Originally Posted by
r0ckh0und
When I get tired and start to hurt during a race or long ride I always tell myself "It's going to hurt wether you slow down or keep pushing, so you might as well keep pushing." This always seemed to help me find a second wind.
When riding hills I always tell myself to "ride through the hill" instead of trying to ride to the top. Many riders will let up when they reach the top of a climb, feeling a sense of acomplishment.
I always remember the advice in Eddie B's book: "Get into the habit of sprinting to the top of every climb. I don't care if it's only a freeway overpass, and I don't care if you're too exhausted: get into the habit of sprinting to the top in every race, every training ride, every commute." (Paraphrasing clumsily, but it's been a few decades.)