Is Your Skin Thirsty?

Combat dry skin with Bio-Oil®

If your skin feels tight and is no longer smooth to the touch, it may be dry or dehydrated.  According to leading cosmetic scientist, John Knowlton (C. Chem., MRSC, Dip. Cos. Sci. (GB)), one of the most important factors for a naturally healthy looking skin is the amount of moisture that it contains.

Besides drinking the advised eight glasses of water a day, your skin needs to replenish the oils it may be losing when exposed to elements like wind, low humidity and sun, and let’s not forget that ageing also dries one’s skin. John provides some advice on dealing with dry skin.

Careful Cleansing

Avoid detergent products that may dissolve some of the natural oils found in the skin and make it drier than it was before cleansing.  Opt for a lotion, cream cleanser or even use pre-cleansing oil. These will cleanse dry skin and the added oils will compensate for natural oils that have been lost.

Maintain Moisture

Use a good moisturiser like Bio-Oil that will replenish the lost oils and provide a protective layer on top of the skin to lock in moisture.

Ageing Skin

John says that dry skin is more likely to occur as we get older and early signs include fine flaking of the skin and uneven texture or tone.  Look out for these symptoms and stick to a strict cleansing, toning and moisturising routine twice daily. Your moisturiser should offer added oils to make up for the lost oils.  For example Bio-Oil’s ingredients such as Lavender, Rosemary, Chamomile and Calendula oils along with Vitamins A and E help rejuvenate ageing skin; while its unique ingredient PurCellin Oil™ will lock in your skin’s natural moisture.

Handle Humidity

If you stay in an area where there is low humidity, you are more prone to suffering from dry skin. Use Bio-Oil, twice daily to prevent more moisture loss.

Bio-Oil contains no preservatives, is dermatologically tested, hypo-allergenic, non-acnegenic and suitable for all ages and skin types.

Bio-Oil is available at pharmacies and select retail outlets nationwide in 60ml (R49.99), 125ml (R74.99) and 200ml (R109.99). For further information visit www.bio-oil.com.  Mountain Biker has 3 Bio-Oil product hampers for 3 lucky entrants - CLICK HERE to visit our COMPS page...

“But I Just Want A Rest!”

By: Kirsten van Heerden // Clinical & Sports Psychologist

How to regroup and refocus after a big race.

So the Cape Epic is over and you wake up the next morning and enjoy the feeling of being tired and sore and knowing that it was a job well done – you finished one of the toughest cycling races!  Now how do you go about gathering your everyday life back together again and get through those exhausting cadence classes or long hours in the saddle on training rides once again?

I owe a lot in this article to Terry Orlick  - an internationally renowned Canadian Sports Psychologist – as he has researched and written about ‘winning after winning’. He and his team were interested in what happened to those athletes that did very well, for example winning Olympic gold, after the event had taken place; in other words what happened to them over the next few months and years after this major event. They found three groups of people:

1. Those that continued to perform well
2. Those that dropped away for a time and then got back to performing well
3. Those that dropped away and did not ever perform well again.

What do you think is the difference between the groups? Well here is what they found: The main differences in the group were Goal Setting and Focus. As we know these two mental skills are linked and not called foundational mental skills for nothing!

The group that continued to perform well immediately after the event sat down and reevaluated their goals, setting new ones as needed. This helped them to create a plan of action that gave them a reason to get up and go training again. Their goals were focused on the process and controllable factors - they got back to basics.

This leads on to Focus. Those athletes that dropped away for a while and either came back or didn’t return to the same level again, all started to focus on the outcomes of the next event and the expectations of others regarding their performance. As you should know by now, this type of thinking derails performance by making us nervous and increasing pressure. The athletes that continued to perform well remained focused on what they needed to do in order to compete well at the next event. Importantly these athletes also thought about why they were continuing with their sport, and they all came to the same conclusion – they loved it! It is this love of your sport that creates the intrinsic motivation to continue when things get tough or we feel disheartened after a poor performance or just need that something extra to keep us going.

