Road Cycling - No goal. Cycling is lagging :(

I signed up for an MS150 in October and spent most of the summer training. ordered my roadie in July during the Tour and put about 800 miles on it before the ride. Made the ride in good (if not great) shape and promptly stopped riding :( In the past 2 months, I've put 20 miles on my bike :cry: Part of this was cool weather, but I think the fact that I built up to the ride so much resulting in no motivation afterwards. I;ve never been one to exercise just for health's sake but I love riding a bike. Unfortunatly, now that there's nothing "over me", I have no motivation. Doing other rides might help, but I'm not really motivated to do those when for some reason. I know I'll sign up for the next 150 and start training in April or May, but the months in between are killing me. Any thoughts? You'd think the 1,000-mile mark would motivate me (and as December draws to a close I'm realizing I need those last 30 miles), but I've turned back into a slug :( HELLLLLLLLLLP! Is this lull maybe normal?

PROOFREAD, CORRECTED VERSION :p :I signed up for an MS150 in October and spent most of the summer training. Ordered my roadie in July during the Tour and put about 800 miles on it before the ride. Made the ride in good (if not great) shape and then promptly stopped riding :(. In the past 2 months, I've only put 20 miles on my bike :cry: Part of this was cool weather, but I think the fact that I built up to the ride so much resulted in a lack of motivation afterwards. I’ve never been one to exercise just for health's sake but I love riding a bike. Unfortunately, now that there's nothing "hanging over me", I have no motivation. Doing other rides might help, but I'm not really motivated to do them for some reason. I know I'll sign up for the next 150 and start training in April or May, but the months in between are killing me. Any thoughts? You'd think the 1,000-mile mark would motivate me (and as December draws to a close it kind of is), but I've mostly turned back into a slug. Is this lull maybe normal? I need a TdF or VaE!!! :( HELLLLLLLLLLP!

Hi,
it's pretty clear you are goal oriented. So give yourself a goal. Mine is to do the Italy coast to coast trip run by Ciclisismo Classico in '06. I had a goal of riding a thousand miles this year, which i did. Next year the plan is to do 2 thousand miles.
Pick something crazy, like riding your bike over to Maine. I'll buy the lobster :D

Well, you kind of hit on the other problem. I'm not good at "Goals for goal's sake". 1,000 miles only works now because I'm so close. Next year, 1,000 miles would just be "why?". The 150 was a motivator because it was for my Mom and the same will hold for next year. i was just wondering if anyone's found a "magic" way to stay motivated. I know it's pathetic, but that's kind of who I am. Intellectual pursuits have always been more interesting than physical. :P

No!
You have to pick a goal, and it HAS to be nuts. It should challenge you right down to your socks. That trip I was talking about goes over two substantial mountain ranges, will cost me and the missus twice what we can afford, and would kill me dead right now. It's ride or die.

Aren't there weekly training rides in your area where you can hook up with? Check with your LBS. At least in my area there are several different training groups every weekend.

Here's my goal:
Drop the BF.
I'm working my ass off while he's huddled next to the fireplace.
Can't wait til spring.

Carl, it sounds like you ride by yourself mostly. I've found when it's just me, I often lose my motivation to go out for a ride too. I have a couple of mates I often hook up with on the weekends for a decent ride, but during the winter when it's dark so early, my motivation to go out again by myself once I get home from work during the week is definitely AWOL.

The one thing that saves me is only owning one car. When my wife needs to head into town for university classes during the day, the only way I can get to work (12 miles in the opposite direction) is to ride my bike, or make her add another hour to her drive uptown. So me getting on the bike is almost always decided to be the favorable option. :) Any chance you can start commuting to wherever it is you need to go? I've found it a very easy way to keep up my cycling, and a great excuse to go and buy more cycling stuff too! :D

Hey Carl long time no see.

Here's a goal for ya; you and I can have a small wager and see who can put in more miles at the activebody site this coming year.

