Charities
Keep On Track ...
This summer I will be running (jogging) a lap of each track used in the 2009 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, raising money for the RiderDown Foundation and Wings for Life, two charities that have strong roots in the motocross community.
Wings for Life has its principle aim of finding a putative cure for Spinal Core Injury (SCI) Paralysis.
The RiderDown Foundation is dedicated to helping MX and ATV riders who have been injured whilst riding.
David
Total Time: 2hrs 56mins 56secs
Lap 12 Steel City - 14:13.60
The last lap of the year, and I was again accompanied on the run... this time by MX Sports Head Honcho and RacerX guru - Davey Coombs. It was good to run with someone again, and we chatted for the first half of the lap, before we had to concentrate all efforts on running.
While both of us had done a decent amount of running, the length of the track combined with my lack of exercise recently really took it's toll. However we both made it an a pretty respectable time and with it, I had finally completed my goal of running a lap of every single AMA National track!
Saturday 5th September 2009
Lap 11 Southwick - 11:41.75
Even though it had rained all day, this track was nowhere near as bad as Budds Creek due to the fact it was a sandy surface. Also, the track isn't that long, so the run itself wasn't too hard. The hardest thing in fact was being allowed to run, as the security (who had been idiots all week long) decided not to let me on the track. Thankfully I have friends in high places and everything was sorted out.
Saturday 29th August 2009
Lap 10 Budds Creek - 19:23.19
I'll be honest, I [i]really[/i] didn't want to run this track. It had been hammering down for the last 3 hours and even though I left it until about 8pm, it was still raining.
I made the decision to run bare-footed because I figured that the track would be a swampy mess and I didn't want to lose my shoes in a 3ft mud hole. Unfortunately I didn't count on the fact that the rain had washed all the mud away, leaving an extremely stoney surface which would cut my feet up. Still the decision was made and I couldn't not do it.
I could definitely improve upon my time here, if I'd chosen shoes and it'd been dry.
Saturday 22nd August 2009
Lap 9 Unadilla - 12:30.28
I was actually pretty surprised how quickly I made it around this track. It always seemed pretty long to me, and some of the hills are pretty big. However, other than almost not making it up 'Screw U', it went smoothly, although I could tell that I'd not really done much exercise since Montana.
Saturday 15th August 2009
Bonus Lap Loretta Lynn's - 9:23.94
I figured that since this was an MX Sports event, I'd run it. Plus I was joined by my good friend from Concept2 rowers - Greg Hammond. Unsurprisingly, we had a pretty good pace going, even though they'd done a fair amount of disc-ing and watering just before we ran it.
However, it was nice and flat so I can't complain too much... although Greg did cross the line in front of me which I'm not overly happy with. (He is a fitness instructor).
Thursday 6th August 2009
Lap 8 Washougal - 12:56.00
I'm never going to under-estimate 'Horsepower Hill' again. It felt like about 1 mile of solid uphill, and it almost killed me getting to the top. Not to mention the humid condtions and the multiple other hills, and this was definitely one of the hardest tracks I'd ran so far.
Probably the saving grace was the fact the last few minutes were all downhill.
Saturday 25th July 2009
Lap 7 Millville - 13:05.62
The Whoops were easy, but the hills most definitely weren't. On a level with any track previously (except GH), these were some tough cookies, especially when the track would u-turn and I'd go back up them. Even the finish part was difficult as they were taking down the finish line arch on my arrival.
Saturday 18th July 2009
Lap 6 Red Bud - 14:31.12
After the success of running after the races at Thunder Valley, I did it again here at Red Bud, but unfortunately I didn't take into consideration that it might rain.
As I started, it was a light drizzle but thankfully it eased off as I progressed. The track was a pleasure to run and I even made it cleanly up Larocco's Leap in a sprint.
I was extremely happy with my time here so after some hard training in the off-week, I'll be good to go for Millville and the rest.
Saturday 4th July 2009
Lap 5 Thunder Valley - 16:04.53
I would've run this track on Friday but a pretty bad thunderstorm hit the track, making it almost impossible to run. This meant I'd have to wait until after the final moto to conquer this 6000ft high beast.
I wasn't really looking forward to this one either as I knew I'd be tired from the day's work, plus the lack of air and it was a pretty long track anyway so when I looked at my watch as I crossed the line in just over 16 mins, I was pretty happy. I think running after all the motos actually made it easier as the ground was hard and there were some good ruts to run along in the corners. I think this will be my new time for running.
Saturday 27th June 2009
Lap 4 High Point - 15:38.09
With Brent still not here, and Wes now deciding he was busy (he was actually scared of the track), I set off alone in the PA heat. Unfortunately I'd picked a bad time to run as they'd just finished watering and disking the track again.
The track was hard enough, without me having to carry an extra 3lbs of mud on the bottom of my shoe. By the time I made it up the rolling step-ups at the end of the track, I was thoroughly beat and was pleased to cross the line in a respectable (but beatable) 15 mins.
Friday 12th June 2009
Lap 3 Freestone - 10:52.60
After last week where we faked a race, this week we'd decided beforehand that we (me and Wes) would be having a proper race, the whole way around. Our reasoning being that Freestone is pretty damn flat and it wouldn't be too hard. We were correct.
The pace started off slow but as we reached the sand whoops at the end of the track, we had a pretty quick pace going. This only increased as we got nearer and nearer and with 50 yards to go, we were both flying. Wes had been leading the whole time but as you can clearly see in the 3rd picture, my dive across the line gave me the victory by the smallest of margins.
Friday 5th June 2009
Lap 2 Hangtown - 11:58.25
I was looking forward to this lap a lot more than I was Glen Helen as I figured there was no way it would be as hard. I was correct and me and Wes made it round pretty comfortably. We did a fake race at the end for the cameras, but really we just wanted to get around without stopping. There was really only one hard slope that the pace slowed at, but our training on the hills of Yorba Linda paid off and we coped easily.
Friday 29th May 2009
Lap 1 Glen Helen - 24:00.93
It was Friday evening with the sun just starting to set as myself and running partner Brent Stallo from Vurb Moto headed out onto the track to attempt a lap of this epic track. When I first thought of the idea, I knew this would be the hardest track to complete as the hills are massive and at 1.5 miles, it’s also one of the longest. If we could just this one out of the way...
The run itself was a matter of survival - the track crew had been busy watering and disking the track so the straights were like bogs and the hillsides were ultra slippery. It took everything we had to make it up the 200ft Mt St Helens.
Eventually we rounded the last bend and crossed the line in precisely 24 minutes. It was possibly the hardest thing I've ever done but also one of the most fulfilling. I am now just 11 tracks away from being the first person to ever run a lap of every National track.
Friday 22nd May 2009