2012 Idaho State Thunder Mountain Motocross Series, Rnd #1, Rupert, ID (16, 17, 18 March, 2012)

We kicked the Idaho State Thunder Mountain Series season off this past weekend in Rupert, ID. All I have to say is, “You gotta Love Idaho weather!”

The Project Filter Motocross Team arrived in Rupert on Friday the 16th for the practice, test and tune day. We found out that the weather in Rupert had been fairly mild; the track was in excellent condition and it made for a great day of riding for the nearly 350 riders in attendance for the weekend. The first race of the season is always fun because it gives us a chance to get back together as a race team and the interest in Project Filter is always at an all time high. People are curious to hear what we’re all about and it gives us a chance to get out and talk about tobacco prevention with racers and race fans.

As we were loading up at the end of the day Friday the black clouds were rolling in, little did we know at the time this would change the entire weekend. It started raining Friday evening; it rained, snowed and the wind blew off and on until we left late Sunday afternoon. This was the wettest, muddiest race I have ever ridden in. We all tried to make the best of it by keeping positive attitudes as we huddled in the enclosed trailer, hovered over the heater, to keep warm.

For me it was one of those situations where honestly I didn’t want to ride, I was cold, wet, muddy and very uncomfortable slip sliding around on my 450 that weighed 20 pounds more from the caked mud. But what happened is, it made me dig deep down and even though it was difficult, I rode every moto, I stuck it out and completed what I went to Rupert to do. Honestly at the end of the weekend I felt good about making it and I was proud of my team mates for doing the same. I thought about it all in relation to kicking the tobacco habit. It’s difficult, it’s uncomfortable at times but the payoff at the end is worth the fight. Plain and simple, you’ll feel good about your accomplishment and you’ll feel better physically. It’s a win, win situation. Project Filter… “You Tell Us When and We’ll Show You How”.

On a lighter note, my co-workers did say that my skin looks better from the mud bath that I was in all weekend. Lol….

Well that puts round #1 in the record books. I am looking forward to round #2 which is being held at Owyhee Motorcycle Club (OMC) right here in Boise, over Easter weekend. Thank you all for your support for Project Filter and I hope to see ya at the next round.

"A Commitment To Excellence"

“A Commitment to Excellence”

Hey this is Ed Barnowski #34; I am a sponsored Motocross Rider for “Project Filter”, Idaho’s Tobacco Prevention Program. Now is the time of the year that I am methodically preparing for the 2012 racing season that will officially kick off in March. The holidays were great; they gave me some much needed family time, a little relaxation and time to refocus on some priorities.

As I prepare for the 2012 Racing Season I have to think about all of the things that come along with it, the commitment, the incentive, the end result and what I am focusing on to achieve. Being a part of the Project Filter program has given me the opportunity to take a seat in the front row, in the fight for a tobacco free Idaho. It is a privilege to represent Project Filter and help to educate the public about the resources available to help individuals quit using tobacco.

Project Filter chooses sponsorships to target sporting events where the tobacco industry heavily promotes their messages and people would most likely use tobacco. Project Filter has assembled a Team of role models that are professional, inspirational and talented in their respected sports. The Project Filter Team reaches fans spread throughout Idaho; these are the same people that are marketed so heavily by the big tobacco companies. Each member of Project Filters Team brings a unique message about the importance of quitting or remaining tobacco free. This endeavor helps to change the belief that tobacco use is normal, “cool” or acceptable behavior at sporting events. Project Filters commitment is, “You Decide When. We’ll Show You How”! How cool is that!

A big part of this commitment to excellence is my commitment to the support of this program, for the education of the negative effects of tobacco and the commitment to excellence in health. In Idaho, smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. More than 15,000 Idahoans die from smoking related diseases annually and at an average of four people per day. If you were to search, it is pretty hard to find a person that has not experienced a special someone, a family member or a friend that has not suffered through the negative effects of tobacco use.

Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death globally. Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cancers of the lungs and mouth and pancreatic cancer.
Tobacco is devastating to the performance of athletes. One of the main impacts of smoking on athletic performance is a decrease in lung function. For athletes this means a decrease in stamina and performance because muscles that get inadequate oxygen become fatigued more quickly. Smokers also tend to suffer from shortness of breath because their muscles and heart demand more oxygen than their lungs are able to supply. Another impact that smoking has on athletes is its affect on heart and circulatory health. Smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict and become blocked with plaque and can also increase blood pressure. Constricted blood vessels reduce blood flow to the muscles, further limiting the amount of oxygen the muscles receive. Loss of blood flow can significantly reduce muscular endurance, while the heart itself may also tire more quickly, as it works harder than it should to pump blood through clogged vessels.

