Henry Ford is reputed to have said: “If you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re probably right.” So the idea that the power of the mind can accomplish things is nothing new but its application to sports, and particularly our chosen one of cycling, is fairly recent. A new book by sports psychologist Saul Miller and accomplished national-level cyclist Peggy Maas Labiuk, “Cycle Psyched,” covers some familiar ideas and provides clear structure for a mental training plan but does so in an entertaining and motivating manner.
Cyclists—no difference whether pros or MAMILs—are notorious for seeking out ways to improve performance. This usually takes the form of fancy equipment—aero frames, deep section rims, even oversize pulley wheels—or strange supplements (Ketones! Baking Soda!) but experience has taught us that harnessing the mind has the potential to yield greater results. An athlete who is mentally prepared and focused for the task in hand will certainly perform better than one who feels nervous and unsure. “Cycle Psyched” is a roadmap on how to achieve that degree of confidence to be a better cyclist.
The book begins with what the authors call “the Three Keys.” There are three underlying principles at play: 1) your mind is a powerful thing that YOU control and it is up to you to channel positive experience; 2) we get more of what we focus on, that is there is a magnification of what we are perceiving when other stimuli are reduced; and 3) the reality of how we are hard-wired as humans so that our feelings affect our thinking but also how we think affects how we feel.
Taking these foundational concepts, the book is then divided into three sections: “Right Focus,” “Right Feeling,” and “Right Attitude” and while some of this might seem self-evident, it is not really so until seen in the larger context. This is a strength of the writing: the authors have distilled years of experience, whether in psychological coaching for a range of sports or as an actual competitor experiencing the range of thoughts and emotions that help or hinder, into easily understood sections.
In brief, “Right Focus” is three chapters about knowing who you are, determining goals and setting out a plan for success. “Right Feeling” is two chapters on managing emotions and includes techniques on breathing, which is seen by more and more athletes as something vital. Without the ability to manage feelings, maintaining the focus one wants to establish will be ineffective. Athletic competition certainly can invoke a lot of negative feelings—frustration, anger, fear, fatigue—but we can experience much the same just in training where there are no opponents except ourselves. Lastly, there is “Right Attitude,” which speaks to so many positive attributes: motivation, commitment, confidence and, yes, a love for the activity. Each of the sections offers exercises, which are helpful, but even better are the examples that the authors cite from personal experience with top athletic performers interviewed for the book, as well as germane quotations from sports figures found on media ranging from old newspaper interviews to Netflix videos.
The subtitle of “Cycle Psyched” is “Pro Wisdom and the Mental Training to Excel” and that pro wisdom, winnowed from so many notables including some 90 world-class cyclists, not only clearly illustrates what the authors are saying but also are fun to read. We all know Greg Lemond’s “It never gets easier; you just go faster,” but the Acknowledgements read like a Who’s Who of great performers. There are inspiring accounts of overcoming adversity (and at Paralympic time we are reminded of these but should be more conscious of them), or turning anger or rejection into something positive, in the case of Marion Clignet, turfed from the US national team but going on to win gold medals on the track for France. Or the conflict when your mother thinks you need a psychiatrist although you really know you just need a new bike…
“Cycle Psyched” is a good read with practical suggestions that will cause you to consider how you can improve your performance. While many of the lessons learned have come from elite athletes, this is a book that offers a great deal to any rider, no matter the physical ability or experience. Whether you want to outsprint friends at the town line or ride up that hill more smoothly or just feel better about your workouts, you will find something of value here. And the cost/benefit compared to that oversize pulley wheel you were thinking about getting is staggering…
“Cycle Psyched” by Dr. Saul L. Miller and Peggy Maas Labiuk
258 pp., softbound (also available as a Kindle e-book)
Spring Cedars, Denver Colorado, 2023
ISBN 978-1-950484-89-8
Price: US$21.99/C$28.54
# You can buy Cycle Psyched from: AMAZON.COM. #
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