What are your cycling affirmations?

[smilingcat]

years ago, my motivation was to motorpace next to a car full of small kids and I would wave to them. Kids thought it was funny (there were places where cars would travel at < 25MPH). These days, I just mosie on down the road. and enjoy the scene.

smilingcat

[Starfish]

This isn't exactly a mantra, but lately when I'm whining to myself, I make myself laugh by talking to myself like I'm Bear Grylls (from Man vs. The Wild on the Discovery Channel). His British accent, with one of his lines like, "If I'm honest, I just want a hot shower..." but then I launch into some parody of his understated descriptions of mortal danger, and before I know it, motorists are wondering who this maniacal, giggling woman is suffering up the hill.

PS: and this week, while I'm in Shasta waiting for the summit century on Sunday, I'm reading "Swimming to Antarctica" by long distance, open water, swimmer Lynne Cox. I'm planning to keep myself going by reminding myself that ANY of the stuff she describes in her book will make my ride look like a walk in the park!

[KnottedYet]

I haven't seen "Man vs Wild" but I heard about his little forays into cushy hotels during his *adventures*.

[Geonz]

Getting up hills... before TOMRV which has a lot of them, I memorized a wonderful song about a widow who lived on the moor who never turned a traveler from her door ... who had more endurance than the devil, who could not last the night with her. (At sixty-nine the widow laughed... "again, again!" she cried... the devil said, "well I can see just how your husband died.")
So the ride comes along and I'm chugging up the hill... and the song that comes out is "Ain't no grave gonna hold this body down!"
THe other thing I tell myself when the little voice starts to question whether I can do something (especially keeping up with a fast pace) is "well, of *course* you can't do this. What a completely absurd notion! I fully agree! You just can't stop right NOW!"
I observed that when I was in the middle of thinking "I can't keep up with these guys" that I was holding my body tensely and when I said, "no, ride like you know what you're doing even if you can't" - kinda calling on the Marine idea of *looking* like you're not trying - d'oh, I went faster.

[Aggie_Ama]

"Can't Never Could".

I was a whiney child and would tell my mom "I cannnn't". See always snapped back "Can't Never Could!" Whenever a ride is getting tough and I am thinkign "I can't" I just think of that. Apparently it came from her Grandma, such a wise old woman.

[Vickie]

My friend who sometimes rides with me, both road & mtn., knows when I'm starting to lose my focus (because of pure exhaustion) & says to me, ride through the pain, JUST DO IT!!! You're close to your goal!

So the Nike ads - JUST DO IT! has a way of helping me turn my focus back on to the task at hand (& turning off that little discouraging voice inside my head that wants me to stop pedaling!) & gives me a big boost of confidence to pull through to my goal line....

It works everytime!!!!!

[Zen]

I memorized a wonderful song about a widow who lived on the moor who never turned a traveler from her door ... who had more endurance than the devil, who could not last the night with her. (At sixty-nine the widow laughed... "again, again!" she cried... the devil said, "well I can see just how your husband died.")

I'd like to hear that whole song

[Hub]

The Zen of the spin . . .

and that feeling when you're about to fall over and you would be foaming at the mouth if you had any fluid left- psyclepath calls that seeing Dead Elvis- he's there in all his glory, spandex and glitter, saying 'come on, darlin', come to the light

[deena]

On the commute into work yesterday, my mantra for the first part of the ride was "holy crap it's cold, ride faster" until I got to where the bike trail runs under the interstate - then it changed to "I'm not on the freeway" (sing to nanny-nanny boo-boo)!

[deedolce]

When I'm just beat from being in the saddle for 6-7 hours, I just tell myself sitting in the saddle is just the same as if I were sitting in an easy chair at home - so any coasting is pure recovery and easy, and then I manage to pedal again after my rest in my virtual sofa!

[staceysue]

This is a little story passed along to me, i don't know who the author is. It has a little religious angle. i just find it so inspiring, and i read every time i feel i need some a little push...

i keep a copy in my wallet

i hope you enjoy it as much as i do.

-------------
Pedal!

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited Heaven or Hell when I die. He was out there sort of like the president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn't really know Him. But later on when I recognized my Higher Power, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that my Higher Power was in the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was that It suggested we change places, but my life has not been the same since, life with my Higher Power, that is. It makes life exciting.
When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. But when my Higher Power took the lead, It knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds: it was all I could do to hang on!!! Even though it looked like madness, it said, "PEDAL!"

I worried and was anxious and asked "Where are you taking me?" It laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say "I'm scared" It would lean back and touch my hand. It took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey. And we were off again. It said, "Give the gifts away, they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust my Higher Power at first, in control of my life. I thought It would wreck my life, but It knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages.

And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, my Higher Power.

And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, It just smiles and says "PEDAL!"

I love this so much that I sent it to several people I know. Thank you very much for posting it!

[SLash]

When life has been tough I tell myself, "just put your head down and pedal". In other words don't think about it, just do what you have to do.

When I'm riding and a hill is tough or the wind, I think of myself as Chechu Rubiera when he used to ride at the front of the blue train for Lance. He always had this look of complete determination on his face. My favorite domestique. Some of it has to do with the fact that I always take the lead when I ride with my husband because I'm the stronger rider (he hasn't been riding that long). It helps me pull us along.

[staceysue]

This thread inspired me to talk to myself on my bike today. It was GREAT. I SWEAR it made me go faster. It definitely made it more fun.

I was keeping my heart rate up, so I could only say 3 words or so at a time (out loud, of course). "Beautiful Powerful! Beautiful Powerful! Beautiful powerful, long and lean . . . . and FAST! so fast beautiful powerful fast . . . . i'm a goddess . . . . " It was great.

[malkin]

My new ear worm (I have no one to blame but myself) is one I sang with my kids at school (to the tune of the CanCan):

I can CanCan
I can CanCan I can CanCan...

Very persistent, useful for hills.

[texascampgal]

Head winds and hills are my personal trainers. Think of them like that & they can become your friend.

LOVE IT!

Not exactly mantras, but my official cycling slogans have been:

Head winds are the medicine balls of cycling!

AND

Why is it that you never realize you're riding with the wind until you turn around to go the OTHER way??