What are your cycling affirmations?

[tpb]

Not as deep as some, but I think about a line from "Finding Nemo" - when Nemo's dad thinks the task of following the boat is impossible, Dory keeps repeating "just keep swimming, just keep swimming". So, when I get tired or discouraged, this becomes "Just keep spinning, just keep spinning".

Love this thread!
TB

[Catrin]

This last weekend I found one very long hill after getting separated from my group. I've no idea how long it actually was, but it seemed like that hill would never end - and I got slower...and slower...and - you get the picture.

At some point I found myself saying " You Can climb this hill, you Can climb this hill" then it changed to "keep pedaling, keep pedaling" then shortened to pedal...pedal...pedal"

It worked - though I did choose to walk the last 100 feet when I got too slow to keep a line.

I like Malkin's song, will try that next time

[Atlas]

The hill at the end of my commute is right next to the train tracks and about a third of the times I ride up it a train is going by. So I sync myself up with the train and imagine my cranks as the coupling rods on the train wheels. I'm on the lookout for a little train sticker to put on my stem so I can always have a train to get me up the hills.

[DebbieOSablada]

On the way back, I terrorize my quads and calves with "Move, or else you won't get home!"

[schnitzle]

I'm not to the point where I use a mantra to get up hills, unless the mantra is "Remember what they said on TE, shift down, oh crap, I shifted up! SHIFT DOWN!"

But when I'm riding a flat and feeling tired and grumpy I tell myself that I'm not peddling with my legs, my feet are doing the work. It really does take my mind off my burning quads and owchie saddle problems I forget where I read this idea. Anyway, this translates into the mantra "feet, feet, feet, feet,feet". I also imagine I'm kicking out when I pedal, that seems to help me keep going and go faster.