Adopting a Pro Athlete Mindset: How Making Key Lifestyle Changes Can Bring Success for Everyday Endurance Athletes
One of my junior clients texted me from St. Louis after one of the Gateway Cup crits didn’t go very well. “I’m actually so done. I’ll do anything to get better. I will not complain, I will do everything this winter.” The junior had done well in Cat. 4s in the Chicago Grit series, but […]
Unlocking Athlete Success: Shifting Focus from Results to Achievements
I asked one of my athletes how her race went last weekend. “I got fourth,” she said. While getting fourth is great, especially if you’re a performance-minded endurance athlete, that’s not quite the answer I’m looking for as a coach. I want to know how the athlete felt, whether they were satisfied with their effort, […]
Six Words That Can Change How You View Failure As An Everyday Athlete
We’ve all been there at one point or another: Feeling like we failed when a race or event didn’t go as planned, hoped for, or expected. Usually this feeling, at least for me, is a very negative emotion that derails all enjoyment of the event. But what if failure was an opportunity? It’s not the […]
Motivation for Endurance Athletes Over 50: How to Stay Positive and Push Your Limits
As we age, our physical abilities inevitably change, but this doesn’t mean the end of cycling or running – obviously! For me, motivation for endurance athletes over 50 is about personal challenge – doing hard things – and competition to improve myself in gravel races and cyclocross. For endurance athletes over 50, the journey is […]
Beyond the Finish Line: Setting Smart Process Goals for Endurance Success
We’re in the time of year when most athletes are done with their competitions and are thinking about next season. I’ve already got a list of the gravel races I’m doing for most of 2024! So I’m sending a goal sheet to each client, and then we’ll meet to talk through their goals so they […]
Endurance sports are a great opportunity to build positive mental health skills
Mental health can play a crucial role in an athlete’s overall well-being, performance, and enjoyment of endurance sports. Whether you’re an everyday long-distance runner, gravel cyclist, triathlon, or other endurance sport participant, understanding the link between our sports and mental health can open up a world of opportunities for personal growth and positive transformation. In […]
Good Mental Preparation for Gravel Racing: Strategies for Success for Everyday Cyclists
Gravel racing has taken the cycling world by storm over the past few years. Gravel has challenging terrain, long distances, and unpredictable weather. But beyond the physical challenges, there lies a hidden battle that makes gravel racing so uniquely demanding – the mental game. In this blog post, we’ll dig into the depths of what […]
6 Tips to Build Endurance for Your Best Season of Masters Cyclocross Racing
Are you a masters cyclocross racer looking to dominate your next season? Cyclocross endurance for over 50 riders is key in this physically demanding sport, and building it up takes time and effort. Here are six tips that will help you boost your aerobic stamina for an unforgettable season of racing. From tweaking your training […]
Mastering Long Distance Gravel Races: Dialing in the Essential 4 Factors
Are you a gravel rider who craves adventure and loves to push your limits? By incorporating scientific principles into your training, nutrition, mental toughness, and equipment choices, you can optimize your performance and leave the competition in the dust – pun fully intended. We’ve been talking the past couple of weeks about how to train […]
Breaking Through Barriers: How a Growth Mindset Can Help You Overcome Obstacles to Change
Overcoming the obstacles to change is key to improving our lives. Katy Milkman, in her award-winning book How to Change, describes seven main reasons we don’t make the changes we want – or need. These include getting started, impulsivity, procrastination, forgetfulness, laziness, confidence, and conformity. Thankfully, Milkman, a behavioral scientist, shares with us the tools […]
