Your mental tricks

bianchimoon

After watching the sky documentary again and their use of psychologist, just wondered if any of you use mental tricks to get you to the top of that step hill a little faster. Personally on really long climbs I count to keep a rhythm or look at points in the road ahead to aim for, but could do with some new ideas? :idea:

Mikey23

When running hard races I used to count strides up to 100 and keep repeating over and over again just to take my mind off the hurt. I don't find riding that stressful. So on long rides I sing to myself which helps to maintain concentration and get me up the painful bits

schweiz

I break climbs up into 100m of ascent. I know that 100 m is roughly the distance from the valley floor up to where I live that I do at the end of most rides.

I know I can do that no problem, I just do it 10+ times back to back!

Also when riding short power climbs I'll start at 100 (or some other number depending on the length of the climb) and count down every crank revolution to take my mind of the fact my legs are screaming at me to stop!

DiscoBoy

"Shut up legs."

rick_chasey

"If that fat f*ck can get up there, you bloody well can as well"

bianchimoon

while thinking about this did some googling

SET ASIDE FEAR
“If you’re afraid of a hill,” says Swoap, “you’re more likely to want to get it over with.” You might wind up attacking it too hard and too early, and wear out too soon.

pretty safe to say unless it's a 'small' hill I wont't be attacking too hard!

THINK POSITIVE
“Negative thoughts become self-defeating behavior,” says Ileana Sisson, MS, a psychotherapist and cycling coach. Come up with your own version of Jens Voigt’s famous “Shut up, legs!” mantra.

Shut up legs, shut up lungs, shut up heart

FOCUS ON NOW
The best competitors stay in the moment, Swoap says. They’re not thinking, How am I going to make it to the top? Instead they focus on immediate concerns like, What cadence do I want right now?How is my breathing?Are my shoulders relaxed?

easier to do when you're on your own

DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Break a climb into manageable chunks, says Kevin Dessart, director of coaching education and athlete development at USA Cycling. Picture crossing each segment off a list as you complete it.

yeah, tend to do that one

LOOK DOWN
Here’s a chance to use a visual illusion to your advantage: Instead of gazing toward the top of a hill, direct your gaze toward the shortest safe distance ahead of your front wheel. “When you look down at the road,” Dessart says, “it seems level.”

definitely, looking for the top is a downer!

LOSE YOUR ILLUSION
Don’t let your perception of terrain fool you. Pay attention to objective clues to your effort, like heart rate or pedal pressure.

will try this one, if i can get legs to shut up

team47b

Listen to your inner chimp

diamonddog

FOCUS ON NOW
The best competitors stay in the moment, Swoap says. They’re not thinking, How am I going to make it to the top?


LOOK DOWN
Here’s a chance to use a visual illusion to your advantage: Instead of gazing toward the top of a hill, direct your gaze toward the shortest safe distance ahead of your front wheel. “When you look down at the road,” Dessart says, “it seems level.”
definitely, looking for the top is a downer!

^^ These two definitely.

bianchimoon

team47b wrote:

Listen to your inner chimp

ahh, eat bananas! wasn't the chimp the one to ignore?

clickrumble

I used to think of sex, but now I'm old I just think of.....death.

Schoie81

I thought it was just me that did this!! If I'm on a road with a dashed white line down the centre, as I get closer to the brow of the hill I start to count how many 'dashes' are left to pass. If there's more than ten, I usually lose where I am counting to on the road before I get to the top, but from 10(ish) onwards I then count down every one I pass until I'm at the top! Works for me!

I also tend to aim for specific points as the OP said - splitting the climb down by targeting going past trees, lamposts, gates etc... but counting down takes your mind off the climb(/pain).

cornerblock

Clickrumble wrote:

I used to think of sex, but now I'm old I just think of.....death.

Merry Christmas anyway.

team47b

bianchimoon wrote:

team47b wrote:

Listen to your inner chimp

ahh, eat bananas! wasn't the chimp the one to ignore?

It was.

But sometimes you can over think things, allowing things to appear more difficult than they actually are.

ps I can't eat bananas, fast acting carbs, Durianrider eats my share :roll:

slowbike

In the summer I'm normally gasping for a drink - so I tell myself that I have to get to a certain place then I can have a drink ... totally daft, but it keeps me going ...

bianchimoon

team47b wrote:

bianchimoon wrote:

team47b wrote:

Listen to your inner chimp

ahh, eat bananas! wasn't the chimp the one to ignore?

Durianrider eats my share :roll:

ahh the one man banana marketing board

MattC59

Do you remember the story "The Little Engine" from when you were little ?............... "I think I can, I know I can, I think I can, I know I can........"

Repeat until you reach the top !

Like counting, it takes your mind off things, but is a little more motivating

bianchimoon

MattC59 wrote:

Do you remember the story "The Little Engine" from when you were little ?............... "I think I can, I know I can, I think I can, I know I can........"

Repeat until you reach the top !

Like counting, it takes your mind off things, but is a little more motivating

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx9xO98kcBU

rickeverett

fix eye about 2m in front and have a drum beat in your head in time with your legs.

arthur_scrimshaw

I try to focus on my breathing and try to keep it slow and deep.

TakeTurns

viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=12887820

briantrumpet

On Alpine climbs I measure them in the si unit of 'haytors' (335m), so even Mont Ventoux is only 5h. Each haytor takes me about 20 minutes on an average Alpine climb, so it's easy to work out how long to the top.

Kieran_Burns

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

I try to focus on my breathing and try to keep it slow and deep.

I focus on my breathing and staying away from the light... the voices of my ancestors can be off-putting though.

paul_smith_srcc

bianchimoon wrote:

A....Personally on really long climbs I count to keep a rhythm or look at points in the road ahead to aim for, but could do with some new ideas? :idea:

When climbing the Port De Bales my girlfriend hummed just keep swimming from 'Finding Nemo'; worked a treat and by the end of the tour nearly all were doing it

Paul Smith

pinno

I like hills. I hate flats. I always say to myself "I wish this hill was longer or better still, an alpine climb".

(I hate hills when i am unfit)

DavidJB

Dunno just keep turning the pedals, it has to end at some point and the harder you pedal the faster the pain ends.

Pross

When climbing count the half turns of the cranks 1, 2, 3 and on the 3rd push a bit harder.