Mental vs. Physical

Coaching kids has amazing challenges, but never the ones you think about. This is odd, because thinking is the problem. There are many things I must learn, including not to take anything for granted, period. Just when you think a kid has figured things out and has it all figured out, something comes out and slaps you in the face, something that is hard to manage or deal with during the frenetic race day prep cycle.

Today was one of those experience where despite all the preparation for race day things didn't turn out how we visualize them. As fathers/coaches as we miss the point of view we should be looking from.

The kids have a perspective that you can't predict and despite many of the kids have a good year of racing behind them today was a challenge. If you haven't done Fisherman's Park (FishStix) you aren't expecting what you get when you roll up to the course. There simply is not another course or park like it on the OVCX tour. While it is not outrageously technical, there are features that most can not replicate in their practices at their local parks. For kids this "fresh" perspective is hard to piece together in a one or two lap pre-ride of the course before the race.

To be disappointed in results in this case would be irresponsible and not reflective of the effort put forth by the kids. They rode hard and persevered, a couple kids even finished the race after being informed their dad broke his ankle, and learned a lot. In the end that is what we are looking for this early in the season. Fitness and speed doesn't come right away, it has to be earned and takes time to develop. The kids are certainly reaching that point quickly and will soon learn that the efforts they put in today will reap more benefits later. 

The benefits are the ability to react instead of think. While some have been riding long enough to not remember this, each new element takes a bit to "comprehend". Not comprehend in the send of looking at the elements and saying "Oh, I see that". Comprehension for these elements is the ability to react quickly and navigate an element without brain lock. Brain lock makes a rider slow, and if you brain lock 3 or 4 times on a lap, well it 'looks' like you aren't going fast.

The brain needs as much training as the quads, and in the case of Fishstix it might need more training. The body can only do what the brain tells it to do as fast as the brain can provide instructions.