Mantras - what's yours?

@rbd is on the money. Correct your form and the rest will follow

“Yes”

The positive sentiment lifts me and actually lowers my RPE.

As a 200/500 free swimmer in college I came up with “Controlled Fury”. It fit those events of long sprints to middle distance. I think it works for many other things as well, basically go hard but don’t blow up.

I already spent all this money on this…

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I wouldn’t call it singing, but I murmur Military Cadence on climbs, sometimes a little louder just to drive that knife a little deeper. This only if I know I won’t get caught on a downhill.

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Bill Murmur?

BOOMCHUGGAHLUGGAHLUGGAH!
BOOMCHUGGAHLUGGAHLUGGAH!
BOOM! :rofl:

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I have a “Forever Forward” stem cap from Twin Six to stare at when my brain is too tired for a mantra.
For rock climbing, when things get sketchy, I use the Litany Against Fear from Dune.

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Me too. I do this on hard sessions and in TT’s to take my mind of the pain. Helps me keep rhythm too. Find it works well when you get in the zone.

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I like “Shut up legs” but I also resort to counting the pairs of shoes I can see from my turbo.
I think it is about 17 pairs including golf, running, gardening, walking and wellies

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Not really a mantra, but I sometimes count my breaths. It seems to help take my mind off the pain and keeps my breathing under control.

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When it’s all looking a bit tough and uncomfortable - get Halfway

Then Halfway through that interval or workout remind yourself
The homestretch becomes ever shorter beyond Halfway

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count 1 leg, then count the same number with the other. I have actually seen changes in my left right balance I figure it will all balance out in the end.

I agree about keeping the rhythm just done antelope was really flagging I tried counting fifty on one knee then swap to the other, it’s a small distraction from the pain. :grimacing::biking_man:

One more!

I really wasn’t looking forward to Carpathain Peak. Got on the trainer…put on a film…and started pushing. Before my head tried to con my body into taking a night off, I decided to put the question to the back of my mind and first try focusing on…one more…ramp…interval…etc.

For every over and under…each time it got uncomfortable…one more!
Interval done
For each interval…uncomfortable yes, but first…one more!

Before you know it…workout done!

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I have a few that stand out as ones I repeat often, all borrowed from somewhere:

  • “This is going to hurt, but I can do it.” Often before a long interval or over/under that I KNOW will be tough.

  • “Again!” I use this a lot during on/offs - I used to count through the intervals but found that just thinking AGAIN puts me in a rhythm and gives me confidence that I’m crushing them.

  • “More”. Every single day, until you’re satisfied, the answer is… More.

It’s a secret :slight_smile:

Tattoo?

:joy:

Kudos to anyone who can use mantras effectively. For me, personally, I find them a bit insipid (kind of like self-affirmations, “every day, in every way…”). But if it works, do it!

What does work for me is counting. I may not believe I can finish another minute, but I know I can count 10 breaths (forceful inhales and exhales if it’s a hard workout). Then, when I get close to 10, I think “20”. Then “30”. And so on.

I saw this method recommended in a YouTube video on ultra marathons. Interestingly Cheryl Strayed mentioned the same technique in her book, “Wild”, about hiking the Pacific Coast Trail.

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Counting is mantra-ish, but it’s much more of a meditation technique. And we all know how good that stuff is for us!

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