GIVE THANKS! - 5 WAYS GRATITUDE MAKES YOU A FITTER, HAPPIER CYCLIST

Being grateful – and expressing it – can benefit you as a cyclist in more ways than you might imagine. You’ll be thankful for Josephine Perry’s advice...

- Josephine Perry

There is a lot to be thankful for as a cyclist. We get to ride on our own or with our buddies; we can pedal to work, for competitive thrills, for fun or just to relax. We rarely get bored because every day offers something new, be it a road, a view, a segment PB, a cafe chat, or a million other things. And there’s always new tech to lust after. Ours is a brilliant sport, and we should be thankful. But sometimes, with the dangerous drivers, the potholes, the punctures, the aches and scrapes, we lose that sense of gratitude – which can have a seriously negative impact on our performance, as well as our enjoyment.

Sometimes we need to consciously focus on the good stuff. Whether we’re naturally optimistic or have to work hard at it, emphasising the positive opens up a whole world of benefits. A key part of this involves acknowledging our good fortune and being thankful for it. In fact, top athletes in US colleges even take ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ sessions where they learn the best ways to express gratitude to improve their sporting performance. We can do this too. What follows is our CW version of that ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ workshop – five ways to be thankful that will benefit your cycling.

1 VALUE THOSE WHO HELP YOU