Sounds a bit ridiculous…but during the middle of cyclocross races when I’m borderline going into the red, it is…
“Don’t Pass, Don’t Pass, Don’t Pass.”
I have to force myself not to get carried away with meaningless passes, when I’m in no physical shape to do so. I just gas myself and have 3 people go by me later in the lap.
From how bad do you want it…ask yourself - how much do you want it…the answer is MORE…this has resulted in my last TT race (narrow PB) ending in me going flat out for last 50 yards screaming “MORE” at top of my voice…much to timekeepers amusement!!!
Similar to MORE, I thought of another one that @chad actually had as part of the workout text in one of the VO2 workouts, maybe Bluebell. Towards the end of the workout, when you’re like 16 intervals in and it’s just repeating, right at the end of a recovery valley, the text just says, “Again! Again!” I read this like “Bring it on” and that has worked for me to raise motivation entering late-workout intervals quite a few times.
I tried one for the first time on Sunday during a race, after considering what @ambermalika had said. It was “Race hard, don’t give up”, and then when I was chasing, it was “Race hard, don’t give up, go catch her”. And when I caught her, it was, “keep on the wheel.”
It seemed to work, as I had a super-hard training day (which was the goal for the day).
When it really starts to hurt, I’ll make myself smile, or I’ll really work on keeping a blank face/not showing the pain/fatigue in my face and body. It helps when it comes time for races and hard group rides that way people can’t read you. It can also be demoralizing for them when they are hurting and they look over at you and you look as smooth as you did at the start of the race. I’ll also picture myself in a race/ride scenario, pitting myself against the local strong guys that I’m trying to beat. I also mentally play daft punks “harder, better, faster, stronger”.
My mantra is Coach Chad’s little ducky analogy , “make it look easy.” It’s crazy how much my form can improve if I just pretend people are watching, and make myself look smoother.
I repeat I couple while on the KICKR. Loved the How Bad Do You Want It book and constantly remind myself of the journey that lays ahead and how badly I want to succeed. The next is I was made for this.
Both I back up with songs in my playlist;
How Bad Do You Want It by Sevyn Streeter
Made For This by Carrollton
Just helps me play the mind game and keeps me focused which is super difficult having sold my MTB and thus having no ride for the dirt. Just build my fitness while paying off debt then that door will open.
Every day won’t feel like winning. Remember to understand that the days you lack motivation and still get it done – those are the days that set you apart from second place." – Justin Williams
(Take-away mantra: “GET IT DONE TO BE #1!!!”)
And when the intervals get really bad…any line from the Coach Flowers locker-room anthem, such as:
Belief will change my world and it will carry me through this battle.
Defeat, Retreat those are not in my words.
I understand victory and I understand never surrendering.
No matter how bad things go, my heart and my mind will carry my body when my limbs are too weak.
I will never go home, not without giving it everything that I got.
If those don’t work, I just remind myself that someone has to show @trpnhntr how it’s done!
Not so much a mantra per se, but I usually tell myself “Does it hurt? GOOD its supposed to hurt. Now STFU and turn the pedals!”
I find yelling at myself a bit internally makes me drive harder and I feel better having gotten through the workout even if I had to turn it down or something.
When things are getting tough I try to calculate little calculations. for example, what percentage of FTP I am working at and what the value that percentage would be at my dream threshold.
When things get tougher I start repeating: “I am enjoying this”.
During the worst moments I count 1, 2, 3 4 in time with my pedal strokes.