Train to block pain...

[rwsaunders]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/21/health/chrissie-wellington-triathlete-champion/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

[Fixed]

Kipling's poem if'

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
cheers

[laupsi]

all well and good but many studies have been done proving elite cyclists do not produce the lactic acid at the same levels working at the same intensity as your average joe.

I think this article speaks volumes for folks w/in their own competative class. further, at the highest levels of competition you definately need nerves of steel and a sound/strong mind.

[beercan]

great read ! thanks for sharing, having a daughter soon and the jungle book is gonna be a great book to read to her !

[Bob Loblaw]

Wherever you are in the cycling talent hierarchy, I think the mental aspect is a very large factor in success. I consider Jan Ullrich an example of a huge physical talent who never had his head on straight. His career was hugely successful by any measure except maybe compared his own potential.

BL

[William]

A good read, thanks for posting. :cool:

My take has always been about how you deal with the pain. You can't "block" it per sae, the key is how you mentally cope with it. No matter what sport I've been involved in, I've always reveled in the "pain" of pushing myself to the brink, finding that fine line between max effort and blowing up, and being able to ride that line and recover quickly to do it again. Music and talking to myself were key for me. A hard driving song, and talking to myself... Not to quit, ever etc...

A slight, but related thread drift....

In stick fight (Kali, Eskrima, Arnis), and Muay Thai, this is one of the keys of proper mindset you need when pitting yourself against an opponent:

If you are lucky, you may get through a few fights without getting hurt. Eventually you will feel pain. This is the test of every fighter. What will you do? If you do not expect to get hit hard sometimes, then you can be shocked and taken off guard by it.
If you do expect pain you will not be disturbed by it, but rather, you will ignore it and continue as if it did not happen. In fact, never let your opponents know you are hurt. There is also a great reward of continuing after you have been hit extremely hard. Not only do you prove to yourself you can endure, but you create the opposite of fear --- confidence. Win or lose if you prove this to yourself, you are truly a fighter.






William

[54ny77]

she is awesome to watch.

how many wold class competitors, let alone in cycling, cheer on their rivals as they pass by or otherwise destroy them?

i watched ironman kona one year and despite her flat tire(s), once she was back on the bike, it was adios...but genuine smiles to her rivals as she passed by as if they were standing still.

[wc1934]

not sure where this came from, but I always use it:
"Pain is weakness leaving the body"

[rwsaunders]

not sure where this came from, but I always use it:
"Pain is weakness leaving the body"

Lt. General Lewis B. Puller, USMC is often credited with this quote....affectionately known as Chesty.

http://badassoftheweek.com/puller.html