How many different voices you hear in your head while riding?

[Louis]

This may sound weird, but I think you probably know what I’m talking about: When you’re getting pretty darn beat, either by hills, by the pace, by the distance or by all three, but you really want to try to give it a little more, what goes through your head?

I’m sure sports psychologists have studied this in great detail, but I haven’t read any studies or anything.

In my case I hear three different voices (OK, they’re not voices, but they sure act like different parts of me.)

1) Mr Pain aka Mr Tired Legs aka Mr Stop This ASAP

2) Mr Motivation aka Mr Try Just a Little Harder aka Mr Go Just a Little Longer

3) And then there’s a third guy who sort of sits back, watching the first two and says how silly they are and how this cycling stuff might all be a waste of time, considering how many “real” problems there are out in the world today. (In my case he speaks up only rarely.)

Any thoughts on this?

Caveat: I’m slow and nowhere near a racer, but I figure the only way to improve is to push yourself, so sometimes I do try harder, however wimpy the results might be.

[Elefantino]

I hear Phil and Paul.

He's cracked.

He's in a spot of bother.

This is unbeleeeeeevable.

He is, dare I say it, spent.

The elastic has snapped.

He's riding like a sack of potatoes.

I am on vacation, so I am now going to head out and explore the roads of the Oakland hills. Like a sack of potatoes.

[Bill Bove]

Proper medications made the voices go away.

[dirtdigger88]

Louis-

you been picking my plants again-

dont you know they wont REALLY be ready until late summer-

Jason

[OldDog]

I reserve comments until my Friday session with my bartender.

[Louis]

OK, maybe you don't hear voices, but what do you think about as you ride?

Yesterday I happened to be pushing myself a bit to get a new PB (for this year) on my "reference" course so I was thinking about motivation and how you deal with your body's limits, hence the question I posted last night.

I assume folks think about things beyond just "pedal, pedal, pedal, brake, turn, pedal, pedal, pedal, downshift, pedal, pedal, pedal."

Louis

[znfdl]

I usually sing songs, so that can be any number of different voices.

What is really bad is when I concentrate on a song and I am riding the tandem with Too Tall and all of a sudden I hear an argghh!!!! :D

The only voise that recurrs frequently is when I am doing a long solo ride and my inner voice says "I think I can, I think I can".

[Ginger]

[spin spin spin]
[Spin FASTER]

(It says so on my wheel)

[spin spin spin]

[Hey, I'm really cooking along!]

[oh...the leg doesn't like that...maybe I can spin through the pain... spin]

[That IDIOT MF! (when I get pissed off the voices in my head need their mouths washed out with soap...add a lot of swear words that you don't hear everyday and you'll have it) in the converible mustang with the top down just brushed past within a foot of me doing 80km/hr. That would be sweet if traffic came to a halt. SPIN! OH look! the light turned red. Spin SPIN. OH HEY! Is that? PEDAL! The mustang didn't get through! Spin Spin SPIN! Dang IT. ]

[Remember to smile sweetly...
like the freak'n cat that ate the canary...
like you're not about to puke...
DON'T PANT
DON'T SWEAR]

"Hello there. Nice night for a drive."

and the light turns green.

:)

[sevencyclist]

On your left...

[Kevan]

the strap....




to your helmet. Feeling better?

This should help your vision too.

[BumpyintheBurgh]

Ring..Ring....Ring.....Ring, I suffer from tinnitus.

[William]

As long as the voices aren't telling you "to clean your guns"....you're good.




Winchester William ;)

[johnmdesigner]

I always think of Marco P. when I'm climbing and he rides next to me and offers encouragement.
Oh, and I always carry this in my jersey.... :rolleyes:

[Fixed]

Louis-

you been picking my plants again-


dont you know they wont REALLY be ready until late summer-

Jason
bro that's bike messenger epo
cheers

[zeroking17]

I keep hearing Broderick Crawford's cover version of Horse With No Name--and it drives me nutzoid.

I'd gladly trade my auditory hallucination for ANY of those listed above. Really.



...

[Fat Robert]

my power tap is in a box with the stuff off of the gunnar (did it get to boston yet, dr. funk?)

my polar died

so I just ride -- no clock, no computer. I know how long all my loops are, so I know what a 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 hour ride will be...but with no clock of any kind, the fat one loses track of time and just turns the pedals...like a sack of potatoes....

