General Cycling Discussion - Having serious motivation problems.

Well it has become obvious that something I love ( or loved ) to do has become a chore that I must make myself endure.

I cannot seem to enjoy the bike right now for some reason. I did let myself slip out of condition but this never was a problem in the past. I'd always come out of winter with renewed motivation to get back into my riding form.

This year has been different. I have had absolutely no luck getting myself back in the swing. I ride, but without luster and enjoyment. Perhaps it is because I am just not where I want to be.

Anyone else have this problem in the past? Next week I am going to schedule rides every day and see how it works out. If I cannot find my motivation I may just hang the bike up and forget it exsists for a while.

Sam. I have the opposite problem.. I am going nuts, because of a shoulder injury. I look out the window like a kid who can't go out to play. Riding out with nature is like a long adventure. Life without it is boring.
Good luck. Thought you found a nifty girlfriend who loves biking. She not encourage you to get out..
Maybe go out somewhere with her, make it exciting two-some by having a picnic out at some nice location.
ps- one thing that kept my going for 61 minutes on my trainer, besides music- closing my eyes and visualizing my favorite hill top rides. I could see almost the entire route. 61 minutes.. My wife said I smelled like I had been out on a ride afterwards, so not without its merit. 61 minutes on a trainer is a long time.
I took it outside to get some sun and keep up that cycling tanned image with all its unique markings.

I was the same way you are last season Cyclzealot. That is why it is so disturbing. I used to ignore important stuff so i could ride.

I guess maybe I just need to get re-conditioned so it is not so much a chore. My expectations are high so frustration sets in quick when I don't perform as I like to.

Find another cycling club to join. I belong to a small club and the rides do not always happen when and where I want. So I joined another and now not only have a much wider choice of rides but a new group of folks to ride and meet. Am thinking of joining a third club to get an even wider variety of rides/people to meet.

I have this problem periodically...however I found doing multiple disciplines helps. I ride

xc
dh
freeride
trials (I fall ALOT)
bmx

I change it up a bit all the time which really helps.

Try riding only for the joy of riding. Don't plan goals or how far or fast you might go. Go to a new place, have lunch at a great deli, explore some area you have not explored before.

Get the joy back in biking by making it a solely pleasurable experience.

Some of my best rides are where I set no goals, attempt no training, just get out a bit. I find myself going from enjoyable experience to enjoyuable experience and all of a sudden i have had a decent ride.

At times, goal-setting, speed concerns, distance concerns are the biggest obstacle.

Make it an adventure.

DnvrFox, I think that what you suggest is exactly what i may need to do. My competitive nature and the racing days seem to be what makes it difficult. I always seem to be riding against the clock.

Maelstrom, I both mountain bike and road bike. I think I may add in another sport altogather since buying yet another kind of bike may end me up in marital problems. I weight lift seriously in winter so maybe I will stay in the gym more and work the bike back in slowly.

Paramount, I do not belong to any club so maybe I should.

Originally posted by SamDaBikinMan
DnvrFox, I think that what you suggest is exactly what i may need to do. My competitive nature and the racing days seem to be what makes it difficult. I always seem to be riding against the clock.



I have this problem where I don't want to just ride...ever think of forcing yourself to slow down a bit.



Maelstrom, I both mountain bike and road bike. I think I may add in another sport altogather since buying yet another kind of bike may end me up in marital problems. I weight lift seriously in winter so maybe I will stay in the gym more and work the bike back in slowly.

I forget to add that I also do a couple of other sports, weight lifting, basketball and tennis as well :)...keeps the brain forever moving :)

Why not just take a serious break...2 weeks off. It sounds like you have been overtrainign and are burned out.

Originally posted by SamDaBikinMan
Paramount, I do not belong to any club so maybe I should.

Whoa, I am posting in this thread...I just started riding with other people this year. Best thing I ever did for both my skills and my energy...besides if you get the right couple of partners they drag your ass out. And friendly testosterone induced competition is good for the soul :)

I have been suffering a little of the same burn out or lack of love for the bike. Have been under the weather as well. Went for a ride in the rain today and felt a lot better since I did that. Did not push myself, just went out and did the 50 minute loop. Rode the old touring bike and just rode. No time, not concerned about heart rate, just listened to the rain.

Winter riding is less of a problem since there are fewer things vying for my time. You just may seem overwhelmed by spring chores and spring clean up. Sure has affected me.

Good luck on getting back on the bike.

Sam, I am having the exact same problem. I know I wanna go riding but EVERY time I go onto the bike, I just don't care to try or ride or anything. I dunno what's up with me.

