Train for yourself (and nothing else)
Whether you ride for pleasure or to experience a moment of glory in competition, it is important to keep things in perspective during group training sessions and not always compare yourself to others. Knowing your limits, accepting them, and reevaluating your goals is better than belittling the quality of your performance by comparing it to that of higher-level athletes. Remember: you're doing this for yourself and to achieve your own goals.
Too often, we hear people devalue their performance in conversations after training sessions. They start off enthusiastically, expressing their satisfaction at having completed a difficult workout. Then they compare themselves to others, inevitably saying something like, "I know I'm not as strong as you guys right now..." And that saddens us. Because the last thing we want is to see clients and friends belittle their efforts by comparing themselves to athletes who are often younger, devote immensely more time to training, and possess extraordinary genetic talent.
Good comparisons
Jonathan Lelièvre is a mental coach for athletes of all levels. He distinguishes between two ways of comparing one's performance to that of others.
«Des fois, ça peut être positif. Par exemple, si on a fait une sortie et qu’on est parvenu à rester dans un groupe plus fort, ou qu’on a pu suivre un pro, ça donne confiance. Mais sinon, il faut être réaliste et voir nos performances à travers le filtre de défis qu’on se lance à soi-même. On ne connaît pas la réalité des autres. Ont-ils des enfants, un travail aussi accaparant? Combien de temps passent-ils à s’entraîner et depuis combien d’années? La meilleure comparaison, c’est avec soi-même : suis-je parvenu à m’entraîner pour devenir une meilleure version de moi? Si oui, c’est une victoire.»
Your project, your foundations, your focus
To avoid comparing yourself to others and becoming demotivated, you need to take stock of what you have and accept playing in this sandbox.
"What is your project?" asks Jonathan Lelièvre, emphasizing that this question is the starting point for positive progress rooted in a desire for self-improvement.
Is it to get in shape for a trip, keep up with your slightly stronger friends, or lose weight? How many hours do you have to train? What are your current stats (your various CP values, for example) and which ones do you want to improve? Do you run and want to improve your tactical sense and pedaling efficiency? All of that is excellent.
"I call it the foundation," explains Jonathan Lelièvre. "These are the tools you have at your disposal. You take stock of what's solid and what you'd like to improve, where you'd like to put your energy. For example, it could be improving your posture and maximizing your movement. Focus on that, and then you can move on to something else. If you do that and you're satisfied, there's no point wasting your time looking at what others are doing. You focus on what you're doing."
Remembering beautiful things
Once you have defined your objectives and skills, you establish your plan to achieve your goals. Then, as much as possible, you stick to it.
But just because you're realistic doesn't mean things will always be easy. The mental coach therefore suggests that athletes, regardless of their performance level, keep a journal in which they write down their observations and what they have accomplished. "We often think about the next step and forget to take the time to review our successes and failures. It's important to remember the successes, because that helps us stay positive during the more difficult times."
And sometimes things go wrong, but you have to focus on what went right too. Your legs weren't up to it, but you improved your technique? That's something, at least. Don't be too hard on yourself and give yourself a pat on the back.
If you keep your eyes fixed on your goals, your motivations, and the factors you can control (such as sticking to your training plan), you are less likely to fall into a negative spiral that will make you obsess over what you don't like.
In the end, it won't be about comparing your numbers with your neighbor's, but looking back on this process of self-improvement and saying to yourself: I'm 65 years old, or I have two young children, or I have this crazy job... and I'm better than I was six months ago. That's all that matters.