Mikemartinracing.com

Life, College, and Fitness…

Mike Martin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:26:07 +0000

I know I have been terrible as far as posting goes, and I am sorry for this. I have been busy and more important things have taken over writing. I can’t promise that I will continue to post frequently after today, but I do want to just post a little update on what I’ve been up to the past couple of weeks months.

College - Johns Hopkins Class of 2014

After much work on my application, essays, and recommendations, I was finally notified, at 7:02 PM on Dec. 15, 2009 via email, that I have been accepted into Johns Hopkins University as a member of the class of 2014.

This is a major milestone in my life and one which will, undoubtedly, have large ramifications on my life. I am incredibly excited for the social and academic challenges and experiences that a Hopkins education will provide me, and I cannot wait to begin my career as a Hopkins student next fall.

Fitness

My main fitness goals over Fall and early Winter have been to burn fat, build an aerobic base for next year and to build some upper body mass. My way to accomplish these goals has been…

Eat a more refined diet - I have significantly cut the amount of calories I consume and the ones which I do consume I make sure are filled with nutrients. I have tried to all but eliminate “empty calories” from my diet.
Long, moderately paced bicycle training rides - Admittedly, this is the part of my training which has been going the worst. The best way to build aerobic base is with long and moderately paced training. My only time to do these rides is on the weekend. Thankfully, I have been pretty busy and in my opinion, I have not been doing enough longer rides (60+ miles). However, I still am able to get in about 80 minutes (either on the road or on the rollers) after school and I using this time to my advantage with SST, 1125211 interval, 2*20′ intervals, and hill repeat workouts.
Arm and Core Routine - Over the past few years I have developed a pretty good arm and core routine which helps to build upper body endurance. Unfortunately, once summer starts this routine often falls off my schedule. However, I have started it again and it is once again yielding good results. It is designed not to build upper body mass, but to build upper body endurance. Strength is useful for motocross but endurance is what allows you to muscle your bike around after a 20 minute moto.

Overall, my fitness plan is working quite well. I am at the leanest I have ever been (120 lbs, 5’2”) and am feeling great. I have lost a little bit of shorter interval power on the road bike (5s and 1min power are probably pretty bad right now), but this is easy to rebuild come spring. I also feel that the upper body work I am doing will help me next year in motocross as the bigger bikes have always beat me up a little bit. Hopefully with some more upper body strength and endurance I can handle my bike with more ease next season.

Motocross

As the snow and temperatures start to fall, I have begun watching a lot of motocross videos while doing my homework. After sort of turning my back to the motocross industry for a few months, the great videos on MXPTV.com, VurbMoto.com, RacerxOnline.com, and TWMX.com have gotten me really excited for next season. I will once again be competing in the 125 Amateur class, and will probably bounce around, without concentrating on any one organization. I hope to go to Florida in February in order to get some early season training, however the start of my season hinges on my Dad’s work.

Unfortunately, while in school I do not know how feasible it will be for me to continue racing. I will definitely race during the summer months, but while classes are in session it will most likely be too hard for me to make it to races during the weekends. Regardless, only time will tell and if I have the time to race during the school year, I most definitely will.

Cycling

Cycling has become a big part of my life in the past few years and next year I would like to compete in some bicycle races. Last year I did my first race, the 2009 Jamestown Classic, and finished 2nd in the Juniors 17-18 division. Next year I definitely want to do the Bethel Crit Series in March and then I will try to fit in other races throughout the year when my motocross schedule permits.

To aid in my training and racing, I have recently joined Expo Wheelmen, a startup cycling team out of Manchester, CT. All of the guys on Expo have been great so far, and I look forward to racing with them in 2010.

In addition, I would like to try my hand at collegiate racing while at JHU. Collegiate racing is allegedly very challenging, yet also very fun at the same time and I cannot wait to see how I fare against other college students.

Well that’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed my little update on whats been going on with my life. I will try to post a little more frequently, but who knows when I will have the time. It is 11:12PM right now and my bed is calling me, g’night!

New England Expert Josh Clarks Receives Support Ride from Warthog Racing

Mike Martin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:33:41 +0000

Josh Clark is turning pro this weekend at Southwick. Paul Buckley Photo.

Up and coming New England expert Josh Clark, 17 of Franklin, Connecticut, has recently been given a two race support ride from Warthog Racing for the Southwick and Steel City Nationals. Josh is one of the most talented and hardest working riders in New England and is hot off a successful week at the Loretta Lynn’s / Air Nautiques Amateur Motocross Championships and a dominant day at the Unadilla Amateur Summer Classic.

Josh is ready to move up to the next step in his motocross career and this support from Warthog Racing and Scott Kandel is just what Josh needs to make a successful transition from the amateur motocross ranks to the highly competitive national scene.

