Developing Mental Toughness
I've been involved in competitive sports for long enough to know that physical ability is not the only element necessary for success. When athletes share similar physical attributes and skills, the deciding factor will be psychological. The well known adage 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going' is particularly relevant on the endurance mountain bike scene, with competitors regularly riding through pain and adversity. Prior to the race at Awaba, I had read a Training Peaks article on developing mental toughness and it seemed appropriate to apply this knowledge to my most recent experience at Rocky Trail's 7 hour event at Awaba Mountain Bike Park.
1. Commitment
A week ago, I noticed a strange lump in my groin area, which was soon to be diagnosed as an inguinal hernia, where a small loop of intestine pushes through the abdominal wall. Initially, I was shocked and lost the desire to train and was definitely not going to race, but once I was assured by a specialist that I could cycle, as long as there was no pain, then I made the last-second decision to race at Awaba. Instead of quitting I decided to welcome the challenge of racing, using this adversity to build strength. I was determined to finish on the podium. This was the goal I had set beforehand and I was committed to succeeding. The hernia was just another road bump in a year that had started with a broken wrist. I had almost fully recovered from this mishap, and I would persevere in the face of my latest challenge. Setbacks are temporary but success is permanent. Of course, I knew that if I experienced pain I would immediately withdraw, as a strangulated hernia can be life-threatening.
Sitting on the back of the lead riders after the usual ballistic start
2. Focus
After the obligatory explosion of speed on the uphill fireroad start in the eternal quest to enter the singletrack in a decent initial position, I settled into a more sensible pace and soon started to slip down the field, in the knowledge that many of these riders were in teams or riding for just four hours. I was aware that the stage winner from Round One, Troy Thomas, was in a different league and would be virtually uncatchable, but Clayton Locke, David Stevens and Ash Turner would be my main competition for the other podium places. On the second lap, the blue shirt of Clayton Locke came past me and steadily increased his lead. This was not in the original plan - Clayton was riding much stronger than I had expected but I ensured I remained focussed on my own pacing and nutrition, which allowed me to stay calm and confident despite this temporary setback.
After the recent rain the track was perfectly tacky but did have a couple of added water features
3. Resilience
This year has thrown up a couple of major setbacks so far, with a broken wrist keeping me off a mountain bike for over nine weeks and the hernia. After the broken wrist, I vowed to make it a positive by developing my power output and speed on an indoor bike and by attempting to strengthen my core strength through pilates and returning to indoor bouldering. Obviously, this development needs to continue so a repeat hernia is not forthcoming - I've been informed that because our bodies are symmetrical, a hernia on my right side is more than possible and I am determined to do all I can to ensure this does not happen.
Anyone who has ridden the Awaba course will know that the Camelback climb, a 40 metre climb with an average gradient of 14%, is the section the majority arrive at with trepidation. For most it is an obstacle, but I like to think of it as an opportunity. If I could keep riding this hill stronger than Clayton, I would continue to close the gap that, with two hours to go, had opened to over four minutes.
Anyone who has ridden the Awaba course will know that the Camelback climb, a 40 metre climb with an average gradient of 14%, is the section the majority arrive at with trepidation. For most it is an obstacle, but I like to think of it as an opportunity. If I could keep riding this hill stronger than Clayton, I would continue to close the gap that, with two hours to go, had opened to over four minutes.
4. Attitude
I calculated I had three laps left to catch my rival ahead. I have to admit, I suddenly felt strong and I was really enjoying my time in the saddle. I felt so lucky I had been able to continue riding, the hernia was behaving and my guts were staying internal. I also realised the caffeine I had ingested at transition was kicking in and my body responded. My eighth and ninth lap were progressively faster. I kept checking ahead for Clayton's blue shirt and I visualised the gap closing. I knew I was able to stay consistent and I could grind my rival down. Would he be feeding properly and could he maintain his faster pace throughout?
As I entered transition to start my last lap, I saw Clayton and I powered past him to enter the singletrack for the last time. He immediately jumped on my wheel along with a team rider from Jetblack. So this wasn't going to be easy. I kept up a faster pace but Clayton clung to my wheel like a leech, hoping to suck the oxygen from my blood. I cast my mind back to a round of pairs racing, where I had the same situation with the second place rider clinging to my wheel. That time I had prevailed, ironically passing Clayton to establish an unassailable lead. I also knew that, having passed Clayton, I was the stronger rider and the psychological advantage was firmly in my corner. The Jetblack rider came past and I used the situation to make my move. I jumped on his wheel and he started to tow me away from my rival. Unfortunately, I suddenly lost traction on a tight corner, the bike hit the ground but I managed to stay upright. I looked around to see Clayton closing fast. I remounted, brakes and gear levers all askew but determined to re-open the gap. Powering up Camelback, I looked back but the blue was not in sight. I powered on determined to not let him glimpse me in the switchbacks and give him any much needed motivation. I crossed the line with my second fastest lap of the day. Clayton was to finish five and a half minutes back.
This was a psychological victory - I had overcome adversity pre-race, focussed on achieving my goal, and sheer determination had brought me the result I was striving for. The fact I was able to produce my second fastest lap of the day on the last lap shows the power of the mind when mental toughness is served as the main course. Congratulations also to Jetblack's Andrew Finlayson for his overall victory in the seven hour solo, taking the scalp of Ed McDonald in the process. 'Finno' also read the article on mental toughness and claimed he used it as inspiration during his final two laps.
This was a psychological victory - I had overcome adversity pre-race, focussed on achieving my goal, and sheer determination had brought me the result I was striving for. The fact I was able to produce my second fastest lap of the day on the last lap shows the power of the mind when mental toughness is served as the main course. Congratulations also to Jetblack's Andrew Finlayson for his overall victory in the seven hour solo, taking the scalp of Ed McDonald in the process. 'Finno' also read the article on mental toughness and claimed he used it as inspiration during his final two laps.
Sharing the podium with Clayton and race winner Troy Thomas
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