How to Mentally Prepare for a Cycling Event

June 22, 2017

Have you ever mentally prepared for your sport? Whether it’s a long training ride, your first 100 mile ride, or a big race, being mentally prepared can create a huge advantage and make the ride much more enjoyable. Sam Boardman, rider for H24 Cycling, shares 4 ways to take away a lot of stress during your upcoming race or ride.

4 Ways to Mentally Prepare as a Cyclist

1. Make sure your bike is tuned

One of the biggest things you can do to prepare yourself and avoid a lot of stress is make sure your bike is tuned and dialed right before the event. Having a faulty or broken component is the last thing you want to deal with and have to fix.

2. Understand what is going to be demanded of your body

You want to also make sure that you understand what is going to be demanded of your body during the event. Doing specific workouts for the event can be very beneficial. For example, if you know your upcoming race is going to have a long, steep climb, try practicing these so you will know what it’s going to feel like come race day.

3. Visualize the race

Try picturing how the race might go down and how you would react in various situations. When the race comes around, you will be mentally prepared for anything that may arise and not have to stress when it comes time to perform.

4. Get excited, but don’t psych yourself out

Before going into an event, understand what you want to get out of it. This can help prevent you from second guessing yourself during the event and keep you moving forward. Many times, riders set high expectations for themselves, which can lead to a negative mentality if things don’t go as desired. Be excited for the event but don’t psych yourself out. Ride your own race and know that you’ve trained and prepared for this event. At the end of the day, you’re doing it because you love riding your bike.

Part of the preparation for being a cyclist is not just physical, but mental too. Being mentally prepared will help you adapt and deal with any situation that may arise throughout the event, as well as give you the confidence to move forward. When stress is low and you are able to focus on your ride with a positive mentality, you’re going to have more fun and be more successful in your ride.