What does this mean for all of you though?  When you prepare for a big event it is almost like living in a ‘mountain biker bubble’ for a few months before the event - we can become consumed with the event. We have, I am sure, all had that somewhat anti-climatic feeling the next day after a major race – we come back to reality with a bump.

Some would have performed well during the Cape Epic and others might be disappointed with their performance (although I think they all deserve a medal for competing and completing the race!); regardless of how you have done, after a big event it is really it is important to recognise that you need to regroup and refocus in order to keep performing well through out the rest of the year:

1. Think about why you ride and what you love about it. Remind yourself of these things every day.
2. Spend time evaluating your race and preparation plans from before and making the adjustments needed for the next few months. You don’t have to radically change things, but use the race as a source of great information regarding the effectiveness of your training and preparation. Know why you did or didn’t do well and this will help guide your training and race goals.
3. It is crucial to reset goals to help get you out of bed and onto the bike in these cold winter mornings. Do this as soon as you can! Or, if you have set goals for the rest of the year already, take them out, look over them and get excited again by the challenges you have set yourself. 

As Eleanor Roosevelt said – “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”.  Use this time after the Cape Epic to dream big again and seek out the challenges you so love in mountain biking.

Kirsten Van Heerden // BSc [Hons] MA Clinical Psychology
Clinical & Sport Psychology
Practice no. 0264830
T: 031 303 3874/5 • E: kirsten.vanheerden@gmail.com 

Stay Tough Through the Tough Times

By: Kirsten van Heerden // Clinical & Sports Psychologist

With the Magical and Untamed African MTB Race on our doorstep later this month, Kirsten Van Heerden has shed some light on how to deal with the challenges of the Absa Cape Epic, and how to ‘Be Comfortable with the Idea of Being Uncomfortable’

 My swimming coach once said to me: “The swimmer swims the first 75m and the person swims the last 25.”  Well that was only a 100m race… how much more so when it is the Absa Cape Epic taking place over 8 days! What my coach was saying is that training gets us so far, but when the pressure is on and you feel like you body is about to give in, your character, grit and mental toughness is what is going to get you over that finish line.  It is hard and exhausting and painful, but as Lance Armstrang says: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Luckily there are some skills you can learn and some planning that can be done that will help you to stay tough through the long days in the saddle:

1. Segmenting Your Race

In endurance events, it is essential to break your race up into smaller more manageable parts or segments. I'm not talking about each day - take each hour / each 10km / each hill etc, one bit at a time.  Break each day up in a way that you like and set a manageable goal for each segment. These goals are task-orientated, and you and your riding partner must define what the task is and what will be important to focus on (e.g. rhythm, cadence, speed, recovery).

Don't let your mind jump ahead to four hours time, or the next day, use the goals to help refocus on the task at hand and stay in the moment.  Segmenting not only helps with focus, but also helps with confidence.  Once you start ticking off segments and achieving the small goals you set, confidence will be boosted.  Remember, focus on the process (task) and let the outcome (end result) take care of itself.

• Set challenging, yet realistic goals. When thinking about each segment you should feel like it is achievable with a little effort. When you become anxious and afraid, reset the goals to something more manageable. It is said that ‘flow’ or being in ‘the zone’ occurs on the boundary between boredom and anxiety – nothing too easy, but not too hard either. The Goldilocks Principle! 

2. Plan, Plan, Plan

The more you plan, the better you are able to deal with situations as they occur and when things go wrong.  And we know in long races things often go wrong!  It is not negative to consider the 'What Ifs", in fact it is essential preparation.  You are far less likely to have an effective plan to deal with problems when you're exhausted.  You need to have the blueprints of the plan already so you can simply get into action as needed.  So, sit with your racing partner and go over some ‘If and then’ scenarios before the race even starts.

For example:

• If one of us gets a puncture, then…
• If one of us blows and the other is strong, then…
• If I don’t sleep well, then…
• If I feel frustrated with my racing partner, then…

3. Controlling Pain

One of the best ways to overcome pain and exhaustion is distraction.  Sing songs, tell jokes, or get back to focusing on the segment goals and tasks.  You can’t think two thoughts at once so if you are focusing on the task at hand or on the joke you are telling, you are not focusing on the pain. It doesn’t mean it’s not there.  You are just not paying attention to it.

