I would define "the zone" as operating at your true maximum potential. A "good" ride may be 90%, a "great" ride might be 95%, but reaching 100% is almost unattainable in my mind. I almost always feel something was left on the table. I can point to 2 instances where I felt I was at true maximum. One was at the gap, and one at a track. During those instances, control of the bike was telepathic, and reading the feedback was as clear as reading words on a page. The gap run was a mild afternoon years ago when I happened to have the road to myself for several hours. A totally mistake free gap run is almost impossible by my criteria, and that afternoon was one of the very few times I was totally satisfied with my execution on all levels.
The track experience was during a practice day on a race weekend at Nashville. I was on very worn tires, and I was able to turn lap times that I would have been satisfied with under race conditions. During that period, I felt connected enough with the machine to consistently slide both ends of the bike exactly as I wanted lap after lap, with complete confidence and control. The times remained consistent even as the tires continued to decline. I simply would compensate and continue. Again, execution was there in all phases.
If someone could find some reliable directions to "the zone" they could make a fortune.
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11-24-2009, 02:59 AM
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