Over the last couple of days I have been working hard at my Mental Visualisation exercises and its going very well. In fact I’ve been places on my bike that I’ve not been back to for some time. Some of it is a bit hazy but it’s like riding in the fog and great practise.
My last session has been my best by far, when you first start out it can be a bit strange trying to get the right mood and actually letting yourself go. I’ve learnt not to try so hard at seeing the picture in my mind. I’m at the stage now that I can see my garage door opening and my bike is waiting for me under her white and gray blanket.
By the time I have got my helmet on and the engine is running I’m in the right mind set and ready to ride.
The first 5 minutes is always the same, I keep to the same routine for a number of reasons. I take the short ride to the garage to fill up in town and I do this even if I don’t need any fuel. I’m treating it as a muscle memory exercise and a reminder to me that the open road is not a race track. At the T-Jct leaving our estate I turn left, but I used to wait for a gap in the traffic not so I can pull out safely, I could have gone ages ago. No, I wait for a gap so I can loft the front wheel, up to the bridge, that’s how I used to start my ride.
Not anymore, my first “Jnr” is as I approach the T-Jct the first of many I might add or that’s how it was when I first started out on my rehabilitation. There are 3 roundabouts on the way down to the garage and now I take my time, no need for any trigger words and I pull into the garage in a great mood.
So in my head its working and I want the first part of my ride to be a muscle memory, like flicking the light switch on in the bathroom when it’s dark. You don’t need to look for it or think about it, your hand goes straight to it, that’s muscle memory.
The ride to the garage also serves as a warm up period for my bike and me, something we should all do all the time. I used to do it without fail when I was riding my two strokes, you had no choice back then they needed a good warm up period if you wanted to look after your engine and in those days it took a while to warm the tyres up. Bikes today warm up very quickly as do the tyres with all their technology.
For today’s ride I’m going to head into Hamilton and out towards Kilmarnock. I put my helmet back on after taking it off for filling up. Another bone of contention for me but I use “Jnr” and I calmed right down straight away. So my trigger word works even when I’m not on my bike, I wonder if a trigger word would work for anger management ? I’ll ask coach, because I think it would work a treat.
I leave the garage and turn left up to the roundabout, I pull the clutch at the last moment and on with the front brake with two fingers, my left foot is down first and I cover my back brake with my right foot. A gap, throttle and clutch at the same time, back brake off and I’m in the traffic. I can see my exit, indicator on as I check my left mirror, I eyeball the guy about to pull onto the roundabout and I turn that move into my dead man’s look over my left shoulder. I lean very gently and a quick squirt and I’m off the roundabout and heading downhill towards the next one. It’s a small one and I can see all the exits and there’s no traffic on it. The urge to twist the wrist is massive, the traffic is light and the roundabout is clear, I could hit it at speed and be away, “Jnr” calm, calm, calm as I approach the roundabout. Straight across and into a slight right that brings the next roundabout into view. This is a big roundabout but I’m taking the first turn off, dead man’s check as I approach the roundabout over my left and indicator on. I slow but no need to stop, no need to pull the clutch it’s all throttle control and I’m away onto the slip round to go down the Box Brea. Instantly “Jnr” I love this whole stretch of road. I calm and enter the dual carriageway at a steady speed. I take a long look over my right shoulder and flick my right indicator on. There’s a long sweeping right bend ahead of me, all downhill to the next complex of roundabouts. I’ve got “Jnr” ticking over in my head because this stretch of road is demanding me to twist the throttle and pass the 140mph very easily. A slight left as I come down to the roundabout. I filter between the traffic and stop at the lights, The surface is smooth and flat, no need to cover the brakes and I have both feet down. I’ve got my eye on the lights and the red blinks, as I set off I check over my right shoulder to make sure no one is running the lights and going to side swipe me. A quick blast to the next lights under the motor way, still on the roundabout. The lights blink and I’m away again and straight into a good left as I exit the roundabout, I short shift to third and head towards the next roundabout. The right side is blind until you’re on top of it, no traffic and away, building the speed up for a good exit into Hamilton. “jnr” I was just going into the zone as I lean over to the left and stick my knee out. I slow very gently and it’s enough for me to behave.
I’m getting there; it’s not going to be a quick fix and I’ve got a lot of work to do.
"All men die, not all men really live"
Ed.
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