The Mental Side of Cycling- Revisited
disgruntledgoat
Posts: 8,957
A while back, in the depths of winter, I posted a thread on here about how I struggled mentally with racing and how a total lack of results since 2006 had completely destroyed my confidence.
However, I just thought I'd share how my season is going and how changing the way I train has altered the way I race too. I've not raced much this year, my goals have been split between Road Racing TIme Trialling and Sportives but I've PB'd in all the 5 TTs I've done, up until yesterday I had ridden to my plan in the 3 RRs I'd ridden, not got a result but felt I couldn't have done any more and rideen 2 Sportives and missed one through illness in one I was the fastest finisher, in the other in the top 10%.
The real measure of how much I've improved mentally came yesterday, though. A really hilly RR on a course I got my last placing on, back in 2006! I only lasted 2 out of the 5 laps, I got dropped when the front guys started sprinting up a steep kick at the bottom of a 2km hill after a sharp corner comng off the descent. In the last few years this would have sent me into despondancy for days afterwards but by the time I got home yesterday, I was happy that I knew WHY I'd missed the cut
1) I was too cautious on the wet descent, meaning I was too far back and couldn't make up the ground (I'd been climbing with the best on the first lap and a half)
2) I've been training to "steady away" in Sportives, leading up to a RAID in the Pyrennees in 2 weeks, not to sprint after a bunch up hill.
3) I rode out to the race in summer gear in the rain and then waited around for an hour getting cold and stiffening up, my climbing legs did not feel right.
So now, I'm just focussed on Tuesdays TT, I know my form hasn't disappeared since my 25 PB last week, and I'm not beating myself up. Just goes to show the role confidence plays in sport!
Sorry for the wall of text, just really pleased with the turn around!
However, I just thought I'd share how my season is going and how changing the way I train has altered the way I race too. I've not raced much this year, my goals have been split between Road Racing TIme Trialling and Sportives but I've PB'd in all the 5 TTs I've done, up until yesterday I had ridden to my plan in the 3 RRs I'd ridden, not got a result but felt I couldn't have done any more and rideen 2 Sportives and missed one through illness in one I was the fastest finisher, in the other in the top 10%.
The real measure of how much I've improved mentally came yesterday, though. A really hilly RR on a course I got my last placing on, back in 2006! I only lasted 2 out of the 5 laps, I got dropped when the front guys started sprinting up a steep kick at the bottom of a 2km hill after a sharp corner comng off the descent. In the last few years this would have sent me into despondancy for days afterwards but by the time I got home yesterday, I was happy that I knew WHY I'd missed the cut
1) I was too cautious on the wet descent, meaning I was too far back and couldn't make up the ground (I'd been climbing with the best on the first lap and a half)
2) I've been training to "steady away" in Sportives, leading up to a RAID in the Pyrennees in 2 weeks, not to sprint after a bunch up hill.
3) I rode out to the race in summer gear in the rain and then waited around for an hour getting cold and stiffening up, my climbing legs did not feel right.
So now, I'm just focussed on Tuesdays TT, I know my form hasn't disappeared since my 25 PB last week, and I'm not beating myself up. Just goes to show the role confidence plays in sport!
Sorry for the wall of text, just really pleased with the turn around!
"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent
@gietvangent
0
Comments
-
Good on ya for the hard work and congrats on the results!
(I know since the first time I finished with the bunch in a race this year it gave me such a mental boost that I have succeeded in every race since. In the past I would get dropped, feel bad and not want to race again. But kept coming back.)
Keep up the hard/good work!!0 -
Nice on Gruntled makes a pleasant change from the mental side of cycling we get in Cake Stop
0
