The Cycling Mind: The Psychological Skills for Peak Performance on the Bike - and in Life

Description

This practical and highly accessible guide, written by British Cycling's Lead Psychologist, will explore the importance of psychology in achieving peak cycling performance. The book will transfer the sport psychology strategies used to win Olympic gold and encourage and equip individuals with the psychological skills to pursue performance excellence in cycling and in daily life. For the last three Olympic Games the Great Britain Cycling Team has dominated the Velodrome events and is regarded as one of the most successful elite sporting set-ups in Olympic history. The emergence of sport psychology as a critical aspect of the Great Britain Cycling Team's success has sparked wide interest in the psychological skills required to perform. This book will transfer the sport psychology strategies used to assist elite cyclists to win Olympic gold to individuals seeking to improve their own performance and psychological wellbeing on and off the bike. The Cycling Mind will take the reader through the key stages of an athlete's pathway, from training through to competition, and provide guidelines to developing the psychological skills to compete at their best. Key skill development areas in sport psychology such as planning for success, controlling thought and emotion, developing confidence, competition and recovery strategies will be outlined. The objective of the book is to provide all the information and strategies required to achieve success in cycling, and can be applied across all high-pressure performance environments.

Dr Ruth Anderson is a highly experienced sports psychologist who specializes in working with elite sports people. She has worked at the last three Olympic Games and is currently in charge of the psychology services for Great Britain Cycling Team. Ruth Anderson previously held the position of Head of Sport Psychology for the Australian Olympic Team and is the Director of MiND HQ, which provides psychology services to individuals and teams, giving them the knowledge and skills required to achieve optimal performance on and off the sporting field. Ruth has completed her PhD investigating the optimal psychological state for peak performance.

The training is done. The work is in the legs. You've eaten right and rested well. But your head can make or break everything. Don't neglect it! * Joanna Rowsell Shand, Double Olympic gold medallist and World Champion cyclist * Ruth Anderson is a game changer. The stronger we become through the mind, the stronger we become physically. * Shane Sutton OBE, Olympic and World Championship Track Cycling Technical Director *