Joladadijoladadijoladadijoladadi
Joladadijoladadi-jo-o-ooh
Oooooh-oooooh-oooooh-oooooh
Ahhhhh….BOOM!
- Hocus Pocus
We all know this infectious song… Okay, the last line was mine because if you lose your focus there might be a little "Hocus Pocus;" and that ain’t good. Yodeling while riding might sound like fun – but it is a good way to lose your focus and that will lead to trouble somewhere down the road.
On the final laps of the Aragon round of MotoGP in late August, Marc Marquez's team put out the Pit Board sign that said simply, "+4 sec… FOCUS!"
The former world champion, who was well on his way to the top of the podium after 1,043 days of crashes, injuries, and leaving the Honda family for Ducati, was told to FOCUS. To pinpoint his concentration and attention on the last few laps; and not to let his mind drift until after the prosecco was drunk.
Reg Pridmore had told us this again and again at CLASS Riding Schools. “Don’t let your mind wander. Don’t start thinking about what you will have for dinner at the lodge. That unfinished work at the office. That cute bird in the pits. Focus! Nothing else matters but where you are …right now.”
Reg was right – he is on most things.
As road riders it would be good if every now and again there would be a pit board at a street corner, or along some long straight that would be there and simply say ‘Stay Focused!’
The track is tough and concentration on every turn, and section, is so important.
But races are over quickly – well quickly compared to a 300-mile ride on the streets. The streets are far more dangerous than the track could ever be.
On the track, there is rarely anything else that is going to be bounding out in front of you. But mostly you only have to focus on one thing on the track – the next turn. That’s really it.
But on the roads, things are much more complex and everyone can let their attention drift – especially when other circumstances begin to intrude on attention.
I have written about being in what we call The Zone for years, and our friend and instructor Ken Condon speaks of this so very often as well; and for good reason; when we are in The Zone nothing else intrudes, and we still take in all the information we need to complete the task before us. In this case, finishing your ride safely.
Recently we have had discussions about leading rides, and responsibility.
I have seen some leaders who just feel the group will follow them – no matter what the pace or circumstances. Sometimes this works out, in spite of the lack of awareness and communication – but sometimes it can lead to some bad Hocus Pocus down the road.
Others (and, I mean me) spend a bit too much time trying to keep my ducks in a row.
Sometimes I will get a bit randy with the throttle, but I am not changing my vector without waiting for the next rider, who should wait for the next and so on…
But on a long day a lot of little Hocus Pocus will happen… and I cannot be responsible for others drop in focus.
A rider misses a turn… and I am sending the group onward with Miss Kamil and doubling back looking for the lost duckling.
I have been told I am like a Helicopter Parent with other riders, and incidents tend to hurt ride leaders that wear the day’s little Hocus Pocuses like a heavy cloak by ride’s end. I am a Dweller – not the best thing to be.
On a recent trip we had lunch issues, gravity issues, fuel issues, and then rain issues – with a very prolonged waiting issue; all of which seem to begin to grind away at my Zone… so much so that minutes later I totally misread a red light, when another turned green, and rode out into a busy intersection. Thankfully I caught my error quickly, and no one got hurt – like me.
We're human and we can and will make errors – especially when trying to carry too many tasks on a ride.
I have always said that we learn from our errors, but pay for mistakes.
Keep fresh. Keep focused. Errors will happen, but stay focused and don't let a silly error begin to grow – ‘cause they will quickly compound and then you will ride into mistake land = the kingdom of Hocus Pocus