I lose motivation sometimes too. My last ride was during the first week in October. I hurt my hip and was forced off the bike for a couple weeks then totally lost interest. Last year I also lost interest in riding after I trained all year for a race. The day after the race was the start of a month off the bike. I feel where you are coming from, I really do.

I may need the push this next year as well, so maybe we can have a bit of competition what do ya say we put some $ down. Nothing big just a couple of bucks that are more symbolic than anything.

Btw,
a truth in advertising moment for me... I got sick 3 times in a month. By the time it was over, the temp was peaking in the 20's. My morning commute would be with temps in the teens, with a subzero windchill. As I was just getting over bronchitis, I have been reluctant to push my luck. Then snow fell, a lot of it. I am going to the gym, weights, spinning classes, and I have a trainer I can't seem to get going on. So I am exercising, hell, I shoveled snow for 2 hours this morning. That, gentlemen, is work. But I haven't been riding. If I could have just a couple hours this week with dry roads and the temp above freezing...

I just got the perfect solution for my winter blahs... I contacted a real estate agent, and in January, we'll be looking for real estate in Italy, like somewhere in the south where it's a bit warmer. I'm now thinking I'll be living there at least part time.

I guess I could have gotten that cycleops, but isn't it funner to just leave the country and go someplace warmer and continue to ride? :D

Anyone else with the winter blues is welcome to come to Chateau Koffee (for a small fee, of course ;) ). Otherwise, get that trainer and learn to love to bike while standing still!

Koffee

Carl I don't mean to sound or come off negative here on this, but I don't think that you should nessicarily cut yourself down and say that "I know it's pathetic", maybe that is just you! and unless you really want to change something about you, I think you should be comfortable with who "you" is...Maybe as you say you're not good at making goals for goals sake, but for some reason,(probably your Mom) that MS 150 motivates you to train and get built up for that ride, sounds kind of similar to an extremely succesfull Pro we all know, named Lance..I mean yeah Lance rides other rides, but that is mostely to prepare for the 1 race that he really focuses on each year, TDF..Maybe in your case as you say, intellectual pursuits have always intruiged you more than physcial things, I know for me it's been the opposite, and I've grown to become comfortable with that fact and accept it at face value..My dad is the opposite of me, he'd rather study or read a book rather than excersise, it dosen't make me any less or bad than him, that I would rather go out and put on 100 miles on my bike on any givin day, but it just says that I'm different and that's ok..

So maybe for you it's intellectual things over physcial things, I would say try and get comfortable with that, and do the riding when you can or if you really really want to change that part of you, and then take it from there..

I don't know if this will help or not either, and realize this is coming from me who would rather ride the bike, than study the physcis of doing that, but maybe for you it would be interesting if you could find something related to the if you will "brainy part of how a bike works" or something like that..I know it probably sounds stupid, but you maybe studieing that kind of stuff, maybe it'll interest you enough so that you will want to ride the bike more, if that's what you're looking to do..You know that stuff that the pros do when they go into the wind tunnels and work with all that "math" stuff as it relates to the bike and performace..For me it's WAY beyond my brain to understand or care about that stuff, but for others maybe it's really interesting to get into..

Sorry if this is really long, but I really couldn't find any other way to explain it and make it shorter.


Benjamin

Well, the support is certainly welcome!

Some of your responses really sounded like me. Commuting is what I did to get ready for the ride but it's now a bit too chilly for me and I'm too lazy to get up 15 minutes earlier (added to 30 minutes earlier than when I drive) to get ready. I think the "fat" goal is a good one because I've noticed the pounds I've lost while training are creeping back.

As for riding w/ a buddy, I'm very rural and the only other bikes are 30-year old guys riding their BMX to Wal-Mart for their job pushing carts. :P

I think admitting my failing and hearing some of your comments is gonna be a bigger help than anything; kind of like an AA meeting, but more like "Hi. My name is Carl and I'm a slacker." "Hi Carl." My wife also dropped the subtle hint about how much I spent on the bike and I'm not riding it know. I know I'll get back to it once Spring rolls around, but it's the winter months. :P I guess I'll just have commit to riding any day w/ a temp above 50 and no howling winds. Either that, or ride the stationary bikes at the gym (heck, we're paying $30/mo anyway and not using it :P )

SinG, after thinking about your proposal, do you ride in any charity rides?

