No: not a real elephant. It's just a trick I play on myself when I'm particularly tired and yet need to speed up not to be home too late. I imagine that an elephant is chasing me. I know, it sounds stupid, but it works - particularly on a dark winter night.
This is something I save for the home run, of course. There'd be no point in doing it to myself only to run out of steam, knees aching, before I've gone past Prestwich and turn into Oak Lane (Besses O'Th'Barn). But for those last 10' it works wonders. I can almost feel the elephant behind me, closing in. My pedalling becomes faster, I feel a lot more focused and aware, the leisurely rythm of the commuter disappears.
I don't know why it needs to be an elephant. It doesn't work the same with tigers or lions or wolfs (I've not tried rhinos... mmmhh).
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