Month: April 2019

Finding just the right amount of positivity

One of the hardest things I had to contend with when getting into bike racing was negativity. There’s plenty of opportunity for it.

First, with such a small community of women racers, your placing is visible to all and people care…this is strange when coming from the world of triathlon, where it’s all about your personal effort and you can literally have no idea what position you’re in from start to finish of a race. That’s pressure right there. Then there’s the whole “you have to get picked for a team” thing (I thought I could pick one, just like a running club!) that had my anxiety through the roof. Then there’s the misery that is being positioned well for the entire race, only to completely blow it in the last 200m. Or just not quite being able to hold on, and off the back you go. That doesn’t happen in triathlon either. Yet more reasons to feel crappy about oneself.

The key is, to come in with the right attitude; “right” being the one that keeps you calm, motivated and enjoying the sport. For me it’s about staying focused on my goals & not letting my competitive monkey brain get the better of me. It’s about remembering how much bloody fun it all is…it’s also about “positive thinking”, defined most broadly as having an optimistic attitude.

There’s a mountain of articles out there about the benefits of positive thinking. It improves quality of life, resilience to bad situations, and improves the mind’s ability to learn. From an athletic perspective it can directly improve your race times.

Some classic positive thought mantras for races are “I can do this”; “shut up legs”; or “this is what you came for”. I personally don’t find that these kinds of mantras help me that much though. Trying to believe in them feels like I need to do this big mental leap which drains me of energy. I can’t seem to link the intellectual sense of positivity to any physical one; in fact such thoughts take me further away from what my body is feeling, and once I lose that connection, I find hard efforts exponentially more difficult.

The self-talk that works for me is a little more neutral. I seem to gain most strength from observing and accepting what I feel. For example, during a race I’ll think, “hmmm, the pain in my legs is truly horrendous”, or “f*ck this f*cking sh*t, I should have just stuck to running”; but then I’ll think, “OK, so what can I do about that?” And then I just do it.

I perused a few articles on the subject and found some which could potentially explain this. I found two studies, here and here which explain how mental fatigue can undermine athletic performance. In addition both the former of those (in paragraph 3.4.5) and this one discuss how emotional suppression can hinder performance. For me, trying to “think happy thoughts” whilst dying a slow death in zone 6 most definitively constitutes emotional suppression.

Positivity to me means, not being defeatist, but focusing on the present and what I can control to keep going. Maybe it’s a rather British understated type of positivity; but in any case, it works for me.

Why cyclists should drink more tea

Why yes, I am British…big week for me in April though – I become a Citizen of the U.S.A. In honor of this event and in remembrance of my former home country, I’m posting something British-y.

Cycling is famed for its coffee culture. It’s a big difference to the cult of Ironman training, where you’re not supposed to stop for any length of time during your 6-7hr long rides – after all, you don’t get a coffee break on race day. I used to frown on “muffin rides” with a confident air of superiority. Cycling – if you don’t stop, you’re an uncultured a**hole.

I can live with that – Coffee is Good. But I am partial to a nice cup of tea when I get home, I must say. Especially after a winter or early spring ride, when there’s a chill in the air, I like to come home, get that recovery drink down, then warm myself up from the inside while I stretch/shower/clean my bike down. Even on a summer day a hot tea is surprisingly refreshing and indeed there is research to show that in the right circumstances (a dry, not humid heat, when your sweat is able to evaporate), a hot cup of tea will help cool you down. And in the humidity of the east coast you can always prep the iced variety.

Now, let’s be clear– the type of tea we’re talking about is important. If you’re after pure hydration, stick with herbal tea (or “tisanes” to give them their Proper name). Caffeine is dehydrating. Certain types of tisane will also impart additional benefits. I like to make fresh lemon ginger tea where I simply cut up a ginger root, add lemon wedges and steep in hot water; ginger being an excellent anti-inflammatory agent & digestive aid, & lemon being an immunity booster. Peppermint is known for its digestion benefits; the list could go on.

If it’s been a long ride – and especially if the clock’s hit 3 or 4pm, you still have laundry to do, errands to run and dinner to get on the table – then a pot of black or green tea could be just the ticket.  

On the question of milk

If it’s black tea, then you can and should add milk (but do be sure to add the milk in the cup first. If it’s a tisane, then – with the single exception of golden milk tea – please don’t do this. I recently got served a mug of lemon-ginger tea at work – with milk – on the premise that I was British and would therefore Want That.  Pants.

On the question of accompanying biscuits

Yes; and, Hob Nobs.

On the question of adding alcohol

Yes, most especially after a cold ride when your thermal sock-plastic bag-thick bootie-kit still left you with numb feet. Type of tipple depends on the type of tea.

Black tea – add rum. This one originated with the British Army in the 19th century and is otherwise called a Gunfire cocktail.

Green tea – I would tend toward a white spirit; a nice floral gin for example.

Lemon-ginger tisane – bourbon! Not only yummy, but also smart, as “clearly” the drawbacks of drinking alcohol will be more than offset by the benefits of ingesting lemon & ginger.

In all cases, pour a cheeky amount.

…and finally, if you’re really keen

Then get your domestique teammate to work for you like this:

Genius