Mental preparation for mountain biking is almost as important as your physical preparation program.
Your mind is your most powerful muscle and if you aren’t in the right mental space, you might not do as well as you could have if you’d prepared yourself mentally.
Arnold Schwarzenegger used mental preparation techniques to help him compete in bodybuilding, and later in acting and politics as well.
“The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight.”
Arthur Ashe (Tennis Great)
Picture yourself at the starting line all the way through to the end by imagining details like the wind on your face and the sound of the dirt under your wheels.
“Research has shown that athletes can improve both physical and psychological reactions in certain situations with visualization.2 Such repeated imagery can build both experience and confidence in an athlete’s ability to perform certain skills under pressure or in various possible scenarios.” –
www.verywell.com
According to a study in Neuropsychologia, imagining yourself using certain body parts trains your muscles almost as much as the movement itself.
Memorize your favourite motivational quotes to repeat to yourself when things get tough.
This is a technique used by cross-country MTB star Evie Richards who memorises quotes that her mom sends her before each race, “…I’ll focus on those words and repeat them in my head to get me round the track.”
Another tip is to create a visualisation board with your favourite quotes. Put them up around the house where you can see them and repeat them to yourself daily.
Tie up any loose ends with your gear and bike to have peace of mind to focus on your mental game.
Leaving things to the last minute will give you nagging anxiety leading up to race day. Prevent this by getting everything done in good time. This way you’ll have the mental space and time to focus on yourself.
The race is difficult / The race is a challenge I look forward to.
I can’t do it / I WILL do it!
What if I fall / If I fall, I will get up again and carry on.
I’m too nervous / I’m so excited!
How we talk to ourselves has a huge impact on how we feel and the ultimate outcome of our efforts.
Reframe the way you think about the event. Do this by stopping the thought in its tracks and rephrasing it to something with a positive twist.
How much you train, what you eat, your fitness levels, your bike and gear knowledge. These are all things you should be working on because you have control over them.
The track, other riders, people’s perception of you, the weather, falling off your bike. These are things you have ZERO control over so don’t spend another minute stressing about them.
Spend a good amount of time on rest and recovery before and after your race. Not getting enough sleep will put you on edge without the added worries about the race. Get enough shut-eye at night and take time off to relax with your friends and family to put yourself in the right headspace.
If you feel like avoiding the worry and stress only makes you worry and stress more, give yourself five to ten minutes a day (or a week) to think about everything there is to stress about.
Once those ten minutes are up, let the negative thoughts leave your mind like an unwelcome guest you’re glad to see the back of and carry on with your day.
Grab a coffee or schedule a chat with someone you know that has done big races before. Write down all your burning questions and go through your fears with them.
Doing this will calm some of your fears and help you prepare for things you might not have thought of.
Some small daily habits to nurture good mental health include:
Have a look through these articles, videos, and podcasts to get more advice on proper mental preparation techniques used by professional mountain bikers and other MTB enthusiasts:
Yogi Mountain Biking Mental Training
Mind Over Matter: Dan Atherton
The Mental Side of MTB: Olly Morris
Mental and Physical Prep for Stage Racing
Proper mental preparation for mountain biking should be approached the same way as your physical fitness.
As Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favours the prepared mind.” He was referring to scientific discoveries, but let’s just pretend it was for sporting success!
Get your strategy in place and execute it as soon as you start your training program to give yourself the best head start!
Once you have your mental ducks in a row, enter for the Sabie Xperience – a spectacular three-day stage race in Sabie, Mpumalanga. The next event takes place from 29 April – 1 May 2023 and it’s one you don’t want to miss!
Visit www.sabiexperience.co.za to enter.
The Sabie Xperience is an Affordable Stage Race for the whole family. We are proud to boast with the most beautiful and well organised family stage race in the world.
