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MX Survival

One of my favorite concepts is “Survival of the Fittest”. Since the beginning of time, all living things have had to struggle just to survive, just as mother nature intended. However, in today’s world, this concept is losing its meaning in a hurry. In my opinion, most people in the U.S. are soft – both physically and mentally. When the going gets tough, it doesn’t matter because someone will save them, provide for them, or bail them out (no struggle needed) – it’s a sad state of affairs. But at least we can still see examples of heart, toughness, strength, and endurance in some of our more “hardcore” sports (with motocross at the top of the list).

This belief in the “survival of the fittest” concept, is probably why I love motocross and hardcore training so much. I was drawn to motocross at a very young age in the late 1960s / early 1970s, back when motocross was rough and the bikes were hard to tame (when they didn’t break). Survival for those early racers was a weekly event. And I loved it, the idea that you have to prove that you are stronger and tougher than your opponents to win – a real man’s sport!

I bring this idea of survival up because I was returned to those days this past weekend as I watched the Southwick National on the internet and TV. The track was rough with muddy sand, and the riders looked the part at the end of each moto. And, one of my all-time favorite riders, John Dowd, prevailed with a 3rd overall at the ripe young age of 44. Dowd is a REAL motocross racer. Still working hard and beating guys half his age. Here’s a guy that had a real job (construction) before becoming a pro racer over 20 years ago, and he took advantage of every opportunity that came his way. No free ride or silver platter here! I guess the real question here is: Is Dowd just a hard-working guy (with heart) who’s still really fast or are today’s racers not as fit or hardcore as an old timer like Dowd? You can read his interview at Racer X this week and see what he thinks (I totally agree with him)!

John Dowd is a great example of the survival of the fittest theory because he is still kicking ass at 44 and doesn’t seem to be slowing down much. I would like to see a return to rougher tracks that favor the hardcore, hard-training athletes like Dowd. The rougher the track, the better the race. Leave the outdoor tracks alone and keep the smooth tracks in the stadiums. I want to see who’s been training and doing their homework – again, survival of the fittest. Southwick was a great example of this and I hope to see more of this type of race in the future.

Along the same lines, the World GP Championship race this past weekend was also on a sand track in the Netherlands, and it was even rougher than Southwick. Check it out at Freecaster TV – this track was really rough. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this weekend’s races – a return to real motocross on tracks that required strength, endurance, heart, and toughness.

Toughness is a great attribute for all athletes, but motocross racers need to be especially tough, both in their riding and training. I am a big believer that your training should be as hardcore as possible – in other words make your training so difficult that the actual competition is easy. I have applied this theory to all of the sports that I have coached and in my own training. When you train like this, not only do you improve your strength and conditioning, but your physical and mental toughness as well. I like to refer to this as getting “outside of your comfort zone”. I have always said that one of the biggest differences between good athletes and great athletes is their ability to “be uncomfortable”, especially for long periods of time – Survival of the Fittest!

It’s obvious, motocross is one of the toughest sports in the world, and real motocross racers need effective, hardcore training to get into top condition. You never know what a track or mother nature is going to throw at you, and you have to be physically prepared for it. Because motocross is one of the toughest sports, it requires tough athletes – Are you one of them? If not, visit Moto X Fitness and find out how you can get yourself into top condition – we have everything you need!