful since I could see the lines and look around for reference points.

Felt a little shaky going inot my first real session but once I got out there it was game on I realy started railing, I caught up to a guy on an RSV and diced it up with him for the rest of the session. I caught up with him in the pits, he was an intermediate guy but started in beginner so he moved up, I figured I will move up before days end and have someone to play with.

Next session I go out and its more of the same I am passing everybody, one guy passed me but I returned the favor soon after I was figuring I would just ride well and get noticed, but there were only a few coaches out there and plenty of guys that needed their help.

I was pitted near one of the other coaches, he had a harpoon brewery sticker on his bike, he asked how I was doing, told him I felt realy good but felt a little frustrated with the traffic, so he said he will follow me next session. So I head out and am riding very well. So well that I wound up lapping 7 people. the session was redflagged and as i pull in I see the coach ahead ofme talking with another rider. So I go back to the pits and am taking my stuff off and I see him comming my way with an intermediate sticker said my lines were good ( I was working on tightening my apexes) I was running a midpack intermediate time but was also very safe on my passes, I guess he missed a few some may have been a little close and were on the left but I would still get by clean.

So first session in intermediate i get out here and am riding well and manage to pass 4 or 5 people before someone passes me. All in all a good session. Next session is more of the same but I wind up battleing a guy on an sv650. Its embarassing but he would pull on me on the straight but he got a great drive out of the chicaine and I wasnt. I was able to reel him in and showed him a wheel a few times but couldnt get a clean spot to pass. got a little tired and pitted out, but saw the checkered at the end of the straight so it was one more lap left anyway.

last session I was more or less by myself, passed a few people and got passed by some others but was riding prety well, I went down turn 10 and hit some bumps and my frigh tfoot hit the ground, that kinda spooked me so I called it a day.

Afterwards we did the track walk, we went out with a coach named jamie, hes a former soon to be current racer again LOL and he showed us a ton of useful stuff, learned a few things for turns one and 10 so i figured I would apply that on day 2.

Sadly it looked like I blew my load on day one. Finished my first session ok but was alaready hurtin I woul dgo 4 or 5 laps and my knees would be screamin and worse was my mind was wandering and I was missing my marks. I was getting prety frustrated but each session was more of the same and i was way slower than the day before So I eat lunch grab a nap and skip a session, helped me clear my head. I knew I would only be good for a few laps so I woul dgo out and make em count. I was still off my pace but did work on a few things jamie taught us and it helped so I was happy with that, figured I couldnt ride my ass off but at least it was productive.

So I wound up taking today off to rest and catch up on some house work if my legs let me LOL the biggest thing is to work on my conditioning some more. my knees are shot from football but if I can strengthen them up some more and work on my cardio I will be better for these 2 day events.