i did try to think less on sunday and just drive. but it was saturday that
helped me get to point where i felt i could do this.
when katie said she would accept my offer to co-drive my car at an event, i
was elated. the famously fast katie kelly drive my car! i was looking
forward to sitting back while she bested the long lines of BSP corvettes and
vipers. certainly my car's good retro looks would make it easily beat the
heavy air-conditioning, power steering, and side-impact-protection laden
modern boat-cars.
i would listen attentively as katie would casually point out that taking a
slightly different line through the corner would shave 6 seconds off my
previous best effort. a little better setup, perhaps asymmetrical tire
pressures or something exotic, and she would demonstrate how my new toy
could actually break the laws of physics!
of course, she did drive my car faster than i could, but not by as much as i
expected. i was actually a little depressed when i realized that my only
problem wasnt my awful driving, but that i might have to pay more than
$27.95 for shocks. hey at least they are a brand name!
anyway i decided that maybe i had learned something in the last year. i
really expected katie to be seconds faster. and so i thought, maybe it IS
possible to beat her...
-james
-----Original Message-----
From: Kelly, Katie <kkelly@spss.com>
To: 'ba-autox@autox.team.net' <ba-autox@autox.team.net>
Date: Monday, June 12, 2000 11:12 AM
Subject: Group (Un)Think
>Regarding "SFR's Advanced Driving Techniques" Deitrich Schultz writes...
>
>>Sounds cool! The first thing that comes to mind for
>>me is a discussion of
>>walking a course, reading the course, understanding
>>lines. I always find
>>this really hard.
>
>And then Ben Martinez writes...
>
>>I'm still
>>thinking of those turns, so next time i'll be
>>thinking a lot less and
>>just going for it.
>
>To aid in my "Advanced Autocross Research," Rich Urschel just lent me this
>most amazing book that was really popular in the mid-70's called "The Inner
>Game of Tennis." I'm only a little bit into it; I only read a few pages a
>night so it'll really sink in.
>
>What I'm getting so far is that there are two minds: the thinker (or
talker)
>and the doer, Self 1 and Self 2. You'll be better apt to reach your
>potential when Self 1 and Self 2 come to an "understanding," says the
>author, whose name eludes me at the moment.
>
>What the author says, and what I agree with wholeheartedly, is that your
>subconscience is actually very intelligent. There comes a point when you
>realize you DO know how to drive an autocross course. You know what an apex
>is, you know when to accelerate, you know when to break, and by "know" I
>mean, it's embedded deep within the fleshy tablets of your brain. You don't
>need to think about it anymore.
>
>So, how do you "know" this is true? Just try it. Walk the course, but don't
>study it. Kind of memorize where it goes, but keep your mind still. Remove
>all thoughts of early apexing, braking, accelerating. Your subconsience is
>actually a working tape recorder, turned to position "on" 24 hours a day.
>Even by not studying the course, your subconscience is recording it. Turn
>OFF the critic, the one that says, "Brake here, accelerate here, tap here,"
>so you don't distract your subconscience. Trust that your subsconsience is
>going to figure this out.
>
>I'm currently on the part in the book that discusses judgement. This is
>something I tend to do a lot, and so does everyone else. You come off a
run,
>and you say, "Oh, that sucked." Or, maybe you're just elated. "That was
>fantastic!" you think. And then the rest of the time, you're trying to
>remember what you did so you can repeat it, and now you're screwed.
>
>This judgement comes from the ego-mind. Actually, your subconscience just
>records information with no value, good or bad, whatsoever. So, last night,
>as I noticed myself stressing about my runs, instead, I went to bed just
>noticing what I did, i.e. where I apexed, where I braked, how the car felt
>as it drifted - with NO VALUE associated it. I just accepted it for what it
>was. I felt so relaxed, I fell asleep with a great sense of calm.
>
>Well, I could just go on and on about this, but instead, I'll leave you
with
>a couple little stories. One is something Jim Ochi told me. He said that my
>mom told him to try autocrossing without thinking, and suddenly, now, he's
>kicking my butt. That jerk. I noticed the same think about James Creasy.
He,
>Rich Urschel, and I were just talking about this lack of thinking at the
AAS
>event at Mather on Saturday. Sunday, now JAMES is beating me. He's only
been
>autocrossing for two years!
>
>But the real story I wanted to tell you was about Shauna Marinus. As you
>know, she was the first woman to win an open class national title in her
>RX-7, in 1999.
>
>Before that, she had great success in her SS RX-7. Her first year, they
>called her "the Fastest Mortal," as she finished second, and only tenths
>behind the legendary John Ames.
>
>The second year, it seemed like she was feeling a lot more pressure. Even
>though she finished a very respectable fourth, it still seemed like a big
>disappointment, as not only was she trying to win, but she was trying to be
>the First Woman to Win.
>
>She and Ren sold the car, moved to CM, and I think she broke some ribs, but
>anyway, the NEXT year she got this really cool, ex-Craig Nagler RX-7, and
>everytime I talked to her, she just seemed to be having so much fun. She
was
>training for a marathon, and was getting out in the world, seeing what was
>out there, and just enjoying herself. Because she was involved in other
>things, autocrossing seemed more like a day off. She took the time to
really
>enjoy it. I don't know how to describe it, but it was like she glowed. She
>said that of course, she was going to try to win, but it just wasn't that
>important to her anymore. She was just living in the moment, and really
>appreciating the gifts life was bringing to her. They were always the best
>conversations.
>
>Well, as you know, that was the year she won. I saw the videotape, and I'd
>have to say it was just one of those unbelievable moments in time.
>
>So, there's something to be said for turning off that critic voice, and
>allowing your subconscience, who really DOES know a lot more than your
>critic will give it credit for, do its thing.
>
>After all, it REALLY is just a bunch of turns.
>
>Well, that's what I'm getting from this book, "The Inner Game of Tennis,"
so
>far.
>
>By the way, this is TOP SECRET information, not to leave SFR. I can handle
>losing to my "teammates," but not to the whole country! :)
>
>later,
>Katie
>
>Happiness is the best cosmetic.
>
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