Ever since Keith brought this up I have been thinking about it. Even at
my advanced age I learn more about it every day.
Some time ago I heard about a "mantra" that the instructors teach the
recruits at our local Police Academy: "I am only one man. I can only
do what one man can do. But what one man can do, I will do."
I have observed that everyone is a little different in the amount of
energy and strength they have every day. Exceptional energy is a
blessing not many have. When that is combined with a brilliant mind a
person can do Great Things. Such a man was P.E.Irving, the Vincent
motorcycle designer. At the Vincent factory, he would put in his day's
work every day. Then at quitting time, his work day would continue
after a break for supper, and in the quiet of the place, he would work
undisturbed on the most difficult problems presented, for another six or
seven hours. And this was his daily routine for many many years.
Original creative work was his life.
Full-time work to earn a living obviously takes the best part of your
time and energy. You have to keep some time and attention for family
and friends. It doesn't leave much for your hobbies. I see no good
answer to this, except that if you do reserve a little time every day,
which should be acceptable to those around you, you can eventually
finish your hobby projects.
In retirement, the situation is much better, if you still have good
health (which depends on luck as much as trying to take care of yourself
throughout life). You have the freedom to spend hours a day on your
hobby. You can do the amount best for you, not too much or little,
while keeping also the right amount of time for your other obligations.
So you end the day satisfied with it, and can sleep.
Preparing and taking a speed trials car or bike to a meet is a big job,
and you want to make a good showing when you get there. This often
means a team. Elmo Gillette told me the driver of a Bonneville car
should have no other duties about preparing it, but just concentrate on
doing the driving job well. This is the ideal, that there is a
competent team that works in harmony and the vehicle performs up to
expectations. But teams can also have their own tensions. And
sometimes there is literally nobody available for a team and people are
seen to bring their equipment out to the meet and run it solo, or maybe
with a teammate who helps at the meet.
I found in having to prepare my car and run it largely by myself (except
for my brother Tom's and Tony Peagler's valued help at meets) that this
is practical if I take my time and get the car 100% ready at home, and
test-fired so that I can be confident it is ready to go. I did find
that the business of hauling the enclosed trailer with a pickup six
hours to the meet (a new experience) was way more tiring than the usual
highway cruising. But this can be overcome by stopping every 100 miles
or so for a short break and refreshment at a fast food joint, and
perhaps by carrying some oatmeal cookies and Pepsi along to snack on.
If you run too long by yourself without a break, the exhaustion can
become downright dangerous, as well as miserable. If you have a
companion along, of course, you can trade off driving and run longer
between stops. Yet there is a limit to how much you can do in a day,
and by 3 o'clock or so you may be getting to the end of it. Don't
expect to sleep too well the night before a meet, you'll have too much
on your mind. Eating your usual food at the motel and at the meet will
help you stay in a good frame of mind (as opposed to eating "crap-food",
say).
Obviously, your truck and trailer have to be in 100% mechanical
condition (tires blown up) so that you minimize problems with them, and
an electric winch for loading and unloading is very helpful. Anything
involving brute force should be avoided! I found that out the first
time a bunch of us took my car out for a test-run at the airport, using
a trailer without a winch.
Just one man's thoughts here, nothing very original I'm sure. Cheers,
Ardun Bill in the Great Dismal Swamp, Chesapeake, VA
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