This document discusses how controlling one's thoughts can help improve cycling performance. It recommends identifying negative thoughts during training, challenging them with rational thoughts, and redirecting one's inner dialogue to be more positive. An example is given of making a three-column table to track situations, negative thoughts and emotions, and replacing negatives with rational thoughts a friend might offer. Controlling fears and channeling thoughts in a positive direction can optimize performance and help achieve goals.

1. How our mind can help our legs (part one)

2. How our mind can help our legs (part one)
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In the previous article we focused on the psychological variables to be taken into account during the start of the season; in this occasion we will talk about a couple of
psychological training techniques required to train our mind and specifically prepare for your goals. In this first article of two we will talk about controlling thoughts and in the
second one we will talk about visualisation.
Psychological training must be tailored and specific to the individual cyclist, depending on their characteristics and goals set to achieve, but we will give you a general guideline to
optimise your training.
Control and direct your thoughts
During our training sessions our brain does not stop “working”, what is known as inner dialogue. It must be positive and focused on what we are doing to maximise the benefits
of our effort.
Let us use a metaphor: thoughts are like a water stream, you can build a dam to slow it down, but water will continue to flow until it overflows if we keep trying to stop it. So, we
must channel the flow of water to make it go where you want it to go, avoiding it reaching places where we do not want it to be. So, our thoughts flow and we must channel
them in the right direction for them to be beneficial to us.
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3. How our mind can help our legs (part one)
We should start by making that inner dialogue a conscious dialogue, paying attention to what you tell yourself when training. It might be that some of those thoughts are
negative and they take us to conclusions that block us or take away your motivation. What we propose is to make a three column table; in the first column you will put the
circumstances in which you had those thoughts; in the second column you explain with as much as detail as possible the actual thought; finally, in the third column you write
down the feeling or emotions those thoughts generated. We will use this table as example:
SITUATION
Long ride with team mates.
Mountain pass
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
"I can’t do it"; "I can’t
understand it… how can the
keep this pace?"; "I can’t stay
with them"; "Think I’m going
to quit"...
EMOTION
Nerves, tension,
demotivation…
Obviously, with this line of thoughts our training will be affected in a negative way and, what is worst, you might get to believe your thoughts and give up or arrive to conclusions
that make me abandon your goals.
There is a direct connection between your thoughts, emotions and performance. So you must channel the first to generate confidence and positiveness, improving our
performance.
We propose to repeat the previous test. Once identified the negative thoughts, it is the moment to challenge them or put them in perspective, generating a fourth column where
you will write down your rational thoughts. To make it clearer, these would be what a good friend would say to us if they heard our inner dialogue. They must be sincere and
realistic thoughts that will take us to a rational and positive conclusion of what is happening to you. You must believe these thoughts, it is not good enough to simply cheer you
up, we must reach conclusions that we believe in. Another example using the previous table:
SITUATION
Long ride with team mates. Mountain
pass
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
"I can’t do it"; "I can’t understand it… how can the
keep this pace?"; "I can’t stay with them"; "Think
I’m going to quit"...
EMOTION
Nerves, tension, demotivation…
RATIONAL THOUGHT
"Do not put too much pressure on yourself,
follow your rhythm"; "They have trained more
than I have"; "maintain your pace, it is not the
moment to give it your all"; "Still lots of training
days left, don’t panic, it will come with time";
"Why do you have to keep-up with them?".
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4. How our mind can help our legs (part one)
Rational thoughts must be generated by you for them to have any positive effect on you, as they will only really help if you really believe in them.
If you can identify your fears you will be able to channel them and realise that, in most cases, they tend to be exaggerations, speculations, only receiving half the information or
centred on something negative; this is the best to rationalise your thoughts, channelling them to more positive and beneficial feelings. Surely you will optimise your performance
improve it.
Pere Alastrué i Pozo Psicólogo del Deporte Servicios de Psicología de RENDIM www.rendim.com Vocal de la Sección de Psicología del Deporte para el Colegio Oficial de
Psicólogos de Catalunya (COPC) - See more at: http://corebicycle.com/es/blog/como-nuestra-mente-puede-ayudar-nuestras-piernas-primera-parte#sthash.xkqkZccS.dpuf
Pere Alastrué i Pozo
Psicólogo del Deporte
Servicios de Psicología de RENDIM www.rendim.com
Vocal de la Sección de Psicología del Deporte para el Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Catalunya (COPC)
Enjoy and Ride!!
CoreBicycle Team
Translated by Pablo Ferrer-Cid
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