Triathletes mind set 200km mark
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So what is the difference between going out on your bike and cycling 98km or 99km or 100km? Or maybe if you are that way inclined and training for an Iron Man and in your peak week then that could be 198km vs 200km? Realistically there is no difference and the extra 1 or 2km’s are certainly not going to improve your Iron Man bike time from 5:45 to 5:30 or from 5:15 to maybe 5hr. Or will it?
I believe its a mind set and I find myself doing a couple of laps around my neighbourhood just to get to triple figures or in the case this morning to the magical 200km mark. |
Its psychological I suppose and anyone who cycles will know what I mean. Even the pros do it – I remember riding with Jan Ullrich in Stellenbosch, SA back in Dec 2014 and we ended a ride just short of 100km and as we arrived back at the hotel he was spinning his front wheel to ensure the clock clicks over to 100km’s.
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So why do we do this type of stuff? Not sure, its just ingrained in us and at the end of the day it makes the ride seem more worthwhile.
I do believe that it’s those little efforts that can make a difference in a race when you are mentally and physically exhausted and not sure where to find the motivation and energy to keep going. This is when the mind can switch to that mode that takes you beyond where you thought your body could go. |
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I’m certainly feeling good now that I have done the 200km’s, better than what I would have felt if I had done 198km’s !