How's the motivation?

Chivito550 · 11-02-2021 12:09am

Completely going through the motions at this point. Doing easy sessions 4 days a week, ticking over at 75%, with absolutely no interest in pushing myself to the point of exhaustion. What's the point!!

Fair play to anyone who is motivated by time trials, or motivated to train for the sake of training.

Not for me. This sport is about racing. This is all leaving a massive void there for many of us.

Running for me is really just for general health and wellbeing at that moment, and that temporary endorphin hit.

I'd ordinarily get annoyed that Athletics Ireland haven't even bothered to put up provisional fixtures, but I've gone beyond caring!

average_runner · 11-02-2021 10:35am

Chivito550 wrote: »

Completely going through the motions at this point. Doing easy sessions 4 days a week, ticking over at 75%, with absolutely no interest in pushing myself to the point of exhaustion. What's the point!!

Fair play to anyone who is motivated by time trials, or motivated to train for the sake of training.

Not for me. This sport is about racing. This is all leaving a massive void there for many of us.

Running for me is really just for general health and wellbeing at that moment, and that temporary endorphin hit.

I'd ordinarily get annoyed that Athletics Ireland haven't even bothered to put up provisional fixtures, but I've gone beyond caring!

Weather not helping either. No club sessions, no banter, no even small club races on the track

chris85 · 11-02-2021 11:01am

Running at moment is just maintenance and headspace, I am trying not to put pressure on it by setting a big goal race as I have usually done in last few years. I am setting broader goals (like aiming for certain amount of runs/mileage each week).

Hard to train hard for events when we have no idea what is happening. Two kids under 3 at home + working from home all the time means running is just a moment to myself and some space for 30-60mins. I don't have much time or energy to do more than easy runs or light interval sessions.

Just keeping ticking over basically.

crisco10 · 11-02-2021 11:07am

Another in the "ticking over" camp (as anyone who reads my log would have noticed).

Running is still vital for my day to day headspace, but it's all easy really with the only variation being in routes or throwing in efforts here or there in a non structured way. The weather absolutely doesn't help, I never really have a day when I could stay out forever at the moment!

Have my mileage goal per week, and that does stretch me a little to lengthen a few of the ones a week. But that's the extent of me pushing myself.

ultrapercy · 11-02-2021 11:44am

Im on a 100+ day streak so thats keeping me going. With a few TTs thrown in I'm more or less training as normal. Its not too bad for distance runners to be fair but it must be next to impossible for sprinters, jumpers, throwers etc to keep it going esp with gyms shut.
Its also must be very difficult for olympic hopefulls who may miss out on an olympic chance completely.

event · 11-02-2021 11:47am

Yeah doing the same. Have gotten some motivation from work, doing a pedometer challenge so I am helping with my running.
40 miles last week, on track for 42 this week.
Will see then what happens for the next two weeks of feb. I dont do time trials or anything but have in my head that clonakilty will happen in November so thats a way off target.

I get it 6m done first thing most days, helps clear the head ahead of the day

I've also bought myself two new pairs of runners. But havent worn them as dont want to destroy them in this weather :pac:

Chivito550 · 11-02-2021 12:44pm

ultrapercy wrote: »

Im on a 100+ day streak so thats keeping me going. With a few TTs thrown in I'm more or less training as normal. Its not too bad for distance runners to be fair but it must be next to impossible for sprinters, jumpers, throwers etc to keep it going esp with gyms shut.
Its also must be very difficult for olympic hopefulls who may miss out on an olympic chance completely.

It's impossible to have quality training without access to a track and gym as a sprinter.

There's only so much you can do on roads, paths and grass.

This time of year is a disaster too, with weather being so cold. Cold weather is not conducive to sprint training. You also can't sprint on grass right now because it's muddy, wet and slippy. And paths are full of walkers and dogs that make sprint reps a pure chore and the recoveries don't stay consistent as you have to wait for the path to clear in front of you each time.

Last year I was on the track from June onwards, but the lack of gym had a huge impact in my times. Take away both track and gym and there's just very little left.

[Deleted User] · 11-02-2021 12:56pm

Group of us running across the Dunkerron Mountains in South Kerry in May...subject to Covid restrictions.

