What are your cycling affirmations?

[BikeMomma]

Love these inspirations, Ladies - keep 'em coming!

Here's one I used yesterday on myself going up a long hill with a brutal, blustery, gusty headwind and a case of dead legs:

"Kim, you've been through childbirth three times which lasted for hours and hours each with no pain meds....this here hill?...is NOTHIN', Girl!! Just go!!"

The out-loud laugh to myself and the immediate affect on my morale got me through the ride. Funny!

This could be adapted, I'm sure, for the as-yet childless, to suit....


- Kim

[RoadRaven]

Doc wrote:
I swear. I know it's ridiculous, but it actually works.
Then if it's a really long hill, I occasionally switch to:
this is for your butt, this is for your butt, this is for your butt


LOL... I think I might adopt this mantra!!!

Personally, I keep thinking - you did it before, you can do it again - piece of cake... just a bit more...

So nothing terribly exciting.

My sister-in-law has a great one... as she climbs each hill she has a running commentary going in her head... Olympics style....
Something like...

"and who'd have believed it, she's gonna get the gold. This 39 year old mother of three is going to take the gold for New Zealand... look at the power in her legs... what determination... what a woman!"


Thanks also to those that have recommended the book "Women who run with wolves". I have never heard of it, but def going to check it out.

[LBTC]

I *love* the Olympic commentary!!

doing plank position in kickboxing class is a pretty difficult one...something that definitely needs a soundtrack. one time I just couldn't keep singing the alphabet song in my head, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind:

I'm a goddess. you're a goddess. we're all goddesses.

now I add bits about wearing bikinis. by the pool. drinking gin and tonic

etc.

I really have to try that on the next hill!!

namaste,
~T~

[lkrider]

All this stuff is TERRIFIC! I needed some of the hill climb mantras so much. I love to ride and the angry face won't ever work for me. I smile like an idiot most of the time! I grin harder in the rain or when I am passing a bunch of cars lined up in rush hour traffic. Something about getting around on my own power just makes me giddy. I just can't help it. "there she goes again --that lunatic on the bike"
....but on the climbs...I'm gasping and wondering if I will make it. (I used to just avoid hills) Now, thanks to you all, I know what to do/think/say/sing to keep me going up, up, up!

I will add a little bit about getting out to ride when thinking we are not really in the mood, it's too wet, cold etc. My daughter (15) often moans about going for a ride -- until we get out there and then she thanks me for dragging her out...because it feels so good! We all need a little nudge now and then to get out the door. I'm thinking of some self talk that sounds a little nike-ish "just ride" might work. Personally, I am getting alot of motivation from this forum, and all of you.

[KkAllez]

The other day as I pedaled up a steep incline we call Mount Eskota, which is disguised as an area where the interstate access road rises higher than the interstate you could hear me chanting this:

I'll sit this hill
I won't stand
I'll climb this hill
better than a man


I also tend to sing:

I can do anything you can do but better, I can do anything better than you!

Of course, these are my new solo chants and I'd never chant them when riding with Ben....where he could hear me!

Ben chants:

Are you ok?

Doing ok hon?

Drives me nuts! Yes, I'm okay, I'm ahead of you aren't I?! Gotta love him though, he is pushing to buy me a new Specialized Roubaix Pro

Oh, and if I do ever stand to pedal, I try my hardest to at least count my age, each time a foot goes down is one count. Dang....it was hard turning 40!

[snapdragen]

I sing to myself - if anyone is familiar with Be Bop Deluxe, it's usually Blazing Apostles or Fair Exchange.

[Lynne]

Cycling hasn't been much different from me than hiking in that respect. I'm competetive and I guess kind of like a guy in my head when I'm doing something tough. So, the bad language comes out...it usually goes something like this: (from yesterday's ride up a moderate hill)

"Get your f*ing butt up this hill! Oh, that is so BS...you KNOW you can do this hill and you KNOW you can do better than this! Get it up there...get your butt up there, NOW!"

Works every time.

Also, I've never ever let it enter my head that I could do anything but bike up a hill....I don't even let the thought enter my head that I could stop. And really, it's true; if you stop, it's way harder to start (going down followed by a sharp turnaround usually ends up with my foot hitting the tire, not good). Since it's not an option in my head, it's just a matter of how fast I can get there and how low I need to go on my gears (usually the lowest one, unfortunately...but oh well...still gettting my butt up there). And, when I get to the top, if I start to think I should rest, I remind myself that it's good to "cool down" and not to stop right away...and that gets me pumping again and I'm off to the next hill. It seems to be working so far.

Last, I often find myself chanting "for my butt, for my butt, for my butt...need to get into those short-shorts, need to get into those short-shorts....I'm gonna be like 5 lbs lighter when I get home, I swear I am..."

[RoadRaven]

ROFLMAO!!!

Lynne... that was exactly how I was talking to myself this morning on my way to work - early winter rain, cold and my legs just didn't want to work... but I was damned if I was gonna let them get the better of me - my brain said "cycle at 30km/hour regardless of the s**te weather" so I swore at my legs til they did...

Sometimes cursing works a treat - just pleased I was riding on my own! I'm such a 'potty-mouth'!!!

[LBTC]

hahaha
potty mouth works for me too...

but I do have a new one:
(this goes with my toaster analogy: "if this body were a toaster I would have sent it back for one that works ages ago!")

" I am my own warranty "

heh

now, that's motivation!!

cheers and namaste,
~T~

[Dogmama]

Wow, I'm completely opposite. If I were to cuss at or degrade myself, I'd never make it up a hill.

[RoadRaven]

Dogmamma, I don't curse myself... I knew I could do it! Just my legs didn't believe me

Mostly I don't become a potty mouth though... mostly I tell myself... you've done it before - this time you can do it better/faster/steadier... or I count down til the top of the hill.

I've tried my sis-in-laws mantra a few times (the olympic gold I mentioned earlier) but that doesn't really work for me.