Another disadvantage of smoking for athletes is that it can lead to greater chance of injury. Oxygen restriction to the muscles, heart and brain cause mental and physical sharpness to drop. This can cause athletes to make poor decisions and become dizzy or faint while engaged in physical activity. Smoking also reduces the strength of bones and inhibits the body’s ability to heal, skin, ligaments and tendons.

There are No advantages to using tobacco either as an athlete or as an individual. How could I compete at the top of my game in Motocross with a decrease in lung function or constricted and clogged blood vessels that are going to affect my stamina, performance and endurance? In Motocross I need my mind to be sharp and I ultimately need stamina and endurance to battle through the conditions that I encounter. I know I don’t want my heart to have to work harder by having to pump blood through clogged vessels. And if by chance I get hurt, which happens often in this demanding sport, I don’t want to have to sit on the bench for a longer period of time because my body won’t heal. Nor do I want to be more susceptible to injury because my bones have been weakened from the use of tobacco.

For me, it’s all about choices; it’s a choice of be committed to a healthier lifestyle, a choice of being committed to a cause and the choice to take a stand for something that I believe in and am in full support of. I invite you to Fight the Fight with me. If you are currently a tobacco user, just tell us when you’re ready to quit and we’ll show you how. Project Filter knows quitting isn’t easy. Studies show that nicotine replacement therapies (NRT’s) increase the success of quitting by 50 – 70 %. You can get help by contacting www.idaho.quitnet.com or by calling 1-800-Quit- Now (1-800-784-8669). A free Quit Coach will help you sign up for your free Nicotine Replacement Therapies in the form of patches, gum or lozenges. Remember, ending your tobacco addiction is one of the most important health decisions you can make. If you just want to help Fight the Fight you can join the Tobacco Free Idaho Alliance (TFIA) in support of tobacco free statewide prevention, reduction and cessation efforts.

I am excited for this 2012 season and my focus in this commitment is to be an active contributor to the reduction of tobacco use in our great state. I am focusing to educate the public in support of a healthier lifestyle for all. A Win in the reduction of tobacco use is equally as satisfying to a Win on the Motocross Track. Check out Project Filter at www.projectfilter.org , be a part of the Team and join me in this “Commitment to Excellence”.

Ed Barnowski

references; www.projectfilter.org; How Does Smoking Affect Athletes? By Gregory Hamel

Idaho Thunder Mountain Motocross Series Final Round, 13 August, 2011

This past Saturday was the Final Round of the Idaho Thunder Mountain Motocross Series at OMC (Owyhee Motorcycle Club). This Thunder Mountain Series was outstanding! We traveled from OMC to, Idaho Falls, Salmon, Preston and Rupert. We had the opportunity to battle other riders from the EIMA and the RMX Series, this included riders from Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. We endured all Mother Nature had to offer throughout the series and the cool thing is that we did it as a Team, the Project Filter Team in support of and Fighting the Fight for a Tobacco Free Idaho!

I won the over Thirty and the over Forty Vet class championships for the series! I would like to Thank Project Filter for their sponsorship and for affording me this opportunity to represent a great cause. My Project Filter backed KX450 allowed me to charge through the various tracks and conditions without any problems. I would like to thank Carls Cycle Sales for their support for me and for the Project Filter Team. Thank You to Pro Moto Billet for giving us the opportunity to run your products, they are awesome. Thank You to all of the Project Filter Motocross Team fans, being tobacco free makes you part of the team and we appreciate your support.

I would also like to thank my family, my wife Ann, Nate, Emily, Lindsay, Elyssa and Mallory for all their support. They come out to the races, battle the elements, cheer me on, help me set up, tear down, sweep my gates and help to show their support for Project Filter too. They make it Fun and that’s what it’s all about. I’ve always said, “Motocross is a family sport”. That family includes your immediate, your team and your extended family which is all of the great people that you see weekend after weekend hanging out in the dust and dirt together and enjoying this great sport we call Motocross.

