Trials Blog - Inconsistency
Some time ago, when I was training to becoming a sales trainer, I was taught all about 'competence'. Competence, put simply, is your skill level, your ability if you like, to do something.
When you are brand new at something you are 'unconsciously incompetent' - in short, you know you're bad, but you really don't know how bad you are at it. That's fair enough, because then, over time, you become 'consciously incompetent' - you know you're getting better but you know how bad you are at some things. That's followed by 'consciously competent' - you know you're getting good. Finally, you get to 'unconsciously competent' - you don't actually have any idea of how good you are at something. His name is Toni Bou.
So, if we turn that to trials riding - when you first get on a bike, you are 'unconsciously incompetent', when you're world champion, you're 'unconsciously competent'. Get it?
So tonight I tried to work out where I was, and I am consciously incompetent. I'm slowly getting better but know where I am going wrong, but the frustrating thing is trying to put those things right. I can do it, but I can't do it consistently. Some nights I ride like I was born on a bike (OK, so that was a lie) and some times I ride like an utter twat (that wasn't). I desperately want to feel (and look) competent.
Actually, tonight I rode the last lap clean. Yep, not a single dropped mark. Nothing, Nada. Now't. Zilch. Ze----ro. So I'm chuffed to bits.
I'm making progress (I scored 23 tonight on the ‘harder course’), but I still have the problem of panicking when I have to ride through and between flags. I think that the last lap tonight was a mix of me following tyre tracks on mud, a bit of confidence that I had cleaned the sections before and I finally loosened up.
Nige and Nick from T-UK came to the trial - Nige with camera in hand, just to take a few shots for the website and, I know he got some of me applying my 'stiff as a board' riding stylie. They both pointed it out to me and after that I did my best to flex my knees a bit more and 'hold' the handlebars rather than try to shrink their diameter a little with a vice-like grip. The longer I rode, the more I relaxed – the more I relaxed, the better I rode. So it’s not rocket science then!
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's trial and was trying to work out why on the way home. It was one of the Bradford DMC's Wednesday night trials, sponsored by Wrigglesworth Building Services - and what an utterly awesome trial it was. The venue wasn't the largest I've ever been to - in fact, it was really quite compact, but I rode around the place with a massive grin on my face all evening. I think I enjoyed it so much because
- The trial was at a really super little venue (perfect for beginners) with a rocky stream running through it
- The weather was beautiful all night and we missed the massive downpour that other people got locally
- The trial was undoubtedly set out with beginners in mind - or those fancying a mid-week ride-out so it was doable for me
- It didn't feel hurried, pressurised or competitive in any way
- There was plenty of encouragement all the way round from observers, riders and spectators alike (awesome).
My thanks then to Nathan Wrigglesworth (apologies for calling you Nigel as I thanked you for your help and for pointing the best route out to everyone who came through your tricky section) for setting out a course that fitted me perfectly, didn’t take the skin off my knees, leave me with blood streaming from an arm, or have me clipping my nads on the sticky-outie-metal bits on my handlebars.
I really, genuinely, utterly look forward to the next one.
For those of you on Spud Watch, I'm delighted to tell you that, as intimated above, my knackers came through the evening utterly unscathed - quite a relief when you know you're prone to inducing that Mother of all pains on a weekly basis. The reinforced cut-to-shape egg box wasn't required after all, then!
More next week!
2 Comments
Chris the tool man tailor Said:
Mike, Mikey, Michael, Miko, good buddy good pal. Here's a little story.
Many moons ago i used to shoot for yorkshire, (Archery). For those that don't know, the idea is to aim the scope, (on my bow it was like a gun. A magnified aiming glass) on the Gold (some outside of the sport call it a Bullseye), So called as it is yellow in colour.
It came to light through my training that i had problems keeping that aim settled on the Goal. Which obviously effected my scores. This was called Gold Shy!
So my coach had a way round this. Over time he would fold the target to make it smaller and smaller, making the other colours disappear! Thus forcing me to have nothing else to aim at other than the Gold.
If you can't see where i'm going with this i'll explain!!!.
You sir are Flag shy, as are probably most of us! You can toss around on rocks like Bou all day and look good.
Put flags there and you go to rat sh*t!
It's physiological.
So next time your in the woods, set up multiple sections,
1st with huge gates, going down to really small gates.
See what happens.
Theory looks the same.
Nige Said:
Please note, this image was taken on lap 3 after the relax switch was pressed. Notice the bent knees (Mike usually looks like his lass has bathed his pants in starch) and his perfect bike position for the hill climb with a rocky outcrop at the apex.
Good ride Mike and Dave (watch out Dave he's biting at your heals), just imagine if you can replicate those later lap scores....