Road Cycling - In need of some motivation

I'm feeling unmotivated. There is a century I want to do in a couple weeks and I'm starting to think I don't want to do it. I rode 88 miles last friday in the hot sun and a strong head wind and still feel beat! And this was more than a few days ago. I have gone running and mountain biking since, but just don't want to get on my rode bike. I really need to put in some long rides, but just don't feel like it. I should do the group ride tonight but don't want to get dropped. Plus, it is getting so dark so early and don't want to ride at night. HELP! listen to me...I love cycling and now look at me.

Sounds like you haven't recovered from your 88 miles yet.

You may well be overtraining. do you use a HR monitor.

If not you will find it a great help as it will tell you how hard/long to ride without over doing it.

I find it usefull to do a recovery ride(heart rate 60-70%) the day after a hard workout which helps my legs to recover quicker.

Betta,

Welcome to late August. I got dropped badly in a crit Saturday, then bruised a kidney on an MTB ride (without crashing, just hammering a long descent) on Sunday.

I'm trying to get my morale back in time to ride after work tonight after not riding the last two nights.

I can't help in the motivation department but it could be you're overdoing/overtraining as the last poster suggested. It's still really hot. A lot of cyclists really thrive in the heat. The hotter, the better they enjoy it and their performance reflects it. Then there are those of us who absolutely cannot tolerate extreme heat and there are those in between. Do you think it could be the hot temps? If so, it won't be long before it cools down to a comfortable level and you can feel energized and look forward to doing your century. There is nothing wrong about realizing one's limits in a realistic manner.

Or is this a mental block? You might be psyching yourself out and your body is coming up with possible excuses. The way to approach this mentally is not to think of the entire century but rather blocks of miles separated by rest stops. All you have to do is make it from one rest stop to the next one.

Cycling can be competetive, challenging, spiritual. It should most of all be fun. Avoid burnout like the plague and if it hits, reassess. Also, timing is everything.

I think that you just need a few days away from your road bike ... the motivation will come back.

Absence makes the luv for your road bike grow stronger, or something like that!

:D

I agree with the earlier posts. As Oceanrider says, each of us has different coping levels when it comes to heat. Here in NJ, we had a few weeks earlier in the month with 95+ degree days every day and I found my riding suffered. I was beginning to get discouraged, until I had a ride on a cooler day and felt better than I've felt in months.

Plus, if you're not accustomed to riding 88 miles, it might take you longer to recover from such a ride. So it could be a combination of the heat and the need for another day or two of recovery.

I can certainly appreciate the "malaise". I went out on my road bike last Tuesday, planning about a 30 mile ride. I totally underestimated the heat load for the day and the hills on the route. I got 4 miles away from the house and realized that I was in trouble, not life threatening, but definitely hurting.

I plotted the flattest route back home (7 miles) and ended up with about 12 miles with a rest stop instead of the 30 that I had planned. Then the heat for the rest of the week just scared me off the bike until Sunday.

Do you suppose we just needed a break from the heat? Maybe some swimming?

Sometimes I overtrain and get into the Doldrums. When this happens I get off of the bike for 2-4 days. During that time I will do other physical activities. I play a lot of basketball, or I'll walk some of the paths around here. When it's been an unbearable amount of time off, I'll be hungry to burn some pavement. When that happens, I often make sure that I'm on the road with a riding buddy or two. That way it is harder to blow off rides. Soon after, I'm craving the road and the Doldrums are a distant past.
Good luck. Keep moving and push the big ring.

Funny how things come round and hit you in the face. After my response to your post this morning, I got on the bike and got a mile away from home and just didn't have it in me to do the 20 miles I had planned. It wasn't particularly hot. I think I just needed a break. Not pushing it any further, I turned around and hit the nearest public beach where I locked up, took off my shoes and socks and jumped in th ocean. Swimming is good exercise too and right up there on my list just below cycling. I swam a good 10 minutes, watched a squad of dolphins rolling just a ways out, showered and remounted the bike for another 4 miles feeling fresh. Maybe tonite I'll feel better about spinning down the road and do a night ride.

You know when you just don't have "it". There's no getting around it and no use suffering unless you're a pro or a commuter. It's good to have an alternative physical activity to get that heart rate up and the endorphins pumping.

I think everyone experiences this now and then. How you get out of it depends on you and what motivates you. Try different things. What works for me is telling myself all I have to do is ride 20 minutes. Then if I want to go home I can. By that time my endorphins are kicking in and no way do I want to go home. :D

i have found that just getting on the bike without looking at the computer and piddling around gets the lactic acid out of your legs faster than time off the bike. rides with my kids are perfect for this type of 'recovery'

i also think about the potential for brutal winter weather coming to a state near you soon. i haven't suffered the mental doldrums like in prior years---> bless the 65%-75% zone!!!

but the best motivation i have is: i hate to restrict calories!!! so if i don't ride....

