Mental Conditioning

So coach gave me some written homework this week.

What!!    Written homework?

I thought I was supposed to be out on the bike or in the gym – now I have to sit down and “think about an endurance racing topic that’s important to me”. What kind of training is this? Could it be some devious mental conditioning he’s sneaking into my day off?

Absolutely!  And that’s exactly the point…

When I started training about 10 months ago, I was targeting my first 24 Hour Solo event. My primary objective was training on the bike, thinking that I needed a major dose of physical conditioning to be successful. I sensed that mental conditioning was part of the equation, but I had no idea how important it would become. After three 24 hour solo races and over 100 hours of racing under my chamois, I realize now that I’ve barely scratched the surface. The longer or harder the event, the more I learned about myself at a very deep level.

 

Of course, every event brings a better understanding of the tactics necessary to  maximize physical conditioning. When to ride and when to walk. Maintaining momentum to minimize energy output. Monitoring power output to minimize the likelihood of “blowing up” after 18 hours on the bike. Nutritional intake. Pit stop strategies. Written race strategy. And the list goes on. All important tactics that will make a difference in race performance. That noted, in every major event my performance was ultimately constrained by mental outlook and not physical conditioning. As I continue to train my body, I have to toughen my mind even more. I feel I have so much more to learn about myself mentally than physically. We are all capable of far more than most of us can ever imagine, we just don’t believe it….

Now I have to continue getting mentally prepared for my next race, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Bring it on!