AM20: The Japan Journals

Day 76

June 15th

So, let me tell you about last night. Like I had referred to in yesterday's entry, I went to a dancing re-enactment of the Shinto stories. Takachiho Shrine holds a nightly dancing ceremony (known as a Yokagura), so that's where we went. From the little I could understand, the Yokugara was a re-enactment of legendary Japanese folk tales.

The performance was roughly one hour long and was an amalgamation of various Shinto stories. Despite the language barrier slapping me in the face, I found the performance to be oddly amusing. All I could grasp from the performance was the array of native instruments, synchronized with slow, flowing dance moves. It was a colorful array of dissonant, traditional noises with awkward dancing.

I wish I was more fluent in the language, as I'm sure I'd have a higher appreciation of the ceremony in the native tongue. Of all the events I've attended in Japan, this one may have been the most awkward (again, mostly due to the language barrier). If nothing else, I can say that I left no stone unturned on this trip. Fortunately, I was able to return to something familiar today.

I made a return trip to Fukuoka for another track day. The times I laid out there early in the week were porous and I wanted a morale boost before the race next week. The same mechanic was there from last time, so he was able to dial in my bike settings in a fraction of the time. They were kind enough to gift me with a new pair of gloves and chest protector, as the last pair were rentals.

The track had a trace of precipitation today. The city had a bit of rain overnight and gifted the pavement with a slick layer of dew. I wasn't concerned about the road portions of the track. It was the sand portions that piqued my interest. I was curious to see if I'd gain traction with damp sand, one that would soon be answered with my initial laps.

One thing I forgot to mention was the use of tire warmers for Supermoto bikes. To keep the tires fresh and ready to ride, tire warmers are wrapped around and attached to the tires before a race. This is done because if a tire is taken on the track at a colder temperature, it can lead to an easy flat or torn tire. Think of it as the "stretching" for the bikes upcoming physical activity.

With the warmers off and settings adjusted, the bike was ready to rip. Within the first two laps of my session, I could already notice a difference in my speed. Much of it comes from my familiarity with the track, but I feel more comfortable with the race lines today. As I had hoped, last night's rain helped adhere traction in the sand berms. I was able to slingshot my way around the corners, without having to downshift multiple gears.

The dirt sections felt no different. The tabletop section was able to be timed well, so I didn't lose any time in that section. After a handful of trips around the track, I pulled back into the pit area to get my initial lap times. Fortunately, it looks like I shaved a few seconds off of my average lap time. So better, but I'd still be a bottom feeder in a pro main event.

The mechanic gave me a few tips from his view. He advised me to power brake in a few sections that I had once neglected. He also mentioned that I was too upright on the bike, at times (mainly around corners). After I short break, I returned to the track for another round of laps.

This time around, I was cognizant of my ergonomics while cornering. The mechanic was right, I was far too upright and wasn't intuitively leaning away from the bike. I think one thing lost in any form of racing is the intricacies in your posture and riding style.

I mean, we're talking fractions of a second deciding your starting position on the gate. That time could snowball into every other racing decision that day. You can win with a bad starting gate, but you have to be exceptional to rise above it. With each passing lap, I gain fluency in the terrain changes. The pavement to sand is getting smoother, with the sand to dirt section being an absolute breeze. I spent another hour or so accumulating laps (with short breaks, in between).

I pulled the back into the pits for the day and received my final lap times. Overall, I shaved an average of 3 seconds a lap off of my times from earlier in the week. It's a staggering improvement, but we have to keep a few things in mind. One, I already had familiarity with the line choices here and knew how to evade certain things that hindered me before. Two, I simply had better traction today.

Regardless, I can feel the fluidity of my style translating to Supermoto and I feel more comfortable running on this kind of racing.

Upon returning to my hotel, I sent an email to Sensu Corporate with my updated times and info on my bike settings. They should reply to me by tomorrow with updates on the race and the events surrounding it. Until then, the rest of this day was spent relaxing at the hotel. I'm sorry I don't have more to write about today but the fact of the matter is, tomorrow is going to be the most chaotic travel day of the entire trip.

It starts by leaving Fukuoka first thing in the morning. The drive to Kirishima (the port city) won't be bad, but the 24+ hour ferry ride to Okinawa is going to be gut-churning. I don't know how people work on the water, let alone live on it. Let's just say I hope I can either be exhausted or drunk enough to sleep through most of that trek.

Fortunately, all of that means that I'm mere hours away from seeing you guys! After weeks of having seldom company, I'm finally going to see some familiar faces (well, aside from the drunken travel buddy). I can't wait to have that welcome feast! Until then, I'm going to count sheep and pluck away at the dirt ingested guitar that I brought along.

Thanks and I'll see you soon!

-Ayden