No Need for Excuses

Racing bikes, like any other athletic competition, requires perseverance. If you happen to be good at it right out of the gate, that's great but you won't stay on top forever. Eventually water reaches its own level. For us older riders it often happens sooner rather than later.

Having come into BMX from a Mountain biking background, I was able to utilize my fitness for quick gains in the Rookie division. My naturally fast pedaling allowed me to win the Championship race last year. I've learned that Intermediate is a whole different animal. Forget the natural advantages, this is where real skills start to matter.

My 2012 season has been rough. It started sweet with 2nd and 3rd place finishes in Jacksonville. Naples, however, was a bust. I was getting used to a new bike so I stayed away from risks. This safety first tactic left me in 4th place on the first day and then I faced the 41+ crowd the second day missing the main by one point. I couldn't afford to race Okee and could only swing one day at High Springs where I crashed in the first moto. Finally there was Sarasota which I didn't race because I hurt my back the night before.

With my qualifier performances awash, I accumulated 26 locals to bolster my ranking. Due to the merger the SSA was forced to change the value of locals. As a result I lost tons of points and fell from 1st place to 6th place.

It was unrealistic for me to assume that I could make a splash in my first season at Inter but that's the result of high aspirations. When you love to do something, you want to be the best at it.

As for the 2012 Florida Cup Championships, my desire is only to race. My injured back is still in rough shape. The best I can hope for is to complete the motos. I won't get a better position this year but as a consolation prize I have earned a special award for completing 30 races during the season.

This was a transition year, a time for adjusting expectations which will allow me to become better prepared for the next time around but I will persevere.

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