Staying motivated

bumbles

Hi,

I'm just wondering how you guys keep yourselves motivated to training for long periods?

I'm a bit rubbish. Will be ok for a few months and then slip back into not training, eating poorly and drinking lots of beer.

Just wondered what helps keep you on the straight and narrow?

Appreciate any tips or advice.

fat daddy

Vanity and Pride.

Vanity - to look good naked keeps my diet on track
Pride - loosing out to another commuter keeps me training.

Its shallow ... but it works, and hell I am selfless slave of trodden man the rest of the time, so a little bit of shallowness is a good break


Oh, and I also give up every two months and drink and eat to excess ... but I time it to holidays so a week off every few months is a good excuse and easy to get back on track afterwards

imposter2.0

Discipline, mate. And motivation. But aside from a few motivational quotes and phrases (which will undoubtedly get posted shortly), the motivation has to come from you, nobody else.

ugo.santalucia

You need targets... big rides if you like to go far, or races if you like to go fast.

Training for the sake of being fit becomes pointless very quickly

bumbles

Probably my key problem. I haven't really anything to aim for.

I have absolutely no discipline and give up too easily.

Breaking strain of a kit Kat me.

joey54321

Events and targets - crucial to be doing the hard yards for something for me. Racing or local offroad events for me, and this year the 3 peaks.

Rewards - Give yourself planned time off, a holiday, a sneaky bite of your favorite food, a shinny new bike bit. Just keep it relative to the achievement.

Social - Get a group with regular rides. Motivation is always weak and subject to breaking, but habit is far stronger. If Tuesday is your "group riding day" and it's always Tuesday and people expect you to turn up you are far more likley to do it.I also find it helps to have people around you supporting you, even if they aren't cyclists themselves. I am lucky in that both my parents and lots of my friends are cyclists. If I am going through a period of demotivation I can normally chat it through with them and feel better after.

Moderation - None of us are going to be winning the tour any time soon (I guess), so it important to keep you riding in the right frame i.e. we do it for fun and health mostly. Don't live like a monk for months on end if you know it isn't sustainable. Give yourself some days off where you drink beer etc... regularly. This will (hopefully) keep you on track and avoid the periods of months of giving up.

joey54321

bumbles wrote:

Probably my key problem. I haven't really anything to aim for.

I have absolutely no discipline and give up too easily.

Breaking strain of a kit Kat me.

That's it! I'm off to get a kit kat.

VamP

Ultimately, you need to think about why you are doing it. If it's for good enough reasons the motivation will follow. Otherwise maybe try something else?

It should be fun not penance.

ugo.santalucia

VamP wrote:

Ultimately, you need to think about why you are doing it. If it's for good enough reasons the motivation will follow. Otherwise maybe try something else?

It should be fun not penance.

THIS.

To the OP, what is that you like to do, going very fast for an hour or going over 3 mountain passes in a day?

sloppyschleckonds

Strava
Zwift
Trainerroad

Staying away from these 3 things is all the motivation needed to ride your bike more.

burnthesheep

You need things to look forward to with the training.

A month or so after my first year of riding I said I wanted to do the longest HC climb in the eastern US. I went and did it and it was very satisfying.

Then you find the next thing. Another climb, an audax event, a race.

The training is a means to an end. Alone, miserable. It's why people who only go to the gym or run for weight control almost always relapse and gain weight again. Nothing to look forward to.

Sign up as early as the event is available and book the time off with the family and your work. Find a training plan that is 12 weeks from the event or something and do it.

The event is kind of a reward for the training and the training makes the event more enjoyable.

Hope this helps.

cooldad

bumbles wrote:

Hi,

I'm just wondering how you guys keep yourselves motivated to training for long periods?

I'm a bit rubbish. Will be ok for a few months and then slip back into not training, eating poorly and drinking lots of beer.

Just wondered what helps keep you on the straight and narrow?

Appreciate any tips or advice.

Buy a mountain bike, beer and pies (and cake) are mandatory. Training is a swear word.

But it's fun.

fat daddy

cooldad wrote:

Buy a mountain bike.

heh .... the way you worded that it made is sound like "a" mountain bike as in singular ..... motivataion requires LOADS of bikes

bumbles

Ah I have loads of bikes.