21 summits, 2,500m to 3,000m ascent, wild terrain, know of only 1 other who has run it before. So that helps with the motivation, I get out 5 times a week, including 4+ hours on Sundays, but lucky enough to have mountains and the Kerry Way on my doorstep, and then a selection of country roads for those dark evenings...

Itziger · 11-02-2021 2:04pm

A few of us are planning on doing a Half Marathon on 21st of March, the day of a race I've done a few times now. I decided I really needed a focus so about 6 weeks ago I drew up a little plan for meself and so far it's going well. I'm hoping a couple of faster lads might pace me on the day, otherwise 21k hard could be just that. One young fella has improved so much that he could flake away on his tod even if not in prime race condition. There is a bloke a few mins faster than me who hasn't had great prep so far and he'd be the perfect personal pacer for a crack at 1.21 or so.

I'm very happy I chose this strategy cos the tipping along is not really my style. I'm too impatient.

After the Half, I'm not sure. Training for a full with a couple of mates might work, or I might try something mad like training for a 12hr run around me birthday in June. Again, there's a 12 or 24 hour race nearby that I'm guessing won't happen, but we could use the date as a focus. That's to be decided though, and I haven't told the wife yet.

KSU · 11-02-2021 2:09pm

For the first time in my running career I am aimless. Always either training to race or on a comeback to fitness but at the moment simply getting out to decompress as motivation is in the toilet.

Between working from home, no creche for the eldest and an 8 week old, sleep is minimal and simply in a cycle of getting through each day. Fartlek's breaking things up and odd bit of tempo work but simply doing enough to keep me sane at the moment.

jaggiebunnet · 11-02-2021 2:17pm

with the working from home and the lack of activities for the kids I would be in a padded cell unless i could get out every day. should hit 300 day streak this weekend, have only done 1 time trial and set a 5k pb. have increased mileage to the peak of what i would have done for marathon training but have been hitting it regularly for most of this year bar the first week. I really did hit a why bother point at the start of december and all the way through, but thankfully have been enjoying most of the runs since the turn of the year.

EC1000 · 11-02-2021 3:04pm

Ironically lock down is working wonders for my own running. With 3 young kids, it is usually a case of squeezing in my run when their activities are over as I help with most of the sports/activities that they are involved in. With all those stopped, I find I have so much more time to run - great for me, terrible for the kids obviously.

My club is also great for keeping the motivation going with plans being issued and a series of 5 virtual races ongoing. With no marathons on the horizon, I am finding the shorter virtual races a good opportunity to concentrate on speed work in advance of things opening up - did my first 3km "race" last week which is something I would never normally do. Hoping for a 5km PB in a couple of weeks and maybe get close to 17 mins which I never thought I would get close to again.

It is hard to keep the motivation going but try to find a carrot and focus on it as much as possible, be it a weekly weight goal, distance goal, etc.

opus · 11-02-2021 3:52pm

A friend of mine's company gets a very good employee discount with Garmin so he offered to get me a shiny new watch before xmas. Went with it as thought a new toy would give me a bit of motivation and was easy to sell on the watch I had. Seems to be going ok. I've been following its suggested workouts every day so get a bit of everything. With the local track closed I am not liking doing the faster (for me

) bits on the road & seems to have annoyed one of my hamstrings but whatever.

That & trying to chip away at my (not)parkrun time is keeping me going with no events in the foreseeable.

Laineyfrecks · 11-02-2021 4:18pm

I don't really know where my motivation is if i'm being honest. I do know I'm much better at following a plan rather than running aimlessly myself. I am currently doing a baseplan, I get it each week & follow it, to me it's the discipline of following something that has been given to me by someone who took the time to do it so maybe that's my motivation. I run 6 days a week & never(touch wood) miss a run. I really miss races & that buzz just from the countdown to them & the whole process from the night before rituals to the morning of it then the tea, cake & sandwiches afterwards. Will I do some more TT's this year, I'm not sure at this stage but not ruling it out. For now everything is too uncertain around lockdowns etc so I'm taking my running week by week. As others have said, running is my sanity & I do appreciate the fact that I can get out & run but it doesn't stop me dreaming of the day I am told I 100% can start training towards a guaranteed Marathon!

