Aldon Baker is the number-one name in motocross training. He changed the game with Ricky Carmichael and never looked back. Obviously, he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to fitness, nutrition, gym work, bike work, cardio, and every other physical piece of the training puzzle. But we sometimes forget that the squishy, grey mass between our ears is what is controlling us and controlling the bike.
With the bikes being so good, and nutrition and fitness being at such a high level, where does the mental factor fit in this puzzle? Confidence, ego, pressure, fear, anger, aggression, calm, focus… The mind is a roiling torrent of thoughts and feelings and every racer has to deal with negative, and positive emotions, to get the most out of all the hard physical work that they put into their program. Aldon talks about how each rider is different, but ultimately it is a balance of confidence, respect, fun, and hard work.