Passion, Experience & Growth

Above 130 MPH, Remember To Breathe

August 12, 2009

“Into the distance, a ribbon of black. Stretched to the point of no turning back” — Pink Floyd - Learning To Fly (Official Music Video HD)

In the 40th Anniversary coverage of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, We Choose the Moon, mission audio captures the exchange between Houston ground control and Neil Armstrong. At four minutes into stage two, Armstrong calmly calls out: “velocity 12,472 feet per second.” But then ground control betrays the calm in his voice—reporting Armstrong’s heart rate at launch was 110 BPM, compared to 146 during Gemini. Mike Collins was 99, Buzz Aldrin, 88.

Before Summit Point Raceway, the fastest I’d ever gone on land was 126 mph —September 2007, autobahn, cruise control set at 200 kph. Joanne and I glided from Germany into Austria in my three-day-old 2008 BMW 550i. A few miles later, I learned Austria’s national limit was 130 kph… even when the international signs for “no limit” are posted.

At VIR Patriot Course in April 2009, I barely hit 120 mph on the tiny back straight—my first motorcycle track day. But at Summit Point that June, Yamaha’s demo day on an R1 pushed my limits. Exiting Turn 10 at 60+, I could easily stretch past 130, even 140 mph, before braking hard for the 40 mph entry to turn 1.

I’m sure my heart rate exceeded Armstrong’s… just past 130 mph, as I set up for the corner, I had to remind myself: Breathe. Relax.

In his book, Total Control, Lee Parks explains:

Every motorcyclist has a "fear threshold." A point where fear rises so high, the brain can’t process anything more.

The lower heart rates during the Apollo 11 launch might have meant that the astronauts’ confidence had grown—or maybe, their fear threshold had risen. Probably both.

At 130+ mph, I felt the same threshold approach. No panic… but the edge was there. I’m sure my pulse matched my speed—and above 120, it surged.

But with a breath, so did something else.

Calm. Focus. Clarity.

At your limit—remember to breathe.