Training Guide 2020 - Week 4

Visualisation is where you draw on the power of your imagination to help you succeed.

It’s a simple tool that is said to have been used by Olympians and sports stars, including basketball great Michael Jordan, former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, and golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Visualisation involves imagining yourself facing a specific challenge – picturing all the things you would see, think and feel – and then imagining your success.

Along with all the other things you do, like stretching and strength training, visualisation can be an important part of your training toolkit. It’s about using mental imagery to help you map out a path to achieving success.

With this technique you’re not limited to being a mortal human being. You can be empowered with out-of-this world abilities, strengths and unconquerable mental toughness. It’s your adventure so try to make it as vivid as possible. Go on, try it on your next ride or run!

Recovery is also a huge part of the puzzle

It is important to remember that your body will adapt, develop and improve when you are resting and recovering.

When you are training so diligently and still working you need to make sure you aren’t burning out. There are some useful practices that you include in your life that will help you gain balance, help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and help keep your hormones in check which is essential for your mental and physical health and for longevity in the sports of running and riding. If you just keep going and going hard out all the time you WILL burn out and it can lead to long term health problems.

We want you to avoid these so integrate if you can into your life some meditation, it’s absolutely backed by science that simple meditation practices can help your body calm down, stop producing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, can help your sleep patterns and therefore help you run and ride better. The same goes for having a daily breath focused practice.

Have at least one training free day and make sure you get enough sleep. You will be needing a little more than usual.