Where is the mojo gone?

NeedsTraining

Folks,

For the last 6 months I have been training long and hard (well in my eyes anyway), with a view to doing relatively well in races this year (triathlons and running). However in the last month the motivation has gone.
Suddenly I find myself not caring if I miss a session or two or all of them in a week. I can't put this down to anything in particular but I want the motivation to come back. Work has been very busy, location changed for half the week, which has definitely impacted, but this can't be the only thing.

Anyway, any tips tricks or advice on how or where to find the motivation?
I have a race in 2 weeks, but at this moment I don't care how I do in it.
And that is not normally me.

All advice welcome and appreciated.

Cheers,

NT.

Izoard

Kind of in the same boat myself.

Did an IM last year and was super motivated, but signing up again has not had the same effect.

Volume of training is up on last year, but I'm finding the whole thing a drag at the moment and can't wait to stop for a while.

I'm hoping it is just down to the crap weather...:eek:

Woddle

Been there and quite a few times.
I'm only back running 9 weeks and one of the biggest factors in keeping me at it is good company. I only have company on Thursdays but it really helps.

The stresses of life do get in the way so why not try early morning running. You get your run done, more energy for the rest of the day and whatever shlt gets thrown your way won't hinder getting your run in cause you've done it already.
Another thing to try is just run easy - it works.

gerard65

I'm in the same boat atm. Just could'nt care less about running this week, happens everytime I try push the milage I go flat, heavy leg, tired during the day etc. I need a few days off and break from trying to follow schedules. Lack of motivation is a big warning of overtraining. Some good advice on another thread about taking time out. Your mojo will return when your body is ready. Don't be a slave to running, its meant to be fun;).

tunguska

NeedsTraining wrote: »

Folks,

For the last 6 months I have been training long and hard (well in my eyes anyway), with a view to doing relatively well in races this year (triathlons and running). However in the last month the motivation has gone.
Suddenly I find myself not caring if I miss a session or two or all of them in a week. I can't put this down to anything in particular but I want the motivation to come back. Work has been very busy, location changed for half the week, which has definitely impacted, but this can't be the only thing.

Anyway, any tips tricks or advice on how or where to find the motivation?
I have a race in 2 weeks, but at this moment I don't care how I do in it.
And that is not normally me.

All advice welcome and appreciated.

Cheers,

NT.

Whens the last time you raced NT? I find that after a race I'm like a man possessed, really kicks me into that zone where all I care and think about is training and racing.

mloc123

Classic sign of over training IMO

Cork boie

same here.....havent really run in two weeks which for me is unheard of.....desire and commitment has left for the moment....not doing a specific training plan might have something to do with it.....i aim to get stuck in tomorrow and do nice easy 10 miler.....hope mr. mojo comes back:D

Magnet

My advice would be routine, you trained "long and hard" before so although life/work gets in the way, get back to what you usually did when you were actually training.
I wouldn`t have gotten of my ass in the last 5/6 weeks but for I promised my brother I`d train with him for a while. That and I don`t wanna get beaten by a certain somebody... Whatever works!!
At the end of the day, 1 month of being lazy will let your body/muscles catch up with itself and isn`t any harm.
Keep you nutrition in check though while you`re having some downtime

elvis jones

I just posted in my training log about this subject. I'm been having a few bad days but i stumbled across a pic of me from 2009 weighing 2 stone more than i do now.

I intend to go for a long slow run tomorrow to clear the head and show myself why i run and why i enjoy it.

If you do wear headphones a good playlist can raise the mood and get you through that 1st session after a break away from it.

ger664

Go for a long easy run and start before Dawn.

elvis jones

ger664 wrote: »

Go for a long easy run and start before Dawn.

There is a "before dawn":eek:

MrCreosote

Ease back for a few weeks and go to bed an hour earlier.

Start a long easy run before dawn? You'd have to be up at 4 am...

NeedsTraining

Thanks for the replies.

Seems a few others are in the same boat as myself, good to hear I am not the only one, but bad to hear that we are all feeling like this

My last race was 3 weeks ago, the duathlon in the park where I finished in the top 15 but that didn't even spur me on.

Early morning runs - Already doing this. Up at 5 one morning a week for a long run. It is bright at that time so I'm not tempted by the 'before dawn' run.
Long slow runs - doing these also

Hopefully something will click, suppose the weather is not helping either but can't use that as an excuse.

Pity you can't buy mojo somewhere. Probably on the same shelf as elbow grease, sky hooks etc

Cheers folks,

NT

tunney

Group thinking resulting in group fail.

Who'd have thought it?

donothoponpop

tunney wrote: »

Group thinking resulting in group fail.

Who'd have thought it?

