Being mentally prepared for your ultra distance cycling event is just as important as being physically prepared; just like physical fitness your mental fitness needs training so start now with some techniques to help you reach your successful outcome.
What does being mentally prepared mean?
Being mentally prepared means that you have the psychological skills to deal with any emotional difficulties you might face in your event. Throughout any long events there are numerous things that can happen which could upset us psychologically:
Anxiety is a future based emotion grounded in fear about what we think might/may/could happen. Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and reminding ourselves that the future (and past) do not exist; the only moment that exists is the present and grounding ourselves in the present moment.
When riding your bike you can practise being in the moment by noticing the here and now; the sights, smells and sounds of the moment. Depending on your personal preference you may find you focus better on sights, sounds or smells and it can be nice while you are in the moment to observe that.
Being the present observer can help you manage; when the anxiety starts to build you can just notice that and bring your mind gently back to the present reminding yourself that that is where you want to be, 'in this moment'.
Autopilots is a psychological skill taught by Prof Steven Peters in his books; it's about developing a skill that you can use to override known and often repeated emotional problems. For example, if you know whenever you get a mechanical you get really grumpy about it and that stops you fixing it effectively you could develop a 3 step autopilot:-
1) BREATH deeply for 3.
2) Say to yourself - 'This is annoying but I can handle this no problem and be back on my way.'
3) Say out loud how you are going to fix the problem (provide your own running commentary). Talking to ourselves is known to help concentration.
You can check out this and other great psychological tools in Prof Steven Peters books, 'A Path Through the Jungle' and 'The Chimp Paradox.' Chimp Management also have some great resources you can use in training, racing and life.
In any event there are bits of it that scare us or that we are worried about, whether it's riding at night, dealing with traffic or 'that' climb. You can physically prepare yourself by practising those bits in training either on the course or by recreating the conditions as closely as possible. This also helps you mentally prepare, but you can spend time off the bike preparing your brain (and your body) for those sections too. Here are a few tips:
Visualisation - visualising those sections and imagining yourself in the moment and in particular doing it well in that moment. Imagining how it will feel, what will be happening in your body that will tell you that you are doing it well. It can sometimes help if you already have a memory where you felt strong and fit in a similar situation.
Step routines - having a step routine that you always do when you face your difficult situations can also help prepare your mind and body. For example, if riding at night is daunting having a routine of 'lights on, breath deep, peer (to get your eyes used to the light) might help you get into 'night mode.'
Humour - humour can be a really effective tool for some people to lift their mood; whether it's laughing at yourself, the situation or doing something silly to break the downward mood. Singing silly songs, comparing yourself to a beloved (yet comedic) character when you are acting out, asking yourself ridiculous questions (what would Chuck Norris do?) can all help lighten the mood if it works for you.
Character referencing - another good trick can be to emulate the actions of a beloved (real or fantasy) character at difficult times. For example you could use your favourite hill climbing celebrity to emulate when you are trying to get up a tricky hill (even if you are not as fast) you can think about how they approach long climbs at a steady (for them) pace and try to imitate them.
You might also like to check out our blog on dealing with problems and using the skill AMP.
What you say to yourself about your event, your training, your abilities and your readiness can have a profound impact on how you feel and therefore how you perform. While we can't lie to ourselves, we can look for the positives and go into an event with a positive mindset. It can be a good idea to practise this when people ask you 'are you ready?' 'how do you feel about the event?'
Positive mindsets might include: