What are your cycling affirmations?

[texascampgal]

this is for your butt, this is for your butt, this is for your butt

LOL! Great stuff, ladies! My hill manta is "pretty legs, pretty legs, pretty legs" on the upstroke of each right pedal motion.

[7rider]

Did you hear Jens Voight after Stage 9 of the Tour the other day?
A reporter, talking to Jens about his heroic effort on the last climb of the day, asked him (and I'm paraphrasing here) what he does when his legs are screaming at him during a brutal day in the saddle.
Jens said (again, paraphrasing), "I look down and say 'Shut up, Legs' and hope they listen!"

I thought that was GREAT. I'm going to have to incorporate that into my riding!

[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.

[Possegal]

Did you hear Jens Voight after Stage 9 of the Tour the other day?
A reporter, talking to Jens about his heroic effort on the last climb of the day, asked him (and I'm paraphrasing here) what he does when his legs are screaming at him during a brutal day in the saddle.
Jens said (again, paraphrasing), "I look down and say 'Shut up, Legs' and hope they listen!"

I thought that was GREAT. I'm going to have to incorporate that into my riding!

I too have used Jens' "Shut up legs". After another stage he said that day, it was Shut up body. Sometimes I have to use that too!

[Aggie_Ama]

I still mostly use my Grandma Ellen and my mom's repeat words of wisdom "Can't never could!" I keep thinking I will put it on a custom head tube cap but haven't ordered it yet.

When I am climbing mountain biking I think "BOOBS TO THE TUBE!" For some reason DH refuses to yell it when I need motivation to keep climbing. The women's group I ride with passed that gem along and it does work.

[moonfroggy]

i have a song i sometimes sing it goes

i'm strong
i'm free
i'm brave
i'm me

and it has a part with no words i think of as the drum part

la da da da da da dum

[redrhodie]

Today, my mantra was you are a climber.

[Catrin]

Yesterday it was... I AM climbing this hill, I AM climbing this hill...until I got to the top

[happinesshill]

Sounds silly, but I've had five home births so every time it gets really hard, I say, "I've given birth at home. I can do this!" and it helps so much to remember my births, some of which were *really* hard, the hardest physical and emotional and spiritual thing I've ever gone through.

[moonfroggy]

i have only had one homebirth but i remind myself of that anytime i have to deal with something painful. sometimes though with some medical painful things i did whimper that i didn't get a baby for all that pain. but having that knowing i had my son at home helps me with stuff. so far not on my bike but other stuff it is a good affirmation.

[malkin]

Lately I've been thinking of what Levi Leipheimer said in an interview (during the TdF I think):

It's time to put on your ugly face and ride.