Pretty much if you're thinking, you're losing. Focus on whats ahead and drown out everything else. On a good run, I won't hear a single thing from the crowd, pure tunnel vision of all senses.
-KT
I found this sequence of posts to be amusing.Get into a rowdy kinda zone. You gotta be having loads of fun to have a dope run. If you are super serious, you will be slow. You can only be a little bit serious. That little bit counts toward lines. Besides that, moto noises and hollering are acceptable.
Yeah,......those guys on the podium......they suck.Keep in mind that the guys with the matching kit and premium parts, really aren't that good. Don't let them intimidate you.
Crowds,yeah we have crowds.Pretty much if you're thinking, you're losing. Focus on whats ahead and drown out everything else. On a good run, I won't hear a single thing from the crowd, pure tunnel vision of all senses.
-KT
Best advice in the thread so far. Totally works, you need to build up your "speed threshold ". Mx riding brought me from mid-pack sport to podiums in expert in 1 season.It dosent directly seem like the sports psychology answer you're looking for,but mentally, MX helped me alot.It broke down mental barriers of speed and of what "big" is.So when I go back to Dh,everything seems,and is, smaller and slower. I don't get tense and overwhelmed by "fast"speed and loose ground.
the first thing you should know is, it's much easier to look fast than to actually ride fast. So the first thing you have to do is buy some schweet kit. This can either be the full pyjamas, or if you prefer the 'f*ck the system' look, you can wear mx trousers and a t-shirt with some band that you've heard top pro's say they like in interviews; basically, an ac/dc t-shirt.
You might think but what's the point, people will see my race times and i'll be rumbled? This is where real sports psychology comes in. During practice, just cruise. Cruise, and stop a lot to look at stuff. If anyone asks you how you're getting on, say something to the effect of 'yeah the tracks ok, nothing too gnarly, just gonna have fun on my race runs y'know?'. This reverse psychology will instantly work and they will think 'man, this guy must be so fast, he probably doesn't even need to be practicing right now to smoke me.'
this is just the groundwork though, the critical point is your reaction when you cross the line. The main rule is don't ever look at the time board. This gives the impression that you are so disgusted with your sub-par run you can't bear to look at the result. You can do this by shaking your head as you cross the line, slumping over your bars when you come to a stop, or just pedalling straight out the finish paddock in apparent rage. Everyone that sees this will assume you must be capaple of far better than your bottom third placing. Another technique that can be employed in combination with the above is to look down between your legs at your chainguide/mech, giving people the impression you had a mechanical, nothing catastrophic but something like a jammed chain that could have been freed up just before the finish.
I hope these techniques help.
irony, eh?Best advice ever!!!! Lol!!
The first thing you should know is, it's much easier to look fast than to actually ride fast. So the first thing you have to do is buy some schweet kit. This can either be the full pyjamas, or if you prefer the 'f*ck the system' look, you can wear MX trousers and a t-shirt with some band that you've heard top pro's say they like in interviews; basically, an AC/DC t-shirt.
You might think but what's the point, people will see my race times and I'll be rumbled? This is where real sports psychology comes in. During practice, just cruise. Cruise, and stop a lot to look at stuff. If anyone asks you how you're getting on, say something to the effect of 'yeah the tracks ok, nothing too gnarly, just gonna have fun on my race runs y'know?'. This reverse psychology will instantly work and they will think 'Man, this guy must be so fast, he probably doesn't even need to be practicing right now to smoke me.'
This is just the groundwork though, the critical point is your reaction when you cross the line. The main rule is don't ever look at the time board. This gives the impression that you are so disgusted with your sub-par run you can't bear to look at the result. You can do this by shaking your head as you cross the line, slumping over your bars when you come to a stop, or just pedalling straight out the finish paddock in apparent rage. Everyone that sees this will assume you must be capaple of far better than your bottom third placing. Another technique that can be employed in combination with the above is to look down between your legs at your chainguide/mech, giving people the impression you had a mechanical, nothing catastrophic but something like a jammed chain that could have been freed up just before the finish.
I hope these techniques help.
Nominating for post of the year...The first thing you should know is, it's much easier to look fast than to actually ride fast. So the first thing you have to do is buy some schweet kit. This can either be the full pyjamas, or if you prefer the 'f*ck the system' look, you can wear MX trousers and a t-shirt with some band that you've heard top pro's say they like in interviews; basically, an AC/DC t-shirt.
You might think but what's the point, people will see my race times and I'll be rumbled? This is where real sports psychology comes in. During practice, just cruise. Cruise, and stop a lot to look at stuff. If anyone asks you how you're getting on, say something to the effect of 'yeah the tracks ok, nothing too gnarly, just gonna have fun on my race runs y'know?'. This reverse psychology will instantly work and they will think 'Man, this guy must be so fast, he probably doesn't even need to be practicing right now to smoke me.'
This is just the groundwork though, the critical point is your reaction when you cross the line. The main rule is don't ever look at the time board. This gives the impression that you are so disgusted with your sub-par run you can't bear to look at the result. You can do this by shaking your head as you cross the line, slumping over your bars when you come to a stop, or just pedalling straight out the finish paddock in apparent rage. Everyone that sees this will assume you must be capaple of far better than your bottom third placing. Another technique that can be employed in combination with the above is to look down between your legs at your chainguide/mech, giving people the impression you had a mechanical, nothing catastrophic but something like a jammed chain that could have been freed up just before the finish.
I hope these techniques help.
"Fired Up! reference, LOVE IT!!""Be Agressive, B E Agressive"
^
Repeat to self during the run like you are a cheerleader on drugs.
Reminds me to keep my head up, attack out of corners, think about the exits and whats coming up.
Pre riding the course to the point that you can ride it through in your mind and run through the lines to hit and the lines to avoid.