Breaking Down

Good evening.

What drives us mentally? Is it music? Image? Glory? Whatever it is, it most likely exists with its antithesis. My drive comes from visualization. I like to make a mental plan of what I am about to do and visualize through that picture. Obviously this creates a major problem if the mental picture suddenly isn’t what I imagined. That is my antithesis.

Recently on a bike ride I found myself in this trap. I was having a good ride, ripping up the road on a beautiful day. When the group changed directions, I suggested a route I thought to be flat and fast. They agreed and off we went. Upon one of my first turns, I was aware that I had pictured a different route in my mind than the one I was riding. The road had some substantial hills. And a headwind. No big deal, I told myself, I will just turn up the inspirational music in my mind and push through it. That was fine and we turned again to a road I was sure was flat and fast. It wasn’t. In fact it had a bigger headwind, and it was gradually uphill for 5 miles. Annoying. I gave in to my frustrations.

Something I failed on epically was my expectation level. If you are to learn anything from me, most likely you should avoid doing what I do. There is nothing wrong with having expectations or visualization, but be super flexible. Had I been super flexible and a little more stoic, I would have survived. Instead, my frustrations mounted as each turn in the road brought a horizon that showed my destination above my handlebars. I kept telling myself that “over the next hill” all would be well. It wasn’t. I broke down. Somewhere in all of this was a lesson. It taught me to either have an exact mental picture, or none at all. Therefore, I would have been a little more conservative and a lot more happy.

Notwithstanding the hilly headwind did end in a picture of debauchery…the three of us with a pitcher of margaritas, lots of laughs and a 5 mile sprint left (in 90 degree weather). However, the behavior on the bike is where I need fixing, and I will. Nothing could risk you from finishing more than frustration. Frustration takes energy and it will also remove you from your game plan, two things that you aren’t benefiting from. In long course events, this could be a nightmare.

Let’s say you are in a 70.3 race. You hop on your bike and it is instant headwind. You turn, still a headwind. Finally after battling wind for 28 miles, you hit the turnaround, only to find that the wind changed and you are still in a headwind. Homicide seems normal at this point. But are you going to let all of your training go to waste? What if this was the race you planned for, bragged about, lusted over and spent energy and time preparing for it? Are you going to let that go because of wind? It makes me wonder if I was racing Sunday and this would have happened. How would I have handled it?

Solution: Plan. Meticulously if you have to. I am the type of person that rides the course 5 times before each race, if in a car or on my bike. I want to feel the course. There is nothing wrong with good preparation; that might have eliminated the unexpected that threw a monkey wrench into my otherwise enjoyable ride.

Until next time, lux aeterna.

Race smart.

-The Mental-ist