The psychology of riding better with Prof. (in the making) Haley Smith

Can you train mental durability?

“Yes, 100 per cent,” says Haley Smith.

The rider knows her stuff. She’s an Olympian who competed in cross country mountain biking. She’s a Commonwealth Games medallist and a two-time national  marathon mountain bike champion. Smith won the first Life Time Grand Prix series. Recently, she was fifth at the Traka 360 gravel race in Spain.

While Smith is a top-level rider, she’s also a PhD student in sports psychology. In her studies, cycling is front and centre. One of her papers even examined the spirit of gravel. In the interview, Smith discusses racing, her academic work, as well as mental strategies that can help you to be a better rider.

This season, Smith is on tour. Not a multi-stage event in this case, but a speaking tour that also includes group rides. It’s all part of her Competere project. Competere is aimed at helping more girls and women grow into passionate cyclists. Here’s the schedule:

• May 14-15: Le Club, Montreal, chat and ride on the 15th
• May 21: Toronto, Etape 22, chat only
• June 18: Vancouver, Bici, chat only
• July 2-3: Cyclesmith, Halifax, chat and ride on the 3rd
• Oct. 17: Big Sugar Gravel, chat