EQUESTRIAN & ANIMAL SPORTS. Perfect Mind, Perfect Ride by Inga Wolframm and foreward by Mary King MBE.

When Jet McDonald cycled four thousand miles to India and back, he didn’t want to write a straightforward account. He wanted to go on an imaginative journey. The age of the travelogue is over: today we need to travel inwardly to see the world with fresh eyes. Mind is the Ride is that journey, a pedal-powered antidote to the petrol-driven philosophies of the past. The book takes the reader on a physical and intellectual adventure from West to East using the components of the bike as a metaphor for philosophy, which is woven into the cyclist's experience. Each chapter is based around a single component, and as Jet travels he adds new parts and new philosophies until the bike is 'built'; the ride to India is completed; and the relationship between mind, body and bicycle made apparent.

Become the confident, composed, and effective rider you've always wanted to be! Mental skills coach Tonya Johnston, MA, has helped thousands of equestrian athletes achieve success at every level, from recreational riders to award-winning international competitors. In Inside Your Ride, she provides specific methods and clear, easy-to-follow directions to help you mentally prepare for your next ride or competition, no matter your discipline and skill level. This book will show you how to: Become energized and overcome riding challenges Highlight progress and success within your goal setting Conquer anxiety and develop a positive attitude Stay in the moment during your ride Fine-tune your visualization skills Build a consistent preparation routine Communicate well with trainers, partners, parents, or fellow boarders Inside Your Ride is also filled with inspiring quotes, stories, and insights from Olympic and world-class riders and trainers, including Margie Engle, John French, Guenter Seidel, Anne Kursinski, McLain Ward, Gina Miles, and Missy Clark, who share their personal mental preparation strategies.

A professional psychologist spent his entire life believing he had no ability or interest in sport. Then, in his forties, he became a champion ultradistance athlete before breaking the world record for the fastest bicycle crossing of Europe. This journey - made entirely alone and without any support crew - went from the northernmost point in the Arctic down to the very southernmost point in Spain. Averaging 377 kilometres each day and with up to 18 hours in the saddle at a time, the total distance of 6367 km was covered in well under 17 days, knocking more than two days off the previous record. It was a journey of ultimate self-reliance. Endless Perfect Circles is not just a tale of sleep deprivation and eating terrible food in supermarket car parks, it is also a celebration of how tough sporting challenges offer ordinary people a path to self-improvement. Weaving his own experiences together with psychological insights, Ian Walker demonstrates the rewards we can all find from setting ourselves difficult personal goals and working out how we will rise to meet these. "When I ride, my mind is both crowded and empty. The practical part of me churns, thinking all the time about navigation, shops, food, weather and lodging, seeking information about those raw essentials of life and planning dozens of contingencies. But when I look back on any given ride, even one lasting many days, I would struggle to tell you a single thought that passed through my head, because the rest of my mind has been liberated. All of life’s needs have been simplified by the pure act of riding." About the author Ian Walker splits his time across two related worlds. By day, he is an environmental psychologist at the University of Bath, specialising in transport choices, traffic safety, energy consumption and water use. As you will see from his textbooks, he also teaches research methods and statistics at a whole range of levels from entry-level introductions up to doctoral level. Ian's professional interest in clean transport and traffic safety also extends into his personal life, where he takes part in ultradistance bicycle racing - an activity explored in his new book Endless Perfect Circles. This introduces readers to the extraordinary world of nonstop bicycle races that last for weeks at a time. It goes on to describe how Ian won a tough 4300-kilometre cycle race before breaking the Guinness World Record for the fastest ever bicycle crossing of Europe.

For those who enjoy sports and are interested in the field of psychology, a career in sports psychology might be a perfect fit. This comprehensive guide offers readers essential information about sports psychology, including its history, areas of specialization within the field, an in-depth look at the work sports psychologists do, academic requirements, potential job growth and outlook, and valuable resources for those who wish to pursue this career. Becoming a sports psychologist requires hard work and great academic effort, but for those who rise to the challenge, it offers a dynamic, rewarding career path unlike any other.

Did you know there is an area of your brain known as the “Lizard Brain” that thinks only about the immediate moment and your means of survival? Yes, in certain circumstances, your “Rational Brain” can effectively “shut down” and you are at the mercy of a reptile ... dry-mouthed, sweating, queasy, unable to think clearly—even though you know better. When does the Lizard Brain run the show? It can happen in any number of unfamiliar, uncomfortable, challenging, or “stressful” riding situations. But here’s the thing: with the right kind of training, you can learn to manage the reptile within, which leads to greater confidence with horses, better riding performance, and ultimately, happiness at the barn, at shows, and everywhere in between. Andrea Monsarrat Waldo teaches you how to: handle uncomfortable emotions, such as fear, anger, anxiety, and embarrassment; hone your mental game and focus your riding time to get the most out of your hours in the saddle; care for your emotional injuries the same way you would care for an injured horse; and produce a state of “Focused Calm” and tap into the skills you have (whether you know it or not!) to ensure an outstanding ride.

Dr Bob Rotella is one of the hottest golfing performance consultants in the world today. Unlike other performance consultants, Rotella goes beyond the usual mental aspects of the game and the reliance on specific techniques. In this extraordinary book, and with his clients, he creates an attitude and a mindset about all aspects of the golfer's game, from mental preparation to competition. And, as some of the world's greatest golfers will attest, the results are spectacular. Filled with charming and insightful stories about golf and the golfers Rotella works with, GOLF IS NOT A GAME OF PERFECT will improve the game of even the most casual weekend player.