Lee Waldman: Mantras Can Be Useful For Mentally Committing to Racing Cyclocross
Masters racer Lee Waldman returns with a perspective on addressing the mental side of cyclocross
Lee Waldman is a Masters racer from Colorado who has always been able to put the nuances of racing cyclocross into a well-written perspective. He was a long-time contributor at Cyclocross Magazine where I got to edit a lot of his essays, and this season, he is joining us as the Bulletin’s resident Masters Racing Correspondent.
I hope you enjoy what he has to share.
By: Lee Waldman
It’s a cold fall morning when you wake up early on Saturday morning. You roll out of bed, drink your coffee, and cook up that pre-race meal. And you find yourself asking, “Why am I racing my bike today? Why am I doing this?”
At first you ignore it like you ignore a persistent itch. It’s just nerves, you tell yourself. Maybe you didn’t sleep well or had an overly hard training week. Whatever the reason, the question hangs there like Snoopy playing vulture.
Sound familiar? We all love the beauty and pain of cyclocross, but I think we’ve all been there before.
So, what do you do? Ignore it and race anyway? Maybe the question should be: How do you race? Are you committed to the 110% effort that racing cyclocross requires and expects?
Each time I roll to the start line, my wife and I have a tradition. She asks me, “What are you going to do?” And I answer, “Race as hard as I can, smile, have fun. And don’t get hurt.”
There are weeks when staying home sounds more appealing than racing cyclocross. Maybe it’s been a hard week of training that makes a day off the bike sound more enticing. Or maybe it’s just been a tough week.
This year, as I approach three-quarters of a century on this planet, (73 years actually, with a racing age of 74) I find it happening more often in race situations. Thankfully, it has yet to show an impact on my training.
I have an understanding and very accepting coach who has become my mother hen and cheerleader. (Thanks Alison!). Even with her incredible coaching, when I’m alone in the kitchen brewing coffee on race day, those doubts seep back in like raindrops falling through a roof full of holes.
I’d like to think I am not alone in having these thoughts. Cyclocross is hard and on those miserable fall mornings, the allure of staying home is hard to avoid.
Fortunately, I’ve found an answer that’s worked for me: I meditate. I know it sounds like the polar opposite of racing cyclocross, but it works for me.
Cyclocross demands a 100% commitment physically, but there is also the mental aspect of ‘cross. Using a focused mantra works well for me for addressing the mental aspect of ‘cross that goes with the 100% physical commitment that is required.
Let me share two or three of my favorites, ones that have worked well for me this season. Then the ball is in your court to decide if mantras make sense for you. (Full disclosure: the mantras come directly from the Peloton yoga classes.)
How do I know they work for me? I just finished 2 days of HARD racing in Baltimore at Charm City CX. As a 73-year-old racing in the 60+ races, I don’t have spectacular results, but after so many years I think I can tell the difference between a good effort and a mediocre one.
Mantra number one is something that I use when I’m either overwhelmed by poor performance or a shoddy attitude. It’s also one that puts me in my place if I start to get too cocky.
It’s 2 simple words, “This too.” As in, this too shall pass.
The understanding is that when things are in the toilet, they too will pass. Just breathe, keep doing what you’re doing, and have some patience.
On the flip side, when things are going really well—you’re killing it on the bike, Your power seems endless, you’re placing well in all of your races. This too shall pass, so don't start paying attention to your press clippings.
Number two. “I am fierce, I am free, I am on fire.”
To put it simply, to be fierce means to not let fear get in the way leaving us incapable of doing our best. I line up to race fearful of losing, fearful of the discomfort I am about to face, and maybe a little fearful of looking like an imposter.
Being fierce is about being courageous. But, courage is not the absence of fear, it’s allowing our passion and our purpose to overcome the fear.
The second part: I am free. I am unstuck from the negativity that haunts me when I line up and look around at all of the “real” cyclocross racers.
And finally, I am on fire. I have a burning desire to ride up to my potential and to finish knowing that I left it all on the course.
My current favorite mantra is this one: “I’ve done the work. Now I’m ready.”
Every time I chant that, I see myself grinding out efforts of all lengths and intensities. That was my work. Now I’m ready to perform.
It’s the mantra that I started each day with in Baltimore at Charm City. Did I win? Nope. But I was the second oldest rider in the 60-plus race and I held my own. That’s my win. Will I use it again? FOR SURE!
Mantras and meditation may not be for you. But my suggestion is to find some way to affirm the work you’ve done and the potential that you have. Use it. You may not win any more races than you have in the past, but I can guarantee you that you’ll get past that phase of wondering why you race.
Many of you are familiar with me from my years writing for Cyclocross Magazine. I’ll end this the way I ended those columns—Now that you’re done reading, go ride your bike (and maybe recite a mantra while you do).
Great piece! Thanks!