In Review – Newbie Training Update & OCPD May 2006

[BuckBuck#1]

Given my background, my childhood upbringing, my military regime, my perfectionistic approach, my Obsessive, Practical, and Cautious approach – you know what - I had fun learning to ride and you know what else - I'm still having fun.

I was like a kid with a new toy; well I was being a kid and enjoying myself, perhaps for one of those few moments in a whole life time.

I have commenced a monthly review of my learning to ride period from 2006 and have made a condensed extract of my Newbie Training Update in my blogg http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php?u=23905

I provide an insight to my overall approach and discuss where my health condition Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder OCPD had a part to play.

I will progressively review each month of my learning to ride log and include it in the blogg.

I am happy to receive Personal Messages - PMs if people want to discuss aspects I have raised.

[BuckBuck#1]

BuckBuck, it takes time and lots of practise.
Try to make all your actions as smooth as you can.

And remember to have fun at the same time.


Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder - OCPD for me presents numerous challenges. A benefit I have however is that I can address such challenges during clinical consultation. My mentor too was very astute and we could touch on various riding topics - he said very little but in all that he did say he had me pointed in the right direction.

I hope this makes sense:

When I started to ride, aside from the preliminary Basic Handling Skills course, my efforts were generally 'solo', when I met my mentor however, it was a huge bonus. I was able to become a sponge.

In listening to what was said, reading and at times re-reading topics, I was able gradually practise and improve my riding technique.

As in sport, in my case golf, the subtleties in the mechanics of a golf swing - the ability to be able to 'work the ball' right or left, high or low, short or long requires a basic foundation and years of developing a comfortable technique . Play your own game, when you try to play like a golf professional, you spend a lot of time off the fairway and in the rough.


I will progressively review each month of my learning to ride log and include it in the blogg.

I am happy to receive Personal Messages - PMs if people want to discuss aspects I have raised.

[Nasty]

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder - OCPD for me presents numerous challenges. A benefit I have however is that I can address such challenges during clinical consultation. My mentor too was very astute and we could touch on various riding topics - he said very little but in all that he did say he had me pointed in the right direction.

Just a quick question ... is that clinically diagnosed OCPD - how did you go about getting that diagnosis ... I have a long standing interest in mental health issues, having been involved in standards for the care of mental health consumers.

Cheers

[BuckBuck#1]

Just a quick question ... is that clinically diagnosed OCPD - how did you go about getting that diagnosis ... I have a long standing interest in mental health issues, having been involved in standards for the care of mental health consumers.

Cheers

Clinically diagnosed and aggravated during my service. Followed up after service and specialist referrals for clinical psychological management.

Only recently I received interesting material from Australia, this has been shared with family members and together with counselling been very useful. Quite a number of ex-service veterans present similarly: anxiety, depression, PTSD. Though my OCPD now is well managed, there were some very dark periods in the service and subsequently.

Happy to chat over a ride and coffee some time if you like.

[Maha]

All my coat hangers have to be facing inwards, think I have some OCPiD too.

[yungatart]

All my coat hangers have to be facing inwards, think I have some OCPiD too.

Ah! But the question is, how do you hang the loo paper?

[Maha]

Ah! But the question is, how do you hang the loo paper?

It rolls outwards, everyone knows that, I even change it at peoples houses if I see it facing inwards, check yours next time I leave....:shifty:

[Owl]

Ah! But the question is, how do you hang the loo paper?

I don't! I just hold the end and throw it really hard at the wall. When it bounces back I usually have enough. If not, repeat step 1!:D

[Nasty]

Clinically diagnosed and aggravated during my service. Followed up after service and specialist referrals for clinical psychological management.

Only recently I received interesting material from Australia, this has been shared with family members and together with counselling been very useful. Quite a number of ex-service veterans present similarly: anxiety, depression, PTSD. Though my OCPD now is well managed, there were some very dark periods in the service and subsequently.

Happy to chat over a ride and coffee some time if you like.

Its always interesting .. because there is so much that can go wrong ... and I fear with Mental health issues it is totally unrecognised often ... nor soon enough to be of benefit to anyone ... let alone the person who ends up suffering because of it.