Next week Dani and I are headed to Couer D’ Alene for arenacross, I still have two more rounds of the WIMS, the Big Nasty and the grand finale, “Idaho Supercross”.

See Ya at the Races!

Idaho Thunder Mountain Motocross Series Round #5, Rupert, Idaho 15, 16, 17 July, 2011

Round five of the series was held at the Minadoka Fair Grounds in Rupert Idaho. The Rupert Motocross track is located at the hometown fair grounds and inside of the horse racing track. It is a great facility and definitely has a hometown feel. This setting fits Motocross perfectly because that is what we are all about; family friendly fun.

The Rupert track is very busy; it offers jumps, bumps, off camber corners, ruts and definitely keeps you on your toes. I’ll be honest, I struggle with this one, I did the last time I was here and this weekend proved to be no different for me.

Saturday was a tough day for the Project Filter Team, it seemed as though we were all a little off our mark. I managed to pull off a third place finish in my over 40 class. In the over thirties I ran mid pack the first moto and had a hard get off in the second that shut me down for an entire lap. Normally my Project Filter KX450 shoots me to the front of the pack but I got a terrible start in the second moto. As I rounded the first turn, mid pack, I spotted an opening right up the center; I grabbed a fist full of throttle and shot through it which set me in about third place. What I failed to remember was the huge ruts that had developed going into the next turn. I found myself completely cross rutted and before I could correct it I hit the ground, hard. It took the breath out of me and once I finally realized what had happened I could see that my bike was on top of me. The 450 becomes pretty heavy in that situation so I welcomed the help of a nearby flagger to get it off of me. I got myself resituated and took off to finish the moto. I ended up with a mid pack over all finish for the day.

I was pretty sore on Sunday from the crash and I’ll have to admit a little leery of the ruts but I managed to hold it together for another third place finish in the over 40’s and again mid pack in the over thirties.
On a positive note, Rupert had the pleasure of a surprise visit from AMA Pro Racer, Cole Siebler #171. Cole is tobacco free and proudly flies the Project Filter logo on his bikes. Cole rode all three Pro classes for the day and won all six motos that he contested. It was awesome to watch him maneuver the track with a blistering speed as he made it look almost effortless.

This was one of those weekends that causes you to regroup. I’m headed back to the drawing board to take a look at what went wrong and figure out how to make it better! Thank You to Project Filter for providing us the opportunity to represent and to support an outstanding program.

There’s just one more round to go for the Idaho Thunder Mountain Series. The last Round is in Boise at Owyhee Motorcycle Club, 13 August, 2011.

See Ya There!

Thunder Mountain Motocross Series, Salmon Idaho - 2, 3 July 2011

The Project Filter Motocross Team traveled to Salmon Idaho to celebrate the 4th of July weekend with the Lemhi County Community and at the annual Salmon Motocross. It’s always a great trip to Salmon, the scenery is great and their Motocross Community is always glad to have us. The Sacajawea Motocross Club is an all volunteer force made up of people that do it for the love of the sport. The Salmon track is pure motocross. The track is notoriously, dry, slick and brutally rough this time of year. The volunteer track crew does the best that they can with limited resources. Another cool thing about this race is it draws quite a few riders from Montana and it gives us a chance to mix it up with some different competition.

The Salmon Motocross motto is “Go Big or Go Home”, which is in reference to the big air jumps that they have on the track. They have a knarly set of doubles that claims someone every year, a big downhill that gives you the opportunity to fly over one hundred feet, if you can, and a table top that launches you into orbit, if you dare. They’re fun; you just have to keep them into perspective. I watched two of my Vet buddies go away this weekend, one with some possible broken ribs and the other hobbling on a swollen knee. I was able to keep it under control and rubber side down.

As usual my Project Filter backed KX450F was running awesome, it was in the 90’s over the weekend and I was feeling great myself. I actually prefer racing in the heat. Part of my training for motocross is running and I always wait to run in the heat of the day, it helps to get me ready for these 90 degree race days. I raced in my two classes over the two days and won all eight motos that I rode. I take care of my body so that I can do the things that I love and that I am able to perform at a competitive level in this sport. There are a lot of Vet guys that don’t ride two classes because it is so physically demanding. I know, without a doubt that my body would not be able to perform at this level if I was under the truly Negative effects of tobacco.