Tunney, you're just trolling this forum at this stage. Either limit your posting to something constructive, or don't post at all. Consider this a warning. <mod>

donothoponpop

The best thing you can do to motivate yourself for training is to train with a club, or failing that, a partner. Nothing like the shame of a missed session or losing face as your partners run all the hard sessions, to get you out the door when you need to.

shotgunmcos

The weather is a factor actually. Grey miserable skies. We had a lovely spell in April where we got some farmers tans and skipped about happily looking forward to races in the sun. Then the wind and rain came and is still bloody here. I'm getting sick of it myself, the wind especially. Yes you can just utter HTFU, however I have a bottle of that and I take a good swig from time to time. I've dried it out the last couple of weeks. I'm still getting through sessions but I'm battling with excuses and motivation a lot.

Magnet makes a good point. Routine. Have a plan in front of you and just follow it like a zombie for a while. When you are not training, find some way to switch off. Disengage from training without disengaging if you get what I mean. Like showing up in body not in mind. At least until the sun comes out and we can put the winter gear away again. If you have no looming A goal, just take a break...

Has anyone noticed their appetites increasing with the wind? I find that even easy effort require a bit more RPE in the wind and maybe this is adding to fatigue and appetite

pconn062

Personally speaking I have to say the main thing that keeps me motivated is running with a group of friends. I trained with a group of 4 or 5 last year for the Dublin marathon and it really helps to have company when your heading out on a long 20 miler. I'll be running with the same people again this year during my DM training.

mloc123

NeedsTraining wrote: »

For the last 6 months I have been training long and hard (well in my eyes anyway) ..... However in the last month the motivation has gone. Suddenly I find myself not caring if I miss a session or two or all of them in a week ..... Work has been very busy ..... I have a race in 2 weeks, but at this moment I don't care how I do in it.

Seriously, these are all classic signs of overtraining.

How is your mood? Ask your other half if you have been cranky... they will be a better judge. Sex drive down? Change in appetite? HR during sessions changed?

http://runninginjuryfree.org/2008/09/overtraining.html

tunney

<snipped. Tunney given 10 day ban for trolling>

shotgunmcos

Where's my mojo gone?
Where's Tunney gone more like it?!

mloc123

donothoponpop wrote: »

The best thing you can do to motivate yourself for training is to train with a club, or failing that, a partner. Nothing like the shame of a missed session or losing face as your partners run all the hard sessions, to get you out the door when you need to.

Yup nothing like pushing even harder when your body is already showing signs of going too hard for too long to pull you right back out of that funk.

donothoponpop

mloc123 wrote: »

Yup nothing like pushing even harder when your body is already showing signs of going too hard for too long to pull you right back out of that funk.

I take your point, and the OP might be overtraining, I don't know anything about their training history. My comment is just general advice on a way to feel like training again, when you don't even care about missing a week. A training buddy- in a club or not- is a good kick in the butt to make you care again.

catweazle

I was laughing when I saw this topic after just reading an interview with Simon Whitfield.

If you’re in a “slump” either from training or racing, what indicators do you use to know whether it’s A: time to buckle down and keep plugging away/“chop wood, carry water” or B: ease up a bit, maybe take a break to “sharpen the saw”?
Simon Whitfield:if you’re “coaching” yourself then it’s just experience that tells you when to “chop wood, carry water” and when to back off. Athletes are often afraid of training tired but that’s where the gains are made. I think it’s very hard to over do it, to “over train”, but that’s really a coaching issue and/or a planning issue. I basically do as much as I can handle and whatever that comes out to be, # of hrs trained in a week, etc. just “is what it is”.

ecoli

mloc123 wrote: »

Classic sign of over training IMO

Might be something to this. Whats your appetite like? You are prob tired from the early mornings and 6 months solid training. Somtimes rest is the key. Take a few days off/recovery. If you feel guilty about it consider it as a taper for your next race. Get out for a walk the odd time, couple extra hours sleep here and there and recharge the batteries and see if this helps. If not given your current mood you wont care missing the few days so it wont make much negative difference

zico10

NeedsTraining wrote: »

Folks,

For the last 6 months I have been training long and hard (well in my eyes anyway), with a view to doing relatively well in races this year (triathlons and running). However in the last month the motivation has gone.
Suddenly I find myself not caring if I miss a session or two or all of them in a week. I can't put this down to anything in particular but I want the motivation to come back. Work has been very busy, location changed for half the week, which has definitely impacted, but this can't be the only thing.

Anyway, any tips tricks or advice on how or where to find the motivation?
I have a race in 2 weeks, but at this moment I don't care how I do in it.
And that is not normally me.

All advice welcome and appreciated.

Cheers,

NT.

You fit life around work I imagine, triathlon I hope is only of tertiary importance. Even still though I think you should schedule it into your week. Starting each Sunday write down each training session you plan to do and you'll be far less likely to miss it.
If you've morning sessions planned, once the alarm goes, just get up, no pressing snooze, no bullsh*t, just get out the door and do it.
It'll become robotic, but at the same time you might be surprised how natural it becomes.
That's how I train. I always had a race to aim for and that would keep me focussed. Did you ever really care about this race you have in two weeks time? If you did, then this advice might be useless. If you didn't, then why did you enter it?