Mental Toughness

Pro Cyclist Jan Ullrich

This is probably the best article I’ve read yet on how to improve your mental game. The website also has great information on power, training and cycling. Check it out here.

Found the article posted on another blog

If you don’t read this whole clip at least take this in:

I once asked a champion cyclist how they went so fast for so long. They didn’t mention anything about training, nutrition or recovery. Their reply centred around, “I go as hard as I possibly can, until the pain becomes unbearable, then I back off half-a-turn until it subsides, and that’s the pace I know I can sustain. Because I know I can hurt more if I have to and I now know the pain isn’t as bad as it was; and that makes me happy.” A pro looks at pain as something to be embraced not something to be avoided.

Could I live the life of a pro cyclist?
Let’s turn that question on its head. Could a cycling pro do your job? Whatever job you do today, with all its intricacies, nuances and traps that only you know about because you’ve learnt from years of experience that you won’t find documented in any procedures manual or handbook; could it possibly be done as well as you do it now, by someone practicing for a couple of hours, two nights a week and a bit of a longer session on a week-end morning? The answer is probably a resounding, emphatic, NO!

So, that nails that then. Re-align your expectations to match the efforts and sacrifices you can make. Please don’t think you can go out and buy the Lance Armstrong or Chris Boardman training manuals, follow them to the letter and make yourself a better cyclist. At best you’ll become overtrained; at worst you could make yourself seriously ill. Thinking you can do it and actually doing it are two completely different things. While you’re at work Lance was on his bike or sleeping, that’s the difference.

We’ll never be as fit, as fast, as strong, as durable, or as focussed as a professional cyclist because our next salary cheque doesn’t depend on it. But just as we can buy and ride the same equipment as the pro’s we can learn some mind techniques and tools to help address one of sports biggest factors that’s importance is often overlooked. The mindset.

Changing your mindset is free, it’s capacity to expand is unlimited, it’s something you can’t buy as it’s something you already have. The mindset is something only you can control. It’s the one thing that you can adopt from the pros that will make much, much more difference than duplicating their equipment, training regimens or nutrition strategies.

How a pro thinks

A pro never loses a race; they just ran out of time. “We’d have stayed away if the others had worked.” “We were catching them but we started the chase too late.” “I wasn’t going for the win, this is a preparation race.”

Someone else may win the race but a pro, never loses it. Although attributed to pros, these factors are highlighted in the main by team leaders. A team leader has that extra mental toughness. A pro thinks they’re super human; a team leader believes they are super human. That’s why they’re the team leader.

There may be riders as physically gifted in the team (the super domestiques for instance) but they don’t have that final killer instinct that sees them get stronger as the pressure mounts. I’m not the world’s greatest fan of Lance Armstrong but even the most hardened cynic has to admit his mental strength was beyond question.

Never mind cycling, what about other sports? Senna and Mansell, Schumacher and Hill in F1? Fergusson and Wenger in football? Australia and England at cricket? Sampras and anyone else at tennis? When all of these aforementioned people were on the top of their game the one thing that stood out was their mental strength and fortitude, despite any physical evidence to the contrary.

Even when the odds were stacked against them, they’d find a positive to cling to that they would use to lever open a tiny nick, from which they’d create a gaping hole in the confidence of the opposition. Once inside the head of their opponents it was as good as over.

Motivation

Is your motivation intrinsic or extrinsic? You may not realise the difference first off, but the answer has a massive influence on the success of your expected outcome.

Intrinsically motivated athletes, compete because they want to and because they enjoy the competitive element of pushing their body to its limits. Extrinsically motivated athletes compete because they have to and because they enjoy the external rewards of trophies and fame. Intrinsic athletes are capable of self-motivation, extrinsic athletes require external stimulus (the reward) to gain motivation.

For intrinsics, the prize was never the ultimate aim anyway; it was there as the icing on the cake. If it’s won, it’s won, if not at least they tried their best. Trying your best isn’t in a pro’s vocabulary. To reach your full potential it can’t be in yours.

Keep the persona and attributes of an intrinsic person, because invariably they are nicer people, but when training and preparing for an event flip your mindset to extrinsic. When you throw your leg over that bike youmust become extrinsically motivated. Learn the difference and learn to switch. You cannot begin to imagine how much difference it will make to your training, preparation and success. Extrinsics don’t “go for a ride” they train!

