Helen Wyman won bronze in the Netherlands when she claimed the first British women’s medal since 2000 at the cyclo-cross 2014 world championships. Olivia Hubbard snatched a few moments of her time\u00a0to\u00a0talk\u00a0sports psychology, the November world cup and speaking Dutch.<\/p>\n
Wyman\u00a0was born in St Albans, brought up in Norfolk\u00a0and\u00a0now lives in Belgium for the entire winter. Her father frequently cycled from London to Brighton for camping weekends and, in fact, her entire family was enthused by cycling.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Olivia Hubbard: So, Helen, was cycling something you wanted to do from an early age?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Helen Wyman:<\/strong> I always rode a bike when I was a child and have always been very competitive in sport. I also used to compete in cross country events up to a high level.<\/p>\n
OH:<\/strong> In what way do you think your mindset has changed from the beginning of your career to now?<\/strong><\/p>\n
HW: <\/strong>I think you learn a lot, particularly in cyclo-cross, due to the large amount of variables that are involved. You can\u2019t really control if someone crashes in front of you, for example, or if the weather changes, or the conditions on the course. You can\u2019t take disappointment and dwell on it because, while at the time it means a lot, in reality, three weeks later you won\u2019t remember what it felt like. I mean, when you are in third place standing on a world championship podium, you really don\u2019t remember what you were feeling at the time. You don\u2019t remember what happened in the eight years running up to the race; everything is forgotten when you are presented with a medal.<\/p>\n
OH:<\/strong> What strategies do you use before a race to successfully prepare?<\/strong><\/p>\n
HW:<\/strong> I have used visualisation before playing sport but in my own sport it\u2019s challenging to do this because the sport is constantly changing. Every lap can be a different route. I do still use visualisation before a race but not as much as I used to. Before warming up, these techniques prove more useful to use. Really, I try to purely focus on my own self, because you can\u2019t really control other people around you. The task is dealing with what corner comes next, as opposed to what is actually happening on the ground.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
OH: Helen, can you tell me what your support team consists of?<\/strong><\/p>\n
HW:<\/strong> My husband, who is a mechanic, driver and team trainer for the women\u2019s team. My husband comes to my training sessions and he knows what I need, and what is required before and after a race. We have also worked with a sports scientist on coaching and other elements.<\/p>\n
Training if you’re Helen Wyman<\/strong><\/h2>\n
OH: How often do you train?<\/strong><\/p>\n
HW:<\/strong> In winter, I train between 15 hours and 18 hours in a standard week. I do go away to Spain and other places, where I train 18 hours to 20 hours a week. My sport is only 40 minutes in length; therefore, I don\u2019t have to do hours and hours on a bike.<\/p>\n
Feeling the pressure<\/strong><\/h2>\n
OH: How do you cope with pressure?<\/strong><\/p>\n
HW:<\/strong> I don\u2019t deal very well with internal pressure, but external pressure is fine. My husband acts as an external pressure between internal pressure and me. What I put on myself, I don\u2019t tend to deal with very well.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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