My motivation has got up and gone!

My motivation has got up and gone!

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Celtic Dragon

Original Poster:

3,161 posts

234 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Anyone else have a severe lack of motivation at the moment? Once I'm out the door I'm ok but getting there is a bit of a challenge shall we say.

AndStilliRise

2,295 posts

115 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Same here. Did L'tape London and after that motivation has left the body.

However today, did 70m and felt much better.

qska

449 posts

128 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Celtic Dragon said:
Anyone else have a severe lack of motivation at the moment? Once I'm out the door I'm ok but getting there is a bit of a challenge shall we say.
It took me 5 years to get over mine ;-)

Kids growing out of the little baby phase has helped tremendously.

Having said that, catching a first infection of the season didn't help either, so I'm back to square one for now.

The Merc is a bit more comfortable than the bike wink

Jimbo.

3,942 posts

188 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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'appens. Can only do so much before you get a bit fked off with it, and after a busy spring/summer, it's normally about now.

furrywoolyhatuk

682 posts

153 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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The fact the dark nights and cold mornings are closing in doesn't help.

Johno

8,401 posts

281 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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Chronic workload, lots of work travel, loads of hours etc and was still managing 150kms plus a week. Then the light went, the rides home at 9pm etc were becoming a drag, work etc ... Weekends full etc...

Then when it all calmed down 10 days ago I get a stinking cold. Still coughing a lot but getting back on bike tomorrow. However the motivation took a real turn for the worse.

I'm sure in the morning there'll be a question when the early morning 2 degrees hits .... Hoping I MTFU and get out.

Long Drax

744 posts

169 months

Sunday 23rd October 2016
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I have taken up running 5km circuits to alleviate some of the guilt of not doing as much cycling as previously. This helps to keep my fitness/fatness/endorphins at a reasonable level, too.

Twenty-odd minutes of running quickly(for me) in the open air is often a more attractive option - when set against the commitment of several hours in the saddle on a cold, grey day.






richardxjr

7,561 posts

209 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Not at all - but then most of my rides are with mates and end up in a pub beer


TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Not for me, but there are usually a fair few posts like this time of year. Although to be fair I could never just go out on a 50 mile ride on my own, I'd get too borred so just do club rides, commuting and brutal short hilly rides

Heres what I would do:

-Join a club, winter club rides are great, often the pace drops due to weather so they can be great social rides as well

-Give rides a purpose, such as commuting to work/riding to a mates/riding to relatives etc

-Book a big ride in Feb/March and start training now

-Buy a decent home trainer and use one of the new VR training programmes, zwift etc, some great challenges on there if you like that kind of thing

-Do something else, such as weights/yoga/pilates to compliment cycling. I used to do weights to compliment riding, but lately I have switched more to pilates, stretching and yoga and really notice the difference in flexibility and benefits

- Don't be afraid to take time off and relax, sometimes the body needs a rest and this time of year is the best time for it!


yellowjack

17,065 posts

165 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Not a complete lack of motivation, but a big drop in mileage, and some 5 and 6 day gaps between rides, which usually just isn't me.

Set myself two targets this year...

1) 1 x 100 miles ride per calendar month. This stalled in August (or maybe September?) but whichever, it's a failure. Lack of planning, and failing to take advantage of ample opportunities to ride sank that one.

- low morale from which maybe explains -

2) I wanted to achieve 7,000 miles total for the year. Up from 6,100 last year. I should click over 5,000 miles if I ride today. Early this month I worked out that I needed to average 20 (and a bit) miles per day to complete. After a bit of a sketchy month, with only 11 rides in 24 days so far, I now need to average a whisker under 30 miles per day to complete.


...part of the problem is cash flow. Unemployed still, so I can't afford repairs to my 'winter' road bike. I've also virtually stopped riding my 'best' road bike since August. I suppose I'm loathe to wear bits out now that my 'spare' is off the road. So I've taken to riding my MTB almost exclusively. That kinda explains some of the drop in mileage, but I'm also regularly guilty of navel gazing when I plan to ride, so much procrastinating that by the time I start to get ready I've either got to cut the planned ride short or chop it altogether to go do something else.

