The mental side of things

supermurph09

Hi

Numerous threads about intervals, how to increase your power and variations on that theme but despite doing a search there doesnt seem to be much on the mental side of cycling. I'd imagine that there have been 0000's of people who had the physical potential to be good but failed because mentally they werent tough enough.

So when you head out on an interval session, or when youre climbing a hill how can you ensure you are pushing to the maximum as opposed to slowing whilst there is still something left in your legs. In addition to that how about nerves? Apart from few hill climbs I don't race but if I'm heading out with the intention of achieving some PB's on the local climbs how can I get myself in the best frame of mind. The other day I was approaching a steep climb in Matlock, no danger of me not getting up it, but I felt nervous (because I wanted to do well) about the effort ahead. Surely a calmer, focussed mind would shave off a few seconds.

Discussion welcome.

meanredspider

It's a good topic. I'm not sure necessarily how you train for it. I did a day's race car training and, far from what I was expecting, the vast majority was about the mental approach (the concept of the "mental backpack" for instance, into which you put your mistakes to avoid dwelling on them). Really very powerful.

The other aspect is that you're far more capable than the realise. You are very much limited by what you believe you can do. I've been unfortunate enough to go through the experience of a child with an aggressive cancer (he's ok now) - a nightmare for any parent. But, on the positive side, it has taught me that I can deal with far worse things than ever I thought before that I could. It's incredibly empowering - I now believe I can deal with just about anything. Suffering in a climb? That's not really suffering - after all, you can just stop and get off if you want. I didn't have that option with my son. Nor did he. Again, it gives me massive strength just to press on. I heard, from a psychology masters student, that you really need to go through something pretty bad to unlock this mental capacity and that's not something I'd wish on my worst enemy. But if, in some way, you can tap into something of this, it will move you a long way.

supermurph09

First all I'm glad you story worked out ok but I think you make some good points in there. I've read a number of things from riders about their training sessions and about teaching yourself to turn off the pain but never how they actually do this. Of course it will be individual and maybe they don't want to give away their edge but it does seem to be a topic that is largely ingnore in any training plan that is out there.

As you say, you are limited by what you believe you can do and I would wager that the brain does have to tell you to stop as a self defense mechanism, its reaching nearer to the limit of what that level is that I find interesting. I wonder if any of the coaches on here could explain how much emphasis they put on the mental side of things with their atheletes.

Mikey23

Almost all. Pretty easy to organise training. Speed reps, hill reps, fartlek, endurance, recovery. The ones who will succeed are not necessarily the most talented or even the quickest. Nearly always the ones with mental toughness and application and who will push on when it hurts and will a will to win. Happens everywhere in life

supermurph09

Hard to disagree with that Mikey.