My motivation for exercise is the need to control blood sugars and cholesterol levels. I have given myself a minimum requirement of 30 minutes of daily aerobic exercise. I tell myself I need to be in the "zone" on my HRM for at least 30 minutes.

It is only after a 20 minute warm-up that I know what kind of ride I am going to do on any particualr day. I don't allow myself to be embarrased by heading home after 5 miles. I tend to try for a minimum of 10 miles per day but allow myself to be satisfied with 30 minutes of exercise.

Some days I do the up hill stuff 2 or three times. Some days I just ride flats. Some days, like today I average 13 MPH for 12 - 15 miles and repeat the hills and sprints. Saturday was a 21 mile ride. I am looking forward to my first century. Yet I am not compulsively training for it. Some days I try to spin at a cadence of 90 for an hour. On other days I just ride around.

This morning I rode until I ran out of time and felt great.

I'm not rying to earn a living on my bicycle. Actually, I think I'm earning a living to support my bicycle:)

I just head out on my warm-up and see what happens.

Carl

This has happened to me many times over the years. What I have learned is that I need to take a little time off the bike. Try swimming and hiking to stay active, if you love cycling you'll be back in time enough. You can always do the century later. Remember why you got into cycling in the first place. The fun will return, anybody can get burn't out. Chill out.

Sometimes just one day is enough. I really felt unmotivated to go out last sunday, even thugh it was a beautiful day! I just didn't feel like riding. It was kind of windy and I was going alone, which means no one's wheel to suck. Sometimes going alone can be kind of well, lonely. I took a day off and the next day, felt much better, ready to hit the road again!

Thanks for the motivation...I'm still in a funk. I didn't go on the group ride and even had gear and had just picked up my bike from my LBS. It was a sad state of being. My bike was sad. But I think I just have a lot going on...started back to grad. school this week and still working. I'm pretty sure I will still do the century. I'm going to get in a long ride on Friday. If I don't ride... I run or go into the gym and lift weights or workout on the heavy bag...boxing my other love. I think I'm just adjusting to a new routine and need to figure out how to fit in cycling. I hate that the days are getting short. Ugh! I'm mostly being hard on myself for taking more than 2-3 days off my bike. It seems shameful:rolleyes:

I am working on a weekly schedule for riding, but earlier in the season had overtrained. In past years I have ridden without any plan and found myself with this malaise quite frequently and took major times off from riding. Now that I follow the weekly schedule, I'm much more motivated over the long-run. I'll steadily increase mileage over the weekdays, taking one day of rest usually, and then on Saturday I do a big ride. The key is to do a very light 5-10 mile ride only on Sunday, then gradually swing up more mileage throughout the week. I actually suppress my compulsions to ride more than I've prescribed myself and it makes me want to ride more. There's a lot of psychological work to it, but also your body needs time to recover, especially from an 88 miler when it's probably not already used to such a long ride. If you force your body to do this, and then push it to ride hard again the next day, it will send you the signals you're getting, 'Give me some time to recover, man!!'. When it does recover, it will be stronger than before. Just give it a chance and don't try to hurry your training.

Good luck.

I'm frustrated because I was training hard from March -June for a century....did the century and continued to do a lot of riding...and now I'm slacking off. I guess it is that time of year. Trust me I will still ride a lot. I'm planing a long ride tomorrow...50-60miles. I really don't think it is over training. I think I'm being slack! I'll get back into it. It will hurt a little more to do the century on the 15th due to my current slack attitude, but I'll do it and feel good about welcoming in the Fall.

I always feel this way at the end of August. Part of it is a change of routine with school starting and having to be on a schedule every day. I can't ride in the morning only after work. Also, I think I get tired of the heat and humidity and it wears me out more.
Plus, I teach (grades K-3) all day without air conditioning and feel very drained, so I drag home and crash. I don't have the energy to go to the gym or ride.
Unfortunately, most of my long rides are in Sept. and Oct. and I try not to but my riding always decreases this time of year.
When it cools off I usually regain my enthusiasm and am back on the bike riding until it gets cold and rainy.
So don't feel discouraged, it won't last forever.

My motivation is still low. I have been running and spending some time in the gym with weights. I have been riding about three days a week. Not the 5-6 days I have been doing all summer. I am worried about doing this century in a week. I know I can do it...I just might hurt and the last mile which is a hard climb might kill me :rolleyes:
I need to sign up for it. I feel that doing this century will help me feel good about ending the season and start heading back to the gym.

The problem I have been finding is that when I do ride my body hurts because I think lifting weights the day before is not really working out and then realize half way thru a long ride that the strain on my muscles is effecting my cycling performance. It is so hard for me to really take a break. I hate doing nothing for a day.

