Losing motivation, fast

jomag45

Hi there.

I've been racing since the Navan Cup in February and doing ok. I'm the fittest I've ever been, watching what I eat, at a good weight, and had been really enjoying my cycling. Now though, the end of season can't some fast enough. I can't wait for the end of September, when I'm planning to hang up the bikes for a while. In fact, I've started thinking about packing it in now. I've just lost all of the enthusiasm I had earlier in the season. Does this happen to anyone else? Any tips to help combat it and keep be going for the last 6 weeks?

Thanks.

uberwolf

don't bother tbh, if you've lost the enthusiasm take your season break now. Hang up the wheels, and when you get back on take it very easy for a further period.

Raam

Perhaps you have over done it a bit. A rest may help re-light your fire for cycling. Next year you will come back stronger.

Freddy687

A way to get a bit of enthusiasm back is to skip a couple of races and just go for a cycle at a leisurely pace.
Sometimes you just need to go far spin and look at the scenery and not the trip computer.
Had this feeling earlier in the year, fed up of going at 100% on the training spins trying to climb with the group. So I went for a couple of spins alone, at about 10-12 miles per hour pace. Remembered why I got on the bike in the first place.

MrJones

you're burnt out id say. change your training or take a rest.

jomag45 wrote: »

Hi there.

I've been racing since the Navan Cup in February and doing ok. I'm the fittest I've ever been, watching what I eat, at a good weight, and had been really enjoying my cycling. Now though, the end of season can't some fast enough. I can't wait for the end of September, when I'm planning to hang up the bikes for a while. In fact, I've started thinking about packing it in now. I've just lost all of the enthusiasm I had earlier in the season. Does this happen to anyone else? Any tips to help combat it and keep be going for the last 6 weeks?

Thanks.

jomag45

yeah, I suppose you're right guys.

Well, looks like I'll have to wait until next year to set the cycling world alight.

Now, if it would just stop raining for an hour, I could go out for a leisurely spin!!

Good luck to the rest of you.

Quigs Snr

Jomag, in the same boat myself. Going since Navan in my first proper racing season. Missed the break in Navan, but did ok to get well up in the bunch at the finish, maybe just outside top 10. Since then, its been downhill, a couple of results in league races, gotten in a few breaks etc.. but mostly downhill, starting to get dropped regularly and don't even care anymore. Was supposed to race Cork tomorrow, then westport, Dublin and then Adare, but I am only going through the motions, I have lost the love of the bike and am just packing it in. Might do a few funruns or triathlons now and will be going MTBing for a few weeks.

You will only ruin your enthusiasm for the sport if you keep to do it when its a chore. I reckon give it a break, you'll feel better for it.

E@gle.

It could be a result of peaking too early in the season and you are now in your transation period. The best thing to do is take a few weeks off. Start out with a new training plan and aim to peak for a particular race next season.

A club mate of mine broke his collar bone and a few ribs on a training spin late last year and it turned out to be the best thing to happen to him training wise.
He is just at his peak now and he is winning races all over the place

irishmotorist

Freddy687 wrote: »

Remembered why I got on the bike in the first place.

To me, this is a very good point. I presume you're racing because it's a hobby (rather than making a living out of it) that you enjoy. Training, feeling fit, the experience of being in a race etc. etc.

Remember that it's a hobby - it's meant to be something that you enjoy and can challenge yourself with. If that isn't happening, maybe take a break from the competitive side of it and just go for a few spins some where scenic and enjoy the achievement of getting over a climb and the exhilaration of a descent and the view that is there all along.

reganovich

keep at it, it'll pay off

jomag45

enjoy the achievement of getting over a climb and the exhilaration of a descent and the view that is there all along

You're quite right. I've trained on a particular climb all summer, and never once stopped at the top to admire the view after all my hard work, even though I know it's breath-taking. How screwed-up is that?

irishmotorist

jomag45 wrote: »

How screwed-up is that?

