Every action or inaction plays a role in our ability to reach our full potential as a bicyclist.  To improve we must focus on healthier decisions and letting go of physical and mental baggage.

Too many get caught up in having the best equipment while simultaneously living out negative attitudes, training ineffectively, eating poorly, and lacking in rest and recovery. A positive attitude, training specificity, diet and rest have a far greater impact on success than any piece of equipment.  Therefore, I recommend devoting more energy and resources towards developing better habits of action and thought. 

Why write about this topic?  Because the most common limiter I see as a coach is physical and mental decisions being made that have a known negative impact on productivity.

I believe in setting high goals for ourselves, but we must be willing to change behavior to reach them.  It is sensible to evaluate everything we do considering how much time we put into training and racing, especially with a sport as demanding as cycling.  What got us here won’t take us there.  In the long run you will enjoy a happier life if you are able to develop more productive habits.  Change can be difficult, but the rewards far exceed the difficulty endured.  It is true that what requires the hardest work brings us the most joy.  My 12 year odyssey as a bicyclist has offered countless lifestyle changes, some subtle, some huge, but all have contributed to my overall positive development. 

As a cycling coach the common self-defeating phrases I hear are: “I can’t”, “I won’t be able”, “yeah, but….” or my favorite – “well the problem is….”  Another pervasive statement that is not always bad when it comes to reaching your full potential is, “yeah, well I know myself pretty well.”  The goal of a coach is to build you up so you will eventually say, “I will, I can, I am going to” and “I overcame the obstacle by…” which ultimately leads to “I learned something new and have a higher personal ceiling!”

Our words and thoughts matter.  Negative talk provides wonderful coaching opportunities since many have a difficult time letting go of that attitude.  Rather than think of the possibilities they think of the obstacles.  Rather than think of the positive outcomes they dwell on how tough the road blocks will be.  With the right physical and mental training approach irrefutable evidence will mount up against such self-defeating thoughts.  Prove to yourself you are capable of winning small battles on a regular basis, and you will be surprised at how it boosts your confidence and builds unstoppable momentum.  However, if you are mired in doubt or uncertainty then you are guaranteeing a frustrating outcome.  Be certain of success, be decisive in action, be honest in assessment and refine your plan!

I believe it is important to identify those things you cannot do versus those things you will not do.  Actions you cannot do are either affected by God given abilities or a family and work obligation.  Actions you will not do boil down to lazy excuses because you’re afraid of work or being inconvenienced.  The worst sunk cost imaginable is investing time and energy on things you say you cannot do.  Instead, pour your heart and soul along with your time and energy into what you can do.  Why focus on the constantly changing obstacles rather than your intended stand still target?  Where you aim is where you’ll end up, which is either tripping over the obstacles or hitting the bulls eye!  It is worth repeating – focus your energy on what you can and will do, and if so you will be surprised how far it takes you.

Our energy is a precious commodity that should be invested wisely.  When was the last time you sat down to determine the ROI on your energy investments?  If you invest your precious positive energy with a can-do attitude then your portfolio will be the envy of many.  Our minds and bodies are much like computers, we can be programmed to think and do what we tell it.  If you tell yourself you’re a terrible climber, you will be.  If you continue reinforcing your fears about racing a criterium you will carry that fear into and out of every turn.  Again, focus on what you can do!  Sometimes it’s the smallest of margins in improvement that make the biggest difference in the outcome.  The gap you improve upon may be the difference between getting dropped or staying with the leaders.  The most important thing you can do is to never give up believing you can overcome.

Lastly, measure yourself against yourself.  You are your own personal benchmark.  If attention is paid to making yourself better then a byproduct is you will surpass others.  Focus entirely on your propulsion.  Understand as you travel down your path all bicyclists progress at different rates.  If your sense of urgency can be balanced with an abundance of patience then you are assured a positive outcome.  

I am still looking forward to hitting my potential – get it, I am not there yet.  I am still hungry to improve.  If we desire glory we must be willing to pay the asking price.  We all can do this – believe it!