It’s been almost a month since I participated in the BMW GS Trophy India Qualifiers. It was a great learning experience for me, considering the fact that this was the first time I ever competed in an off-road challenge. Now, if you are someone who has no clue what I’m talking about, then you must read about my experience here. And if you were drawn to this story by the title, then let me share the five important things I learned at the BMW GS Trophy India qualifiers.
Gauge the Track
This is probably the most important thing I learned at the event. It’s very important to know and understand the track before hopping onto that motorcycle. While the BMW team did give us a detailed walk-through of the track, I went around it two more times to understand the terrain and figure out ways to tackle the obstacles.
Team Work
GS Trophy isn’t a one man’s job. It’s a team effort, and it’s quite necessary to understand the capacity and endurance of each team member. During the team activity, each one of us knew our capacity and limitation and that’s how we managed to plan our run precisely and efficiently. That made us one of the best performers at the qualifiers.
Be Calm
Physical fitness is important when you ride off-road, but mental preparation is equally significant. If the mind doesn’t work the way it is supposed to, physical fitness won’t let you get through the obstacles. So, the mind has to be calm. Because, in case of a panic situation, a calm mind will help you to a great extent.
It’s all about the vision
Be it off-roading or racing on the track, if you have cracked the formula of vision, then there’s no stopping you. And honestly, it’s not rocket science. All you got to do is train yourself to look in the direction that you want to go. Set the vision right, and you are bound to get through all the obstacles easily without hurting yourself.
The Trainer’s words
Listen to what the trainers have to say. All the words coming out of their mouth is gold. Hear them carefully. Apply their techniques. And you are bound to succeed. I was asked to change my body positioning for staggered slaloms, and I did. It did wonders.
