Periodically I find myself out riding and my mind/concentration just isn't interested, leading to me riding like an utter spanner. My brain is effectively just shivering and whimpering running round chasing it's tail and wanting to go and hide under a blanket
Today - a classic example. Went for a play at Wharncliffe, and just couldn't get any focus going - I'm looking at the trail (not far enough ahead), but not *seeing* it, and not making any proactive decisions about line choice, body language etc. Turns riding into a clusterf*ck survival excercise and drives me absolutely raging mental (which doesn't help the concentration either). Especially annoying as ground conditions were great, but I was riding far less well than when I was there in the pissing rain and sludge on New Years day. I'm eating well, sleeping well, not overly stressed, blah blah blah.
Sometimes I can snap myself out of it by forcing myself to do something really stupid, which will *make* me concentrate, or go to hospital. Sometimes I end up cocking it up and merely scaring the living shite out of myself, then mincing even more (today). Sometimes I can't even get enough self control going to do that.
Now there's got to be a solution to this. I can't be the only person to have off days, and no professional sportsperson (of which there are 1000s) can be in a situation where they just shrug and turn to their sponsors/employers and go "sorry boss, just not with it today". That would be a quick line to unemployment. There's no way, for example, Aaron Gwin will be sat in the start hut of a World Cup round with his mind on planet Zog whilst the beeps are counting down. If he can focus properly as and when he wants, I should be able to too.
So what's the secret?
**** yerself off a wall that will sharpen the focus