4. Use your partner

You can’t always be positive and motivated and fully focused, so rely on your teammate to help you.  Social support acts as a buffer against stress and enables us to cope more effectively with more things.  This is vital when you feel you are at the end of your energy reserves or maybe feel overwhelmed with the task facing you.  See racing together as an essential and ready made support system!

Lastly, enjoy it!  You get to do something amazing that few people get to do - even if you will be uncomfortable doing it.  Good Luck and race hard!

Kirsten Van Heerden // BSc [Hons] MA Clinical Psychology
Clinical & Sport Psychology
Practice no. 0264830
T: 031 303 3874/5 • E: kirsten.vanheerden@gmail.com 

Do You Have What It Takes?

By: Kirsten Van Heerden // Clinical & Sports Psychologist

“Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.”  Muhammad Ali

As I was watching the Australian Tennis Open this week and having followed South Africa playing India in the test and ODI cricket series, I couldn’t help being reminded about what makes good athletes great.  Some of the players consistently perform to their utmost potential, and the greater the pressure, the better they became.

Others made many unforced errors, or at crucial points in the matches, would break down rather than step it up.  Most of these players had similar levels of physical skill and fitness, and were all trying their best to perform well and all wanted to beat their opponents.

So what made the difference?  What separates Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal from the rest of the pack, or Jaques Kallis from the rest of his team?

Take a look at these 7 psychological characteristics that research shows all great champions have – see what mental skills you may need to develop this year to help you perform even better than 2010, or see what skills you already possess that you may just need to tap into to make this year an excellent one!

1. High Motivation and Commitment

“Heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As you would expect, all great champions are motivated to achieve and are highly committed to their goals and to the process of training, preparation and competition. It's not just motivation to win, but rather that special internal motivation to improve their own performance, meet the challenge of competition and reach their own potential… all while maintaining a love for their sport.

2. Optimism

“An optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist the hole.” Oscar Wilde

The ability to be optimistic and positive in all situations is another hallmark of champion athletes. This does not mean you need to ignore bad things and use the ‘ostrich approach’ (by sticking your head in the sand and hoping it goes away), but rather it is a developed ability to find the good in a situation and not dwell exclusively on the negative aspects. 

3. Positive Perfectionist

“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.” Harriet Braiker

It used to be thought that to be a top performer you needed to be a perfectionist.  We now know that this is not true.  Perfectionists can actually get in the way of good performance.  We should all set high standards for ourselves and strive to reach there, but realise that mistakes are an inevitable part of sport.  

4. Focusing Ability

“Concentration is the key to strength.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

The ability to focus on the correct things at the correct time is crucial for performance.  Figure out what you need to do to pay attention to that what helps you perform; and what things distract you from focusing on these (hint: it is normally our own negative self-talk that distracts us!)

5. Ability to Handle Pressure

“There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don't put a lot of pressure on myself. I feel if I play my game, it will take care of itself.” Le Bron James

Often the pressure we feel to perform comes from ourselves.  The most important thing is to get back to what you can control in your performance and let the result take care of itself… easy to say, but tough to do!  Master this skill and your performance will get better and better.

6. Resilience –Bouncing Back

“If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.” John Wooden

We all make mistakes, and in fact the problem is not in making those mistakes, but rather in making none. You need to take some risks in sport to be the best you can be – some risks will work out and some won’t.  Being resilient means that you don’t dwell on your mistakes for too long.  Get over it and move on...

7. Sport Intelligence

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Michael Jordan

Great athletes learn about their sport; they know why they need to do a particular type of training at a particular time of season, they become students of the game and develop a deep knowledge in the sport they love. They have the ability to know what works for their body and what doesn’t, and then be able to listen to advice and filter out the good from the bad.

Develop these 7 skills (and they are skills that can be learnt and practiced) and you will be the good company of those great champions of sport!

Kirsten Van Heerden // BSc [Hons] MA Clinical Psychology
Clinical & Sport Psychology
Practice no. 0264830
T: 031 303 3874/5 • E: kirsten.vanheerden@gmail.com