There are two big myths in the cycling community that hold back many riders. The myth of the "natural athlete" and the myth of the "magic pill" have played a huge role in depressing riders confidence for years.
I will start with the "natural athlete". Many people seem to think that the best people in sports are gifted or born with natural talent and that simply isn't the case. While we all probably know someone who seems to do well in any sport that they try (which sure can be frustrating) these "natural athletes" are rare and sadly they rarely reach their potential. Reaching your potential requires work (which if done right can be fun) just ask Micheal Jordan. If anyone ever looked like a natural athlete it was MJ, wow, the man could fly. Micheal Jordan was far from a natural athlete though, did you know he got cut from his team his freshman and sophomore years?
That's right, Micheal Jordan wasn't as good as 10 other kids his age in his town yet we don't know the name of any of those kids who were "better" than him do we? Why is Jordan's name etched into our brains? Because he worked hard at the fundamentals of basketball and worked hard in the gym and MJ reached his potential. Tennis great Chris Evert says "I was neither the fastest or the strongest in the game at the time" yet she was ranked #1 in the World! Golf great Tom Kite is legally blind without his glasses, describes himself as an average putter who drives the ball short yet he won the US Open at 42! Anyone who has ever met me was probably under whelmed at first, I walk funny, have asthma and two massively separated shoulders. Heck I never came close to passing the "Presidential Fitness Test" as a kid. Yet despite not being a "natural athlete" I have done okay for myself in snowboarding and mountain biking.
If I had had Micheal Jordon's work ethic and more importantly his belief system I would of gone even further in both sports. It was my belief in the "natural athlete" being better than me that kept me from giving a 100% in my training. Yes, even if I had given a 100% I would never be able to beat someone with Ned Overend's lung capacity in a cross country race but it would of been fun to see how close I could of come. Luckily skills don't take big lungs. So stop labeling yourself, be the best that you be everyday and you will astound yourself.
The "magic pill" or "pros secret" does not exist. So many people think that if they just knew that "one thing" that Steve Peat, JHK, Sam Hill. Ryan Trebon, or whoever their hero his knew they could ride as well as them. Well I hate to break your heart but there is no magic pill or secret skill, the way to the top is the basics. Mountain biking, like most sports, martial arts, ski racing, motocross, auto racing, gymnastics, etc. requires mastery and maintenance of the basics to do well.
Unfortunately, just like in martial arts and ski racing these basics are not intuitive so first you must learn the basics. Learning them is easy with the right teacher, mastering them requires work (even with the best teacher). The Magic Pill? Knowledge and mastery of the basic core skills. For more myths that may be holding you back check out http://www.betterride.net for my free course on the 10 most common mistakes made by most riders and how to fix them.
A little Zen: Try to look at life with a "Beginner's Mind", with a beginners mindset you are open to all possibilities, with an "expert" mindset your choices are very limited. Think how many "experts" have been wrong, experts once thought the world was flat, and that no one can run a mile in less than four minutes. Having a beginners mindset really helps you put your ego aside, learn and enjoy life more.
Create a great ride!