Not screwed up - maybe just a focus redirection for a short while. It could be like having lasagne for dinner every day of the week and then you get sick of it. Have a varied diet for the next week and the next lasagne after that tastes great.
Jesus - the wine is speaking fierce stuff to me tonight!

quietobserver

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Jomag, in the same boat myself. Going since Navan in my first proper racing season. Missed the break in Navan, but did ok to get well up in the bunch at the finish, maybe just outside top 10. Since then, its been downhill, a couple of results in league races, gotten in a few breaks etc.. but mostly downhill, starting to get dropped regularly and don't even care anymore. Was supposed to race Cork tomorrow, then westport, Dublin and then Adare, but I am only going through the motions, I have lost the love of the bike and am just packing it in. Might do a few funruns or triathlons now and will be going MTBing for a few weeks.

You will only ruin your enthusiasm for the sport if you keep to do it when its a chore. I reckon give it a break, you'll feel better for it.

seems to be alot of cases like this of over training and loss of motivation. as freddy said earlier going through the motions, no point racing and risking a crash or wasting a weekend just to be finishing out the season. would be intersted to know the typical training youve been doing though up to the navan cup and since you started racing the type of training involved here. i raced for the first 10 weeks then took 3 weeks off and returned to racing im actually feeling fresher now that i was at the end of the first 10weeks and the motivation is still high, sometimes you need to map out the year before it begins at all, mapping it out from the lazy october spins right through to the end of the season and i guess remembering we're not pros and dont have to race evey weekend and to enjoy the reasons the bikes part of out lives at all.

Caroline_ie

For me it's the complete opposite, I am more motivated than ever. Passed exams ( got 1 more positive result yesterday), got a lot of cycling done over the past 3 months and finally introduced hills and I am no longer scared of them. What demotivates me is the fact that I don't want to stop over the winter... so I have been buying winter gear to keep me motivated ... I want to be in top shape when the new season starts next year and that involves a massive amount of work, especially at the level I am at ... or maybe I need to get a life What depresses me is looking out the window from my desk at work ...

jomag45

would be intersted to know the typical training youve been doing though up to the navan cup and since you started racing the type of training involved here

I''ve been training 5-6 days per week for most of the summer, in fact, since the racing season started. These sessions were a mix of long (3hrs) steady spins, intervals, and hills, and then a race or two per week as the season got into full swing with 3 or 4 training days and 1 or 2 days of complete rest.

arybvtcw0eolkf

jomag45 wrote: »

Hi there.

I've been racing since the Navan Cup in February and doing ok. I'm the fittest I've ever been, watching what I eat, at a good weight, and had been really enjoying my cycling. Now though, the end of season can't some fast enough. I can't wait for the end of September, when I'm planning to hang up the bikes for a while. In fact, I've started thinking about packing it in now. I've just lost all of the enthusiasm I had earlier in the season. Does this happen to anyone else? Any tips to help combat it and keep be going for the last 6 weeks?

Thanks.

I can only relate to this through my Judo training and competitions. Towards the last fights I go through the same emotions and wonder at the whole thing.

After my last fight/comp I'll back right off from training for awhile.

Last year was the worse, I lost five fights in a row. I'd no motivation and knew for a few weeks I'd over trained but I pushed on all the same.

I think taking a break is the best thing for it. When your unfit and dying for a spin, you'll go out, break your balls - enjoy the pain and you'll be back in the saddle in no time.

p

jomag45 wrote: »

I''ve been training 5-6 days per week for most of the summer, in fact, since the racing season started. These sessions were a mix of long (3hrs) steady spins, intervals, and hills, and then a race or two per week as the season got into full swing with 3 or 4 training days and 1 or 2 days of complete rest.

No wonder! Sound pretty boring!

jomag45

P, care to offer advice on how to make it more interesting then?

arybvtcw0eolkf

jomag45 wrote: »

P, care to offer advice on how to make it more interesting then?

Ride on the wrong side of the road!.