Warthog Racing is giving josh a support ride for the last 2 nationals of 2009.

After finishing 5th in the 450 A/Pro Sport class at Loretta Lynn’s this year and winning the 250/Open Expert A, Pro-Am 250/Lites, and Pro-Am Open/MX classes at the Unadilla Amateur Summer Classic on August 14 and 16th, it was obvious to the whole industry that he was ready to move up to the pro nationals. Seeing the potential of such a hard working and dedicated rider, Chris O’Neal of O’Neal Images set up a meeting at Central Cycle Club in Central Village, Connecticut between Josh Clark and Scott Kandel, owner of the Warthog Racing team.

Kandel was impressed by Josh’s style, speed and work ethic after watching just a few laps and as a result Josh will be receiving support from the Warthog program for the last 2 nationals of 2009.

Clark, by far, is one of the hardest working riders to come out of New England in a long time. Josh has worked his way up through the ranks of the NESC motocross circuit and has been dominant along the way. Moving from 85s to the 125 Amateur class and eventually to the 125 and 250 Pro/Expert classes, Clark has remained a contender regardless of his competition.

Josh Clark’s smooth, fast and aggressive style is breathtaking. Photo by Addy Kirkpatrick for Buckley Photos.

What has allowed Clark to consistently improve his speed and skills is his incredible work ethic. By far one of the hardest training and most in shape riders in New England, Clark has always put in the work off the track, which has translated into success on the track. Josh’s dedication and work ethic are testament enough to how deserving he is of this opportunity.

The Warthog Racing program was started by Scott Kandel as a way to provide talented, yet overlooked riders with a chance to make an impact on the national scene. Scott is dedicated to giving riders opportunities to make the most out of their talent. Despite Clark’s recent success, he has been overlooked by the major national teams, and this opportunity will hopefully allow him to make a name for himself on the national scene.

At the very least, keep you eye on Josh Clark at Southwick and Steel City. Josh has a lot of experience at Southwick and should be able to put in a very solid result. Hopefully he can carry some confidence into Steel City and come out with two great finishes, which should help to get him a great ride for next season.

Josh’s sponsors include Factory Connection, Fly Racing, Spectro, Central Sports, Warthog Racing, X-Pro Motorsports, Central Cycle Club, H.A. Latham Moving and Storage.

New Sponsor - Tek Graphics (TekMX.com)

Mike Martin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:39:43 +0000

I am happy to announce a new sponsors of my motocross racing efforts - Tek Graphics. Tek Graphics is a Brooklyn, Connecticut based motocross graphics company. Tek was started by New England amateur racer Ty Gagnon as a spin off of his father’s Gagnon Sign business.

Ty is a great guy and is doing great work for many of New England’s best riders. His graphics are of the highest quality and his designs are second to none. Ty has been involved in graphic and sign making since he was a kid, and it definitely shows in the quality of his work. He also works very hard to provide top notch customer service. I have seen him hand deliver graphics to local races on more than one occasion.

My father recently had Tek add MikeMartinRacing.com, Racer X, and Racer X Virtual Trainer logos to the front of our box truck, and they look awesome. Ty did a great job of making the graphics fit in with the rest of our truck’s design and it came out awesome.

Tek Graphics is already making graphics for a number of New England’s top riders, so if you are not yet one of their customers, stop wasting time! Visit www.tekmx.com to order your graphics today.

RacerXOnline.com Privateer Profile - Jimmy Decotis

Mike Martin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:29:15 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jimmy Decotis for RacerXOnline.com’s Privateer Profile column. Jimmy hails from Peabody, Massachusetts and is one of the fastest riders to come out of New England in a long time. He is a very hard working and dedicated rider who has been putting in some extrodinary results in his first few national rounds. He is grateful for those who have helped him accomplish what he has so far, yet he has a clear vision of what the future holds for him.

“I just want to keep on training during the week. I want to do it kind of how Dowdy did. I want to keep racing until I’m… well, I can’t say until I’m 40, because that’s a long time away, but just keep on riding and doing my thing. Hopefully, I’ll stay healthy and go as long as I possibly can, and when I’m done with the nationals I’ll still be right there doing local stuff. I’m planning on doing riding schools when I get older, so that will be good. It’s something to look forward to in the future.”

→Racer X Online - Privateer Profile: Jimmy Decotis

James Stewart Revolutionized the Sport of Motocross

Mike Martin — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:10:52 +0000

James Stewart revolutionized motocross in ways he never imagined - Photo by Steve Cox

You may not have noticed it, but our sport is changing. In the past few years motocross has gone through incredibly significant changes. Yes, the four stroke has become the dominant motocross technology and yes Leatt Braces are now prevalent in almost any motocross event across the country. However, what I’m talking about it something different.

