Becoming a Competitive Cyclist and Racing
to Winby Bruce Hendler -
www.athleticamps.com
It seems that many current articles on bike
training focus on the physical side of the sport. Riders of all levels are
seeking that magic collection of workouts that will make them a fitter and
stronger bike racer. This is both understandable and necessary, as being fit
enough to compete in your category requires a solid training program tailored
to your goals and abilities in order to improve your weaknesses. Although it is
very important to work on the physical side of the sport, I maintain that the
mental side of the sport is equally critical; unfortunately, most riders work
on this issue much less than the physical. Lets separate mental into two
distinctly different categories: tactics and desire. One could write a
book about tactics and how they play a vital role in bike races. We'll leave
that for another article (or five). This article will focus on the other mental
aspect - the desire to compete in order to win.
Lets say we
take two riders with about the same level of fitness. There are several ways
that these two can differ: One can be a great athlete (i.e., someone with great
genetic potential that has come close to maximizing his/her gift via training),
but not a great competitor. One can be a great competitor and not a great
athlete. Rare individuals (such as Armstrong or Lemond) can be super
competitors AND super athletes. My experience has demonstrated that a
great competitor will usually beat a great athlete even when the great
competitor is not quite as fit as the great athlete. Because of this reality,
you want to spend your time working both on maximizing your physical potential
(great athlete) and learning to be a great competitor. How can you get there? I
know a lot of great athletes that never succeeded in bike racing. I know of
great competitors with limited physical gifts that were consistent winners.
They did this by competing to win. This concept is easier said than done, yet
just talk to them about bike races and you will see what I mean. All their
focus goes to the success of themselves or their team. The true competitors
focus on what it takes to win and nothing will stop them from doing so. They
have an exceptional desire to succeed and are able to sniff out the finish
line. Of course they do not win all the time, but their positive focus allows
them to be ahead of most riders most of the time, fighting for the highest
result they can achieve. Probably the best example of a true
competitor is former 7-11 rider, Hall of Fame member and my good friend, Harvey
Nitz. He was unbelievable. He seemed to always find a way to win, even when he
was down and out. Here is a guy who admitted to not having the greatest talent
in the world. But Harvey has an overwhelming desire to win bike races and
because of that desire, will compete to the end of his days. Harvey not only
lives and breaths tactics, but focused on how to get the most out of his
limited abilities. Harveys desire to win gave him the capacity to think clearly
and he did everything in his power to cross the line first (within the rules of
course). He would suffer like no one else and dedicate all his efforts to be a
winner. He once told me, amongst all his victories (and there were a lot of
them), there were only two that didnt cause him to suffer mercilessly. He
worked for ALL of his victories. Harvey exemplified the notion that winning can
become a habit, just like losing. Can this ability to win be learned
or are you born with it? Well, there is no easy answer. I think the first thing
to examine is your goals in the sport. Learning to compete is something that
needs to be a focus in training races and rides. So many bike racers line up at
the start of a race, yet deep down inside, they dont give themselves a chance
to win. Either they dont expect to win (e.g. Im not good enough to beat that
guy or gal) or they tell themselves in advance that it doesnt matter what
happens in the race, they just want to be out there. Well, if you want to win,
it does matter why youre there. I think its important to talk about this issue
with your friends, family or coach. Also helpful is to find opportunities to
hang out in truly competitive circles. Do not listen to negative riders! They
will tell you where you are most likely to fail during a race, how unsafe a
race can be, and blame other riders for their lack of success. Instead, talk to
the winners to get a feeling of where they are coming from and what makes them
tick! You will find that their focus is centered on success and when things
dont go according to plan, they make corrections, move on and begin to focus on
the next race. Another thing you will notice about great competitors.
Its not just race day when they are focused. Most of how they train, and how
they approach and respect the sport is focused on success. They know that its
not one thing that makes a difference, its a lot of the little things!
What can you do about improving your chances of winning on race day? The first
step is to race aggressively. Find some way to get yourself fired up and
maintain that energy. Next time you are at a race, take a look at how many
riders are really aggressive and how many just sit there, doing nothing, being
negative. Who has a better opportunity to win? The aggressive ones. When you
are aggressive, good things happen! The second step is going to the start line
with a plan, whether you are alone or part of team. Know who you are racing
against, and with, learn the course in advance, and try to map out a strategy
of attack. These and other tactics can greatly improve your chances of
winning. Bike racing is just that - racing, where the goal is to cross
the line first or have a teammate do so. Its better to go down swinging, to
leave it all on the road, than to finish the race and recognize that you had
more to give, both physically and mentally. A true competitor will be spent at
the end of a race, and will recognize that he gave it his all. Find a way to
give your all, and you too can win.
---------------------------------- Bruce Hendler created AthletiCamps to
provide cycling specific coaching and training to athletes and cyclists of all
levels. Find out more at www.athleticamps.com.
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