So you’re really “racing” yourself and you’re in run groups based on experience and skill level. Different skill levels are allowed different flexibility for passing.
Lowering it and stiffening it made it soooo much more composed on track. I’ve driven touring laps on it once stock behind a Corvette pace car and it was a total mess, lol. It’s way more fun to drive now with the enhanced stability (and stopping power!).
I was being SUPER courteous and letting everyone by me on the straights even though I was faster than the Miatas on the straights…but bc I can’t let them pass in turns (where they are way faster), I just sent them around me while I coasted on the few straights.
It is a very technical track with a few hairpins and 23 turns total. Two guys in my group spun and one crashed his vehicle into a wall and blew all his airbags bc he was driving too fast on the warm up lap (cold tires). One guy got kicked out bc he ignored flags. You are definitely not allowed to ignore any of the flags.
I did not disgrace the brand. I never spun or crashed. So that’s a win!
Lots of my family members do AutoX, and my brother in law has joked about taking his minivan for a spin. But with AutoX being all about the turns, who knows how many modifications would be required for safety!
A few photos from the current road trip…my wife Kathy and I enjoy roaming around the Northwest to take mellow bike rides on great bike trails. The best and most memorable have been in Oregon although today on Boise Greenbelt was spectacular. Here is the travel van, bikes and golf clubs loaded, and me at the Boise River. Also a map of the Columbia Gorge trail, another gem.
Nice setup on the van. That trail looks good, steady climb with one short tough spot, back to steady and a restful descent. Except the last part weeeee!
It’s fun to get back on here and see how far I’ve come from when I first joined FUD. Did 6 months of physical therapy in 2022, and it literally changed my life - went from barely tolerating 10 minutes of walking around my neighborhood (due primarily to a mitochondrial myopathy) to 2 hour hikes with my family and friends, and bonus, diabetes has never slowed me down.
I’m glad you’re doing well. I recognized mitochondrial myopathy because that’s what stopped Greg Lemond from competitive and cycling. He too, is finding ways to be active despite the condition.
It is thought that his mitochondrial myopathy resulted from a hunting accident that left him with lead pellets in his body. Too bad they weren’t using steel shot.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this unlimitedly wiped out! I cleared some brush from below my cabin and found a nasty looking undermined erosion scar. It looked urgent so I built a “Flex MSE” green wall to protect it from future floods. The bags weigh 100 pounds plus each and I managed to do 58 of them in two days. Each bag is 70% beach sand and 30% compost. In spring, cut a “T” in the bag and plant some native spreading ground cover. I spray painted it camouflage because it was a bit of an eyesore.
Two details saved my back, actually feeling pretty good today! One was a velcro back brace/belt which I’ve grown to love even though it’s not breathable and gets pretty hot. Two was a DIY jig to fill the bags, pictured. Using this, the bags were standing vertically after filling and it was easy to zip tie the opening and pick the bag up (by grabbing the top) without bending all the way down to the ground. If the bag had been laying sideways on the ground my back would not have withstood the challenge of hefting them all up.
Here’s a pic or two from my bike trip DC to Pittsburgh - the C&O Canal / Great Allegheny Passage. The first is with my buddy Bob at Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright icon that is close to the GAP trail.