[Fixed]

my power tap is in a box with the stuff off of the gunnar (did it get to boston yet, dr. funk?)

my polar died

so I just ride -- no clock, no computer. I know how long all my loops are, so I know what a 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 hour ride will be...but with no clock of any kind, the fat one loses track of time and just turns the pedals...like a sack of potatoes....
bro me too I mean what is it gona tell ya? you'r goin to fast. to slow I go by time and keep the watch in my jersey . it's a hamiton electric

[shaq-d]

i concentrate on breathing and cadence...

sd

[Tailwinds]

I listen to the rivers and the streams.

[Avispa]

I try not to think too much, I just pedal!

But when riding gets too hard, I may turn religious :) ;) . Therefore, I have tried to translate with my rusty Italian, the Madonna del Ghisallo prayer, the best I could for you all:

Oh Mother Jesus, we beg you to assist us with our cycling.

We ask that you help us preserve strong and and healthy bodies, and fervently pure souls to keep us far from dangers, while in training and in racing. We ask you to make our bicycles a tool of brotherhood and of friendship; We ask you to raise us always as disciples of God.

For the sake of our most valued friends, we beg you that you never stop protecting us with your company, the same protection you wanted in the kingdom of your Son: Give us all the delight of your blessings and grant us the knowledge and strenght to accept with faith and resignation this hard test you have put onto us.

[Ginger]

I keep hearing Broderick Crawford's cover version of Horse With No Name--and it drives me nutzoid.

I'd gladly trade my auditory hallucination for ANY of those listed above. Really.



...
Ooooo...Yeah...stuff like that too...and "loser" and and...things like "Peanuts" by the Rythm Pigs....well...today wasn't so bad. "Beyond the Sea"
Nice song, swinging beat...the cops laughed at my attempts to whistle along. (Hey, if my brain is going to try to entertain me, at least I can try to be appreciative!)

Actually Louis, I do have the different voices talking to me, unfortunately for me they're all my voice...just voicing different opinions.

[Elefantino]

I keep hearing Broderick Crawford's cover version of Horse With No Name--and it drives me nutzoid.

I'd gladly trade my auditory hallucination for ANY of those listed above. Really.
...

OK, we have a small hill in our area called Thunder Road. So, naturally, I hear Thunder Road by Robert Mitchum.

Talk about nutzoid.

In order to stop this, I immediately think of anything by Surf Punks.

Works every time.

[jeffg]

Maybe because I used to play tennis and it is common to psych yourself up after an important point that I do this; however, at some point on a 6,7, 15 hour ride you take stock of how you are feeling, tell yourself that you have suffered more in the past and can get through this, etc.

I have been working too much and tackled the GF Giro d'Italia (170km, 14,000 feet of climbing) having about 50 outdoor miles on the season (though I have done some good trainer sessions) . Trust me, I spoke to myself quite a bit (silently, of course) during the last 7km of the Pellegrino and the last 5-6km of the Fedaia ...

I find you also just get in a zone on climbs where you see the scenery, the road, etc. but everything is almost in suspended animation so that among hundreds of cyclists you almost feel alone. This spell is broken in situations like on the gorgeous Passo Duran where the road is closed to traffic and people are lining the roads clapping and yelling "Forza! Forza! Forza!"

What fun!

[Tom]

When I'm doing well overall, mostly I listen to music I'm making up or I'm replaying segments of tunes I'm familiar with. I can't play any instruments but you have to be able to hear it before you can play it so I'll start with that.

When it's a dialogue, I'm asking myself how I'm doing and giving myself advice or I'm laughing at something I see along the way or whatever. Salted into that are the inevitable "get off the goddamn phone!" and "nice use of the directional!" and "Aw, dude! Was that necessary?" comments.

One thing that's really helped is that while I do have a computer, I leave it on stopwatch or something so I'm not always lookign down going "21.5? I should be doing 22. 22? I should be doing 23..." and on and on until I am not enjoying myself at all.

[Sandy]

The only voice I hear when I am riding is that of Kevan, and that is one voice too many. :)



Sandy

[zeroking17]

OK, we have a small hill in our area called Thunder Road. So, naturally, I hear Thunder Road by Robert Mitchum.

Talk about nutzoid.

In order to stop this, I immediately think of anything by Surf Punks.

Works every time.


I heart the Ballad of Thunder Road! Your mention of it triggered a cascade of memories. Anyway...now I've got "Thunder was his engine and white lightening was his load" playing an endless loop in my head. Thanks (I guess).


...

[ti_boi]

Actually the voices kind of disperse when I ride....it is nearly always when I am off the bike that the screaming begins! :crap:

[Avispa]

Actually the voices kind of disperse when I ride....it is nearly always when I am off the bike that the screaming begins! :crap:

This is a good one!