Talent vs. Training

So here we are again right in the middle of the super hot and humid summer time blues. The east coast racing scene quiets down for a couple months and so we’re all left a little extra time to sit around and think about the last few races we did and then the start to come up with a strategy to finish off the season strong (or maybe you’re glued to the couch eating cheese puffs and watching the MX Nationals on TV??) If you’re like me, you’ve started to diversify your training routine. I always find myself riding my road bicycle or MTN bike more and even pounding the pavement in my running shoes. I often wonder the age old question in off-road motorcycle racing: Who will win in the end – the person who trains more or the naturally talented rider?

I like to train and I love to push my body to its limits. With a busy schedule and chasing after a 1 year old (which is a lot of exercise in itself), I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like. There is nothing better than pushing hard on the bicycle for 2 hours or running sprint intervals for 45 mins around the block! I always think I’m working harder than the next guy and in most cases I usually do. But there is always that one friend that hardly trains at all (or considers running into the road side trucker restaurant for a corn dog his form of “training”). Then the race season kicks back in and he beats me again!!! Ridiculous I say!!!

How can I work so hard and so consistently in the off season and after a 2 hour tree battle he still finished ahead of me and doesn’t seem to be any more exhausted than I am??? I am honestly starting to think that natural skill and talent will beat out the racer that trains more and has better nutrition. Now granted, the guy with natural talent who trains will win every time. First off, I’m not saying you shouldn’t train. Training makes your time on the bike more enjoyable and also keeps you safer (and keeps you from being sore for 4 days after a race). Maybe this whole article is just one last attempt to vent my frustration about the guys that don’t train and keep beating me, it’s just not fair!! (Time for some perspective: I wonder how many people from other countries look at us USA dirt bike nuts and say how unfair it is that we have not only a ton of places to ride but also the freedom to do so!)

So now it’s your turn. I want to hear from you dedicated ORJ subscribers. Am I just being too emotional or are you with me on this one? Balance is the key to just about anything, so there’s no doubt the balanced rider that trains and has natural talent will always be on top. Racing a dirt bike is so much about rhythm, balance, flow, and not fighting it (Mr. Miyagi would tell you to become “One with the Bike”). Who will win in the epic off road battle: Mr. Fitness or Mr. I was born this way?

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austin bankert, Industry Insider