SamDaBikinMan: We need to go ride the Silver Comet Trail. Let me know when you can make a ride and I'll see if I can come up to meet you. All Atlanta area cyclists are welcome to join us :)

Zack

Yes joining a club is what helps to get me out the door sometimes. Because I work long hrs. I come home too tired to ride. But then I check the club ride schedule and there is always a couple of good ones on the weekend. And sometimes I can sneak in a weekday ride. If a good one is on the schedule I'll take a sick day and go ride. But sometimes the company makes all of the difference.

I sometimes have the same problem. I use to be a competitive swimmer on a couple of hard-working teams. When my swimming days were over, I took up other activities like running and cycling. The problem was that I also suffered from a very competitive nature and I didn't know how to turn the workout intensity down. Not having a team to motivate me, I would burn myself out and quit physical activity for an extended amount of time.

Nowadays, I don't really force myself to ride. When I do ride, I try to go on 2 - 3 hour rides. Within that ride, I have my intense moments (climbs, sprints), but I also have my moments where I just sit back and enjoy the ride. Although I do work on strength and endurance, I have cut down the intensity factor and virtually eliminated burnout.

It may take some time and effort. However, in the end, it is worth it.

I heard a good story on the radio the other day. They were comparing fitness in the US v/s the Orient. They talked about how many of these ultra-fit Americans die early. They said that it was possible that the body could only handle so much stress.

Then they compared it to the less-intense workouts like Tai-Chi. These people tend to have longer lifespans. They become fit without putting the body through excessive stress.

My point? If you keep working out at 110%, you may just drop dead sometime soon.

Originally posted by SamDaBikinMan
I cannot seem to enjoy the bike right now for some reason. I did let myself slip out of condition but this never was a problem in the past. I'd always come out of winter with renewed motivation to get back into my riding form.

I have gotten that way in the past. I find that if I mix up the riding (ride in different areas - ride with different people) a bit, I get back in the swing, and love the saddle once again. So, try something new, and/or get a new toy for your bike. That always works for me.

You'll be back, Sam! :)

I say take time off- and I mean like serious time off... the kind of time off where you are so off that by the time you get on the bike, you can't help but love the bike again.

Aerobics instructors go through this all the time. Playing the same music and going through the same routines day in and day out, trying to act happy and peppy and perky all the time, dealing with all these people all the time- it wears you down physically and mentally. Every so often, it's time for some quality "me" time away from the clubs- we take time off and go away from all that crap and find some other stuff to keep us occupied. Usually, this can last between 4- 6 weeks, but I've seen instructors take a year off. When they come back, they return slowly, adding the classes back on to their schedules, and they make sure they don't overdo it or burn out by taking on too much too quickly. This may be something you need to do.

Find another fitness activity and put the bike away. Take a month off from riding altogether- not even riding to go to the store and back. Do some walking, or hiking, or running, or whatever else strikes your fancy. In a month, go back to the bike. I bet anything, when you swing your leg over the top of the bike and take that first pedal, you'll wonder why you ever thought you were getting tired of riding. It WILL work- I take time off riding from time to time, and I take time off teaching from time to time. The tingle and the thrill that always comes when I get back to it is always a wonderful feeling.

Give it a try.... it won't kill you to try...

Koff

Yeah, what she said!

Well said, Koffee!

Originally posted by SamDaBikinMan
Well it has become obvious that something I love ( or loved ) to do has become a chore that I must make myself endure.

I cannot seem to enjoy the bike right now for some reason. I did let myself slip out of condition but this never was a problem in the past. I'd always come out of winter with renewed motivation to get back into my riding form.

This year has been different. I have had absolutely no luck getting myself back in the swing. I ride, but without luster and enjoyment. Perhaps it is because I am just not where I want to be.

Anyone else have this problem in the past? Next week I am going to schedule rides every day and see how it works out. If I cannot find my motivation I may just hang the bike up and forget it exsists for a while.
No problem.

If it's a chore, you won't enjoy it. If you don't enjoy it, why ride?

Just remember, you might want to "keep you hand in" so that when the fever hits you again, you'll be ready.

