Kelly’s Korner: Calling All Women-International Female Ride Day
Last Updated: February 6th, 2021
Calling All Women: International Female Ride Day Coincides With Total Control Track Clinic
This Saturday (May 3) marks International Female Ride Day. What will you be doing to represent? I’ll be riding the Horsethief Mile track at Willow Springs International Raceway during the spring Total Control Track Clinic. Ladies, you should come join me; I would love to see more women taking part in this biannual event. I know I talk a lot about Total Control, but there are good reasons for that. So if you have yet to take part in one of the track clinics, here’s the lowdown.
The clinic is not a race. If it were, you would not find me on the track because I’m not that kind of adrenaline junkie. Instead, the clinic is broken into two days with different aims. Day 1 starts with a skilled organizer assessing each participant’s riding capabilities and history. They place riders into the slow, medium or fast groups. (For full disclosure, I am married to that skilled organizer, so, of course, I think he does a killer job.) For my part, I’m still in the slow group after three years of intermittent Track Clinic attendance, and I’m cool with that. My goal at the track is to improve form and technique, and greater speed comes as a result.
Anyway, the first day provides immersion in practice. A number of Total Control instructors watch, from various points on the track, as you ride, and then radio their feedback to another instructor (often Lee Parks himself) in the hot pit. About every third lap, the pit instructor waves you in and gives one or two specific pointers for focus during the next round. That way, you are continually working on skills in bite-sized pieces until you realize that you are making giant leaps in riding improvement.
You get about 20 minutes at a time on the track. And, when you’re not on Horsethief, you’re either in the paddock working on Total Control techniques with instructors, or resting.
Day 2 consists of a track day in which any rider, not just Total Control students, may participate. The slow, medium and fast groups remain intact, although you will be moved up if your speed got faster the previous day.
Throughout the whole weekend, expect insane amounts of camaraderie, smack talk and laughter. In terms of the layout, the area at the track is remote and somewhat primitive. I’ve found the whole experience is much more enjoyable and comfortable with some extras. Here’s what I recommend you bring:
- Gallons of your own water, for drinking and washing.
- A hand towel, washcloth, hand soap and hand sanitizer — the only facilities on the track are porta potties, but we’re moto chicks and we can handle it with some extra amenities at the ready in our vehicles.
- Your favorite refreshing (non-alcoholic) beverage. For me, that’s coffee. Always coffee.
- A cooler full of food and snacks. Even though Lee buys your lunch on the first day, you’ll want extra protein and smart carb energy. I like jerky, dried fruit (sugar-free, if possible), meats, cheeses and dark chocolate. And, of course, you’ll need food for the second day.
- A change of clothes — if you get too tired to ride, you’ll want a fresh t-shirt, shorts and flip flops so you’re not trying to relax in hot, sticky leathers.
So, ladies, I hope to see more of you out on the track with me this weekend. I have come to really love the track clinics. They’re a time for me to connect with old friends, make new ones and compete on the bike with just myself. This weekend, for the first time, you’ll find me on my Supermoto Honda 230 CRF, working to overcome some chicane chicanery, some old fears, and aiming, above all, to have a hell of a lot of fun. I really, really hope to see you there — if not this time, at the next Track Clinic in the fall.
I want to hear about your International Female Ride Day experiences; send me your stories here!
