Tanner Ward Column- Ride With Me Vol.2

It’s been five weeks since I had my knee surgery and things are going well. I’m still very restricted to what I can do as we have to be cautious that I don’t flip my meniscus back out. The hardest part for me is trying not to overdo it while doing physio and taking the right steps to get my knee back to 100%. With all that being said, I am back walking and hammering down on the knee exercises that I’m allowed to do in the gym. I’m also focusing on some of the weaknesses I had last year with my trainer Todd Schumlick from PerformX training.

It’s crazy to think we are already near the end of December; it doesn’t feel like that long ago we were wrapping up the season at Walton, and now we’re already wrapping presents for Christmas. I’m not going to complain because the faster it goes, the sooner I’m back on the bike. Most of us racers are different when it comes to how much we love riding our dirt bikes. I know some ride as much as they need to and just enough to be ready for racing. However, some are like me, and if a week goes by and I haven’t ridden I begin to miss it. So you can imagine how difficult this time away from riding has been for me. As the months roll along and I get further into my recovery process, the physical side will become easier as it’s what I’m used to doing day in and day out, but the mental side will become more challenging as I really don’t know life without a dirt bike. As we all know, motocross sometimes is 90% mental, and that is something I am working on with this downtime in order to take that next step towards winning a championship. The strategies I use not only can help a motocross racer but can help everybody in everyday life, and here is a couple I like to use.

1. Letting the little things go. What I do for this is in everyday scenarios, like if someone cuts me off while driving. Instead of getting frustrated about the situation and honking at that person, I try to tell myself, “maybe they didn’t mean to,” and then let the thoughts pass and carry on with my day. Yes, it is easier said than done, but if you are aware that in the past that a situation like this would really anger you, practicing letting go of your frustration will go a long way on and off the track.

2. Appreciating the small things. As racers, we always strive to be better on and off the track, and we tend to forget some of the things we’ve done and accomplished. Every once in awhile, it’s good to stop and look at the big picture and realize how far we have come and how much closer we’ve gotten to our goal, whatever that goal is for each of us.

Now it’s time to take a step back and enjoy some wine with family and friends throughout the holidays. I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas and New year! Thank you for reading.