There is an expression in fishing whereby each time the fisherman tells the story of the fish he caught, it gets bigger and bigger. The same holds for former professional athletes. Over time, the wins are greater, the stories are wilder, and the tough times are tougher. Back in my day, and all that…
The problem is, I am now in a position where that distortion matters. Whether it is working with the riders at XDS Astana or the coaching I do privately, I find myself making a conscious effort to put myself back in the athlete's mind. To ask myself what I would be thinking right now if I were being set this session, asked to go out in this weather, or told to hold this power.