Ever since James Stewart turned pro, his riding style has pushed the limits of what is possible on a motocross bike. It was shocking watching him hit bigger jumps than anyone else (on a KX125, no less) and scrub speed on every double, triple and table top. James Stewart’s riding style was truly evolutionary.

Photo by Paul Buckley

However, as impressive as Stewart’s riding style was and continues to be, what is revolutionary about motocross in the past 2 or 3 years is the freshest crop of amateur riders who have turned pro after watching Stewart’s style for all their lives.

Where as Stewart essentially invented his style of riding, to the latest crop of riders his style is commonplace nowadays. Even at local amateur races, it is tough to compete in the Expert (or Amateur) class without some sense of how to scrub speed and ride in a “Stewart-esque style.” The riders who have been studying and copying Stewart’s style for their entire lives are just beginning to emerge onto the pro scene with incredibly revolutionary style and form.

A perfect example of this generation of riders is Justin Barcia. I have been watching Justin ride since he was on 65s and he has always had an innovative and downright fast riding style. However, in the past couple of years his aggressive yet smooth riding has really flourished. He manages to stay incredible low off jumps and keeps power to the ground as much as possible. Barcia is an example of someone who took what Stewart started and transformed it into a whole new way of riding a motocross bike.

Don’t believe me that the world of motocross is changing? Thanks to youtube.com, there is plenty of video evidence to prove it.

2001 San Diego Supercross

In this video from the 2001 San Diego Supercross, Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath are demonstrating the motocross riding style of old. Obviously they are going incredibly fast and are very skilled riders, but they have yet to incorporate the new age of riding style into their riding. They still are hitting jumps in a vertical riding position and are floating over the big triples.

2005 Houston Supercross

In this video from the 2005 Houston Supercross, you can see that the riding style has definitely changed. You can see both Stewart and Reed whipping and scrubbing off of more obstacles. However, the riding style is still very similar to what they were doing in 2001. The riding style has changed, but in an evolutionary way, not a revolutionary way.

2009 - Justin Barcia at Blue Diamond MX

In this video by Matt Wozney it is evident that Barcia’s riding style is totally different than in the last two examples. He whips and scrubs his Honda 250f off of every obstacle in an attempt to stay low and keep power to the ground. By watching this video it is obvious that the riding style needed to compete at the highest levels of professional motocross has been revolutionarily changed.

What’s Next?

The style and form needed to succeed in motocross has changed so drastically in the past 10 years that it is nearly impossible to tell what will come next. Young up and comers on 65s and 85s have been watching Barcia, Villopoto and Dungey ride all their lives and will be able to build on their style as they get older. It is incredibly interesting and intriguing to think about what will come next in motocross and it is one of the reasons why I love watching professional Supercross and Motocross year in and year out.

My First Double Century

Mike Martin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:37:10 +0000

A blurry shot of the 200 mile group. I am second from the left in a borrowed vest and arm warmers (thanks John!)

On Saturday, August 8th, I completed my first double century (200 miles) bike ride with a small group of Thread City Cyclers. The ride took us from Willington, CT to Portland, ME. The route had been ridden multiple times by Garth Bean, and he was gracious enough to let us tag along this time around.

All in all, I must say it was an incredible experience. It took an indescribable amount of physical and mental endurance, and it is definitely an athletic achievement I am glad to have completed.

Ride Stats

Any serious roadie wants to see the stats from every ride. Some roadies are more obsessed with their average speed, wattage and cadence than with the ride itself. Unfortunately, I don’t have a power meter or a GPS cyclometer, so the stats from this ride are fairly bare bones. However, they do provide a brief insight into the spirit of the ride.

All of the stats are from my Cateye V2C Cyclometer.

Average Speed: 18.4 MPH
Average Cadence: 86 RPM
Distance: 207 miles
Time: 11 hours, 20 minutes
Elevation Gain: 3501 ft (via MapMyRide.com)
Elevation Loss: 3950 ft (via MapMyRide.com)

The Route

The route we took was a relatively simple one. We stayed on major roads for the majority of the ride, and only used about 6 or 7 different roads in total. Most of the roads were in good repair, except for some short sections of rough pavement and one section of temporary dirt towards the end.

The ride took us north from Willington, Ct on Rt. 32. In Barre, we took one of the few stretches of back roads. We turned right onto Valley Road, then a right on Williamsville Road, which eventually became Burnshirt and Barre roads. From there we took Rt. 101 to Rt. 119, and then continued on Rt. 113. We went East on 111, and finally north on Rt. 1.

My favorite part of the ride was the stretch on Rt. 1A in New Hampshire along the coastline. There were beautiful views and some great roads.