Effort & Intensity
Motivational drive is what gets you through the pain of sustaining race winning efforts and intensities during the non-reward phase of your competition preparations; or training as we call it!

Lance Armstrong always made a big deal out of the six-hour training rides he’d do in the rain, when everyone else was sitting indoors. Do you honestly think that the other pros don’t ride in the rain? It doesn’t matter whether it was true or not, Armstrong believed it. I’m out in the rain, Ullrich’s eating pies, here’s another success in the Tour. An equation that’s as simple as it was flawed. But it’s what kept Armstrong on the bike and it’s what kept him focussed on the prize.

It doesn’t matter what it is or how true or accurate it might be. Find something that you can latch on to that will get you through the effort and intensities you need to prepare for success.

We all have off days and sometimes think I’ll not go out because it’s raining, it’s going to rain, it’s cold, I’m tired etc, etc. Never decide if you’re going to go training until your in your kit and ready to go. Prepare your bike, get your bottles ready, get dressed, put your shoes on, then and only then decide if you really should go out.

Try to convince yourself to at least complete the warm up phase of your session before coming to a final decision. If you still don’t feel fully committed, then go home and use it as a recovery ride for preparation for your next big session! Turn the failed ride in to a positive ride!

Training and Competing

Make an absolute distinction between training and competing. Identify training races or events and use them as preparation for your big day. Don’t ride a series of races or sportives thinking you’re going to win them all. Because if you don’t you’ll enter the failure mindset.

Start your non-objective, preparation events with a preparation mindset. Ride them looking for weaknesses on which you can work to become a better, stronger, faster rider. Identifying a weakness, or under-developed strength(!), is a positive thing. Finding out your climbing could be better is a good thing because now you can develop a training plan to climb better.

Suffering Strategies

Pro’s don’t feel pain the way we do. That’s probably a lie, a better way to explain it is that pro’s don’t think about pain the way we do.

If a pro rider and a non-pro rider, without any external indicators like heart rate monitors or power meters, rode at 90% of their physical capacity, you’d get a different level of perceived effort from each one. The non-pro would indicate that they were flat out, 100%, and couldn’t possibly go any harder. The pro would tell you they were at 80% and could give more if they need to. Same effort, same suffering, different perception.

A pro rider trains very, very intensely or does a recovery ride. Non-pro’s often train in the “dead zone”. Where pro’s ride at 30 mph or 15 mph, non-pro’s almost always train around 20-22 mph. Non-pro’s don’t ride for sustained periods at the extreme levels of their pain threshold. Therefore when they do suffer, the suffering seems more intense.

Instead of going for a three hour, steady, flattish ride, go for a one hour ride screaming up short hills; do some high-intensity speed work, do some sprint intervals. As Dave Whitt says, “hurt in training, enjoy the race.”>

The same level of pain can have two completely different perceptions depending on how it’s being dished out. Consider you’re on the front of a 30-strong group, riding at 25 mph, with your heart coming through your chest, the sweat burning your eyes, the lactate screaming in your legs, a finishing sprint coming up, and the man behind you can’t hold your wheel and everyone is being strung out and getting dropped.

Now imagine all those sensations but you’re the last man of that 30 strong group. The same level of pain has a completely different feel depending on whether you’re dishing it out or having it dished out to you! And that, dear reader, is all to do with the brain.

The Message

Don’t just think differently, perceive differently.

As I said before this is a massive subject and one to which I can’t really do justice in one article. Start to believe in yourself and your abilities then adjust your objectives to the time, equipment and abilities you have available. Whether you’re trying to achieve an Island Games Medal or completing your first sportive, the effort may be different but the rewards and total satisfaction for an objective well met are exactly the same.

I know a lot of riders that have the physical attributes to be a winner in their category or discipline, they just don’t believe in themselves enough to close the gap between where they are and where they could be. To realize your potential, sometimes it really is as simple as changing your mindset.

Don’t let the Thought Police and your inner voice control your results. Thinking like a pro may not make you ride like a pro but it will make you a better, stronger, happier rider. And it’s a lot easier than an hour on a turbo!

Vancouver Bike Routes

I've gotten questions from a few new riders along with a few people new to Vancouver as to where I typically ride so I decided to compile a list of my most common routes. Keep in mind, the three I have listed are very long, mainly because I typically only do part of these routes on any given day. 

