MASTERS OF MINDSET

What does it take mentally to keep striving for peak performance into your 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond? Chris Sidwells gets inside the minds of three exceptional veterans

Life is busy, noisy and full of demands, distractions and decisions. It can get so complicated that you feel like you need a map to find our way around and a PA to help schedule your days - which must of course include plentiful cycling. This is where mindset comes in. What exactly do we mean by mindset? It's the term psychologists use to describe our outlook, philosophy and our values. In other words, mindset is a framework for thinking influenced by life experiences, learning, culture and the various ecosystems we operate in, but it isn't static throughout life. It needs good influences to keep us motivated, happy and healthy - and it can be even more important as we grow older.

Mindset can change for good and for bad, and be influenced by positive and negative experiences, contact with different people or groups, even by things we read or hear. The upshot is that our mindset can help or hinder us - in every aspect of our lives, including our health, well-being and fitness. It's so powerful that it can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful fitness programme. Mindset also helps us maintain perspective and fit in training and racing around other commitments so as to benefit our lives and those around us.

We spoke to three very successful masters cyclists who are at different points in their cycling journeys, facing different situations, and asked them for some tips on how to nurture a winning mindset.

Richard Oakes 
‘KEEP ASKING WHY, AND KEEPS MILING ’ 

Biggest achievements: Winner of four world titles and holds two world records. PBs include 18:08 for 10 miles and 47:32 for 25 miles (all achieved aged over 50).