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Not sometimes, not every-so-often but every time I enter a race or am on a hard ride, I think about quitting and giving up within minutes.  Negative self talk, doubt in my abilities and general sluggishness tend to really bum me out and it always makes me want to stop.  I think the most damning thing is in a race when you fire off and you see yourself getting dropped and not being able to catch up.  Inevitably, “giving up” starts to surround thoughts.

Not giving up, what you can do?

Photography by Kate Cleveland

I’ve found three things that have helped me power through all the slush that has helped out immensely.

1. 7 Minutes.  My friend Mitch talked about the first seven minutes of a ride.  He said if you can just get through those first seven everything seems to even out.  There’s been times I’ve been so flustered or frustrated trying to just get out on the damn trailhead that I want to throw my hands up, go home and go back to bed.  But I’ll be damned that just like clockwork at the seven minute mark I’m feeling better and all those “problems” I was having just melted away.
2. Wake your muscles up.  I’ve found, especially for races, is if you can get your heart rate up quickly you’ll burn through that sluggish feeling quickly.  While I’m no medical expert – waking your muscles up and getting them all warm is a lot better than trying to start an event cold.  Even now on a training ride or social group I’ll go do a few hard paced laps just to get everything loosened up to ride better
3. Get down to get back up.  I read a book several years back called “The Worry Cure” and one thing it said was to give yourself a moment to freak out so you could get over yourself.  In regards to worrying, if you allow yourself to go ahead and freak, then there’s really no where else to go but up, plus you get some perspective and everything goes back into focus.  This has helped me sort of push through the crap so I can just power on…plus, after all, it’s a bicycle – not curing world hunger.
4. My favorite quote about not giving up is by Calvin Coolidge and it goes:

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Photography by Kate Cleveland

Giving up is human, Pressing on is too.

We all want to quit and giving up seems the best thing to do sometimes.  As my coach, Tracy McKay has said on many of occasions, “Your brain is trying to protect you and will do everything it can to keep you comfortable.”  So not giving up and giving into that comfort zone and crushing through it is pivitol, in fact my biking buddy Stacey who teaching spinning would say that when your legs want to quit, all you need to do is tell them they are not quitting.  It’s that simple.

The mind is amazing of just how much control over the entire body it has, the ability to tell any part of your body “oh you’re not giving up” is key for a successful race or ride.

Photography by Kate Cleveland

Oh, and of course, these things can be directly applied to life issues as well.  If you need some visual motivation, then make sure to check out Ol’ Winston here with one of the best speeches of all times.