One of the ironies of human psychology is that desperately wanting something can make attaining that thing all the more difficult. When stakes go up, performance often goes down. In one study, subjects practiced sinking a putt and got better as they went along — better, that is, until the experimenter offered them a cash reward for their next shot, at which point their performance took a nosedive.
This is because we pay close attention to what we’re doing when what we’re doing matters, and though close attention is helpful when our task is novel or complex, it is positively destructive when our task is simple and well practiced. Golfers in another study were told either to take their time and think about their stroke or to step up and swing as quickly as possible. Although novice golfers did better when they took their time, expert golfers did worse.
The lesson from the laboratory is clear: thinking about tasks that don’t require thought isn’t just pointless, it’s debilitating. It may be wise to watch our fingers when we’re doing surgery or shaving the family dog, but not when we’re driving or typing, because once our brains learn to do something automatically they don’t appreciate interference. The moment we start thinking about when to step on the clutch or hit the alt key, our once-seamless performance becomes slow, clumsy or impossible.
It pretty much sums up my crit at the Wagga Classic at the weekend*. I had cruised the whole 30 minutes of the crit. Perhaps I was in a grade too easy, perhaps I had underestimated my form, whatever the reason I had been largely in control of the race. That is until the last lap and a half.
All of a sudden I started thinking.
Thinking about not pushing through gaps that were there, because maybe that would put me on the inside when we got to the corner and we all know "inside suicide".
Thinking about timing of when I pushed for position in the bunch and hesitating when there was a blatant opportunity.
And worst of all, thinking about winning the race.
Apparently this sudden "brain activity" was apparent on the sideline. No longer was I one of the stronger more dominant riders in the bunch. I was some nufty who was suddenly disorientated and bewildered by the surroundings.
I managed to pull myself together a little bit and did hold up a bike that had a rear wheel sliding and skipping more than once. I think I was 7th over the line.
But, the disappointment and "what if" still lingers...
*We are not talking about the road race because, well, I just went out for a training ride to get ready for Sunday- OK?!
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