Click on the route title for actual GMAP Pedometer file.

Richmond Route!

Horseshoe Bay/Cypress!

Deep Cove/Seymore!

Biking! WOOO!

Strong Feet are Healthy Feet

Advice

A few month ago I was reading Simon Whitfields blog and he had a few bits of advice for each sport. 
http://simonwhitfield.blogspot.com/2008/11/impact-magazine.html

For swimming: “Find a great Masters squad and just enjoy it. Don’t stress. Don’t stress about what the sets are or whether you’re getting enough stroke work. Remember that’s all noise. Just find a great Masters’ group or a great group of people to swim with. Have fun with it . . . enjoy!”

For the bike: “Find someone who knows what they’re doing on bike position. Get fit properly. And get fit by a fellow who understands triathlon, because we’ve all been corrupted by the guys who know about road cycling. They say, ‘Wow! You triathletes, you don’t know what you’re doing; let me show you.’ And they’ll set you up in a position that’s great for road riding and terrible for running off the bike. So find someone who understands triathlon and the demands of running off the bike, and get fit properly.”

For running: “Strengthen your feet. Read up on drills and exercises that will strengthen your feet. Your feet are so important.”

This really surprised me, I half expected him to have some typical track workout that he likes to focus on. But instead it's straight forward and simple. Keep your feet healthy.

After the marathon, my feet were just crushed. I felt like I had broken all the bones (I hadn't) but it still wasn't good. I decided to take this advice to heart. Using the exercises found here I worked hard at it and had nothing short of a miraculous recovery. I was pretty pumped by this so I figured I would share the knowledge.

Without further ado, here they are. Number 1/5/6 were the ones I focused on most

Back at it.

Before all of these leg issues came up, I had agreed to lead out Monday night long easy runs. Knowing that I had agreed to this, I decided to take the weekend really easy on my legs and stretch all I could with the hope that whatever problems I have had will be gone by then. 

One muscle I noticed this week to be very tight through stretching was my left quads (Coincidence that my left knee was hurting?). How did I discover this? In doing quad stretches

(Sweet Photo)

I noticed that my left foot wasn't going any closer than 6 inches from my bottom. Hypothesizing that this may be the route of my leg problem I began furiously warming up and stretching my left leg. 

Sure enough, coming to tonight's easy run, I managed to make it through the full 40 minute 7.3 km run without any pain. I noticed once or twice a slight twinge but never anything more (and I was hyper paranoid so this is good). 

Now I just need to decided how I feel as to whether I decide to run the 5k time trial on Wednesday, I guess time will only tell. 

Note: In that photo, that is poor stretching, ideally you should have a straight line going through your body down to your knee, without arching your back. Here her knee is forward of her hips, this will cause less efficient stretch, you'll feel as though since you've brought your leg all the way in that your getting full stretch potential, but when you push your knee back, you will notice that your hip flexer gets activated in the stretch as well resulting in much better stretch.

And yup, I'm procrastinating writing my grant proposal, you'll probably see a few more updates this week before Thursday is done!

Surprise Surprise

Over the fall and into the winter I've been doing my stretches and rolling on a small ball for my IT bands (Very similar to a foam roller). All along I thought I was doing this pretty well. My physio way back when told me that if I didn't feel pain when rolling on the ball that I was ahead of the game and that I was keeping my IT bands loose.

Well something I never thought about, little exercise ball, loses air over time. Its not that it was flat, however, it was definitely not as firm as a in the summer. Result being it wasn't applying the same pressure as it used to.

All this to say, I pumped up the little devil last night and did a 15 minute warm up on my bike then stretches for 45 minutes. YOWZA! That little ball brought back the pain. I guess this is a good thing because it means I'm stretching properly again and not just wasting my time. But yikes, sometimes I wonder.

So let that be a lesson for any of you out there, a lot of stretches you learn to do properly at physio and then month down the road you notice your not really getting a stretch anymore. Is this because you've stretched it out so well that your not tight? That definitely doesn't describe any triathlete I know, so take a step back and look at your technique, make sure your still doing it properly, you'll be surprised with how quickly the stretch comes back.