Just a thought.. I am skeptical that out and out racers do not love the act of cycling.. I think their adrenelin comes from the race/competition. Once the competition aspect is over with, so is the love of biking.. Then, I guess it is time to call it quits, because your attraction is not the bike..
To me, just to see a flashy new bike is now what a Red Mustang mean't to me when I was 21. When I first got my bike and before I was married, my then fiance thought it weird I kept my new bike in the bedroom. It was brand new and exactly what I had wanted for years. Now it is in the den next room to the bedroom.
Myself, I love the bike as a means of getting about. the fresh air, the exercise, the touring. On the bike you really see the sights up front. You are free.. If this does not appeal to the cyclist as their motivation, then you have to ask yourself- what is it that attracts me to this sport. Hopefully it is a passing phase. Just stay open-minded and let your emotions follow their natural course.

last year was a high millage year for me between my commute and getting ready for the STP I starteb to burn out on riding and the STP was to big of a goal for me to hang up the bike. Besides the last time I decided to take a break from riding it lasted five years and I gained 60 pounds. I had to add my "Stop and smell the roses" ride I pick somewhere I have never been before and ride I am less focused on the riding aspect and more focused on the new experiance (of course I am luck to live in the PNW we do have some rocking places to ride biek out here!)
:beer:

Sam,
I find that sometimes I don't have the motivation also. But I find it is not smart to force myself to continue. Better to head home get off the bike and try and get motivated for another day. Perhaps do a bit of bike repair. Also signing up for a club, as somebody else mentioned, can add significant motivation to get out there and once out there to complete the club rides.

Originally posted by DnvrFox
Try riding only for the joy of riding. Don't plan goals or how far or fast you might go. Go to a new place, have lunch at a great deli, explore some area you have not explored before.

Get the joy back in biking by making it a solely pleasurable experience.

Some of my best rides are where I set no goals, attempt no training, just get out a bit. I find myself going from enjoyable experience to enjoyuable experience and all of a sudden i have had a decent ride.

At times, goal-setting, speed concerns, distance concerns are the biggest obstacle.

Make it an adventure.

after a 5yr break, that is how i got back into cycling... no goals, no pressure... just like when i first got on a bike when i was a kid.. All I wanted was to ride... I stopped when i was tired... and went on...

I was a part of the group(I still am)... They always envy my passion for riding.. I was not as fast and strong as they are... But after the ride when they are out of breath and exhausted, sitting by a tree while waiting for me.. I just pass by and wave and smile.. As if i was just joy riding the entire 60km route(Actually, I was)...

Now, I plan my route and have goals... I try to minimize my "joy rides".. But I still do them once in a while...

Listen to music, i find it helps loads to get you riding well.

I second the music solution - ride for fun, get some great tunes, set no goals and punch along until you feel you've had enough. The other option of course is to get into another fitness-related activity that you don't particularly like (usually because you may not be the best at it - for me it is mindless running) and concentrate on that for a while. After a couple of weeks you will be itching to get back onto the bike. Good luck with it.

There really aren't any other aerobic exercises I like. Gym's that is really boring to me. Weight lifting, no . My goal is to too look more a professional cyclist. Like the anemic look. Some upper body strength is ok.. Can't do running. Ruined my right knee. Not good at tennis,baseball, raquetball, etc. It is either cycling, which I am addicted to or be a couch potato. That is the case, I love the saltiness of potato chips.
I would have to switch from bib cycling shorts to bib overhalls. Thank god, I like cycling. I have to watch myself- I as many have a problem with food.

If you love cycling, you can let it go and you will come back to it.

:1960's flower power smiley:

Cycling = Love

:love:

Take some time off when you start to feel your motivation drifting. I take a week every couple of months to give myself a break. I usually feel more rested and ready to go. Riding with a group makes a big difference and week night club races are fun. Motivation is a funny thing and sometimes all you can do is hang it up until you crave it again. Explore other sports if you do this so it does not take as long to get back in shape.

I have quite the opposite problem.. ALmost 3 weeks since I injured my right shoulder.. Off today, I could not take it anymore. Trainer ok, but I wanted the real thing.. My therapist said I would be nuts.
Said a fall could be very bad.. I had to get out.! . I did not take my road bike with drops. Upraised handlebar, shifters at a higher level. As long as I do not fall, cycling is fine.. This hybrid bike has 38 mm tires as opposed to 23 mm.
It felt so good. I went 22 miles. Went to the crash site and cursed it. Still not understand how it happened. Only 22 miles, but 22 miles seemed great after 3 weeks.
Still can not lift my right hand over my head. In fact only about 4 oclock high from the side of the chest..
But since my right arm stays curled to my body, I felt holding the hand more up right on the handlebar stretched the arm and it felt better. I have physical therapy tomorrow. I will not tell him..I have my MRI on Friday.. Should I have surgery soon, I know there will be no riding for awhile after that. Felt great to be bad.
I have tomorrow off work.. If get up early maybe do 20 miles before my therapy.. Better not run late. Really freak them out if I roll up on my wife's hybrid..