Mind vs body

[rustychain]

A book a few years back explored mental preparation. "The inner game of Golf" is good for any sport IMO. Getting in the zone is something that you can program into your head. Rehearse the race in your head down to the smallest details. Enclude how you will react to changes. See yourself in control. It sounds like mumbo jumbo but it works. You will focus on those thing that will help you do your best and avoid distractions. I used this method in the sport of fencing (saber) and won my state. 90 percent is mental even in bike racing.

[rockymtnway]

Your confidence in your training should build confidence in your racing. If you know you've got the base miles in, you know you've done the hard efforts you need, you know you have the skills, and you know the course, then you just have to remind yourself of that on the line. I get butterflies before every race. It's one of the things I enjoy about racing, but reassure yourself that you're ready for this when they come.

I play mind games with myself when I'm nervous. If I have somebody riding on my back wheel on a techical descent, I start humming or whistling to "take me to my happy place." When I'm not looking through corners far enough to hold my line, I shoot invisible spider webs to the far side of the corner an pull myself toward the end of the web, then shoot another one to the exit. When I'm having a poor start for some reason, I do what I can to stay in the pack until I settle into my pace, then go hunting. I draw a target on the back of every rider and start picking them off.

Crashing is a tough one. Once you lose the flow of the race or get hurt, you really have to start turning the pedals again and place the crash itself out of your head. Focus on something that inspires you. Most races in Colorado don't allow iPods, but it's worth listening to 2-3 songs that light a fire under your a$$ and get you jammin' just before the race. When you crash you can pull that song up in your memory and just focus on it. After I start to settle in, then I just start painting targets again.

Happy hunting.

[Xokz]

For me personally, the best thing is just to listen to my mp3 player.
I know that i am well prepared and that i don't need to be afraid.
The mp3 helps me against stress (in big races) and it just gets my mind of things.

[IanB]

As rockymtnway says, confidence in your preparation is crucial to put you in the right mind set. When I'm on the start line I'm generally quiet running through the course in my head and thinking about a race strategy. I avoid talking to others as it distracts my inward preparation. I think about how strong I've felt leading up the event and that I've done more than everyone else (I may not have, but thinking it helps).

There are difference levels of pain though. I race XC a bit, but mainly enduro 6-24hr stuff. XC pain hurts a lot, but I can deal with as I know it won't last as long as the slightly less painful enduro. The 24hr solo races are the toughest (suprise suprise), as its as much in your head as the body after 10hrs or so. I had a really bad 24hr race in June where I struggled mentally for the first 10hrs before getting my head together and riding out the last 14. I nearly jacked it in after 4, 8 and 10 hours but found the will to keep going. It was my worst race experience by a long way, but in a way it as my best. If I'd have quit, I'd have gained nothing, learnt nothing. By finishing I proved a lot to myself about riding through bad times where the body is strong but the mind is weak. I knew that it wouldn't ever be that bad again. Eight weeks later I did another 24hr, one of my best races. I was better prepared in every respect. It rained for best part of 15 hrs and it was very tough to keep it together, but by trying to "enjoy" the difficult conditions gives you an edge over the competition.

For 24hr I don't listen to music either. I couldn't tell you what occupies my mind for that time, but I just find stuff - pedalling, smooth lines, drinking, eating, hanging on someones back wheel as close as I can without touching it, passing people, sunset, sunrise...etc.

I think ultimately, the more you ride (to a point), the better you get, and the more you race the more experienced you get, physically and mentally.

Cheers,

Ian

[rohaimie]

First 5 are very good, but rest I don't fully agree. These are things one should not have time to think, they must be honed in technique training so well. Pounding other side is pure rubbish. One may alternate emphasis from slightly more pulling up pedals to slightly more pushing down, but never left-right. It ruins your smoothness.

I agree about pedalling smoothly. this is not something i would do for an entire time trial, but something to get you through the last 1-3 minutes of a brutal effort. yes, i will also pull up slightly in alternating patterns to recruit the underutilized power of the hamstrings.

with regard to #7, changing saddle position and cadence, i mean if you notice your cadence slipping, move forward on the seat and shift to a lower gear and spin faster (uses more quads), or move rearward slightly and use a bigger gear (more glutes). this keeps you fresher.

i also forgot to mention envisioning glory and getting hot chicks from being an uber stud.

I think u meant change sitting position instead of changing saddle position to be exact,am i right?

[BBAGDAN]

right, change your position on the saddle, not change the saddle's position.