Photos I took at the race can be found in Picasa album <---- link

Super fast update. I hadn't wrote anything for sometimes because I have been to lazy to process the photos.. or I simply hadn't have any time to do it. Last weekend started the BMX season in Finland. I were there as an audience, because my back still doesn't allow me to ride. I have forgot to report that I took few steps backwards in the healing process. After the weekend on MX bike I got a phone call from the doctor. He told me that the fracture in my back is really serious. So right now I'm not even allowed to aqua jog. Never would believe that I can actually miss that.

Back to the race weekend. I don't know how many riders we had but the age range was pretty nice. I would say that the youngest rider were about 2 years old and the oldest might have been 50. Don't wanna over or under estimate anyone :) Anyway there was no problems in races, if we doesnt' count that ambulance took off for a moment, which put the race on hold.

Let's cut the crap. There was two things I kept on wondering till the time I fell asleep at night. First; how can we get more girls in to the sport? I recon that problem will never be fully solved, but we can make it better. Second problem is something I have been thinking already before the races. Now it was pointed out this even more: skills or speed? What I mean is that in Finland riders focuses more to ride the track by using skills as a manual or jumps... Which makes them lack the focus on speed. I think I were able to find the golden mean: It's important to practice skills. You can also use them in races. First recommend to use new skills in smaller races, like club race. Later on in bigger events too. The only thing I wish riders to focus is that they know what they do. They know when they focus on being as fast as they can, and also knowing when they are practicing to use skills. Forexamble deciding that they will try to manual on 3rd straight even it's not the fastest way to go. This way they would be aware when they are focusing on being fast or skillful. In the end those two things will meet. With most of the riders that moment is still ahead. No offence, only thing I'm trying to highlight is to be aware about what gives you more speed. The hard part is that it doesn't always feel like the fastest way. Jumping feels fast, most often it's not. Training skills is fun, but being fast is somekind of skill too. You can learn to take 2 more pedal strokes in the place you thought u couldn't get none ;)

It's already night! Tomorrow I have heaps to do. The state of my back is getting more serious day by day. Just because my mental balance isn't strongest without being on the bike..

I'm pretty much laying on the top of shopping trolley while pushing it with my elbows. I just can't get the smile off my face. Someone smiles back, kinda shun tho. There is just no way that I could even touch the trolley with my hands. My hands are simply numb. I would like to scream to everyone: does anyone understand how awesome weekend I had? I feel like lottery winner. Huge joy boiling inside me, but outside I look like same as everyone. I wish everyone are having the same feeling. Feeling of having something special what u would like to share with others.

Last weekend I were at women's motocross camp. To be honest it was enduro, but I talk about
MX because in my mind I was riding on the track. My back is still too sore to ride BMX, but I was able to ride MX 2 days full on. That was the first time for 12 years I was back on MX bike. Unbelievable! I thought I wouldn't even like the speed. I loved it! Wanna go faster!!

There was 50 ladies signed in for the camp and 44 showed up. That's pretty good, thinking how easily these ladies can get hurt. Stunning amount of ladies! Awesome ladies I mean; ladies riding dirt. Wow! And killing it too. Group was divided to 4 smaller groups by the riding skills. There was riders from 1st timers to World Cup riders. On the pits group was super welcoming. I didn't feel at all as an outsider :)

I haven't been writing much coz I haven't been doing much lately. About a month ago I hurt my back while doing a backflip. It hurt for real, but I still kept on jumping.. After a week my back was still hurting. Same story after 2 weeks. So finally after 3 weeks I went to see a doctor.

So about one week from going to doctors the first time I didn't know what's going on. I was sent to go to take MRI from my back. Luckily I got time for doctor right after the pictures were taken. Doctor told me that there is about 20% compression in Th3. I asked what does it mean, can I train if the pain is not too much. Doctor looked at me and said; "your back is fractured". "What?? You only talked about compression" I told when wondering should I cry or laugh. "Well there is no other way to compress the bones than get them fractured" doctor advice.

The hardest thing to hear was only coming. Because he said that I need to stay off the bike for 3 months, meaning 2 to go!! Then came the what if.. from my mouth. Doctor said that there is a huge risk to get paralyzed because the fracture is already pushing the grey material of the spinal cord. Anymore and that's end of my walking.

Sounds bad, but it's not that bad. I'm walking and I can ride an exercise bike, not to forget the aqua jogging. Yey, my good old mates! It's gonna be the waiting game. New pictures will be taken after 3 weeks.

Fracture on Th 8 is from 2004 and Th3 is from 2014. Can't wait till year 2024. Also last summer I bought mini-mx bike and a week later I found out that my leg is fractured. This summer I bought a real mx bike and week later found out that my back is fractured. And I haven't even get to ride those MX bikes!! Creepy..

One week of crying is past now. At my last night on NZ my family's boys. Yes you got me right, I'm talking about my family! Anyway boys did me a haka. Haka is a dance which Maori solders used to do before going to the war. First round of Haka got enterupted because the oldest boy started to cry. The second time they got it thru all the way. Boys gave me a present and everyone of them were crying. Having 5, 7 and 10 years old boys and their father crying because i'm leaving is pretty damn impressing! Their mom were the only one to not cry, but she is tough lady and that's the way things always happens to go. I just don't inspire ladies that much.

Inspiring is the new key word in my life. Or it has always been, but not being aware of it. The last day in NZ, I had the last meeting with my psycology. I told him that I have been lost for last 2 weeks. I haven't got nothing done and lost myself. After an hour of talking to this wonderful man I went from not having meaning for my life to have huge inspire and ”urge” to be me.

I'm back in Finland now. It's snowing. I have already 2 times been driving on the wrong side of the road!!! Roundabouts are the worst. Driving un-clockwise doesn't go in to my brains. First night was funny when I was waiting to get dark, waited and waited so I could go to sleep. And then realized that it's not gonna get dark for few more hours but I still can go to sleep. Usually dark comes about 6pm in NZ :)