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Nothing to fear but fear itself.... |
Well, I have a new diet plan guys! Its called the ABATE of Indiana riders course for beginners. Yes, you read it right the ABATE of Indiana riders course for beginners. I see you sitting there puzzled and ask , " Well what does that have to do with a diet?" Well, let me elaborate and do some fancy foreshadowing for you..... I've watched my parents (Mike and Kathy Muensterman) suit up for years and go on rides. I would think to myself, that seems fun, then the gears in my head started turning and I thought to myself, Hey I can do that! After talking to my dad, and asking what he thought, I committed myself to signing up for this rider course that I've been hearing a lot about in passing. Jump to February of this year. I mail out the registration for the class, and a month later I get a postcard saying "Congratulations! You are in the June 6th weekend class." I was disappointed! June means half of the warm weather riding gone, nevermind the practice I would have to do after the class. When I decided to sign up for the class my dad had talked to me about going with them on the trip to the rally in West Virginia and I knew that the June class just wasn't going to cut it. So the first weekend the class was I showed up to try to get in. Didn't get in. The second weekend I showed up again. There was already two guys waiting. So I chitchatted with one guy waiting, passing time to see if anyone showed up. Well, 2 people didn't show up, and 3 people waiting. So Connie, one of the instructors, puts numbers in a hat and says draw. I put my hand in the hat, and behold on the unfolded paper I hold a number 1. So as you can see I got in. Friday night was easy, just got in teams, picked out a name for ourselves (which I comically named VROOM, VROOMS) and noses in our books. Friday night I get home around 10:30. OK, here is where the diet kicks in. I couldn't fall asleep, I knew that the next day was the day! With a few hours of sleep I arrive bright eyed and full of nerves. Well, we walk out to the staging area where the bikes are and go through all the starting and stopping, etc., etc...Then we mount our bikes and start trying to take off. Well, needless to say, I didn't get the hang of it too quickly. Finally I did it. The nerves are bad, lunch comes, and I cant eat! I come back and it doesn't get any better. But Thank-God, I didn't drop the bike! All the weaving, curves, panic stops and I didn't drop the bike! I went home, not at all confident. Lets just say the instructors knew my name well! I get home Saturday evening tell my parents I need a power nap, lay down on the floor and didn't move. They made comments the next day, that they thought I was dead. It was really a stress-induced coma! Sunday morning after 10 hours of sleep, IM refreshed. I show up at 8 am Sunday and the knots in my stomach return. We start off on our bikes first thing. Well, I didn't know 10 hours of sleep makes you forget everything from the previous day. Lets just say I had to get out of everyone's way because I couldn't get out of first gear. Then I learned from Bill, the other instructor, take 3 deep breaths and it relaxes you. So I took my 3 deep breaths and I still couldn't get the bike out of first gear. So I had a talk with myself and heres how the conversation went. "C.C. have fun who cares, If I mess up, I mess up, if I don't, I don't." Guess what it worked! Two stress-induced fever blisters, a bad sunburnt face, and not eating for 2 days, and I passed guys!!! I did it!!! I conquered a fear and did something that a lot of people are scared to even try. I wont lie, it was hell, it was hard, and there were times I thought, "What have I done!" But here I am closer to having my license and going on my trip in July to the rally. Ladies if you ever want to take the course, don't fret, you can do it! Just have fun. Ask a lot of questions, and smile and say thank-you when you receive your criticism. Oh and get this, after I took my riding test a guy there said to me, "Looked like you were enjoying yourself, you were just a smiling the whole time." So see a little attitude adjustment and I got through it! So in conclusion, if you want a fast weight loss plan take the ABATE of Indiana riders course for beginners on the weekend and your nerves will do the rest. It was well worth it and I would recommend it to anyone. Its just not a cake walk! But the knowledge you come away with and how they work with you are worth every fever blister! So look for me on the roads and remember what I went through to get there. Take a chance and do something new and exciting. Nothing wrong with getting the blood pumping again. Oh by the way my first bike my dad and I are rebuilding an old/5. Hopefully nothing major will be wrong. We are waiting on the parts back from John Simmons at Grass Roots BMW in Cape Girardeau. Hopefully it will be ready to roll in a couple of weeks. So look out guys a future BMW MOA member to happily share the roads with ya! Proudly Submitted by, C.C. Muensterman |