Who says cycling can't be part of an intellectual pursuit? Something goes on in your head when you ride; you can draw upon that something for many intellectual things: keep a journal of your cycling meditations, develop new cycling routes and write about them, take photographs of things you see on your rides and assemble them into a collection, try, even, to write articles or stories about cycling and get them published. If you want to ride, it's really only a matter of integrating cycling with other activities you want to do.

Thanks Ben and Prosody :) Wise words...

No problem glad we could help.

Benjamin

I would suggest getting into the gym during the cold times to build some strength ( full body ). I'm here in Baghdad until mid March so the gym and the bikes there are all I have for now. When time comes to leave in a few months I'm certain I will plenty of good indoor training under my belt. Getting home and back on the bike won't feel totally different but the feel of the road flying beneath me will.

I'm more motivated this winter than last by far. Why? Think about this: Every mile you pedal in the cold is one more than fair weather riders will pedal this winter.

I also ride very differently in the winter than I do in the summer. In the summer and fall, I ride harder, push the climbs a bit more, do some sprints, hammer more. The winter is a nice break from the constant aches and pains. I set goals based on time instead of distance. It's a good mental and physical break. You don't put much pressure on yourself, but you don't lose much fitness. Makes it easier in the spring.

I'm spoiled, though. I ride alone, but easy rides are easier to be motivated for when the scenery is as great as it is around here.

Maybe cycling is not actually "your thing". It sounds like to me the challange of getting fit enough to accomplish your goal was it.

I tried several bouts of going to the gym, they all faded. I even did aerobics for a while with my wife. That faded. I got a bike, and seven years later I am still hooked. I found that thing that dosen't seem like just exercise for me, even on the trainer. (OK, mabe I'm a bit sick)

Maybe you haven't found that thing that just "clicks" for you. Maybe you need varitety - triathalons - rowing, or whatever. To me, exercising just to exercise sucks. Cycling - woohoo, let's go!

No. Cycling is the only sport I've ever really enjoyed (though I did LOVE rowing). It's less of the activity as the motivation. I'm a terrible self motivator and usually need an external stimulus. When my schedule gets busy (as it has been) or conditions are adverse (i.e. cold weather), things like cycling tend to drop off. Since there aren't any cyclists nearby (that I know of) I have to get myself out there. Since There are no good places to ride, I have to overcome the stress of riding with crazy country bumpkins and the cold weather. having a ride overcomes those negative aspects. Once it's done, the negatives outweigh the fun. If I lived near a protected route, perhaps, I'd be out more.

No, I love cycling, but I've just got a bad lazy streak :p

Carl,
I was just thinking some more. (dangerous, I know) To motivate you do you need to set goals that compare to other people, or against yourself?

I, personally, can get a huge thrill out of tracking my time/ avg speed for a ride and always trying to do better. I am also getting into some group rides that have this same thrill, but you get to "compete" against other people. Maybe that will do it for you. Try some group rides. Some of the advanced people will be happy to drop you and give you something to work for.

Actually, posting my conerns and all the responses has helped me recapture a bit of the motivation. I think this is probably just normal "cold weather blues" combined with a tight schedule the past few months (and Daylight Savings). I'll just tough it out and force myself to ride in the weather, then when the cycling season starts up and I have Tours to watch (and rides to train for) I'll feel the ole urge to see the road beneath my feet :)

SinG, after thinking about your proposal, do you ride in any charity rides?

You bet! I do the TREK100 (MACC FUND: Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) and the Scenic Shore150 (Lukemia and Lymphomia Society). I watched your progress and was hoping beyond hope that you did not pass me up this past year as i couch potatoed it. ;)