Show me the MOJO!!! Anyone got stories of inspiration?

[Jiffer]

I keep trying to get my mojo back and need stories of inspiration. I am pretty competitive and have a hard time when I consistently don't ride as fast as the people I ride with the most. I am particularly a slower climber and, lately, I seem to be losing steam on longer rides and it's getting kind of depressing. I was at my height last summer after signing up for some races and doing some serious training. I was feeling really good about myself and then got sidelined by anemia and a series of other things that kept me from getting back to my former "glory". My husband is a "gifted" cyclist, shall we say. It comes more easily to him to climb and ride fast. My main cycling buddy and I are pretty even on the flats, but she always out climbs me. And lately I'm getting erked because she hasn't been able to ride much, but when she does (typically only longer rides lately), she's still out riding me even though I'm getting in more training rides. (She does run, though, so she's not completely dormant.) So it has become a mental thing with me now. I know the kind of rides I need to do to get to my former glory, but knowing and doing are two different things when it all starts to feel like it's all pointless.

I did get inspired recently from listening to a message from my pastor, of all things. He used to be massively into sports. When he went to college he found out he was one of the worst players on his basketball team. All the other guys were naturally gifted and could far outplay him. He's incredibly tall, but they were all taller! He said he ran up and down the bleachers like a zillion times to get stronger. I'm sure he did a lot more than that, but his point was that he worked his butt off every chance he got and it really paid off. By his second year he had massive improvements in how high he could jump and many other skills he needed for basketball.

The very day I heard his story, I had previously been on a ride with my friend and thinking how cycling just comes more naturally to her than to me. And I was just wondering if there was ever any amount of training I could do that would help me climb as fast as her. (Cause for one, every time I do get faster, she gets faster yet! Ugh!) I have never been great cardiovascularly. I always breath harder than everyone around me, even if I'm keeping up with them. I'm 5'9" and, therefore, not really built for climbing like women who are shorter than me. So, when I heard my pastor talking about how basketball came more naturally to these other guys, yet when he worked his butt off it made a huge difference ... this was incredibly inspiring.

So I thought it would be fun if you guys would share some of your stories of inspiration, even if it's not your own story or related to cycling specifically. Anything that can hype us up to believe we can be the cyclist we want to be if we put the work into it. I don't really need training advice. Just mental hype. Thanks!

[lawnchick22]

Jiffer.......

Last summer, fall, at the height of your performance...think back on how that felt. Breathe in those moments, relive them...do it on each ride, do it in the car driving....whenever/wherever you can think on it, do so.

It may be uncomfortable, but ride with your DH, ride with your partner who outclimbs you, this will make you stronger.

I'm no expert, as I've only been riding about 18 months, but 85% of that time has been with my BF and on occasion, his cycling buddies, who all have been riding 15+ years...I try to hang with them, swinging the gate on group rides, but I still try to hang with them...I know it has made me stronger. I have a desire to race competitively now and am even contemplating going back to school to LeesMcrae in Banner Elk, NC for a minor in cycling! I'm 47 (in a week), been athletic all my life, but cycling has opened my eyes to a whole new world of fitness and competition.

Jiffer -- you've been on top of your game, you know what it takes to get there...you also know how awesome it feels to be on top of your game...now get out there and RIDE.

[7rider]

When I feel uninspired and my mojo starts to wane, I watch this video.

It always gets me pumped and wanting to get out there on the hills (and dreaming of the day when I'm in shape again! ).

[Veronica]

Anything that can hype us up to believe we can be the cyclist we want to be if we put the work into it. I don't really need training advice. Just mental hype. Thanks!

You said it yourself right there.

I also think you need to be realistic. You are unlikely to ever be as fast as your hubby or to climb as well as your shorter riding partner. You have to accept that there are some limitations to what you can achieve based on your gender and your body type.

I also am extremely competitive. But somewhere along the line I decided it was fruitless to compare myself to others. All you can do is make yourself the best that you can be, because the only competitor you have any control over is yourself. And accept - there will always be someone faster than you.

Veronica

[redrhodie]

Watch "Breaking Away"!

[Artista]

Watch "Breaking Away"!

+1 I've never pushed so hard on a trainer as I did during the scene when he's following the semi!

[maillotpois]

V has a point - given each of our own body types, etc. comparisons to others can be self defeating. Sometimes you can spin those comparisons to the positive, though. It's such a mental thing. So much depends on your mindset at the time. I have been where you are - where I might have let that get me down. Now I am trying to use "rabbits" like that in a positive motivational way.