I had a couple of great conversations with people about Project Filter, the programs that are available and the resources that are offered to help them quit. I talked with one person that I met last year, he hasn’t quit yet but he still wants to and he says he’s ready, he said he wants to be able to do more things with his kids. He sounded completely disgusted with the habit and I’m confident that he is going to do it; I’m going to check up on him in Rupert.

The next round of the series is in two weeks in Rupert, Idaho. Thanks for being a part of the team and I hope to see ya there………

Western Idaho Motocross Series (WIMS) Round #3, Pleasant Valley Raceway 25 June, 2011

Saturday afternoon I loaded up the Iron Horse from the Boise Rec Fest and headed out to Pleasant Valley Raceway for the 3rd Round of the WIMS (Western Idaho Motocross Series). The weather was perfect and I was anxious to get out on the track. I like the Saturday Night Races, it’s a totally different feel and the Pleasant Valley track is fun to ride. This track definitely tests your technical abilities and throttle control skills.

It was an awesome night. I really feel comfortable on this track; I was riding well and my Project Filter backed KX450F was ready to roll. I busted out of the first moto gate and made it through the first turn in second place. I was having a pretty good battle with an unfamiliar rider. We went several laps with not more than a bike length between us when suddenly he lost it in a right hand sweeper, I ducked underneath him and I was gone, taking the moto win.

I knew he would be after me in the second moto because if you can come back from a second place in the first and take the second moto win, you’ll take the overall. I was able to get the holeshot in the second moto and the race was on. Again, we went several laps and he was pressuring me pretty hard. Sometimes it’s good to be in second because you can pressure the leader and wait for a mistake to be made. As we headed into the long doubles on the backside I couldn’t hear his bike anymore, I don’t like to look behind me but I did because I couldn’t figure out what happened, he just dropped right off the pace. I ended up taking the second moto win and the overall. I found out after the race that his bike stalled on him and by the time he got it going, I was gone. It was a good race; I enjoy the competition and a little bar to bar action.

What a great night, I got to talk with a couple of people that were at the Boise Rec Fest and that I had seen earlier I the day. Thank You Project Filter for my opportunity to represent! What an awesome organization doing it for an outstanding cause and through a wonderful sport!!

Were headed to Salmon for Round #4 of the Thunder Mountain Series, It’s sure to be a good one, “Go Big or Go Home Boise!” Stay Tuned……

Boise Rec Fest 2011

This Saturday I helped to man the Project Filter booth at the Boise Rec Fest. What a great event, the weather was amazing and there were a lot of people out and about enjoying the sun shine. I’ll have to say , I wondered how effective Project Filter would be at this event since we try to target events where people would most likely use tobacco products but as the morning went on it all began to make sense.
The Boise Rec fest tends to draw a more healthy conscious crowd but the cool thing that I experienced while manning the booth was chatting with the people who came up to talk about their experiences with quitting tobacco. Several people said that they had used the programs that Project Filter offer and that they were really glad to have had the free product support. Most everyone talks about how hard it is to quit but once they finally get through it, they say that they are so glad that they did.

I talked to one person that said he has always been an avid runner, even when he was a smoker. He said that he would go for a run and the first thing he would do when he was done, is smoke a cigarette. Oh, and cough so hard that he thought his lungs going to come right out of his throat. He said it wasn’t enjoyable at all and it made him want to quit running. Well fortunately instead of quitting running he quit smoking. He raved about how much better he feels and how much more he enjoys his runs. He said he can run farther and with much more ease than ever before. It’s a proven fact that kicking the habit will make you perform better, it has immediate health benefits, your circulation will improve and your lungs will start to repair the damage, positive effects for the body will start within the first twenty four hours.

I also talked to several people who didn’t use tobacco but knew someone who did and wanted them to quit. They took information about the program and wanted to use it to encourage the people that they care about in their lives, to quit. I thought that was really cool, to care enough about someone to want to help them quit and want to see them improve their quality of life. I had one young man tell me that smoking killed his grandma and he was glad that we were there because he didn’t want anyone else have to go through what he did. He said that he will never use tobacco and I told him that was a great decision.

It was a great day, I heard some really good genuine stories about how Project Filter has helped people quit and how much better people feel once they have. That’s the payoff, I have heard it many times and it makes me feel awesome to be a part of building a healthier community and such an outstanding program….. Thank You Project Filter!