Races are won on many different levels. It's not just the winning move or the perfect team tactics on the last lap that contribute to a win. It's the preparation at all levels, ranging from proper nutrition to a positive mental attitude, that wins races.
Mental preparation is often under rated by amateur endurance athletes. All too often people believe that physical preparation is all that is needed to get them to the finish line. What people fail to pick up is that professional athletes often rely upon a team of psychiatrists to get them in the best possible frame of mind to complete their events.
Negative thinking is at the root of a lot of problems. Riders believe that they can't do something and so, of course, they can't. They may have negative thoughts before or during a race. They may misinterpret pain as a sign that they are about to blow up when, in reality, they are simply riding hard. They frequently believe that they are the only ones that are suffering. They may see a mental picture of crashing just before they need to make a move. They may hesitate for just a moment and miss the key break. Some strategies that may help are:
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Visualization: Seeing yourself feeling good and easily cruising to victory is pretty useless. That won't prepare them for the race because that's not how it will be. The visualization has to be realistic. It is essential that they really believe in it. When they get into a real race situation, they need to feel like they've been there before and were successful. Good visualization is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced.
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Mind pictures: Many riders see negative mind pictures (e.g. crashes) at key moments. These pictures are self-fulfilling prophesies. Trying to ban the pictures is usually impossible. It's much better to replace them with a very brief mind picture of a successful outcome. Obviously, they shouldn't be riding around with their mind out of the race. However, a momentary picture can set them up for the move they need to make.
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Positive Self Talk: Key phrases can be very useful during times of stress. These are typically positive, upbeat phrases that the athlete has developed and practiced during training. Part of their purpose is to build the rider's confidence because of their positive nature. More importantly, if the mind is occupied with positive thoughts, there is much less room for negative ones.
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Not dwelling on the future: When confidence is lost, it is often because of what may happen much later in the race, not because of what's happening at the moment. This is a particular problem with long events. Although riders certainly need to be concerned about what's going to happen later on, obsessing about it and developing a sense of dread will sink them in a hurry. They're much better off focusing primarily on whether they are doing what they should be doing at the moment.
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Keeping things in perspective: Beginners, in particular, put their egos on the line every time they race. They view each race more as an opportunity to fail rather than to learn and, perhaps, succeed. They need to understand that getting dropped is common in bike racing and nothing to be ashamed of. Coaches can do an awful lot to help them set their goals and evaluate their outcomes. Even elite riders lose perspective at times, treating training races like the World Championships.
Don't leave your psychological preparation to chances. Remember that you control your thoughts, not the other way round. The way you think is strongly linked to the way you perform.