Training in Fear

I've come to realize these past few month that I've been training in fear. I don't really know how to explain this, but ever since the marathon I've been shaken up.

Every workout I do I hold back, worrying that giving it that extra little oomph my be the move that takes me out. I had somewhat diminished this thought from my mind over the fall and into the holidays because I wasn't training all that much, however, now that I've amped up my training, specifically with running I'm feeling little aches and pains which make my mind scream out catastrophe. Is this normal? Is it just that I'm getting older and my body doesn't rebound like it once did? 

Yikes!!! At 23 am I already starting to head over the hill? I sure hope not. Over the past couple years after a hard back to back workouts I would hear people joke about being young. I think these days are starting to catch up to me.

Or maybe I'm simply demanding more out of my training than I ever have before. Where as I would do two back to back practices, they were filled with junk effort where as now I would like to think every workout is more focused on improvement. Is it simply maturity setting in that I am thinking more into the future rather than simply about my aches and pains in the now?

I think its necessary to have some reservations when training, that being said I'm planning on cutting out some of my run practices to air on the safe side rather than be aggressive. A quote one of my coaches from McGill Triathlon Club gave me and I'll always remember (Unfortunately I can't remember which coach told me!) was

"You will never win a race by doing one practice, however, you can lose one."

This is kinda my modo, if I'm going to mess up my training I rather it be on the low side and have to dig deep in a race rather than be burnt out before it even starts. 

Reading in the Bowerman biography in the chapters about Steve Prefontaine, Kenny Moore (author) describes two aspects of Pre which allowed him to succeed, first was pure natural ability, but the second he was able to push and hurt more than anyone else on the track. Now throwing modesty to the wayside, I consider this to be one of my strength, during races I hit pace times that I can't will myself near during practice, but only if I haven't burnt out before the race. If I'm feeling a tinge of injury I wimp out.

What are the thoughts of some of my more veteran athletes? Is this a normal progression training in fear? Does this hold you back? 

Transition Workshop

Unless you've got them mastered, transitions are the easiest way to strip 30 seconds to a minute off your race time.

Sure you say, but I don't want to focus time on transitions and whats 30 seconds  over a 2-3 hour race. Well, just put into perspective how much work you would need to put in the pool to strip 30 seconds off your 1500m pace. That would take month at the least if your a beginner, a year if your a stellar swimmer. There is a reason my old coach from McGill Annie used to make us practice transitions monthly if not more during the summer. Not always the most exciting practice, but definitely essential and it really payed off. 

Following these simple tips, you can strip that time off your transitions in under an hour of practice. These may seem obvious and I'm sure you've all heard them before if you've raced triathlons, however, it never hurts to repeat it.

I wrote this over a few days, so if there are some things that I've missed, leave a comment and I'll make the correction.

Step 1, Keep it Simple

This is the single most important thing to remember for a successful transition.

In my transition all I have on the ground are.

-Helmet

-Glasses

-Running Shoes

-Socks

-Race Belt

-Sometimes Hat

I see so many transitions filled with Fuel belts, extra gels, water bottles, talcum powder for your feet, extra towel, water bucket, extra shirt, shorts, WAY TOO MUCH! Not only will too much stuff confuse you during a transition, but space is often EXTREMELY limited. As you'll see from my photos, it can be cramped, and this was even a generous spot.

I understand the need for a fuel belt if your running a poorly organized marathon with aid stations every 5 km, but for most every race I've ever done, there have been plenty water or Gatoraide.

Try and find a race suit that will accommodate you for all three events, changing is just throwing away time.

Don't get me wrong, I bring power gels and gatoraide on the bike, but I already have them  taped to my bike so I don't need to think about them during the race. Taping gels to your aerobars is what I find easiest. 

Now that you have slimmed down your transition as much as possible, its time to set up.

Step 2, Layout in Order

Place everything on a bright towel that is easily recognized from a distance in order of use. I put my glasses in my helmet and helmet on aerobars so when I exit the water, I throw on my glasses then put on my helmet (Note: If you are going to do this, make sure to place them in the direction so that you don't have to spin them to get them on. 10 seconds later I have both on, I grab my bike and run out of transition. Its as easy as that.

Bike-Run transition is a little trickier, but use the same premise, I put on socks, so I have them on my shoes, result being I can't put my shoes on without moving my socks. Then I have my shoes resting over my hat (if I'm using it) and race belt. These two last things can be put on while moving. 

