Cycling Psychology
peanut1978
Posts: 1,031
In short, I am usually defeated mentally long before my body should be giving up.
eg, long climbs or fast apr mind switches off just after sending this thought "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!?"
Really enjoy cycling and enjoy it the most on the few occassions that I have managed to push past this point.
Any advice?
eg, long climbs or fast apr mind switches off just after sending this thought "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!?"
Really enjoy cycling and enjoy it the most on the few occassions that I have managed to push past this point.
Any advice?
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The main thing is enjoying cycling - but the only way to get up hills etc is to pursevere! [ did I spell that right? ]
With hills the trick is to find a pace that you can go at all day - once you are in that pace hills fly by - just dont burn yourself out at the wrong times or try to go too fast to start with. Following that its just a case of pratice and purseverance.0 -
Things I do on hills to keep me motivated:
-try and improve on my best time
-try and maintain a certain speed or not drop below a certain speed
-try and improve on the gearing I go up in (e.g. last year I used to do a hill near me in my 27 cog. Within a few weeks I would do it in the 23. )
But I do have days where I plod up hills and wonder why I am doing this!0 -
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I'd suggest riding with others, it's a great motivator.
Social rides at first with riders of similar ability if possible, then club rides and sportives.
In fact i'd go so far and say the best rides I've ever had have been social rides, before you know it you've done a day in the saddle, climbed those killers hills and had a good chat at the same time.
I find long rides alone tedious and sometimes pointless if it wasn't for the fact that i'm stubborn as hell i'd most likely turn around and go home.Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Ride with others.
Ride solo - Lance reckons that's where the toughest mental conditioning comes from.
Persevere with hill climbing. I used to swear all the way up them. Now I love it.
They still suck but I'm getting a lot better at it.
Enjoy the riding.0 -
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Hills luv em! 20 left leg hard push, 20 righth leg hard push, 20 right leg pulling up , 20 left leg pulling up, count of 20 sprint, then back to start, also try reducing the gearing and unclipping one leg, and just use the other one, awesome,
the more you do the better you will become, they will still make you work; however you will leave other riders behind very quickly,
RTC out.
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If you are really asking "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!?" then you are not clear about your goals
If I ride with a cycling racing club "club run" I am usually dropped because I think "ICBA sticking with them" Racing is not one of my goals.
OTOH I have got to the half way point on a 600km ride with one working gear and only the dim small backup light working and managed to finish
If you want to ride long climbs then make it a goal. Make it a science, know how to do it: learn all the tricks and do them
When I was in my first year of proper riding I remember climbing one of Devons fine hills, refusing to let it beat me and when I got to the top my legs were actually convulsing. I remember doing a training time trial and getting tunnel vision, presumably from lack of oxygen. I remember my first 300km ride when I was attacked by a buzzard.
The main thing to bear in mind is that you are doing this for fun0 -
vorsprung wrote:If you are really asking "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!?" then you are not clear about your goals
If I ride with a cycling racing club "club run" I am usually dropped because I think "ICBA sticking with them" Racing is not one of my goals.
OTOH I have got to the half way point on a 600km ride with one working gear and only the dim small backup light working and managed to finish
If you want to ride long climbs then make it a goal. Make it a science, know how to do it: learn all the tricks and do them
When I was in my first year of proper riding I remember climbing one of Devons fine hills, refusing to let it beat me and when I got to the top my legs were actually convulsing. I remember doing a training time trial and getting tunnel vision, presumably from lack of oxygen. I remember my first 300km ride when I was attacked by a buzzard.
The main thing to bear in mind is that you are doing this for fun
Brother I feel the passion, and agree completely!0 -
Woah, in fairness to the OP, my best cycling experience ever (riding in the Pyrenees) started with a day where my brain was screaming "why have you spent all those hours training and spent loads of money for something that's so horrible". It was beyond bad. Horrible moment.
I got through it, partially, and metaphorically sat in that horrible corner of my head that kept my body suffering, internally shouting at it untill I had enough brain power to realise where I was and start imagining who I was racing (and beating), i.e. the Tour.
S'what turned into a real epiphany week for me.0 -
first thing to do is accept that the mind will give up way, way sooner than the body, once you've accepted this, you can tell your mind to sod off
I find that, at least in races, the achievement when I am finished outweights any physical pain, and tell myself this when I am hurting.
On hard commutes, or training rides, I tend to fantasize about a "gift" or treat I'll give myself when I get back, be that a bagel and coffee, or an extended scolding hot shower, I find that helps my brain get through.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:Woah, in fairness to the OP, my best cycling experience ever (riding in the Pyrenees) started with a day where my brain was screaming "why have you spent all those hours training and spent loads of money for something that's so horrible". It was beyond bad. Horrible moment.
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That's good to read.....heading to the Pyrenees in June
I went out at the weekend and planned to do 4 or 5 laps of a 9 mile circuit that the club I've just joined uses.
It's a bit undulating with a couple of short, sharp rises.
It was cold and I've got a bit of a cold but I packed after 45 mins
Just wasn't feeling the love even though my average speed was normal so I wasn't doing any worse than normal.
Normally I try to use the forthcoming Pyrenees trip as motivation or that I want to feel better than my mate when we get there:)0 -
jonmack wrote: +1 0
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RC856 wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Woah, in fairness to the OP, my best cycling experience ever (riding in the Pyrenees) started with a day where my brain was screaming "why have you spent all those hours training and spent loads of money for something that's so horrible". It was beyond bad. Horrible moment.
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That's good to read.....heading to the Pyrenees in June
I went out at the weekend and planned to do 4 or 5 laps of a 9 mile circuit that the club I've just joined uses.
It's a bit undulating with a couple of short, sharp rises.