I also have a very young family. Any training is generally done at night. On my own. In the dark.

That sounds dodgy.... but anyway.

I bought some decent lights to help.

I just find it's tricky to get a scheduled night to ride in so I don't like to mess people around. I did ride with the local club but find I can't ride at their times now.

So effectively I'm trying to find a consistent approach to riding, diet etc that has to be undertaken on my own.

I have done sportives in the past but I have to admit with the high cost I factor that I could just go out and ride it for free on my own. Which never happens due to family life.

Bit of a vicious circle really.

Think I will look at setting up some goals on a calendar or something. Maybe distance and or height focused. Something like that.

I have an indoor trainer but again. I'm hopeless at maintaining consistency.

I've got myself into a stage where it's less effort to grab a beer than be productive. Give myself a kick up the backside for a month and then repeat.

imposter2.0

bumbles wrote:

Any training is generally done at night. On my own. In the dark.

Puzzling why someone with the motivation to go out and do this would be asking others for advice on motivation?

ugo.santalucia

bumbles wrote:

I have done sportives in the past but I have to admit with the high cost I factor that I could just go out and ride it for free on my own. Which never happens due to family life..

SPortives are expensive.

You can either try Audax rides in your area if you like to go far (typically 5-10 pounds entry fee)

or you can join a club and enter time trials in your area if you like to go fast (check CTT website), even those are typically 5-10 pounds to enter, often less. The benefit of the latter is that you'll probably be home by 10AM

burnthesheep

If a TT group has fees due to timing equipment, and there are not "prizes" or anything worth worrying about to the 1-second level........why not just have people sign up on a Strava club and create segments for the TT. Then it times itself without a bunch of hullabaloo.

ugo.santalucia

burnthesheep wrote:

If a TT group has fees due to timing equipment, and there are not "prizes" or anything worth worrying about to the 1-second level........why not just have people sign up on a Strava club and create segments for the TT. Then it times itself without a bunch of hullabaloo.

It's a good idea, but you rely on technology which is not bombproof... we have all seen some improbable KOM, result of corrupted files.

That said, in 2012 a friend of mine bagged a third prize at the Richmond Park TT despite being slower than me... and I was towards the bottom of the classification.

kingstongraham

I enjoy riding my bike.

bumbles

ugo.santalucia wrote:

bumbles wrote:

I have done sportives in the past but I have to admit with the high cost I factor that I could just go out and ride it for free on my own. Which never happens due to family life..

SPortives are expensive.

You can either try Audax rides in your area if you like to go far (typically 5-10 pounds entry fee)

or you can join a club and enter time trials in your area if you like to go fast (check CTT website), even those are typically 5-10 pounds to enter, often less. The benefit of the latter is that you'll probably be home by 10AM

I didn't even think of that. Thank you.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

For me, its chasing my own Strava PBs, whether it be my ongoing search for a 20+ mile flatish ride with a 20+mph average (had a few 19.6s) or reducing my cat4 hill ascents (either individually, or a series of them including the descents in-between).

dinyull

KingstonGraham wrote:

I enjoy riding my bike.

Yeah, if your not enjoying it I'd maybe look at something else.

daniel_b

bumbles wrote:

Ah I have loads of bikes.

I also have a very young family. Any training is generally done at night. On my own. In the dark.

That sounds dodgy.... but anyway.

I bought some decent lights to help.

I just find it's tricky to get a scheduled night to ride in so I don't like to mess people around. I did ride with the local club but find I can't ride at their times now.

So effectively I'm trying to find a consistent approach to riding, diet etc that has to be undertaken on my own.

I have done sportives in the past but I have to admit with the high cost I factor that I could just go out and ride it for free on my own. Which never happens due to family life.

Bit of a vicious circle really.

Think I will look at setting up some goals on a calendar or something. Maybe distance and or height focused. Something like that.

I have an indoor trainer but again. I'm hopeless at maintaining consistency.

I've got myself into a stage where it's less effort to grab a beer than be productive. Give myself a kick up the backside for a month and then repeat.

I have a young family, and indeed time is tight.

For me, the change up in training was a good turbo trainer, and trainerroad.