Last weekend halfway through the 300k, we hooked up with a male friend and a female acquaintance I had just met the weekend before. I didn't know this woman at all; she wasn't built like a cyclist or stick insect. I was pretty shocked when she just rode all of us off her wheel on rolling hills - terrain that never happens to me on. I commented to my friend mike that this girl was super strong and he said yeah she placed well in the triple crown stage race last year! I had no idea and felt a little better. As it turned out, we finished the 300k about 5 mins after she did. So now I'm looking at this woman as a role model - in a positive but not beating myself up about it way.

[luv2climb]

I get hyped up to go on climbing rides by listening to the same music I listen to while riding (in the right ear only while riding of course). I also watch climbing videos, both my own and other people's. That Lance Armstrong one posted earlier is a good one.

[Norse]

Try reading these blog accounts of the Susitna 100 held in Alaska this past weekend: http://alaskab4udie.blogspot.com/ and http://arcticglass.blogspot.com/. Amazing.

[nscrbug]

While I don't have any inspiring stories to share here...I just wanted to say to Jiffer, that your post could have been written by me! Right down to the "gifted" DH and stronger cycling buddy...except my buddy is a 245lb male. Yes, a guy who has nearly 100lbs on me, can easily out-climb me every single time. It does get discouraging at times, especially since we both know that cardiovascular-wise...I am in much better shape than him. But I just do my best to try and keep up. I have to admit that sometimes though...when I'm lagging far behind, I do feel like breaking down into tears because sometimes it does feel pointless, as you said. Maybe we can inspire each other throughout the upcoming season.

[Jiffer]

Thanks for all your support guys. Loved the Lance video. I am actually feeling pretty good about riding these days. I had a good interval ride yesterday and did a women's group ride tonight, which was pretty paced and I was happy with how I did. Still lagged behind on the climbs, but not too bad (although I know a couple of them could have climbed faster). But both of these rides were great for my mental state. Yay!

I know I'll never be able to ride as fast as my DH and I certainly have no unrealistic expectations of ever doing so. But sometimes it's just not fun to hear how great he's doing when I don't feel like I'm doing so great. For the most part I'm very proud of him and often boast about him. But sometimes, like after the Palm Springs Century, when I got dehydrated and didn't ride as fast I had really hoped to, I had to come back to find out he had done his fastest century ever ... only 4:38 ride time ... with some other guys, but he did most of the pulling. He was the physical and mental force behind their pace. All I heard the rest of the day was how amazing he was from all the guys. And while I just wanted to beat my last year's time, which I might have by a little if I hadn't gotten dehydrated, my cycling buddy "crushed" hers. I didn't even ask what her time was, I was so depressed.

In general I do believe in riding with people who are faster than you, which is what I have been doing since I started five years ago. And it HAS made me faster. But I'm at a point right now where riding with her in particular can just be crushing to my spirit. I love her. She's more than a cycling buddy. She's one of my best friends and she would never in a million years gloat over her ability to climb better. As it turns out, her work schedule is changing, so I now have ample opportunity to ride on my own and try to improve without her improving right along with me! When she realized how much faster I was getting from doing intervals last year, she started doing them. UGH!!! So maybe now I'll have an opportunity to level out the playing field a little bit!

There's a woman in my cycling club who is taller than me and not a skinny stick. She climbs extremely well, which gives me hope. Just watching the Lance video reminded me of how he wasn't the best climber originally, supposedly because of his body type, but he overcame it. So, I'm not accepting that I'll never be able to climb as fast as my friend. I just need to slow down her progress and catch up! I do realize that I "may" never be able to, but I'm sure going to find out. And this is precisely why I was looking for motivational stories. Stories about people who weren't naturally gifted or given the typical body type for their sport ... yet beat the odds.

Thanks again. I am happy to report that I think I got my mojo back after two great rides.

On a side note, I'm thinking of getting into time trialing, because I can ride flats pretty fast and might actually be pretty darn good at those. So changing up goals is helping, too. Not going to focus on distance for a while, which is part of what was getting depressing. Just short and FAST! Oh yeah!!!!!!

[7rider]

You sound very familiar.
I also am at a state where riding with my DH - and his group of cycling buddies - is not fun. I love the people...they are all wonderful, but their speed is too high and I'll never be able to keep up. I'm always bringing up the rear and the last one to arrive. And no matter what I seemed to do, I never improved. If my fitness increased - so did theirs, and they got faster still.
This is one of the reasons why I joined a triathlon club this year. New folks to ride with...new challenges....but also, the racing allows me to strive to perform at MY best - and I can chase down all the rabbits I want on the course - but at the end of the day, it's just me and the clock. I can measure my progress against myself, and not against my DH or the ride crew.
And I'm thinking (hoping) that this strategy will keep me in a better mind-set for my riding - and running and (gasp!) swimming - this season.
Bring on the MoJo!
So, good luck with the TT's. I think they'll be great for you!