It was cold and I've got a bit of a cold but I packed after 45 mins
Just wasn't feeling the love even though my average speed was normal so I wasn't doing any worse than normal.
Normally I try to use the forthcoming Pyrenees trip as motivation or that I want to feel better than my mate when we get there:)
You won't feel any better (!) At best, you'll arrive at the top of the climbs first. But to be honest, in my experience, the mountain always wins.0 -
the mountain always wins.
Everytime in my case! Had 2 weeks in the Alps a few years ago and while it felt a bit 'easier' as we seemed to get fitter by riding the cols, it was always hard.
Ventoux was just torture for me when we did that. Won by a mile!
The descent was quite good though!0 -
Ironic, isn't it, that often the best cycling moments come out of some of the hardest and most unpleasant rides.
If it doesn't hurt and make you want to quit, it's probably just another boring ride. :oops:
Whoever said to ride with others hit the nail on the head. Best way to improve in my books As long as they are better than you.
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danowat wrote:first thing to do is accept that the mind will give up way, way sooner than the body, once you've accepted this, you can tell your mind to sod off
Maybe it was delivered a little tongue in cheek, but that's a bloody brilliant post!
If you decide you're a quitter, then that's the sort of person you'll be. Decide to succeed and you'll succeed. It's that simple. Honestly. Give it a try.I'm at that difficult age... somewhere between birth and death.0 -
I pretend there are loads of saucy women cheering me on from the side of the road, nurses, secretaries that sort of thing.......not really.
Just dig in. The harder it gets, the more you will get out of it and relish the torment. I just have a mantra in my head that says never give up over and over again. I compare hard moments when cycling to past periods of my life and channel it in, sounds ballcakes but it works ok for me. Stick at it mate and you will be fine.0 -
dmclite wrote:I pretend there are loads of saucy women cheering me on from the side of the road, nurses, secretaries that sort of thing.......not really.
Just dig in. The harder it gets, the more you will get out of it and relish the torment. I just have a mantra in my head that says never give up over and over again. I compare hard moments when cycling to past periods of my life and channel it in, sounds ballcakes but it works ok for me. Stick at it mate and you will be fine.
Works for me too, 0 -
CarbonCopy wrote:dmclite wrote:I pretend there are loads of saucy women cheering me on from the side of the road, nurses, secretaries that sort of thing.......not really.
Just dig in. The harder it gets, the more you will get out of it and relish the torment. I just have a mantra in my head that says never give up over and over again. I compare hard moments when cycling to past periods of my life and channel it in, sounds ballcakes but it works ok for me. Stick at it mate and you will be fine.
Works for me too,
I thought it was just me!?
I think about pretty girls. :oops: 8) :oops: 8) :twisted: :oops: :shock: :oops: 8) 0 -
ireland57 wrote:CarbonCopy wrote:dmclite wrote:I pretend there are loads of saucy women cheering me on from the side of the road, nurses, secretaries that sort of thing.......not really.
Just dig in. The harder it gets, the more you will get out of it and relish the torment. I just have a mantra in my head that says never give up over and over again. I compare hard moments when cycling to past periods of my life and channel it in, sounds ballcakes but it works ok for me. Stick at it mate and you will be fine.
Works for me too,
I thought it was just me!?
I think about pretty girls. :oops: 8) :oops: 8) :twisted: :oops: :shock: :oops: 8)
Does that make riding awkward at all? 0 -
Adamski91 wrote:ireland57 wrote:CarbonCopy wrote:dmclite wrote:I pretend there are loads of saucy women cheering me on from the side of the road, nurses, secretaries that sort of thing.......not really.
Just dig in. The harder it gets, the more you will get out of it and relish the torment. I just have a mantra in my head that says never give up over and over again. I compare hard moments when cycling to past periods of my life and channel it in, sounds ballcakes but it works ok for me. Stick at it mate and you will be fine.
Works for me too,
I thought it was just me!?
I think about pretty girls. :oops: 8) :oops: 8) :twisted: :oops: :shock: :oops: 8)
Does that make riding awkward at all?
Nah, helps "it" from getting numb 8)0 -
I must be odd, I love the torture.0
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Rick Chasey wrote:You won't feel any better (!) At best, you'll arrive at the top of the climbs first. But to be honest, in my experience, the mountain always wins.
Maybe I just set my sights lower but if I get up without stopping then I have "won". Beat Tourmalet for the first time this year and knowing that I went on to "beat" every other Col between there and Perpignan.0 -
Butterd2 wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:You won't feel any better (!) At best, you'll arrive at the top of the climbs first. But to be honest, in my experience, the mountain always wins.
Maybe I just set my sights lower but if I get up without stopping then I have "won". Beat Tourmalet for the first time this year and knowing that I went on to "beat" every other Col between there and Perpignan.
Haha, it's true.
It's more that the mountains always leave me a broken man. There is no change left when I've got to the top. Totally spent. Every time.0 -
Wheelie Bin wrote:danowat wrote:first thing to do is accept that the mind will give up way, way sooner than the body, once you've accepted this, you can tell your mind to sod off
Maybe it was delivered a little tongue in cheek, but that's a bloody brilliant post!
If you decide you're a quitter, then that's the sort of person you'll be. Decide to succeed and you'll succeed. It's that simple. Honestly. Give it a try.
Many a true word is spoken in jest. Telling the mind to sod off is exactly what I do. It is like having a tetchy kid in the back of the car. Give it something simple and repetitive to play with. May sound weird, but I usually strike up a mantra (simple phrase repeated) in order to empty my head. On the Alpe d'Huez, I was so scared of failing that all I could think of was "me-di-ta-tion me-di-ta-tion", but it still worked.
Oh, and don't look up, ever, just keep pedalling until the road flattens out.0
