On those rare occasions when I deal with hills (mostly in the distant past ) I count out the pedal strokes, *and* focus on technique andmake sure I'm "loading the pedals" and also getting a full, very circular stroke. If nothign else, it is a distraction.

I also remind myself that I just need to be "pretty good, for a prairie girl" and then let the ego drive me onward to show the non-watching world just how good I am