help staying motivated?

Sorry to hear that, I would be bummed also should this happen to me. Coping with things like this is very personal and depends on the individual. What I would do is volunteer for races just to stay somewhat connected.

I'm pretty low-income compared to most people on this site. My 2 cents:

1. Careful budgeting. Set priorities. Tri obviously matters to you. Is there some other place you could cut corners on that wouldn't matter so much? if the goal is just to have enough $ for basic training necessities, then it's not really that much. I'm thinking of things like making coffee at home instead of buying it outside, cutting back on meat, combining trips in the car (or with public transport). there ae a lot of small ways to cut expenses that' added together, might get you enough for the occasional bike tube or pair of low-end running shoes. Don't want to judge here--I don't know your actual situation or if there are any corners you can cut. if it's one of those "rent or food" situations, then maybe not. But the occasional bike tube, if you can do the repair by yourself, and two pairs of low-end running shoes a year, shouldn't be much more than a few hundred $.

2. Get good tires. Yes, some initial outlay, but they can cut flats drastically. I train mostly in Vietnam where the roads can be sh.... At one point with local tires I was averaging a flat every 50 miles, or worse. I went to a bike shop in Bangkok and explained the problem--they fixed me up with some "bombproof" tires and tubes and I haven't flatted in almost two years. They're not the fastest (I switch them out for my Singapore races) but they will save you lots of money in the long run. as I recall, they weren't as expensive as race tires. Explain the situation at a bike shop (pref. one oriented more toward bike touring or commuting than racing) and they can fix you up with some pretty tough tires.

3. You don't need most of the stuff people talk about on this site. Just a pair of running shoes, a basic bike, a swimsuit, and maybe a basic watch. I often find decent training clothes at Walnart or similar. Stay away from triathlon/ bike stores until you have more disposable $.

4. I can see how swimming, unless you can access some free open water in summer, might not be doable. Maybe now's the time to focus on bike and esp. run training. I've continued to run even when I was earning less than $1000 a month. Day per day, it's probably the cheapest sport around.

Edited by Hot Runner 2014-03-23 6:57 PM

I kind of went through this last year, was getting a 2nd bachelors degree in a really intense program. Didn't do any races, and was lucky to get in 3 workouts a week best case scenario, either a 3-4 mile run or a 45 min. trainer ride. So now this season, I've got some races back on the calendar, granted they are all local sprints because I too took a pay cut to switch careers, but still am very much back in the saddle, and frankly feel very fresh/rested, a perspective I may not have otherwise had.

Just make the best of what you got, I'm sure you took this new job because although maybe it is a step backward you likely anticipate some increased returns in the future. Find something to sell and buy some tires and/or a new pair of running shoes, etc...........triathletes don't give up, we kick :-)

^^^^^^^ X2. Volunteering is the quickest way to get a gratis entry into a promoters race.

This comes up every now and then. Sorry to hear the reasons that you think have contributed to you losing motivation but I'd just do a double check to see if it really is the reason.

Any sport I've ever played, I've never need help staying motivated. I was doing it because I loved doing it and if anything I needed motivating to stop!

It might just be time to find something you enjoy doing more.

^^^^this and maybe a part time job at a bike shop--discount on bike stuff, keep you motivated, and a the little extra cash to enter a few events

Everyone beat me to it, but even though I can now afford race fees, I still volunteer. I just like it and the reduced/free races are a bonus.

Also, learn how to patch tubes!! A $0.10 patch and 5-10 min. max sure beats $3-7 per tube. Again, I can afford tubes but I still patch when I can.

I can understand the frustration. Money has been tight for several years and was really tight last year. I ended up selling a bunch of equipment that I thought I "needed" so I could race and afford to swim. Some of it was TRI gear like carbon wheels and some of it was selling off equipment from other hobbies that were no longer a priority.

One thing that I've noticed in myself is that I get into an "all or nothing" mindset rather easily. I end up not running because I can't fit in a long run. I don't ride because I only have an hour or I don't swim because of time. In all these cases, some is better than none but I end up missing out on some because my mind doesn't help me.

Long way to say, stop the pity party and get training. It will help your outlook, get the positive chemistry flowing in your body and my pull you out of this negativity. You have a lot to be frustrated about but train anyway.

I sure wish there was a place to cut corners, but there is nothing left after the bills are paid. I'm living with relatives and they are gracious enough to buy the groceries...I don't even have control of my own nutrition right now. Things are going to get better, it's just a matter of making it to that point!!! If I wasn't in this situation, I don't think I would have ever believed someone who said they couldn't come up with $25 to do a 5K.... It looks like I'm going to have to volunteer and stick to just running for a while. I guess hill repeats and speed work are free every time?? Maybe I'll come out stronger on the other side in more ways than one??