The route for my first double century had only one real “climb”

The route was relatively flat, meaning there was very little climbing. While I am probably the strongest on the climbs, I’m glad this was a flatter ride as lots of climbing would have made the 200 mile distance unobtainable. The largest climb came after Mile 50, however it was short and not incredibly tough. Once we made it over that first incline, the rest of the ride (as you can see in the elevation profile) was pancake flat.

The Weather

We absolutely could not have asked for better weather for such a ride. The morning started out a tad cold, however, it warmed up quickly and was a perfect temperature nearly all day long with clear blue skies. It was mid to high 70s all day long and the humidity was very low. The great weather helped to keep water consumption manageable and tempers suppressed.

The weather this Summer has been iffy. There has been some cold and rainy days and also some sweltering hot days. The weather on Aug. 8th was a perfect blend of the two extremes. There was perfectly clear skies with 0 precipitation, but it was not so hot as to make the ride miserable. In fact, one of my group mates even went as far as to say “I felt a little warm after lunch…and I liked it.”

Weather can make or break a ride, and I must say that it definitely made this ride.

Nutrition

People will tell you that on a ride this long, nutrition is absolutely critical. People are right. I ate an amazing amount of food on this ride and could have kept eating. It is important to keep your body fueled when expending such extraordinary amounts of energy, and if you fail to feed yourself, completing ride of this length can quickly turn into a pipe dream.

For the most part, I stuck to my basic nutrition of Clif Bars, Gu, and Accelerade, however I added in some different solid and liquids for some variety and also to provide some different nutritional benefits. For example, with about 25 Miles left, I downed a Coke as I was starting to feel week and was having trouble comfortably holding the wheel in front of my. The insane amount of sugar and caffeine helped to lift me up and get me through the end of the ride in relative ease.

It is also crucial to drink plenty of water and electrolyte drinks during a ride this long in order to keep your muscles functioning efficiently and to aid in post ride recovery. My electrolyte drink of choice was Accelerade as it contains protein which I have found to aid in recovery after long hard rides.

My in ride food and drink consumption included:

Lots of Water (at least 100 oz)
6 Gu Energy Gels (Assorted Flavors)
6 Scoops of Accelerade (Orange)
5 Clif Bars (Assorted Flavors)
1 Nature Valley Granola Bar (Maple Brown Sugar)
1 Kashi Tiny Little Cereal Bar (Ripe Strawberry)
1 Muffin (Unknown Flavor)
1 Fruit Smoothie
1 Can of Coca-Cola

As you can see, I was in no danger of being low on fuel during this ride.

Future Plans

After completing my first double century, I would, without a doubt, do another. It was such a great experience, and I cannot wait to further my long distance cycling accomplishments. In the future, I would love to complete more double centuries, maybe a quadruple metric century (250 miles), or even a triple century. My foray into ultra long distance cycling is definitely one which I have enjoyed.

So I guess this means I’m back into blogging. Hopefully I can stay on top of it. I’m planning on keeping things simple, clean and informal this time around. Shoot me an email, mike868y@gmail.com, if you have any article ideas you would like to see on here.

James Stewart Discuses Supercross, The Internet and His Future with Mike Martin

Mike Martin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:45:20 +0000

James Stewart took the win in Salt Lake City. Photo by Brendan Lutes of TWMX.

James Stewart is a superstar of the motocross industry. He rides with incredible flow and style and is constantly raising the sport to a new level. In addition, he is the most well known motocross rider, outside of the industry.

After writing an article on Stewart’s new website and Twitter account, I recently got a chance to interview the motocross sensation. Below is the interview in both audio and text format. Enjoy!

Note: This interview was conducted prior to the Salt Lake City Supercross, where James once again bested Chad Reed. He is going into Las Vegas with a 6 point lead over Chad Reed

Audio Interview

The interview was conducted via telephone, so here is the audio of the interview. It is not the highest quality, but it is certainly listenable.

You need to have the Quicktime Player installed, which is free for both Mac and PC from Apple.

If you would like to keep the interview for your records, you can download for free.

Download Mike Martin’s interview with James Stewart (10mb, .m4a file format)

Text Interview

In addition to the audio interview, I have also done my best to convert it to text for your convenience. Enjoy!

Photos are from the Monday Wakeup Call, 5 Minutes with James Stewart, and Transworld Motocross’s Salt Lake City Race Report.

Mike Martin: Alright, So, First of all, congrats on taking the points lead in Seattle

James Stewart: Thanks man, its felt pretty, pretty good, I would say its been going really good. You know, a couple bad races here and there but overall its going pretty good. I mean, last week I was able to take over the points lead which was a good feeling.

