Remember that time you aced your turbo session fuelled by anger at your boss who unfairly blamed you for an error of their own making? Or maybe you were infuriated after a call with a utility company that took an hour and got you precisely nowhere. Such short-lived fits of rage can fill our bodies with adrenaline, cortisol, and energy that assist us in hitting wattages and speeds we never thought possible. Perhaps we should get angry more often.
Can anger really be a productive force in your cycling? Could it help you make a breakaway that sticks or get up the hill you usually dread? Maybe, but the trouble is, anger has a downside. It is a complex emotion that tends to crowd out rational thoughts and impede our judgment; it can make us behave badly towards others and lead to serious mistakes that culminate in pain and embarrassment. So should we embrace the odd bout of ire or avoid it at all costs?
Losing control
I put this question to Chris Glover, who is researching anger in sport for his PhD at Glasgow Caledonian University. “I think anger may benefit you up to a point, but cycling is not one of those sports where you need to lash out. A certain amount of anger could help generate power through the pedals to go faster but the minute you go over a certain point psychologically, you are going to start to lose control, and that is not good at high speed.”
Denne historien er fra September 09, 2021-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 09, 2021-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CLASSIC BIKE COLNAGO SUPER
A trailblazing bike immortalised by Merckx and Saronni
"Strava activities are the only way I know some of my friends are still alive"
...or that Bernard is doing his weekly shop
AN EXPERT'S TAKE ON... SADDLE SELECTION
Crucial advice to guide your next purchase
JUST A NUMB#R?
Approaching a landmark birthday, Charlie Graham-Dixon explores how ageing affects cycling performance and what can be done to stay ahead of the curve
RURAL PERIL
More UK cyclists are killed on rural lanes than on busy city streets. Rob Kemp investigates why and what can be done to keep us safe while riding in the countryside
A BLESSED RIDE THROUGH THE FOREST OF BOWLAND
Forgoing cloak, cassock and cross, Trevor Ward goes in search of the holy roads that helped make a Tour winner
Dame Sarah Storey claims road and 19th gold double
More success for Team GB's Paralympians in Paris, but Storey slams women's time trial course
Roglič matches Vuelta win record
Slovenian takes fourth Tour of Spain title after hunting down O'Connor's lead, writes Adam Becket
Williams crowned Tour of Britain champion
Welshman leads home resurgence at the stage race to crown an Israel-Premier Tech clean sweep, reports Tom Davidson in Felixstowe
CLASSIC BIKE CLAUD BUTLER OLYMPIC ROAD
Iconic British brand's Holdsworth-era road bike