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..."