CrossFit and Motorcycle Racing: Every Millisecond Counts

A professional motorcycle racer from Los Angeles, California, 22-year-old Benny Solis Jr. started racing at 10, became a national champion at 12 and turned pro at 16. Today he’s a five-time national champion, and he’s using CrossFit to pursue his dream of becoming a world champion. “I train in CrossFit because so much of it relates to the mentality in my sport,” Solis says. “(You give) everything you’ve got from the beginning, and the goal is to finish as fast as you can or with as many reps as you can within the time limit.” Solis trains at CrossFit Evoke in North Hollywood, California. According to his coach, CrossFit Evoke owner Thomas Trippany, Solis’ training in the box not only helps the racer physically but also allows him to stay focused and calm on the track. “With CrossFit training … if you’re panicky, if you’re kind of stressed out, if you’re apprehensive about what you’re about to do, you tend to get tired a lot faster,” Trippany explains. “The training here kind of teaches you to stay focused on the task at hand and not worry about what the guy next to you is doing.” Solis says the popular CrossFit saying “every second counts” applies even more to motorcycle racing, where—especially at the highest levels—every 10th of a second, even every millisecond, counts. “Sometimes I’m three-tenths off one of the fastest riders, and three-tenths is the difference between being in second or being in sixth or being in 10th,” Solis says. “It’s the same with a CrossFit workout; sometimes I’ll finish and I’ll think, ‘One more rep could have been two or three positions.’ It’s good for the state of mind to train that way, because that’s how you compete.” Video by Michael McCoy. The CrossFit Journal -- (http://journal.crossfit.com) The CrossFit Games® - The Sport of Fitness™ The Fittest On Earth™