Confidence

This is something taken from Joe Friel's blog.  Good stuff...

I believe that the most important thing an athlete takes to the start line on race day is confidence. It may even be more important than fitness or form. There are several things I do to help build confidence in those I coach. But the bottom line is that it has to come from inside. I can’t instill it; I can only encourage it and provide an on-going training experience that fosters it. Here are two little things I’ve learned along the way about how athletes can build their own confidence.

One of the things you can do to promote self-confidence is to build a bank account of successes. It’s easy. Every night when you go to bed, after you’re turned out the lights, you have the only time in the day when there are no external interruptions. This is a good time to run a quick check of the things you did that day in training. Find one thing you did well. It may not seem like a big deal. Maybe you climbed one hill well or had a good set on intervals. Relive that moment several times until you fall asleep. You just made a deposit into your confidence bank account.

Some of the deposits will be big, some will be small. But your account needs to grow each and every day. The week of a race you can start making withdrawals. Any time you feel a bit of anxiety about the upcoming race go back and pull one of those vivid success memories out of your account. Relive it. When the little voice in your head says you can’t do it make another withdrawal immediately. When someone expresses doubt about your chances of success make a withdrawal. When you step to the starting line make a withdrawal.

Never deposit the bad things or unwelcome moments in training. Never. Let them go. They’re trash. Stay focused on the positive experiences. Deposit only them in your account. Withdraw only them.

The second thing you can do to boost confidence and therefore performance is to “act as if.” Always assume the posture and disposition of a confident athlete. Always. Act as if you are confident. You’ll be amazed at what that does for your confidence.

So how does a confident athlete act? Look around and find athletes who exude confidence. What do they do and say that’s unique? Study them. What you will probably find is that they stand tall and proud. Their heads are up. They look people in the eyes when talking. They don’t denigrate others to try to elevate their own self-esteem. They move slowly, precisely and fluidly. Like athletes. It’s obvious they think of themselves positively.

Now you may not feel that way all the time but act like it anyway. Fake it till you make it. It’s remarkable how taking on the posture and demeanor of confidence breeds confidence even when you’re not feeling that way. It’s not possible to be confident with a defeated posture and demeanor. It’s like saying “yes” while shaking your head “no.” The two don’t go together.

So that’s the conversation I have with the athletes I coach when they need to build confidence. I’ve seen it work. Give it a try.

Great Grease Monkey Wipes Review

The Bottom Line

Grease Monkey Wipes are a handy little thing to keep around, whether in your garage or in your bike bag. You'll be thankful you've got them when your hands are covered with grease and there's no easy way to get them clean. One little foil pouch produces a hanky-sized wipe with enough cleaning power and durability to take the grease right off your hands. And it's just the right size to throw a couple in your bike bag for those repairs on the road.

Pros

• Powerful cleaner to take grease away quick
• Durable wipes offer plenty of stamina for tough scrubbing
• Fresh citrus smell makes your nose happy
• Convenient size pouches for throwing in your bike bag
• Larger cannister works good for your garage

Cons

• Nothing to gripe about with these!

Description

• 7"x8" wipes
• Made of durable cloth-like material
• Fresh citrus smell
• Sold as individual-use pouches or in larger cannister

Guide Review - Review: Grease Monkey Wipes

Picture yourself eating ribs. Your hands are sticky with BBQ sauce. Somebody hands you a wet-nap and suddenly all your problems are solved. This is what Grease Monkey Wipes do for you when you're working on your bike. Think about the truly greasy hands you get when you're cleaning your chain or working on anything with bearings. Grease Monkey Wipes are the wet-nap that takes that grease right off your hands.

I had the chance to try out some of the Grease Monkey Wipes in the individual packets. They didn't look like much at first, just little foil packets roughly the size of a business card. So I put them by my tools and kinda forgot about them until the day came that I had to work on my chain, and got my hands totally covered with grease. You know, the kind where you're trying to open the doorknob with your elbows because your hands are so nasty? Yeah, like that. So I got one of the Grease Monkey Wipes, tore the packet open, and unfolded the nice-sized 7"x8" wipe.

The first thing I noticed was that the wipe was made from a durable cloth-type material that stood up to a rigorous wiping for several minutes on my palms and fingers and in and around my knuckles without ripping. Way better than the flimsy stuff an actual wet-nap is made from. The second thing I noticed was a fresh and pleasant citrus smell, just the same as the smell that permeates the tubs of commercial hand cleaner the mechanic uses down at your local shop. The third thing I noticed was that it took the grease right off my hands. This is the kind of oily, dirty soiling that just scrubbing at with soap and water wouldn't have made a dent in. And the Grease Monkey Wipes took it right off like nothing.

So was I impressed? Yes. This is a handy thing to keep around, either in your shop or especially in your bike bag. If you're out riding and have a breakdown that you gotta fix, these wipes will clean you up fast, so you're not having to either ride with greasy hands or having to wipe them on your jersey to keep a grip on your handlebars.

Oh Floyd...

Disgraced rider Floyd Landis, the man who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title for doping and accused Lance Armstrong of cheating, has retired, the American said.


"I'll never start on a line on a road and try to get to another line on a road faster than another guy. That's over," Landis, 35, told ESPN.com.

Landis won the Tour in 2006 but failed a dope test for testosterone during the race and was stripped of the title.

He denied any wrongdoing until last May, when he admitted to doping and accused former team mate Armstrong, a seven-times Tour champion, and others of doping when they were both riding for the U.S. Postal team.

Landis took part in a few races in 2010 as an independent rider but failed to secure a proper contract.

By George I think he likes it

It goes without saying that George Hincapie is one of the most recognized riders in the world, with numerous world championships, national championships and professional victories to his credit.  Not only that but apparently he likes Grease Monkey Wipes.    I knew I liked him for a reason.