Training For Life

I am new to the RENO WHEELWOMEN cycling race team.  I am not a racer and was hesitant to join Reno Wheelwomen until I met Lucie Oren, (Reno Wheelwomen Cat 4), an avid woman cyclist racer and enthusiast.  Her enthusiasm for joining the team was the catalyst I was looking for to become a better cyclist.  That day I signed up.  I was excited to start, racing the weekly Wheelmen B races.

Then, Life Happened…… as it does as a single mom of 3 active teen-agers

I tried to not get discouraged with interruptions in training plans/rides.  As life happens, what I wanted to do and what was needed to be done often conflicts. I changed the bike training to training for life and any proactive step or pedal would be a success for me which would empower and offer self-motivation to just keep pedaling positive.

I took this roadblock in bike training as the perfect opportunity to practice using the power of the mind and positive perspective in order to not get discouraged when I can only cycle half the time I planned or cannot get any hill repeats in my day.

Julie Young also encouraged the attitude that something done well is better than nothing.  It becomes a mind game within yourself.   If you perceive a change in training plan as a defeat then you cannot practice the mind training to persevere and push the limits during the last stage in a bike race.  If you live with a defeated attitude it may train the mind to not push hard the last 30 seconds to the top of the hill on the fifth hill repeat or sprint past other racers across the finish line in a crit.  By adopting any amount of training (No matter how little or how much you cycle) as an accomplishment then each day you are a winner in your mind.

That positive attitude can be empowering and offer an opportunity to practice a winning attitude which will lead to increased mental edge in any race.  I believe mental toughness is as important in life training as physical training.  That is why I love my bike and all the life training it offers both my body and mind. Nothing feels better than when you do not want to get out and pedal and persevere and push through the inertia to once again breathe hard, work hard, sweat and of course smile at another day of defeating life’s road blocks.

I hope that more women adapt a proactive, positive, attitude and JUST PEDAL!!!

Do not let race intimidate you from trying out a women’s cycling team.  The group rides are great fun and educational too.  There are avid, serious racers on the teams but often there is also a variety of levels of racers/ riders.

     Just get out !

Just Pedal !