A few years ago, I went through a season where I gave up whenever things got hard. When faced with a challenge in life or on the bike, I recoiled while the thoughts of “I can’t do this” or “this is too hard” took over my brain. There are a lot of reasons why this was happening – low self-esteem and confidence, results-based focus, and joyless participation are some of the main factors.
At any race, you can spot the athletes who are experiencing the same things that I just described. They stick out like a sore thumb. Their heads may be hung, they have a glazed look in their eyes, and sometimes, they’re even just soft-pedalling around. Whenever I see this kind of racing, I’m reminded of the time that I gave up. But, I’m also reminded of how I found my own strength and managed to turn my racing around.
I think we’ll all go through periods of time where racing doesn’t go our way and it seems “too hard”. But the truth is, racing is always hard. It’s just a matter of how your brain processes that challenge. Over the course of the last 4 seasons, I’ve developed a strong mental plan that bolsters me when I’m challenged. I use these mental tricks both in preparation for a race and during the race. These tactics are the reason I give 100%, no matter what the outcome of the race is going to be:
- Making a list of what motivates you. Knowing why you are racing is important – this is what drives you to go all out. Are you motivated by the thought of winning? Of glory? Of pushing yourself? Or, maybe, by a love of the game? These are all great motivators. For me, nothing drives me so much as the desire to lay everything out there. I crave the exhaustion and satisfaction that can only come after 100% effort.
- Develop a sense of respect for your opponents, yourself, and the sport. By respecting your opponents, you acknowledge that they are skilled and worthy of competition. By respecting yourself, you become committed to the effort and the hours of preparation that you’ve put in. And by respecting the sport, you recognize that to give anything less than your best would be a disservice to the fans, culture, and institution of competition.
- Focus on yourself. I often pretend that I am racing a bunch of nameless, faceless people. Sort of like when you race the “computer” opponents in Mariokart. This allows me to focus on myself and what I can do to achieve my goals in the current moment. If you’re truly focusing on yourself, then there’s no real room for discouraging thoughts.
- Invest yourself in the process. Try making process goals for each race – concrete things that you can focus on like pedal stroke and speed over a particular feature. Essentially, these are micro goals that keep you moving forward.
- Practice unrelenting and purposeful optimism. Did you watch the Elite Women’s World Championships this past weekend in Nove Mesto? Did you see Emily Batty take a bronze medal in a surprise sprint finish? What do you think would have happened if she’d lost her optimistic and driven attitude on the final lap? Well, she sure wouldn’t be coming home with some hardware. Learn a lesson from her – the race is never over until you cross the finish line.
- Set and revisit long term goals. Sure, some days just won’t go your way. But if you keep pushing, especially on those extra tough days, you might be setting yourself up to win tomorrow.