Alright, I'm a goober and can't believe I'm gonna confess this...I don't have a mantra other than "don't get hit, don't get hit" when trucks pass me. When I'm climbing hills, I start singing (very softly) the theme song from that old TV show "The Greatest American Hero". If i can sing it then I'm staying pretty much in the right heart rate zone and it helps maintain my cadence. It's corny, I know but that's what I do. Sometimes when I'm on a flat or relatively flat section, I get bored and start reciting either the Gettysburg Address or O Captain, My Captain or some other poem. My body doesn't like when my brain goes unengaged for too long.
Gray
PS I really like the "Ride it Like You Stole It" thing. I'm thinking of making a plaque with that on it to hang up in the living room.