Day two....F.I.N.E.

Day 2

The day starts out looking not to good weather wise. It was for sure rain gear day. We all arrive at 8am sharp. Most were still hurting from the day before. Biird and I were ready to do it!! Excited, feeling good, and doing good as we went through all the exercises from the day before. I didn’t seem to be having any trouble, after the first couple attempts at any exercise, other than keeping the steady even throttle and friction zone. Sure we are knocking down the odd cone as we become comfortable with each exercise. I was amazed at how well she was doing as I never saw her do it before other then in the beginning back in Campbell River, when I was teaching her the RLAP. The great thing about Biird is she has had no bad habits to break. From RLAP to NWMS, to NWMS.

I had remembered all the dreaded exercises from the last class that was giving me a hard time. The Dog Bone…I hated it, still don’t like it but the first 4 attempts I didn’t knock a cone down. Then came the Eliminator, Biird and I call it the wall of shame, it is doing U-turns at a cement wall. Boy, do you have to use the head and eye to the fullest there. Actually all these exercises you do. Sharp u-turns left and right some seem harder but its mind over matter.

Of course because we have taken the class before, it is coming easier. One gal is really struggling and can’t seem to not look at the cones or keep her feet up. I feel bad for her but proud of her for attempting this class, admitting she is having trouble. I see her turning her head now but then she looks down. It will be interesting to see how she makes out at the end of the class. I tell ya she is a trooper and says she is bruised everywhere.  I know she is exhausted as are the men even. For me I just get more wound up and want to keep going. Biird and I seem to feed off each other and keep going.

Okay so all is going great, except for the fact, it’s raining now and Ed says…Okay it is time to go to the braking. I HATE BRAKING…I said, and I do. It’s not that I hate braking; it is something we all have to do. I hate being tested on braking as I started to have flash backs of 2 years ago when I couldn’t get the timing right. I was 2 seconds short. Mind you in was about 100 degree out we were dead exhausted and I just couldn’t get it.  Anyway, off we went, trying to remember... if you lock up your front, release and reapply, if you lock up the back, keep it locked. Easy peasy…no problem!! First couple runs…good job. I rode away with a huge smile on my face thinking I can do it. This is going to be a piece of cake. Hell, I do it on the highway all the time…Wrong!!!

It was my turn, to show the class what NOT to do!! Keeping in mind you have this one area you have to stop in, the roads are slick, I am talking to myself, picking up a little more speed as I know in the end we have to go 40 not 25, feeling cocky you might say, and then the last thing I remember is hearing my head hit the road, it felt like I was sliding down the pavement, with bike still in hand traveling behind it. Crap!! I’ve gone and done it now I thought to myself; I had this instant pain, in my elbow, right buttocks and was afraid to move. The sound of the crashing bike could be anywhere, hit anyone. There were two gals there, one a motor officer and one an officer, plus of course our instructors. They came over and everyone is telling me not to move. I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to at first. It took the too of them to get me up and over to my bike. What hell did I do??? I locked up my back brake didn’t I…No Flo, ya locked up the front. Holy Crap!! Sure don’t want to do that again, but someone had to show, them what not to do! Once I realized, I was just badly bruised and was going to have to suck it up Princess to finish the day. I started to fell better. Off I went, to sit on some ice packs for the butt, elbow and ribs. Biird came over to help and give me a big pep talk that things would be okay. By the time everyone finished their practicing it was almost time to go for lunch. I could barely walk by then. Bob the instructor comes over and says…Hey there Crash, are ya FINE?? F.I.N.E. F’D UP-INSECURE-NEUROTIC-EXCITABLE LOL!! I say the entire above but exhausted instead of excitable.

Lunch was a good rest for everyone, but getting up was the hard part, so I knew as long as I was on the bike I could still do the exercises, it actually helped with the bruised rib.

Everyone was great to help me swing my leg off when I had to get on the bike.

I didn’t beat myself up too much mentally, what was done was done, secretly hoping we would not have to go back and do more braking for the rest of the day. At one point Ed suggested it and Bob says no, it’s too slick I think. Oh what a relief!!

They added some new exercises, now you could really see things take shape what we were in for the final day. We would go from one to the next and keep practicing. If anyone needed help in any area, they were there for you. I wanted to play follow the leader, so Biird and I followed Ed while we were being filmed. We were doing pretty darn good and feeling darn good. The thing about following the leader you are not over thinking of tire placement, you are just following. Especially if it is an instructor, you got to be very aware.

Two of the guys went home early because they were tired. The other gal she was just done too, but hung around to watch and learn and take videos. Okay so we followed Ed, now I wanted me and Biird to go through all the obstacles. We were doing awesome, just the two of us, for quite sometime, I was smiling doing stuff I had never done, wondering if she was going to make it. It was so great playing with her. I knew the students and teachers were watching us and tried hard not to look. At one point, Biird left to avoid a cone, and in jumped the instructor Bob. He was following me. I was showing off, it felt good, I had it, was doing it. Biird jumps back in, we were doing it, we were dancing like Angels…Whooo Hooo!!!

Biird originally said she was going to go home early too as people were leaving and she had along ride home. She is an addict, just like me. Now here is the funny part. I knew we were frickin exhausted, but couldn’t seem to stop. I was getting a little sloppy, but we still had 40 minutes to play. We wanted to follow Bob again, after we finished what we were doing. Whelp, I hit one of those big cones going through the barrel exercise , it knocked me over hard as hell, right on my soar elbow. Remember, when one rider goes down, you have to get off your bike to help them pick it up, which ever is the closest. Biird to the rescue!! Yikes Biirdie, put your kickstand down first would ya????

I knew for sure I was going to have a hellova bruise on my elbow, but I couldn’t stop laughing, neither could she. Bob walks over and says…So I guess you are done now eh Flo, we wont be playing follow the leader!!! Biird and I just looked at him with a frown and said …Hell no, let’s get fueled up and ride! WTG girls!!! We went to full up, had to take a rubber hammer to the bent highway bar, and off we went!!

What a ride!!!!

NEXT DAY…In the truck again, back to Grand Forks, feeling pretty darn good as far as bruising and all. I believe getting back in the iron saddle and moving it all around help tremendously. I can’t wait till next weekend to go back!!