:):)

[Trudes]

The first step is to recognise, the second is to do something about it. On ya Guy.

[BuckBuck#1]

19 July 2006
Hey BuckBuck,
Forgetting to cancel out the indicator is more common than you think. Checking your instruments is just as important as checking your mirrors. Imagine if the lady pulled in front of you because you left your indicator on.

On winding inner city roads, adjust your speed to the surrounding conditions.....ie: parked cars, width of road etc....A truck will take up more road to negotiate a turn.

Good heads up on different senarios.

Review Comment
Moving into July, by this stage I have been riding only seven weeks. This month’s log (in three parts) covers quite a bit and it is evident that I am focusing on my own training development and getting excellent inter-active feedback from my Mentor. From the Mentor’s comments above, an early theme of hazard awareness starts to build this month.

In terms of my Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder and looking back to July 2006, I now see myself as having been immersed in this new activity ‘riding a motorcycle’, and also maintaining an online log of the activities was extremely beneficial. Being able to channel my thoughts and energy not only into the dynamics of riding but also, being able to ‘verbalise’ my actions in a log was, and continues to be helpful…..it is one of the reasons I have returned to Kiwibiker to review and extract those early days of riding in 2006-07.

The log also introduces for the first time my meeting other Kiwibikers gathering on a Sunday morning during July – this was very important to me and beneficial.

In the months and years ahead I was able to ‘get the measure’ of many different riders through listening and watching. This somewhat put a twist on the expression ‘do as I say – not as I do’ and is summed up in the often heard – ‘ride you own ride’.

I will progressively review each month of my learning to ride log and include it in the blogg.

I am happy to receive Personal Messages - PMs if people want to discuss aspects I have raised.
__________________

[BuckBuck#1]

4 August 2006
Heya BuckBuck,
Doing your own maintenance is a great way to learn about how your bike works.
Things like brakes, chain, tyres etc are all just as important as wearing good riding gear and should be part of your safety/survival check list.
When I clean my bike and make it all purdy, I'm also checking things as i go on always looking out for anything that's not right.

Sounds like your going to be a regular when the TCWNR rides start up again.

Well done and heads up.

I enjoyed the course very much and would recommend all newbie riders that have no other direct access to gain an insight to their bike and its workings through friends, to consider doing a basic maintenance course.

I will progressively review each month of my learning to ride log and include it in my blogg.

I am happy to receive Personal Messages - PMs if people want to discuss aspects I have raised.

[BuckBuck#1]

Whereas I try and find a balance between good selected rides and learning awareness self feedback and recognising the things done well and the things that can be improved upon - there nevertheless comes a time when we are blind sided by our own enthusiasm.....ouchh

I will progressively review each month of my learning to ride log and include it in my blogg.

I am happy to receive Personal Messages - PMs if people want to discuss aspects I have raised.

[BuckBuck#1]

Around this time, August 2006, I started to broaden my wings so to speak and challenged myself to 'exploring' the Wairarapa district and at the same time make a concerted effort in my riding technique.

I will progressively review each month of my learning to ride log and include it in my blogg.

I am happy to receive Personal Messages - PMs if people want to discuss aspects I have raised.

[BuckBuck#1]

Before I start have you degreased and lubed your chain recently?
And, how far can you go on a tank before you have to flick the reserve on.
Well the good weather in 2006 was approaching and the first week of spring was upon me. In this entry I recap on a weeks riding in the district and I discuss how I clean my bike chain, and also have a bit of chuckle when I read back and saw my fuel economy on Golf November Two Five Zero - GN250 a generous 32km to the litre.

[BuckBuck#1]

Mentor's Comment:
8 September 2006
Don't worry about it BuckBuck.

Concentration is just as important as riding skills. The penalties of not paying attention while riding can be severe. A motorcyclist's ability to concentrate is his most important tool.
Keep all of your attention on what you are doing. This gives you a reserve of "what if" ability to deal with the unexpected such as another vehicle coming into your lane.

Good skills for listening to yourself.