OOnegative · 11-02-2021 7:35pm

It’s the best it’s been in a long time, the desire and enthusiasm to get out there 6/7 days a week made a very welcome return at the very beginning of the year. It says it all when I’m willing to endure the monotony of a turbo trainer this week just to get my fitness fix as running conditions here in Den Haag are dangerous to say the least(seen a guy split his head open after falling on the path this morning while running, I was inside looking out).

There is no way in I would have gotten up on a turbo trainer 2/3 months back to supplement my training I was just to lazy and not really in the mood then. We’re in hard lockdown here till March 8th at least with a nightly curfew from 9pm but that hasn’t dampened my spirits to run. Tentative club races planned for April under social distance rules so fingers crossed they go ahead. As it stands no way Amsterdam/Rotterdam marathons go ahead in October, but that’s 8 months off and a lot can change positively before then.

Fingers and toes crossed it does!!!

shotgunmcos · 11-02-2021 8:14pm

Comes and goes. Up and down. 2 packages arrived today each with lovely new shoes. Opened and closed the boxes. Today is meh. I'll try them on in a better mood.

Still, I get it done everyday. That's something.

Chivito550 · 11-02-2021 9:55pm

OOnegative wrote: »

It’s the best it’s been in a long time, the desire and enthusiasm to get out there 6/7 days a week made a very welcome return at the very beginning of the year. It says it all when I’m willing to endure the monotony of a turbo trainer this week just to get my fitness fix as running conditions here in Den Haag are dangerous to say the least(seen a guy split his head open after falling on the path this morning while running, I was inside looking out).

There is no way in I would have gotten up on a turbo trainer 2/3 months back to supplement my training I was just to lazy and not really in the mood then. We’re in hard lockdown here till March 8th at least with a nightly curfew from 9pm but that hasn’t dampened my spirits to run. Tentative club races planned for April under social distance rules so fingers crossed they go ahead. As it stands no way Amsterdam/Rotterdam marathons go ahead in October, but that’s 8 months off and a lot can change positively before then.

Fingers and toes crossed it does!!!

Was talking to my Dutch friend in Utrecht the other day. Sounds like a tough lockdown, but would happily take it over here. He told me there's no 5km limit, people can travel anywhere in the country, can only meet one person a day but it can be a different person each day and it can be in their homes. The idea of simply going for a drive in the countryside is appealing. He said there's no police pestering people about where they are going.

Is all the above correct? What's the story with athletics tracks right now? Are they accessible for non elite athletes?

OOnegative · 11-02-2021 10:06pm

Chivito550 wrote: »

Was talking to my Dutch friend in Utrecht the other day. Sounds like a tough lockdown, but would happily take it over here. He told me there's no 5km limit, people can travel anywhere in the country, can only meet one person a day but it can be a different person each day and it can be in their homes. The idea of simply going for a drive in the countryside is appealing. He said there's no police pestering people about where they are going.

Is all the above correct? What's the story with athletics tracks right now? Are they accessible for non elite athletes?

Yip all correct. The tracks are accessible from what I’ve seen, I run past the Haag Atletiek one 2/3 times a week and there’s always a few out using it. Not groups obviously, but few 2/3’s doing stuff together.

Chivito550 · 11-02-2021 10:11pm

OOnegative wrote: »

Yip all correct. The tracks are accessible from what I’ve seen, I run past the Haag Atletiek one 2/3 times a week and there’s always a few out using it. Not groups obviously, but few 2/3’s doing stuff together.

See this is what happens when a government has trust in its people.

They have zero trust in us here.

It makes my blood boil!!!

Swashbuckler · 11-02-2021 10:12pm

Feel like I'm one of the few but my motivation has never been higher to be honest. Mileage is up, quality is up, feeling better than I can remember since I started running.

A big part of the motivation is the counterbalance it's providing for everything else going on.

The last year has taught me a lot about myself as a runner. I'm very much someone who loves training and is enjoying the no pressure of races or targets.

thatsmighty · 11-02-2021 10:28pm

Take a rest till the freeze passes

The Black Oil · 11-02-2021 10:38pm

Pretty good, really. It's never been a big struggle.

