MACHO OR MASOCHISTIC?

At what point does proving your toughness tip over into cocky posturing or even harmful overreaching? Sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry takes aim at cycling’s macho myths

- Josephine Perry

Rapha recently produced a drinks bottle printed with the slogan “a slice of watermelon” on one side, and on the other: “To achieve race weight, Marco Pantani would, according to legend, ride for six hours on nothing more than water, returning home to just a slice of watermelon.”

Just water indeed – in hot water was where Rapha ended up.

Anyone who has read biographies of Pantini knows it wasn’t fruit that fuelled his performances, but illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Even so, the myths of the heroic, self-denying cycling purist perpetuate – and are potentially extremely harmful. They encourage us to idolise an unattainable ideal of macho hardness, and to respond to every difficulty with ‘man-up’ or the crasser shorthand HTFU, cherishing terms like “suffering” and “pain cave”.

While the psychological term ‘mental toughness’ encompasses determination, focus and confidence, a common misinterpretation is that it’s all about tolerating ever greater amounts of pain. This is not good for wellbeing or performance; it’s counterproductive if not downright dangerous.

Forward-thinking coaches are moving away from the mental toughness approach and embracing mental flexibility. This means, instead of ram-raiding our way through stressful situations or setbacks, we adapt to them. We shake off rigidity and become agile, picking the relevant mindset and shifting perspectives as and when necessary, improving not only our performance but also our day-to-day lives.

In this feature, I want to interrogate and correct some of the insidious myths that arise from the macho ‘mentally tough’ mindset.