How to Overcome Frustration in a Race

We've all experienced the feeling of frustration from being reeled in by the peloton after a breakaway, or when our legs fatigue with a mile until the summit of a climb. It's a horrible emotion that often brings about a cascade of negative thoughts and anxiety.

These feelings arise when the path toward your goal is blocked. And frustration can be more complex than just another bad emotion.

Frustration is hard wired into us and has tremendous adaptive value. Frustration starts as a good emotion. When we get frustrated, we're motivated to remove the obstacle that's blocking our path to our goals. We try harder and that extra effort can clear a path and help us continue to pursue our intended goal.

More: Improve Your Cycling: Train Your Mind

Negative Emotional Chain

Unfortunately, if, despite our best efforts, we can't overcome those roadblocks, frustration can become a destructive emotion. In fact, if frustration isn't dealt with quickly and effectively, it can trigger what I call the "negative emotional chain" in which frustration leads to a descent of unhealthy emotions.

If frustration persists, it can morph into anger. Most cyclists believe that anger is a bad emotion, but, like frustration, it too has both positive and negative sides. Anger starts out as being helpful, because it too is motivating. When you're angry, you want to go after the thing that's causing your anger. For example, when you get blocked out early in a charge to the finish line, your anger turns into adrenaline and power that may propel you back into contention before the final sprint.

More: The Mind of a Mentally Fit Pro

Unfortunately, anger can swiftly become a harmful emotion. Feelings of anger are like those of frustration, but with the volume turned up. Your body becomes tense, you start pedaling squares and you lose your rhythm and power. Your focus narrows so much that you miss important cues that are necessary to ride well. You fail to notice fast enough when another rider attempts to separate from the pack. Your thinking becomes clouded by the anger and you aren't able to think clearly or make good decisions about when to attack.

If you're not able to clear the obstacles from your path at this point, your emotions shift to the final stage of the negative emotional chain and you experience despair. You try and try but still can't remove the barriers, so the natural thing to do is quit. What's the point of continuing to try if nothing you do works?

More: Mind Over Mountain: Mental Tips for Climbing

For example, you make multiple attempts to break free from the peloton but can't. The unfortunate outcome of the negative emotional chain is failure. You will usually give up and either ride at the back of the peloton or give up.

It's been my experience that if you move from frustration to anger, continued efforts that day usually fail. And if you experience the negative emotional chain on a regular basis—sinking repeatedly into despair—you'll likely lose your motivation and be unwilling to make a sustained effort in the future. With each descent down the negative emotional chain, you come to believe that your actions have little effect. You'll progressively lose confidence in your ability to achieve your cycling goals.

More: What it Takes to Make a Break

Master Your Frustration

Despite the fundamental role that frustration plays in interfering with your efforts to be the best rider you can be, you probably haven't been shown how to deal with your frustration in a constructive way. Your goal is to learn to stop the negative emotional chain at frustration by responding positively to the frustration when it first arises.

More: How to Keep Your Cycling Motivation High

The first mistake that many cyclists make when faced with frustration is to increase their effort. In other words, do whatever you were doing more often and harder. But then you're violating the Law of Insanity: doing the same thing and expecting different results.

When frustration first arises, rather than plowing ahead, you should do just the opposite. Step back from the situation that's causing the frustration. For example, if you just can't seem to stay with the lead group, rather than fighting to hang on to exhaustion, recognize that you can't do it at that moment, allow yourself to fall back and give yourself some time to regroup. By dropping back temporarily, you create emotional distance from the cause of the frustration, thus easing its grip on you.

Next, create a physical state that counteracts the tension that comes with the frustration. Relax your body, breathe deeply and evenly, and refuel and rehydrate. This step lessens the uncomfortable physical symptoms that come with frustration (e.g., anxiety, muscle tension, inhibited breathing) and reduces the physical experience of the frustration.

More: 6 Pre-Race Mental Preparation Tips for Cyclists

You can counter the feelings of frustration by generating thoughts and emotions that are positive. Think about your preparation, sing a song in your head that fires you up and focus on regaining a smooth pedal stroke—all of which will reenergize you and bolster your confidence and determination.

Once the negative emotional chain has been broken, focus on the challenge ahead. In the case of the previous example, reconnect with the lead group. Focus on what you need to do to catch up. Assume an aggressive mindset, stay relaxed, breath consistently, and set a pace that will slowly enable you to regain contact with the leaders.

The reality is that you can't always clear every obstacle. The constant pursuit of an unattainable goal can cause you to fall into the negative emotional chain. Remember that sometimes you might not have the legs to rejoin the lead group.

More: 9 Ways to Calm Your Pre-Race Nerves

To fix this problem, start by making short term goals. In the previous example, trying to catch up will take you straight to the negative emotional chain. Instead, accept the situation and change your goal. You can still learn something, enjoy yourself and have a great race experience.

There are going to be days when reaching your goals is difficult. Continued failure will cause discouragement and do more harm than good. In competition, sometimes an athlete has to know when it's best to try again another day.

More: 9 Tips to Avoid Cycling Burnout