Mindfulness Archives -

How do you mentally prepare for a challenging ride?

October 16, 2020 Nicola Mental health, Mindfulness, Women cycling

When I first started doing long rides, my training and preparation were almost entirely based on my physical readiness and not on the need to mentally prepare for a challenging bike ride. I’ve always understood the big role that mental preparation plays for elite athletes, but I never thought I had anything in common with them. After 12 years of cycling, I’ve done quite a few charity rides and a small amount of racing and I always get very nervous beforehand. But I’ve never known how to overcome it except to just accept that it happens and live with it.

Develop an attitude of gratitude and enjoy cycling even more

October 9, 2020 Nicola Hill climbing, Life purpose, Mental health, Mindfulness, pay it forward, Women cycling

I’m a big fan of learning ways to improve your mental wellbeing and one idea that I really like is adopting an attitude of gratitude. You might wonder what an attitude of gratitude has to do with cycling but for me, I’m so very grateful that I found road cycling 12 years ago that the two things are inseparable. I try to be grateful for all the wonderful things I have in my life but I don’t always succeed so I thought it would be helpful for me and others to reflect on the benefits of developing an attitude of

It’s R U OK? Day but make sure you fit your own mask first

September 10, 2020 Nicola Brain health, Magic, Mental health, Mindfulness, Women cycling

Today is R U OK? Day which is a fantastic initiative to encourage us to pause for a moment and ask the people around us – R U OK? This is a topic that I’ve written about before because I feel really strongly about playing a role in making mental health a priority for everyone including our healthcare workers and Government decision-makers. The reason I’m writing about this topic within my cycling blog is that I know that cycling, and exercise in general, have so many positive benefits for mental health conditions. I’ve written about it several times before today so I’m

Why riding your bike will make you happy

July 3, 2020 Nicola Life purpose, Mental health, Mindfulness, women's bikes, Women's health

When I started riding some 12 years ago I could never have answered the question – Why riding your bike will make you happy. But I now know unequivocally why riding my bike makes me so happy. Here are my top five reasons: Riding is fun The simple act of propelling a bike along, and experiencing the wind rushing by, is fun. It’s strange that a bicycle cannot stand up on its own, but it stays upright when you ride it. I find it fun to achieve that balance. It gives me a sense of freedom that I really don’t

Do you worry about not keeping up? You may be suffering from FONKU

October 3, 2019 Nicola Magic, Mental health, Mindfulness, Women cycling, Women's health

I have to admit that I’m not a great fan of silly acronyms but I was rather proud of myself when I came up with FONKU – Fear Of Not Keeping Up. For me, it really sums up my own fears and lack of self-confidence and from talking to other female road cyclists it really is an issue. When I first wrote about this in February 2018 I got some great comments from other riders like “Great acronym – I knew straight away what you were talking about! I think another “fear of” that stops me riding with bunches at

Why riding my bike makes me happy?

March 21, 2018 Nicola Heart health, Mental health, Mindfulness, Women cycling

Yesterday was International Day of Happiness, and of course I automatically thought about why riding my bike makes me happy. When I reflected, I came up with five reasons: Riding is fun The simple act of propelling a bike along, and experiencing the wind rushing by, is fun. It’s strange that a bicycle cannot stand up on its own, but it stays upright when you ride it. I find it fun to achieve that balance. It gives me a sense of freedom that I really don’t experience in any other way. Social connections For me, cycling has brought so many

How to mentally prepare for a challenging bike ride

January 9, 2018 Nicola Mental health, Mindfulness, Women cycling

When I first started doing long rides, my training and preparation was almost entirely based on my physical readiness and not on the need to mentally prepare for a challenging bike ride. I’ve always understood the big role that mental preparation plays for elite athletes, but I never thought I had anything in common with them. After more than nine years of cycling, I’ve done quite a few charity rides and a small amount of racing and I always get very nervous beforehand. But I’ve never known how to overcome it except to just accept that it happens and live

The magic powers of the bicycle

December 19, 2017 Nicola Mental health, Mindfulness, Women cycling

It seems fitting that in the week leading up to Christmas we talk about the concept of magic, and there’s no greater magic for me than the magic powers of the bicycle. I know it’s a big call, and I’m sure any non cyclist reading this will think I’m a little strange, but those of you who have been mesmerised by bike riding, will be able to relate. For me, taking up road cycling nine years ago was life changing so I’ll declare it has magical powers. Here’s a few reasons why: Turns introverts into social butterflies A fellow female

Mindfulness and Cycling go together

August 22, 2017 Nicola Mindfulness, Women cycling

I really love the concept of mindfulness, and as my regular readers know, I really love cycling, so to me, mindfulness and cycling go together beautifully. Mindfulness is about focusing on the present moment, instead of dwelling on the past, or fixating on future events. It’s about being present, even if it’s not something that brings you pleasure. And as much as I love the concept of mindfulness, I’m not always good at it. So here’s why mindfulness and cycling go hand-in-hand, and this is why you should practice it while riding: You’ll enjoy the things around you I love