When looking back now to September 2006 and the lead up to getting my Restricted, I have read with uncanny interest re-living the insight and determination I had. Uncanny in the sense that I know, that in not only riding but also in my interactions with other people, I have been able to 'check' myself and question my reactions - here some very good cognitive behaviour techniques were being implemented and the following two and a half years has enabled me to evaluate what were at times some very false logic thought processes....hey for some of you out there this may be a bit 'foreign', said in the nicest possible way, but for others I hope that what I have said makes sense.

Where one may draw a line between being a person with an obsessive compulsive personality disorder, or indeed looking at it now, in its broadest sense, the whole process of learning a new skill which in and of itself was very beneficial is intriguing - to me. For you the reader I think realising that, me as a newbie, who pretty much had unconditional opportunity specifically 'plenty of time to go out and ride', and as a consequence I tried be constructive, that is to say, to approach the learning process with a structure.

In the years following, it took effort on my part to recognise that I was a person that was 'too structured' and thanks to many individuals that went out of their way to tell me this in quiet confidence, and thanks also to those that were up front in your face in forum threads - sometimes a wakeup call is never too late, and that is precisely what occurred through 2007/08...I will address some of those issues later in the blogg.

I will progressively review each month of my learning to ride log and include it in my blogg.

I am happy to receive Personal Messages - PMs if people want to discuss aspects I have raised.

[BuckBuck#1]

Serendipity: ‘Gift for Discovery – a natural gift for making useful discoveries quite by accident.’

Riding for only six months I gain my Restricted licence in November 2006.

My last Mentor Review Ride was just before I sat my Restricted test and his comment to me was:


'Take your time in pushing the envelope a bit further.'

In the immediate two weeks after gaining the Restricted licence I wrote a riding strategy that encompassed many things that my Mentor imparted upon me. I genuinely believe that my Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder had a part to play in writing the strategy DEE-FAP – Discipline Focus Attention Personal, it was my way of defining ‘pushing the envelope’.

Tragically my Mentor lost his life while riding his motorcycle on the road to Castlepoint in early December within a week of completing the article.

I met my Mentor through the benefit of being a member here on Kiwibiker and on behalf of the riding community it was an honour to step up and speak at his funeral service.

I will progressively review each month of my learning to ride log and include it in my blogg.

I am happy to receive Personal Messages - PMs if people want to discuss aspects I have raised.

[BuckBuck#1]

Thank you to those Kiwibikers that participated in the following topics:

Qualities of A Safe Rider
Do You Think You Are A Safe Rider
[Refer to Blogg link below]



Conclusion

“Do as I say, not as I do” comes to mind, and this most certainly can be the line taken when we see an experienced rider finding him/herself in a potentially dangerous situation created by him/her.

Whereas we may ride within our own limits, the element of risk and risk taking will be the benchmark of all safe riding. This is very much an internal factor for every individual.


I often ask myself Where/How/Why
“BuckBuck:
Where Are You Riding?
How Are You Riding?
Why Are You Riding The Way You Are - Right Now!”


In the context of my OCPD, I can look back at my whole approach to preparing for the Full Licence test, and can recognise how I was able to apply reasonably good cognitive behaviour techniques.....Replace the word 'Riding' in the paragraph containing two questions and an exclamation above with some other words or just remove the word 'Riding' and leave it blank.

[BuckBuck#1]

My Mentor left me with the wisdom of a pair of binoculars so that I may look way ahead to find where I was going. I could not see my boundaries, yet I could sense the boundaries, but not touch them. In time I knew where the boundaries were – they were within.

In this blogg entry I provide a personal insight to my OCPD and then an extract of my Full Licence entry.

[BuckBuck#1]

This is the penultimate review of the Newbie Training Update and the following items are covered:



Where Did You Ride and What Did You Practice 2007

Motorcycle Safety Videos

Saturday Morning Riding Practice 2007

Honda Rider Development Day – Manfeild – September 2007

Kiwibiker Birthday Party – October 2007

Mentor Dedication

Ride Safety – Concerns [January/February 2008]

Wellington Wednesday Night Cruisie Ride [Sept 2008 – April 2009]

[BuckBuck#1]

Thank you to all those people that contributed to the Newbie Training Update during 2006-2008.



The Kiwibiker community is a ‘Pit Stop in Life’ and the ride is more important than the destination.

The final items are:



My Motorcycle and OCPD
Motorcycle Community
Society and The Internet Forum