SCCA Hawaii Race 3 | 2019-2020 | “Smooth = Fast?”
I’ve been told that my analytical mind is a great gift.
I’ve also been told by the same people that my analytical mind is also a great curse – I tend to overthink many aspects of my life.
DRIVING is no exception.
I came upon an article that challenged my own thinking and perception about DRIVING and how to be faster. The topic?
“Being smooth is not fast.”
That statement goes against a majority of what I’ve been told by well intentioned people. It took some context to understand, but I have a small idea of what the article is trying to convey. It’s a very good read.
Aaaaaand what does that mean for me? I’m no where near where I want to be. And why? One factor is my overthinking-ness…
I missed recording Run 1 because the GoPro was on the wrong setting, but I managed to get runs 2, 3, and 4. I felt like run 2 was fast because it felt really smooth…. but it turned out to be the slowest time I managed that day…
Interestingly enough, I ran it a little more aggressively for runs 3 and 4. They didn’t feel as “smooth” as run 2, but both were 8 tenths of a second faster… and somehow I managed to get the exact same time for both of them. Astounding.
Conclusion
“Smooth is not fast,” as the article bluntly put. This idea is a new thing for me and something to consider for the future. Next race is the Curtis Lee Memorial Event. Looking forward to it!