I like stats, and these two things give me oodles of those, as well as measurable improvements, not only can I tell I am getting faster at my local routes, but also the fairly frequent FTP tests, and the fact you see yourself setting new personal bests for power output in certain time blocks, for me is a big motivator. I appreciate this will not work for everyone, but it really does for me, and fits in with my lifestyle perfectly.
With a busy homelife, it is also less to have to think about, the program is there, and pre-determined, in ERG mode if your turbo is smart, you have no choice (Assuming you do not abort the workout altogether, which I have not done so far) but to put out the power it says you need to.
Additionally, you don't have to worry about helmet glasses, lights, saddle bag with tubes, pump etc etc - just your hydration, and clothes are all that matters.
Critically for me, I am able to get between 3-4 hours a week on the turbo on weekday evenings, with no loss of family time, as these are evenings my girlfriend is out at Yoga and music rehearsal, and once I have put my daughter to bed, I take a baby monitor in the garage, and can turbo to my hearts delight - my daughter knows she can call me if required, and has done on occasion, but happily she is now of an age when she generally sleeps through with no issues.

I know this is subjective, but allegedly the time spent on a Turbo trainer gives as much positive effect as more time than that on the road - basically it is more efficient, as there are no downhills to allow you to ease off, no traffic lights to stop you, and as a result you are pedalling all the time - I find it easy when I am out on the road to do a spot of freewheeling or soft pedalling, but perhaps that is just me.

The resulting performance out on the road, further motivates me, beyond the simplicity of chasing power gains.
My enjoyment of cycling with better fitness, and more power, has increased hugely, probably enjoying it this year more than I ever have.

Oh and just to add, I do have a hill climb event i am targeting in about 6 weeks time, so that is a big motivator at the moment - after that, I'll be looking to build on my fitness, and tackle some local TT's next spring into the summer.

fat daddy

bumbles wrote:

I also have a very young family. Any training is generally done at night. On my own. In the dark.

for the same reason mine is done very early in the morning ... in the dark ... on my own

Its amazing how no one ever bothers you at 4am for something

joey54321

bumbles wrote:

Ah I have loads of bikes.

I also have a very young family. Any training is generally done at night. On my own. In the dark.

That sounds dodgy.... but anyway.

I bought some decent lights to help.

I just find it's tricky to get a scheduled night to ride in so I don't like to mess people around. I did ride with the local club but find I can't ride at their times now.

So effectively I'm trying to find a consistent approach to riding, diet etc that has to be undertaken on my own.

I have done sportives in the past but I have to admit with the high cost I factor that I could just go out and ride it for free on my own. Which never happens due to family life.

Bit of a vicious circle really.

Think I will look at setting up some goals on a calendar or something. Maybe distance and or height focused. Something like that.

I have an indoor trainer but again. I'm hopeless at maintaining consistency.

I've got myself into a stage where it's less effort to grab a beer than be productive. Give myself a kick up the backside for a month and then repeat.

I know some 'family guys' in the club that have set up an early morning club run ~6 on Saturdays. They often get 50 miles or so in, stop by a cafe on the way home and are still back in the house by 9. If your club has a facebook page or a forum it might be worth asking about, many people are in a similar situation. I have very little pressures on my time but it is useful for days I need to be somewhere/do something to go out with a group. If its the same every week it will be easier for your family to schedule around. 1 regular group ride a week might be enough to motivate you to do the other sessions on your own.

It sounds like you are thinking about Sportives in the wrong way, you are paying for the experience. It's a goal to keep you motivated, to work towards and get fit for. You can train hard, feel good about yourself on the day, ride with other people, share and swap tales of the road at the finish. You can earmark a single day (or even better, turn it into a weekend) with the family who can then come and support you. All of that for £40? Sounds like a bargain!

reacher

People can either train or they can't it's as simple a that, everyone who does will have various ways reasons as to why they do, but the ones who can train for years on end pretty much just like the way it makes them feel, both as they do the training and afterwords it's not hard for them to train or motivate themselves.

bumbles

Thanks all for the responses. Really helping me with a possible plan of action.

I used to train 5 days a week, not just on the bike and kept this up for around 5 years. I just cant put a finger on what kept me on it and why I have lost my mojo. Which I'm trying to re-find.

Out of interest. Do any of you guys use Strava premium and the training plans and videos? Are they any good?