help me keep up my motivation!!
 

just did a 25km spin today and did 30+ on thursday , was away the weekend, and really want to keep it up. I want to lose a good bit of belly before i start my internship in january. i am now about 270lbs and my uniform is bursting open now and then during the day which is embarrassing;)

i went out today but only cos a friend called me and asked me to go, i was all set to stay in otherwise which is where i need the help. Do any of ye have any ways to motivate yourselves to go out without the help of friends? i love being out on the bike and love the buzz when i get back its just the process of getting off the nice comfy couch that i struggle with:)

Only you can do it. Just remember how good it feels to be out and use that to motivate yourself off the couch. Or, sell the couch.

I say hold yourself back. Get off the bike feeling like you could have ridden longer.This doesn't have to be a sufferfest. After a while (6 months for me)I found I had to motivate myself to take a day off. 26 months later and 200 lbs lighter I'm still at it and loving it more and more.

well last thursday i really felt worn out coming home but today i wasn't too bad at all. I have a tendency to overdo things right enough:) i'll burst myself and then not go out for ages so i'll trim it down a bit and see how i get on:) i'll try and go more often and less distance:)

My $0.02. Set longer-term goals, and attach rewards to them. Consider the 150-250 miles/monthly threads that are here on the Clydesdale's forum every month. 150 miles/mo averages 5 miles/day, so maybe plan for 10 miles every other day? 15 miles every third day? If you fall behind, you still have plenty of off days to catch up.

And if you make a goal, you get to buy yourself some little piece of biking bling or something. Or set your eyes on something you want and make yourself earn the right to buy it, at a rate of 25c/mi or whatever makes sense. If you want a $100 saddle, then you have to ride 400 miles first. Etc.

See if there are any charity or just pleasure rides coming up in the near future. Register for some rides. Then set goals for how fast you can complete the ride and start training for accomplishing the goal. That works for me. Plus I enjoy meeting new people at rides like that.

That's the tricky bit, getting prepared to go, and making the move from the chair to the bike gear.
Just remember how you're going to feel so much better when you get back, as well as during parts of the ride where everything comes together.

Since I've been off the bike for 12 months, I feel privileged these days anytime my neck issues allow me to ride.

Keep your bike where it's constantly in sight, and while this sounds a bit OTT I keep a spreadsheet with mileage. A graph linked to the spreadsheet shows your weekly or monthly mileage - nothing's worse than seeing that graph take a dip. I did the same for weight. You could also try writing down your mileage/days riding gals, when you put it on paper it seems more real.

You may have to keep forcing yourself to go out, but once it becomes a habit, you WILL miss riding when you don't go out. I commute 12 miles each way to work every day unless I have a commitment right after work that requires me to drive, or the roads get icy in the winter. Then I get on the trainer in the garage. I love not having to fill up my car every 2 weeks! People at work are used to me riding and they give me a hard time when they see me drive. They still can't believe that I ride in the rain, though. Not riding in the rain would require me to either ride the trainer in the garage or park the bike for 9-10 months a year! That's not what I want to be stuck with.

thanks there are a few good bits of advice in there:) i do love the idea of setting up the spreadsheet with graph of the mileage so might get a start on that:) i did do one before but sort of lost my way:~ and also the reward for every mile is a good idea too. i do have a bit to go before i can commute though, its a 35 mile roundtrip and i have my finals coming up in december so don't want to be too overtired. was half thinking of 1 day a week though building it up. i also thought of driving part way:)

This would be the way to start provided you can find a suitable place to leave your car. Start with whatever is comfortable (5 miles each way wouldn't be a bad start) and work up from there.

yeah there are a few places i can think of on the way that might be ok. even halfway would be great:)

It can be nice to take a highlighter to a map and fill in the places you've ridden, too.

I'm struggling with motivation right now too.
I just bought a trainer and put it in the living room, in front of the TV.
No excuse for not getting on it for an hour now, since I'm in front of the tube anyway.
Next new gizmo is going to be a wireless computer with cadence and heart rate.

No rain, or cold, or dark of night to keep me from my appointed ride now.

Prepare to be motivated. Ready? Ok, here it comes:






GET ON YOUR BIKE, NOW! RIDE!

I heard about a clever guy who was handy enough with electronics to turn his exercycle into a generator, and plugged his TV into it. Motivation problem solved...