So, you’re going into Salt lake City With a 3 Point lead over Chad. It must feel really good to have come back from crashing out of the first round…

Ya I mean it was. For sure. I came back after Atlanta and I had the points lead, but unfortunately I had two bad races. I got second in one, which wasn’t bad. But I got 7th in the other and Chad won and ya know that was 11 points lost for me right there. it was one of those things where I’ve just kind of been putting myself in bad positions all year long but if I can somehow wrap this thing up, I’ll definitely be pretty proud of myself.

So, one of the readers of my site asked about the little rivalry between yourself and Chad. Is there like actually something there or is it mostly just played up by the media and the fans?

Well, uh I think its played up more by the media and the fans. but I’m sure there’s some animosity and stuff. I mean we both want to win the championship and we’re both living the dream so uh there’s a little bit of animosity. But, nothing to the point where I hate him and, at least I don’t think he hates me to that point. You know, we’ve had some great races this year and I hope we have 2 more.

So, speaking of Reed, there was a poll on Racer X a few weeks ago asking the fans who they though was going to win the championship, and Reed won with 55% of the votes. Does this type of thing bother you, or is it just more motivation?

Honestly, it doesn’t bother me. I mean, obviously its easy to say that because he had the points lead and there were only 3 races left, so I probably would have voted for him. You know none of that stuff bothers me. I try my best every week. I’ve been riding really good and I believe in my talent and I believe in my work ethic and we’ll see what happens. I didn’t even see that poll but you know its pretty cool to see what everybody’s thinking.

Regardless of the outcome of this years supercross series, you’ve won almost everything there is to win in professional motocross, what are you goals going into the future in motocross?

Uh, I would like to uh, I want to do the X-games, which I’ll have a chance to do this year. Just win more races. Like I’d want to win more championships. I mean, the ultimate goal is to get to 72 [wins], but I’ve been kind of stalemate for a little while here for a couple weeks. But I’ve got a couple more personal goals. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to 72 but I think thats my main one.

Theoretically, If you were to retire after vegas, would you be happy with what you’ve accomplished in mx? Or is there still more you want to do to complete your career?

Well I mean, I would be happy. Because I never even thought I’d be racing professional motocross and supercross when I was a kid. I used to watch them and it was a dream, and I wished I could do that one day. So, if I quit racing I would be happy, but at the end of the day it would kind of hurt me a little bit because I know I have more to prove, but, I wouldn’t be bummed out.

Have you ever considered going to Europe for a few years to show how you match up against their fastest riders?

Honestly, I like racing in the states for some reason. I really do. It’s close to home for me. Europe would be a huge change. It’s something I would be up to doing, I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t go over there and do it. I might have an opportunity to race a couple GP’s, I don’t know how everything’s falling together now, but I mean I would like to go over there and see how I stack up against the world.

You are one of the most well known motocross riders outside of the industry.Do you have any plans after you retire to do something outside of motocross.

You know, it depends what opportunity present themselves. Maybe my own TV show. I’m working on a reality TV show now, we’ll see if that goes through. You know, if I had maybe the option to do something, we’ll deal with that when we get there.

What exactly is James Stewart Entertainment, one of the sponsors of the San Manuel team?

Well, its a company I started a couple years ago. At first it was really nothing it was just a name and a company. But now, we’re starting to maybe get into some clothes. You know, maybe designing some clothes. For me I think it was just something to be part owner of a team. I wanted to think it out and do something a little different. To see if I could position myself to one day have my own race team. We’ll have a couple different things like shirts and casual wear, but my ultimate goal is to own my own team.

James Stewart’s new website, JS7.com.

You recently unveiled a new website (JS7.com), what is the story behind that?

Well, I just think the more popular I get, the more people want to like know what’s going on. You know, before we had the website, but I wasn’t really involved. I wasn’t involved heavy and I think this website, I’ll have a lot of content and a lot of involvement and then the Twitter deal was my idea. You know, I said I wanted to do some Twitter stuff and see where that goes. I do it myself, no body else does it. You’re actually talking to me.

The site seems to be structured in such a way that it separates your personality on the bike from off., was this done on purpose?

To separate them?

Ya…

No, its who I am. Its funny. I laugh because people…obviously I’m serious at the race track and I stay to myself. But I have a lot more fun off the race track. But then there’s that side of me. I like doing interviews more and stuff like the Rick James video and talking to people 1 on 1. I feel free in front of the camera, you know? I can do whatever I want and I like that.

Were all the candid videos, like the Rick James video, planned? Or did they just kind of happen?

No, honestly all that happened. People obviously want me to do more now, but now its hard. You know, we were just messing around and said “Hey, lets throw some videos up.” Rick james was the first video that y’all saw, but there were like 3 or 4 more than that which were probably just as funny. But, my computer ended up getting burnt down, so I lost all the information. But for the Rick James video, and we were just hanging out and wanted to do something different.

Speaking of the internet, there’s a lot of people on internet chat rooms and message boards that talk and post stuff. Do you pay attention to these posts and opinions? What’s your opinion on all the pundits out there.