I can't seem to get myself out to ride either. It's been several weeks since I've ridden or excercised. Can't get myself to do it. Pedalled around a little with my 4 year old the other day but that was about it. Maybe I will get more motivated with the cooler weather coming. :rolleyes:

In the summer when I'm riding I drop my weights back to lighter weights (maintance level) and only lift 2x per week. In Oct. I'll reassess my strength and get back to 3x per week and work on building up the amount of weight I lift.
Sat. I did 64 (hilly)mi and 33 on Sunday. I spent Sun evening and most of the day Mon. painting windows. By Wed. I was so exhausted that I crashed before 9pm and slept all night without waking up.
Tonight I could only manage 15 mi (flat) and only get my heartrate up to about 120. I usually run around 140 - 150. I didn't feel achy or tired, I just didn't have any energy. The pollen and mold are very high and I'm thinking that breathing the outside air so much has had an effect on me. So I just relaxed and enjoyed the ride.
I'm doing a 70 mi ride from Louisville to Bardstown, Ky on Sat and 50 miles back on Sunday so I'm hoping that I feel better this weekend.
The weatherman said the high pollen and mold count will last another 2-3 weeks. We'll see if I notice a difference after that.

It sounds like you and your bike are fighting. Eventually you will start to remember why you love it at all. I would not push to get on your bike until you feel like it.

I was getting a little burned out this summer training for my century also. Found relief though in just going. I went for a ride without my HRM and rode like I did when I first fell in love with cycling. It worked! I only went 10 miles but went flying--with no point, no purpose. I do not force myself to do a long ride if I don't want to. It is not fun and more importantly what is the point, esp. if you have other forms of exercise you enjoy (boxing--your other love).

Take a deep breath. It will all come back to you, its like riding a bike.

Thanks again for all the thoughts.

I went on a few rides last week by myself and it was great. I loved it. I still don't feel excited about riding 100 miles this coming Sunday, but I will try and get my act together and sign up and just do it. I know I will feel better once I finish.

Do you think this attitude is good? Should I not do the century next Sunday. I've been riding, but not enough to do really well. I could do it, but it might hurt more than I would like.

I'll let all of you know what happens. I'm heading out for a ride today on my mountian bike. Yeah...a break from the road.

Ya know, if you aren't really psyched about the ride, you might just want to save your money, get up at a reasonable hour, and go for a really cool scenic ride instead. Here's a suggestion, a favorite ~45 miler of mine in your neck of the woods.

Drive to Mtn City, and park somewhere along 421 going out of town toward Bristol. There're some stores, or a little city park where you can leave your car. Ride 421 for about 10 miles over Grindstone Knob and turn right on 133 at Shady Valley. Follow that through Backbone Rock State Park to Damascus (home of the Virginia Creeper trail). There's a little city park in Damascus where you can chill out, or wander through town and get a cup of 'jo, refill water bottles, or whatever. Then go back the way you came. If you have mtn bike shoes (or something you can walk in), there's a little trail that goes over Backbone Rock that's worth the side trip. There's plenty of climbing if you want it... 1800 feet in the first 5.5 miles, but then it's downhill for 18 to Damascus. And of course, what goes down must go back up. The pavement is smooth, and the traffic low, except right around Damascus. Take your time, enjoy the scenery, and try to remember what it was that hooked you on cycling in the first place.

I was in a funk like yours and I rectified it by buying a new bike. Granted, this solution can only be used once or twice, but since I got my bike, I'm reaching new levels. Just did 75 miles last Sat, my longest ever. I'm shooting for a century myself. Maybe you were training hard for that century, and once you met the goal you had a little letdown?

Anyway, it seems like your burnout is more mental than physical, so I think the advice posted to take a few days off & do other activities is sound. In the meantime, buy yourself a little goody for your bike to whet your appetite...

Hummm...New bike would be a great motivator.:D

but....don't think that is in my grad student budget...but the financial aid check might be better spent on a nice litespeed

I signed up for the century that is this Sunday...I'm just going to have fun with it. They call for rain...so it might not be that fun. What the hell...I can always sit along side the road and wait for the bus.

Good Luck! Let us know how you do!

I did the century....kind of. I rode 102 miles but opted to back off on the last two miles of the ride. The last two are a 1000ft climb....which is very difficult. I was not up for it mentally. I had to ride thru heavy rain for the last 25-30 miles. The first 75 were light rain. The ride was a serious mental challenge for me. Physically I felt good...I just couldn't get thru the rain. I rode the 102 miles in 7 hours. This was a hard climbing ride....one part involved a 15 mile climb. That was just one of the climbs...basically the last 50 miles were climbing. Ugh!

50 miles of climbing in a heavy rain......sounds brutal. Congratulations on the ride - the rides that we have to drag ourselves through are usually the most rewarding ones. Hope that was the case for you!