Mind & Body Connection

I don’t know about you all but just typing week 11 gave me chills, I can’t believe you are all almost done your 12 week GranFondo journey. As someone who has completed several years’ worth of SportMedBC training programs, I can honestly attest to the fact that if you followed the training program you are ready for this next challenge.

I bet there are some feelings coming up and maybe you’ve even had the thought to see if you squeeze in a last minute 100-km ride to boost your endurance in the week, trust us it will not help. Keep your weekly habits the same and try your best to keep life stress low leading into the ride – You are going to be better off tapering to make sure that you are rested before a long challenging ride.

As someone who loves to sleep, you have my full permission to… Make sleep a priority and be well rested. You’re ready and you will have a great adventure!

Happy Riding
Online Communications Manager & InTraining Support
Janette Shearer

How to Build Mind-Body Trust and Improve Your Athletic Performance

In fitness, your brain is just as important as your body. At the most basic level, your mind is sending signals to your muscles, bones, tendons and other organs to make them move the way you need them to.

But in a less obvious sense, your brain sends your body cues consciously and subconsciously that can improve or hinder your performance. Continue Reading…

For my anxious people….

7 Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep When You’re Anxious

Tomorrow’s the big day. Maybe it’s your first race of the season, or your first century. Whatever the case, you’ve done the hard work, and now it’s time to sleep before the big event. Except… how can you possibly sleep when you’re so full of nervous excitement?

Pre-event jitters are common for athletes of all levels and disciplines, says Brendan Duffy, a registered sleep technologist and sleep coach. And while one night’s bad sleep isn’t going to undo months of hard work (and better nights of sleep), there are things you can do to help your brain and body properly wind down. Continue Reading…

Fast Talk podcast: How to win with mind power

The best riders understand … mindset wins races. And controlling your thought patterns in races is extremely powerful.

Mindset in cycling is an important and frequently neglected side of our training and racing. It’s avoided because it seems unclear, inconsistent, and, let’s face it, can be too new-agey for the likes of us “tough guys.” In reality, mindset is often all that separates the best from second best and can be the difference between reaching the podium or finishing a race. Continue Reading…

Maybe you’re not too anxious to sleep. Here are some great tips from Tri Training Harder regardless:

Once it’s time for bed, these tips may help you drift off a little quicker:

Stay organised – don’t lie in bed fretting about what you need to do in the morning. Prepare everything the night before – layout your kit, charge your devices, prepare your breakfast and set multiple alarms.
Keep it cold and dark – if you are racing away from home or abroad, it might be worth spending a bit extra or making some special requests with your accommodation provider to make sure you can get a cool, dark sleeping environment.
Relax before bed – Don’t overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding. This may be difficult at a big international race with expos, briefings and kit check-ins to manage. Organise your day well and ensure you have plenty of time in the evening to wind down before bed.
Take a hot bath before bed – The drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy, and the bath can help you relax and slow down, so you feel ready to sleep.
Don’t overthink it – Worrying that you are not going to sleep well the night before a big race is only going to diminish your chances of a restful night. Rather, acknowledge the fact that you are going to be short on sleep the evening before the race and allow yourself to drift off naturally, rather than trying to force it, which is likely to lead to a better night’s sleep. As we have seen, one missed night’s sleep will not dramatically affect your performance. So, relax, don’t stress about it and allow yourself to drift off. If you still find yourself lying awake in bed after 20 minutes or so, get up and do a relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music, until you feel sleepy again.

How your mentality affects your cycling performance – Coach Pav

The basics of mental fitness training

The number one point to understand is that we are all individuals and, as such, your experience of something in life might be completely different to someone else’s. Some of these points you might resonate with, others you might not. Either way, read on with as an open mind as possible. Continue Reading..