What are you talking about as far as a…? Like Vital MX?

Ya, like all those message boards…

Ya, I don’t pay attention to those. I feel like honestly I’ve gone beyond what I should just by like getting on twitter and having a myspace and making myself open. And doing stuff like the Rick James video. I put myself out there. If there’s negativity off of that then there’s nothing I can do about it. Honestly I’m trying my best and I’m having fun at it. I cant and I don’t. people have their opinions and thats their right. But, it doesn’t bother me one bit at all.

@JS7, James Stewart’s new twitter account.

Ya, the Twitter and everything, that’s awesome. Your the first major rider to do that. Do you expect more to do it [Twitter] in the future?

I think so. I mean, I’m getting ready to…I’m walking into the gym and I’ll probably Twitter that. I’m doing it for fun. And hopefully I can open up some different avenues for some different people. If I can do it, you can do it. Its something fun to do, and we’ll find out pretty soon I guess.

So, Switching gears a bit. you ride road bikes as part of your training, correct?

Ya, I do a lot of road biking as far as my training. And a lot of different stuff. Gym work and a lot of different activities and I like it.

I love road biking. Do you enjoy it as a recreational sport?

Umm, I enjoy it. But I don’t know how much I enjoy it. To me, its work because I have to do it to make myself better as far as with training and different stuff. I enjoy doing it, but I enjoy doing other stuff better.

Do you ever use pieces of technology in your training? Such as an iPod or a Garmin GPS bike computer?

Ya, I like listening to my iPods and stuff like that, as far as all my training. To do it right, I pretty much have to have an iPod to do it. So, it kind of reminds me of when I’m racing.

Thanks a lot for talking with me, I really appreciate it.

Ya, no problem buddy, take it easy.

Special Thanks

Obviously, this interview was kind of a big deal for me. James is by far the most famous rider I have ever interviewed, and it was also the first interview I have conducted via telephone.

As a result, there are a number of people I’d like to thank for helping this interview come together.

James Stewart: I would like to thank James Stewart for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to talk to me. He is getting ready for some of the most important races of his life, and I am very grateful that he took the time to let me interview him.
Jordan Miller: Jordan is the Media Relations Manager at Red Bull and is the one who originally contacted me regarding the interview, and was the one who set it up with James.
Tim Crytser:Tim is the main writer and editor of Racer X Virtual Trainer, and gave me a number of extremely helpful tips on how to make the interview the best it could be. Without Tim, I’m sure the interview would not have turned out as well.
“JayDub:”One of my twitter followers (@Jenninpg), JayDub suggested a number of the questions used in the interview.

Want to be Interviewed on MikeMartinRacing.com?

I am always looking for more people to interview on MikeMartinRacing.com. If you are doing something cool in the motocross or cycling industries, shoot me an email at mike868y@gmail.com, and we can talk…

Phil Keoghan of the Amazing Race Rides Across America

Mike Martin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:43:28 +0000

There’s the Tour de France, Tour of California, and even the Tour Down Under. But how about the Tour of America? While it hasn’t happened yet (although it’s in the works for 2009), Phil Keoghan, host of The Amazing Race has decided to make his very own Tour of America as he makes a 42 day long trek across America, from Los Angeles to New York.

While the official purpose of this ride is to raise money and spread awareness for Multiple Sclerosis, his ride is also sending another message - one of leading a healthy life supplemented by exercise and good nutrition.

Who is Phil Keoghan? Why is he Riding?

Phil Keoghan hails from Lincoln, New Zealand and is a world famous TV Personality. He is most recently known for hosting the wildly popular Amazing Race reality show. The Amazing Race features teams of candidates racing across the world with limited resources. They are faced with challenges which require them to use both mental and physical prowress to overcome. In the end, the smartest, strongest and most tactical team ends up on top with a prize of $1 Million.

In addition to his TV work, Phil leads a very active lifestyle, and as part of this is an avid cyclist. As a result, he was inspired to organize this ride across America in order to raise awareness for MS and healthy lifestyles.

Because MS awareness is the main reason he is riding, he is collecting donations from generous towns and cities as he makes his way across country. He has already raised a sizable amount of money and looks to collect more as his journey continues.

While any effort to raise money for such a good cause is a noble one, I believe that doing so by cycling across country is a way to send an incredibly strong message to the world about the severity of MS. According to Phil:

Having multiple sclerosis means that you may suddenly have blurry vision. Or that your memory will fail you for no apparent reason. Or that you may not always be able to walk, let alone ride a bike. The symptoms of MS are different, and unpredictable, for everyone - the only certainty is that every hour, someone new is diagnosed with MS .