If you don't have triathlon bike shoes, then you will need to have them on the ground beside your bike. If this is the case, place them in front of your running shoes so that they are most accessible, two reasons for this, you will be using them first and most people during bike dismount can get their feet out of their shoes while on the bike.

You want your swim-bike transition to be the easiest, because you are typically more lightheaded when you exit the water than getting off the bike.

Step 3, Bike Shoes Mount

If you are fortunate enough to have Tri shoes for your bike, the you should have them already clipped in, straps open and in a proper gear before you begin the race. You will need small elastics to strap the shoes to the frame so that when you run they don't fly all over the place and for ease of departure. Personally I find the small black hair elastics, or those that come with vegetables (asparagus, broccoli) to be the best for this, because they aren't very long and snap easily when you apply a little pressure. 

I like having my right shoe forward since I run with my bike on my right, but this is all personal preference. 

Notice small elastics on the back of my shoes.

Most races I have gone to have required it due to space limitations, but even if not I recommend racking your bike by the seat. The reason for this is because if you rack it by the handle bars, as you pull your bike out, the back wheel will spin backwards and move your pedals snapping the elastics.

Step 4, Sighting Your Spot 

One of the most annoying mistakes you can make is getting lost during the race in transition. Sadly I've done this a few times. During the race you come running in, and go straight passed your bike. This is why its really important to RUN throught the transition before the race. Running because things take on a different perspective when your going fast. This goes for the whole transition, finding your bike is great but running the wrong way once you have it is also not good.

I use a really big bright towel that I put under my bike and shoes, this is helpful for two reasons, first being you can spot it from far away, and the second, it can be used to brush your feet quickly as your putting your shoes on. You don't have to pick up the towel to do this, just a quick wipe.

Step 5, Stay relaxed

Racing through transition at full speed will save time, but when your sock is bunched up and gives you blisters 3km into the race, it really won't turn up being worth it. Keep in mind that 5 seconds wasted to make sure things are on track is worth it. I know this goes against everything I've been saying above, but believe me, if your relaxed and thinking clearly you'll probably go even faster.

Step 6, Never Sit Down

I have yet to this day see a fast transition done by someone who sits down. It just isn't done. If you need to sit, its because your not comfortable enough in transition yet. 

I googled slow transition and this is the image I found, looks like she is ready for a picnic or something. Titled Kelly Phares-Zook: Lost in Transition

Rumor has it there was a TV and Tea just outside of the framing of the photo.

Step 7, Speed Laces

Elastic laces are the greatest thing since sliced bread. I won't go into them here much, but if your at the point were cutting off little bits of time is important, I highly recommend getting them. They keep your shoes tight, and never come undone since they are usually locked in. (Note: Some people on their first few times using speed laces get blisters because they apply pressure in different spots than normal laces. Practice with them once or twice first).

Step 8, Getting Out Of Your Wetsuit

Big problem people have (leading cause of sitting down after shoes). The easiest way to get out of a wetsuit is to do so immediately. Don't wait till you get to your bike, start taking it off while your still standing ankle deep in the water. The water that has filled the wetsuit acts like a lubricant to remove the suit, and every second spend not getting it off your arms and torso makes it just that much harder since the water is pouring out the ankles. Quick suggestion though, don't take off your bathing cap and goggles first, this makes arms really hard to get out, simply pop your goggles to your forehead. That should seem like a given, but I've made this mistake twice this summer. Sure a bare head makes for better race photos, but does make transitions trickier. 

Oils of some type (ex Bodyglide) will help you get out of your wetsuit, but be weary, because if you get oil on your hands, could make for a slippery bike ride. Also you want to avoid petroleum based lubricants such as vaseline because over time this will chew up the suit. If you are among the unfortunate who finds it REALLY hard to get out of your wetsuit, I have known people who cut the calfs up, making the suit simply 3-4 inches shorter, the ankle holes are much bigger and easier to get out. Lauren Groves does this, however, with the price I paid for my suit I'm reluctant to actually cut into it.

Thats it. Those are my keys to transition. Using these techniques, excluding the time it takes to get to your bike (Variable due to the race), transitions shouldn't take more than 30 seconds. 

Good luck in your last races of the summer.