Pre-ride routine?

Do you have a pre-ride routine? You should.  

I am not talking about the – drink XX ounces of Beet Juice with XXX extract for performance. Not that you cannot add that to your pre-ride routine. I am talking about the physical routine that gets your ‘head in the game’.  

There is research that looks at processes and how to prepare your body and mind for what is coming next. To help you transition from one part of your life to another.

Let me tell you more – please.

Non-cycling example. There is a person who has a chair in his office. He only sits in that chair when he is reading/studying. Our bodies/minds are amazing and take visual and physical cues. Since he only sits in that chair when he reads, when he sits in that chair, his body and mind know what is coming next. He finds it easier to settle into undistracted reading because his mind and body already know the routine and what is coming next.  

It is the same in sport/activity. A guy once said that he did not particularly like running (he should try cycling instead) and that he did it for health. He said he never ‘felt’ like running. Over time he noticed that would change during his pre-run routine. He said that regardless of how he ‘felt’, he would go ‘get ready’ to run. He would gather up his shoes, shorts, shirt and lay them out. He would get water. All the things he used when he ran. Then he would start putting them on. Same routine prior to every run. He found (over time) that by the time he got outside to run, his body was ready for it. His body and mind took the cues from the routine. The routine prepped the body and mind for what is coming next … so that he was ‘ready’ to run by the time he got to the door. He still did not love it (I still say he needs to try cycling) but his body was ready.

There is research on creativity, process and flow states. They all share common ground. One component, routine, can be important. Yes, some have a ‘standard routine’ and exercise at the exact same time of day. Your body gets accustomed to that. That can be good or bad. I do not have that life. My riding fits around other parts of my life … around weather … around unexpected things. I can still have a routine.  

Follow me through an example. 

I am not motivated today. A nap sounds nice. I know if I ride I will be happy. How to bridge this motivation gap? My routine.

I go upstairs. I grab my water bottles and fill them up. I fill an extra bottle and start drinking it. I go into the closet and start filling my bag – bike computer, blinkie lights, gloves, any clothing I need to bring with me. Then I put on my shorts, socks, jersey, and if winter – other stuff. I grab that stuff and as I pass the kitchen I drop my water bottles and food in the bag. Still, I could veer right and hit the couch, but I have started my routine and that has created momentum. Momentum is monumental. At least in my world. I go downstairs. Pull the chosen bike down. I air up the tires. I put on the computer, blinkies etc. I put on my cleats, my helmet, my glasses. By now my body has been through so much of the routine, it knows what is coming next. I get out the front door and I am ready to go.  

Fully motivated? Not always. More ready because of my routine? Yes. 
My buddy Chris once said, “Workout. If you feel like it or not – workout. It can be wimpy or it can be great. Who cares. Just workout.” He is correct. Often when we feel the worst we end up having the best workout. The act of getting there is the biggest obstacle.  

I read a motivational quote, “if it is worth doing it is worth doing poorly.” Yes, you read that correctly. I know, the one you heard is the opposite. Stay with me. The person that wrote the above quote says that often the variable that is keeping us from doing that ‘thing’ is that we think we must be perfect. The thought of perfection is stopping all progress. He says that a good idea acted upon is way better than a great idea never acted upon. Read the previous sentence again. I agree. Ideas are a dime a dozen. Execution is what counts. Thus, he changed the quote; thereby giving him permission to do that ‘task’ poorly. Which gave him the ability to start the task with low pressure. Starting is the key. He went on to say that he does not remember doing any task poorly. Once he started, he almost always did it well. But he removed the pressure of perfection which allowed him to start thereby allowing him to finish.  

I am not saying do things poorly. I am saying that your best varies with the day/month/year. Maybe you are capable of riding a 5 hour century. Today you do not feel great. You ride a 6 hour century. Is that bad? You rode a century! Your best today and your best yesterday are different because we are not machines.  

Think on it. How can you remove a mental obstacle and help yourself get out there. Even if I rode ‘poorly’, I am lapping the me (or anyone) that is sitting on the couch.  

How can we set the stage to get us to ride, to keep us consistent? I think routines are a big help. I think taking the ‘perfect’ out of the task can help. We are all different. Ride. However. Whenever. Fast. Slow. Poorly. Just ride. Because a bad day riding is better than a good day _____ (you fill in the blank).