Essentially, having MS limits your ability to move and be active in ways which most people take for granted. By exercising these simple, yet often overlooked abilities, Phil will (hopefully) accomplish an incredible task of riding a bicycle literally from one shore to another.

Leading a Healthy Lifestyle

In addition to his goal of spreading awareness for MS, Phil is also spreading awareness for leading healthy and active lifestyles. By showing potentially thousands of children, teenager and adults across America the incredible feat which can be accomplished using only bodily power, he is spreading a message of the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle.

Obviously, America is in a rather unhealthy point in our history, and we need people like Phil to inspire our youth and our adult population to get outside and get active.

In addition to leading an active lifestyle, Phil’s journey is helping to display exactly why a healthy diet is crucial in an active lifestyle. By putting his body through such incredible stresses, he will need every ounce of energy his body can provide him, which, of course, begins with the healthy nutritious food he is feeding himself.

Part of America’s fitness problem is our diets. Hopefully, by spreading the message of good health and a nutritious, wholesome diet, Phil will do more than his part in spreading the word.

Now One Square Meal

As part of Phil’s healthy lifestyle he is acting a number of Now One Square Meals. Although I have yet to try them myself, I do know that they are essentially an energy bar, which , when eaten in pairs, is equal to the right number of nutrients and calories for an entire meal.

While in general I am a fan of fresh, home cooked meals with fresh local ingredients, the Now One Square meal is a great idea. Home cooked meals with local ingredients may be the best option when you (or your loved one) has an entire afternoon to dedicate to cooking, there are times when something similar to the Now One Square Meal, which is fast and convenient is the best option available.

The Now One Square Meal offers people who lead busy lifestyles an option to still consume a healthy, nutritious, and nourishing meal, but on the go and in a convenient pre packaged form factor. If you are trying to avoid eating fast food while on the run, give the Now One Square Meals a serious look.

Phil’s Daily Blog

Without Phil’s Daily Blog, there is no doubt in my mind that I would still be interested in Phil’s journey. However, with the blog, I have become a loyal follower of his ride. I watch his videos each and every day and love tracking his progress.

Phil’s daily video blog is helping to get more people interested in his journey, and ultimately spread his message even further. In my opinion, his video blog is an incredible example of how technology can aid people in everyday lives.

Phil’s video blogs feature a daily recap of his ride, and also occasionally a special segment where he highlights something special which happened on any particular day in his ride. The updates are informative, very entertaining and occasionally comical. The large number of videos coming out of this journey help to put a face on the rider and really allow the fans and followers of the ride to connect with Phil as he treks across the nation.

I’ve been having a blast watching Phil’s daily updates, and if you are yet to check them out, definitely visit his daily blog.

Closing Thoughts

Phil Keoghan is an incredible person, and an incredible athlete. He has made a living as a TV host and is now dedicated a number of days in order to raise money for an incredibly worthwhile cause. As Phil rides his Specialized road bike across country, he is raising awareness in money for the national MS Society. However, he is also helping to spread the message regarding the importance of leading a healthy and active lifestyle. I support Phil’s efforts wholeheartedly and am a religious follower of his video blogs.

If you would like to donate to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Phil’s name, click here.

Music Which Gets Me Pumped to Ride

Mike Martin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:15:38 +0000

Music is a great motivator for cycling and motocross. Photos by Jonathan Shield and Paul Buckley

Both motocross and cycling are very intense adrenaline pumping sports. As a result, music is a great motivational factor for both activities. While “good” music is obviously a very subjective thing, everyone is always looking for good music, and because of this, my favorite motivational music for riding is listed below. Feel free to check out the artists and leave your comments/recomendations at the end of the article.

Immortal Technique

Immortal Technique is a revolutionary Hip Hop artist with striking lyrics, awesome flow and insane freestyle skills. His music has gone more mainstream lately, however he continues to produce great music.

While most of IT’s work is riddled with strong political or social critique, it is a good motivator for motocross and cycling due to his punching lyrics and innovative beats. I find his rap to be some of the most inspiring and motivational music out there and it is a great way to get the adrenaline pumping before a long ride or an important moto.

That being said, i must also note that some of his lyrics are very “strong.” His music is not for the sensitive or the weak of heart. If you are looking for something to listen to around young children, Immortal Technique is definitely not a good option. I’m not going to get into the specifics of his lyrics, but it would be worth reading the lyrics to some of his songs before buying a $20 album which you may find offensive.

Clipse

Staying with the Hip Hop theme, Clipse are another group who are very motivational. Their lyrics are much less politicall and socially “deep” than Immortal Techniques, however, this does not reduce the quality of their work. They match good beats with interesting and well written lyrics.

Clipse may not be one of the most popular rap groups, but they definitely do some great work, and are worth a serious look if you are looking for some new beats to listen to for motivation.