Going for 2,000 miles this year, first time trying to go that far. Not in a race mindset at all, very hard to think about that sort of thing with everything going on. I personally don't know anyone who has had the virus, am just keeping my head down and plodding on, with some S&C and yoga in my back pocket. Athletics comes up sometimes in work so that's good (for the information, rather than as a passion/hobby), podcasts and Youtube help too.

ultrapercy · 11-02-2021 11:12pm

Chivito550 wrote: »

See this is what happens when a government has trust in its people.

They have zero trust in us here.

It makes my blood boil!!!

The government trusted us over Christmas and it almost folded the health service. They are dead right not to trust us imo.

event · 11-02-2021 11:13pm

Chivito550 wrote: »

See this is what happens when a government has trust in its people.

They have zero trust in us here.

It makes my blood boil!!!

Tbf, they can't trust us.

Look at Christmas. Multiple reports of groups of 10-15 at meals, people coming home through Belfast to get around restrictions. Shebeens left right and centre.

The general public, by and large, are idiots.

Murph_D · 11-02-2021 11:13pm

Training away but not particularly motivated. It feels good - essential - to get out but the running atmosphere isn’t very inviting with more people out than normal times. Yes, there’s room for everyone and everyone is entitled to be out etc but just more jinking around people than normal and that’s pretty annoying. Makes easy running less easy, less enjoyable. I’m running a lot in Dublin Port (north side) where there are hardly any people, making sessions more possible. Ditto office parks. I found myself driving around an industrial estate in my radius last week, looking for suitable terrain. All a bit mad really. I really do miss the buzz and the nervous energy of the race. Will do a 5k TT in about 8 weeks but not looking forward to it at all. Better than a kick in the b@locks though, and fortunate to be in a position to be even thinking about doing it.

Chivito550 · 12-02-2021 12:03am

ultrapercy wrote: »

The government trusted us over Christmas and it almost folded the health service. They are dead right not to trust us imo.

The government were foolish though. Lockdown so we could have a "meaningful Christmas". Then as soon as they open up, they tell us they will be shutting down again very soon. That's an invitation to people to act the b0ll0cks!!

token56 · 12-02-2021 12:27am

I'm not the most motivated I've ever been but doing pretty ok right now. I've been suffering with plantar fasciitis for the past few months which really put a big dint in it but it finally feels like it is coming right. I'm slowly building the mileage back up and the thought of being able to get back into some proper sessions in a few weeks is motivating me to keep going.

Tigerandahalf · 12-02-2021 12:41am

ultrapercy wrote: »

The government trusted us over Christmas and it almost folded the health service. They are dead right not to trust us imo.

The government got their advice badly wrong around Xmas. They had ads on the telly with families coming together for Xmas dinner and telling people to wear a mask until they sat down for dinner. Very dangerous advice as many young people went home to elderly parents etc.

With the big clampdown on travel I would hope numbers will come down quickly. With over 200,000 positive cases thus far I wouldn't be surprised if upto a million people have already been infected given so many are asymptomatic.

I am surprised the numbers are still so high. Maybe this new variant is an issue, I don't know.

If people are going to be able to travel intercounty by July hopefully some small local races will be allowed too.

Kander · 12-02-2021 9:46am

I'm not necessarily motivated for the runs themselves just more for benefits that they bring. Getting out the door is tough but I'm not regretting getting out.

I need the head space / tune out time along with burning off some calories.

ariana` · 12-02-2021 10:34am

I'm relying on habit rather than motivation, it's more reliable for me! Habit gets me out and the plan decides what I do when I'm out. As others have said it's a great way to clear the head after a day at home juggling work with home-schooling & general feeding/caring for 3 primary school boys. I think for some of us late comers to the sport it's probably the best thing that's happened as it's given us a chance to build a base without the distraction of races and without having to allow periods for taper/recovery. Everything I've done in the last year I see as base building. I've done the odd TT but I haven't trained specifically for any of the distances the way I might have for races.

All of that doesn't mean I don't miss races, miss having company on the odd run, running in different locations outside 5k and on different surfaces. Those things are low points but the high point is the endorphins after a run and for me having at least one constant controllable part of my day helps my mental life.

How's the motivation?

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