«I took a week of complete rest after the Italian championship, more for my mental health than my physical health». So he told us Busatto (opening Instagram photo) at the Sestriere retreat with the national U23From this statement a question arose that remained in our heads for some time: How important is it to rest your mind?
The answer comes from Elizabeth Borgia, sports psychologist of the Lidl Trek. She returned on Monday from France, where she followed the athletes to the Tour Femmes, while today he's leaving for Glasgow, bound for the World Cup. While waiting to board, he finds time to answer our questions.
Let's start with Busatto's statement...
The fatigue is not always and only physical, but also psychological. The level of competitions is constantly rising and to stay at the top you need a lot of concentration and dedicationEvery detail counts, and a lot of energy is spent taking care of even the smallest details.
Hence the rest of the mind?
Our reservoir is not unlimited, on the contrary. The problem is that when the light comes on it's already too late, we must intervene first.
How do you do?
The season is planned, not only for peak physical fitness, but also mentalIt's difficult for athletes to switch off during rest periods, but we must accept that rest is also important, indeed, fundamental. Otherwise, you risk burnout.
What?
It is a psychophysical syndrome that leads us to find ourselves without energy, drained. And once you reach burnout, it's already too late.
Tell us about these peaks in mental fitness.
A rider, together with the team, decides the race calendar at the beginning of the year and from there plans the season and training. Preparing for a big date is stressfulThe athlete is super focused and goal-oriented. But this has to be a crescendo; you can't expect to go full throttle from December to October.
So how does it work?
For goals: gradually begin to mentally "tighten" them. An example: If you aim to do well at the Giro, which is held in May, you can be more relaxed in DecemberMaybe you go out with friends, walk the dog, read a book, spend an extra day with your girlfriend. This is because when you're called upon to focus 100%, you'll be fresh and ready to do so. If you start living the life of an athlete at your best from the beginning of the season, you risk being finished by April..
So as your appointment approaches, will you be ready to do what it takes to be in top condition?
Exactly, when the rider will be at high altitude, will be ready to be focused on the goal, will have the will to do that little bit extra to arrive at the appointment at the top.
How is this program created?
Personally I do this: With a calendar in hand, we divide the periods into green, yellow and red. Where green is recovery, yellow is the start of preparation, and red is the race and the days leading up to it. What you sometimes don't understand is that the “green” period is as important as the “red” oneIf I want to be at my best, I have to make sure I rest, because only then will I be ready to make the necessary sacrifices.
Returning to Busatto, after the Italian championship he stopped to prepare for the World Championships and the Tour de l'Avenir, his main goals of the season.
Probably those who work with him, or Busatto himself, understood that if he had continued straight on he would probably have arrived tired for these appointments.
Are peak mental periods and scheduling equally important for young people?
Maybe even more. Age is a fundamental factor. How much does this kind of life cost a young person? So, if he has no way to distract his mind and think about something elseThis is why I often say that you shouldn't invest your time in just one thing, but look for something else: healthy passions that help you rest your mind once training or competitions are over. They are professionals and this is their job, but they are not machines.But there's a catch…
What?
That young people are very much about “doing” is a very dangerous culture that past generations didn't have. Now the kids grow up and become professionals with lots of numbers to control and with which they are controlled. It's one thing for an adult to have seen this new information arrive over the years, but with the awareness and ability to understand it. Another is the continuous stimulus, with the risk of thinking only about the bike.