That said, on the positive side I'm close to 1,900 miles on my 'new' MTB since March, almost all of it "proper" off road miles, which isn't bad going for someone who's closer to 50 than he is to 40. It's really the lack of road miles that nags at me. It's not as if the weather can really be blamed, as it's been fairly benign so far this autumn. I need to have a word with myself really - 150 miles per week should do it easily, and physically I'm well capable of that, plus it's not as though I can complain about not having time to ride either!

richardxjr

7,561 posts

209 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Also, CD only rides MTB atm which I can only imagine must be a bit rubbish in the flat lands where he lives. So get a road bike (I know you like buying stuff) and rack some miles up. It will be SO beneficial to your fitness. Just get one with mudguards.








okgo

37,860 posts

197 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Been the case for about the last 4 years for me.

Celtic Dragon

Original Poster:

3,161 posts

234 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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TwistingMyMelon said:
Not for me, but there are usually a fair few posts like this time of year. Although to be fair I could never just go out on a 50 mile ride on my own, I'd get too borred so just do club rides, commuting and brutal short hilly rides

Heres what I would do:

-Join a club, winter club rides are great, often the pace drops due to weather so they can be great social rides as well
I did, but they ride Tues and Thursday nights and usually kick off at 7pm, I'm not home from work by then let alone ready to go out on the bike

TwistingMyMelon said:
-Give rides a purpose, such as commuting to work/riding to a mates/riding to relatives etc
Works 35 miles away, one way! Plan on trying it when the weathers warmer, and catching the train home. Rides at the moment are trying to find the hills, not easy when you live on the start of the Fens!

TwistingMyMelon said:
-Book a big ride in Feb/March and start training now
Not many ultras around that time, first one that's planned at the moment is June

TwistingMyMelon said:
-Buy a decent home trainer and use one of the new VR training programmes, zwift etc, some great challenges on there if you like that kind of thing
Got one, but I live in a flat and they guy below me complained! I also don't have a computer powerful enough to run Zwift. Thankfully I would make a profit if I sold it

-Do something else, such as weights/yoga/pilates to compliment cycling. I used to do weights to compliment riding, but lately I have switched more to pilates, stretching and yoga and really notice the difference in flexibility and benefits

- Don't be afraid to take time off and relax, sometimes the body needs a rest and this time of year is the best time for it!
Worst bit is, I have only done 2 rides in the last 3 months.

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Last year I rode loads through the last few months of the year, as I was trying to hit 2,015km. Some of the rides towards the end of the year were pretty grim, but I had to get the kms in. This year I find I'm struggling to get out as much, my baby son can take most of the blame for that, but even though the trails aren't too muddy now, I won't be missing the muddy winter riding and having to clean my bike after each ride.

I'm actually planning to ride less this winter, just my normal Friday commute and one trail centre visit a month. I'll be replacing my usual evening rides with yoga or swimming.

Gruffy

7,212 posts

258 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Celtic Dragon said:
Once I'm out the door I'm ok but getting there is a bit of a challenge shall we say.
I have the same struggle and I'm sure most riders do this time of year.

One small trick is to get everything lined up the night before to make the 'bed to shed' part as easy as possible. Then, in the morning, do it on auto-pilot. Often I'd be 20 minutes into my ride without really any awareness of what happened but by then I'm into it, like you say.

At the moment, to help with motivation, I'm looking at friends' KOMs and making a list. Being a dick, this sort of thing motivates me and keeps it fun. Have a think about what parts of cycling you enjoy and then give those some focus.

IroningMan

10,154 posts

245 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Celtic Dragon said:
Anyone else have a severe lack of motivation at the moment? Once I'm out the door I'm ok but getting there is a bit of a challenge shall we say.
Buy a new bike.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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My motivation left about 10 years ago when I realised I wasn't enjoying it any more.


TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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I don't mind running a motivation encouragement course at mine if you want?

It involves spending a week with me and our 2 x teenagers (with attitude) , 1 x mental toddler , 2 x dogs (1 x angry terrier and 1 x mad collie) , 2 x cats (one of which is the devil in disguise) plus 1 x misses who indulges in odd episodes of "the mental". Let me tell you after a week you will be beating the door down to get to a bike just to get away from all of the above.....at least that's my excuse!

S10GTA

12,645 posts

166 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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I too am struggling, dropped to commuting only now really. Down to only 80 miles a week over the last 4 weeks where as I was up nearer 130/150 before. I don't remember the last time I did a long road ride.

What I have done is start running a bit, and I'm really enjoying it. Only once or twice a week, but its so much more appealing to be done and dusted inside 45mins rather than 2 or 3hrs.

I have been riding for 10 years now tho so its inevitable I'd get a bit fed up eventually.

Celtic Dragon

Original Poster:

3,161 posts

234 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
IroningMan said:
Buy a new bike.
I'm getting a new frame and front wheel if that counts smile