Comments on: Power of Mental Suffering

By: Carrie Cheadle

Carrie Cheadle — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:32:00 +0000

Hi Karin! Positive affirmations work very well. As soon as you start thinking about how much pain you’re in, you suddenly slow down and feel that pain even more. Positive affirmations can help prevent the mental and muscular tension that cause this. When you are at max effort, positive affirmations may no longer be the most effective tool. At that point, a more repetitive mantra can be more helpful. I will either count pedal strokes or repeat the word “smooth” over and over to help me get up the climb. I will also shift my focus from how far I have to go to just getting to the next tree or other landmark.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:20:00 +0000

Wonderful information. I can use this. Thanks.

By: J Cornell

J Cornell — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:59:00 +0000

I’ve had difficulty with hills in the past and I know that most of it is due to my lack of confidence. There are a few hills that I regularly climb and am finding myself getting better at them all the time. I’ve found that this has also helped with my mental confidence on other hills now as well. There really is extreme mental suffering for me on my rides.

By: Karin

Karin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:01:00 +0000

I’d like to ask Carrie about doing affirmations while going up a hill. Do you think it’s beneficial to repeat something that makes me feel stronger and confident while going up the hill? I’ve tried it before and it seems to work sometimes, but maybe I’m not doing it properly.

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:47:00 +0000

You’re so right about that. It does require a lot of mental energy. Thanks for this information, it’s very helpful.