Ghosts of the Past

Welcome to a new week. As ever, I hope your weekend was exciting, fun or simply relaxing. Although it’s been a little while since my last blog, I don’t get uncomfortable with not producing new content every week. I think that when you do write, it is because you want to write and share a learning and experience with everyone.  For this reason today, it is absolutely the right time to share my weekend experience with you all.

When I was younger, all those years ago or so it seems, I used to enjoy competing in motorsport. Not that I ever took it extremely seriously - but I did enjoy myself nevertheless.  I had a number of opportunities that could have led to my participating professionally and of course that’s another story. Today, my passion for competition and motorsport was confined to watching F1 on the TV or listening on the radio – maybe that is all about to change?

This weekend I was lucky enough to attend a go-kart race at the Thruxton circuit. For those that don’t know, this is one of the UK’s national circuits located Hampshire.  The centre also has a driving experience, skid pan, 4X4 and of course the fantastic 1100 m outdoor go-kart track. It had been a long time since I’d been in what I consider to be a real racing machine. Karting is probably the lowest level, grassroots type of motorsport anybody can compete in. When I talk about real, what I mean y that is a driver can feel when the tyres get warmed up because the grip levels start to increase, you can tell when the brakes get up to working temperature because they get so much keener, a driver can power slide and all of this just inches from the ground. If you haven’t been in a real go-kart before I would thoroughly recommend the Thruxton track. The staff are brilliant, facilities fabulous and the racing is close and real. If you’ve been go-karting inside just for fun, then this is similar but at the same time very different!  In an indoor track you seem to be bunched up together for an awful lot of the lap, you may find it difficult to pass, and it would be much slower.  However, on an outdoor circuit the track is wider and faster.  For example, imagine a track where you are reaching 60mph and turning into a right hand curve section, g-force is trying to push you out of the kart and the wheels don’t wish to turn and you wrestle with the car, feeling grip before flipping it into a right curve the left… fantastic stuff! Real racing means that often you find yourself racing time in order to catch up to those in front of you, attempting to be consistent lap after lap, perfect lines… think more ‘real’ racing. Needless to say, and for those who know me well, I had a great time, thank you to my wife for booking it.

So why am I blogging about this? Why have I written ghosts of the past? Well, this is also a life blog, but also having thought about the whole experience afterwards it’s been amazing how for a decade or more I’ve allowed myself to just take things easier, to throttle back and enjoy finer dining experiences and doing things that are a little less active, if I am being completely honest. There is no doubts that I found the karting to be physically demanding something which completely surprised me, something that I never really felt in all my previous karting experiences. Why had I stopped going to the gym, going swimming and actually seeking these type of adventures? I suppose it’s so easy to get into routine and to allow yourself the easy life. Today I felt great, my muscles feel as though they have been worked, to me that also feels as if they were pulling my body together rather than just being there. I have a high contentment from having pushed myself. So, having experienced that old excitement and adrenalin levels, I remember my motivation… it is going to be driving me onwards! So what’s your motivation? What challenges and pushes you to be the best you can? Focusing on a goal can really help and coaching is certainly one way of getting back to where you want to be, achieving what you want to achieve!

I’ve decided to book myself in for a longer endurance race in a number of months’ time.  The difference is that this time I will be fully prepared, back up to speed in terms of fitness, nutrition and state of mind.  I have picked quite a challenge for myself – I have already started the journey and I am feeling more confident and focussed!  So, I suppose that I am being my own therapist – I am going to keep you posted on how I get on!

As always,

My best wishes for the week ahead – dream, believe and achieve!

Iain