While Clipse do not have as gut wrenching lyrics as Immortal Technique, they may still be found offense to certain audiences, so listen with caution around sensitive ears.

Lil Wayne

Out of the three Hip Hop artists on this list, Lil Wayne is definitely the most mainstream. He has taken the hip hop world by storm recently and has a ton of great songs. He has a great mix of fast and slower songs to match any occasion where you need a motivational pickup.

Lil Wayne (aka Weezy) is a great rapper who has great ryhmes and great beats conbined with an incredibly unique sound. His fast paced songs are great for your motivation and are an enjoyable listen for Hip Hop Fans.

Lil Wayne’s lyrics are not nearly as “hard core” as Immortal Technique or even Clipse and many younger audiences are familiar with at least some of his songs, meaning his music is much more suitable for virgin ears.

Scary Kids Scaring Kids

Photo by Natalia balcerska

Switching gears to a more rock focused group, Scary Kids Scaring Kids are one of my favorite groups. Despite the “scary” name, they are a a great alternative group with a fast paced and motivational sound.

Scary Kids may not be the most innovative group, but they have a number of absolute hits and their song “Faces” is one of my all time favorite tunes. If you are looking for a great alternative rock group with some fast paced tracks and a unique sound, then Scary Kids Scaring Kids is a great group.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Photo by Upshaw Imagery

Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) are a long stay in the music world, and for good reason. While they are not as hard as Scary Kids, they have a very unique sound which lies somewhere between funk and rock. Almost every track is a hit single and I struggle to find a bad track on any of their albums.

RHCP are a great group to get your blood flowing and your motivation up. Their fast paced beats and funky lyrics make them a great early morning listen before you begin preparation for a long day of motocross racing. Their music has a pretty light message and listening to a few of their songs almost always puts me in a good mood.

System of a Down

Photo by Anirudh Koul

System of a Down is a very innovative alternative rock group. They highlight awesome music with some “funky” lyrics. Their lyrics do not feature the strong message of Immortal Technique, but they are fun and the fast sound is motivating for a good day of riding - either cycling or motocross.

While some alternative groups have albums full of forgettable tracks, System of a Down is not one of these. Something about their incredibly unique and interesting sound makes their songs shockingly catchy. I will often find myself with their songs stuck in my head hours after listening to them, and their songs play through my head during long summer motos.

Disturbed

Disturbed is another alternative rock group with a heavier sound and some darker lyrics. While none of their stuff is as serious as Immortal Techniques, they definitely feature some lyrics which are a little darker than Scary Kids or RHCP. However, their fast and hard tracks are an extremely motivating sound which gets me very pumped up to ride aggressive motocross all day long.

Disturbed has a number of albums currently available for purchase, however, I find their oldest stuff to be my favorite. “The Sickness” is an incredible album with a number of awesome tracks which keep my andrenaline pumping all day long. I was not as happy with 10,00 Fists or Believe, but their latest album, Indestructible is a great mis of hard hitting songs and is analogous to their older work.

If you are looking for a fast hard hitting rock group, then Disturbed is a great option and they have a ton of albums out right now so you can choose which is best for you.

Your Suggestions

While writing this article I sent out a tweet asking my Twitter followers who their favorite motivational bands were. A number of my great followers replied with some excellent suggestions…here they are.

@Dekkerd “@mike868y None needed. Although this Gaslight Anthem 59 Sound album I’m playing would do it. #bikechat”
@TG183 “@mike868y hmm.. definetly some kind of rock or rap song.. some thing that gets you pumped to ride..”
@LPmotocross “@mike868y anything from terrafirma 2 and queens of the stone age”
@LPmotocross“@mike868y No problem man. Pennywise, Face to Face, Corrosion of Conformity, Down by Law, and Sprung Monkey. Classic 2 stroke music!”

There are some great suggestions here and some which I will definitely check out in the near future to supplement my stable of motocross and cycling music.

What do you listen to?

Photo by ktylerconk

As I noted earlier, everyone has their own preferences for motivational music. The above artists are only a sampling of my favorite groups in addition to a few of yours. So, what else do you enjoy listening to? Anything from classic rock to alternative and Hip Hop/Funk. I open to any suggestions and would love to see what you guys enjoy listening to. Leave your recommendations in the comment field below.

I’m Going to Greece and Italy

Mike Martin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:31:26 +0000

Hey Everyone, I just wanted to drop a (very) quick note and let you all know that for the next week and a half, I won’t be updating due to a school trip to Greece and Italy. I am very excited for this trip and I truthfully cannot wait to depart tomorrow. Hopefully when I get back I will be able to have a lot of new content for you guys and possibly a redesign of this site. Also, when I return, I will (hopefully) start racing motocross again, as my dad will have returned from California! Well, I check back in sometime around the end of next week. Until then, farewell!