General Discussion Triathlon Talk » How to get back into training, need some motivation Rss Feed  
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2017-08-07 9:41 PM

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Ventura, California
Subject: How to get back into training, need some motivation

Blah, Life has been very topsy turvy for the last few months. I got a weekend of racing coming up in late September and as of right now I feel like I could gut them out in disappointing fashion for a less then satisfying finish. This year has already been rather disappointing in regards to racing. After a disappointing finish at St George and a less then expected finish time at a Olympic a week later I kinda took some time off. 

Met a girl and started dating for awhile, and of course having fun and drinking more then I should. Then I have made a huge move from the desert to the beach. While that has been great it has almost tripled my living expenses so that has been very stressful and with the stress comes anxiety and more beers. Now I have gotten myself 10lbs overweight and honestly just feel low energy and a general lack of interest in racing anymore. I try to motivate myself but it gets harder everyday. June/July should be peak training months and honestly I have just done a whole lot of nothing in regards to training. I have been keeping up some. I have gone on a couple 40 mile bike rides, ran a 15 miler couple weeks ago. I found a new swimming group and have been getting in about 1.5- 2 miles in the ocean on the last few Sundays. So kinda keeping up the basic fitness, but not so much. I didn't do anything this weekend at all, just stayed in bed and tooled around the house.

Now I am working full time with a horrendous commute (4 hours, 240 miles round trip, 4x week) The drive just burns me out. Been having some kind of weird vision/lightheadedness/anxiety on the road that makes me feel like I am going to lose control of the vehicle. Not fun when your barreling down the mountain at 80mph surrounded by other speeding cars and trucks! Oh ya to top it off I lost my public medical insurance last month because I make too much money, but yet cannot at the time afford to get insurance coverage.

Even my diet has taken a not so good turn. On the road alot so living on cliff bars and bananas. I went from a huge kitchen with acres of counter top space, now I am in a tiny little beach house with a 1.5 x 3 foot counter to prepare food on. 

Sorry, don't typically make poor me posts but I am just going through some personal upsets at the moment and was looking for some feedback of how to get myself back in a positive groove despite the challenges that face me. The same things that used to motivate me no longer seem relevant or meaningful. Perhaps its just because of all the big changes or I need to find anew or rediscover what motivates me.

I need to get off my arse and walk away from the negative nelly party and get my sh*t squared away. I need to conquer these negative feelings and just be able to find joy in my training and racing aspirations. I mean for crying out loud, I live at the beach in a great town with everything I need and tons of new opportunities. I should be ecstatic and full of life just bouncing off the walls, outside running, riding and swimming endlessly with the sharks! Instead I am laying in bed waiting for the time to pass feeling as peppy as wet cardboard.

Ok so here is the races I got planned for a weekend of Triathlon madness, I have less then 8 weeks. As you can see these are all military themed races and I am feeling like a weak untrained recruit.

Saturday Sept 23 Semper Tri at Pendleton Marine Corp Station (Oceanside, CA)
750 meter rough water ocean swim, 18 mile bike and 5k run
Sunday Sept 24 Ironman 70.3 Super Frog (Imperial Beach, CA)
1.2 ocean swim, 56 bike, 13.1 run

 



2017-08-08 3:03 AM
in reply to: rjcalhoun

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, Kronobergs lan
Subject: RE: How to get back into training, need some motivation
Thanks for sharing. Just posting here is the first step. Not sure I am qualified to write the words that will help (as when I fall off the training wagon, which happens every year, I have a hard time getting back on) but I am sure others will.

Looks like training is not part of your daily routine anymore, like brushing your teeth. Not sure how you get back on track quickly, I wish I knew, that would help me next time it happens.

I'll let others give more constructive advice
2017-08-08 11:43 AM
in reply to: rjcalhoun

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Bronze member
Subject: RE: How to get back into training, need some motivation

Originally posted by rjcalhoun

Blah, Life has been very topsy turvy for the last few months. I got a weekend of racing coming up in late September and as of right now I feel like I could gut them out in disappointing fashion for a less then satisfying finish. This year has already been rather disappointing in regards to racing. After a disappointing finish at St George and a less then expected finish time at a Olympic a week later I kinda took some time off. 

Met a girl and started dating for awhile, and of course having fun and drinking more then I should. Then I have made a huge move from the desert to the beach. While that has been great it has almost tripled my living expenses so that has been very stressful and with the stress comes anxiety and more beers. Now I have gotten myself 10lbs overweight and honestly just feel low energy and a general lack of interest in racing anymore. I try to motivate myself but it gets harder everyday. June/July should be peak training months and honestly I have just done a whole lot of nothing in regards to training. I have been keeping up some. I have gone on a couple 40 mile bike rides, ran a 15 miler couple weeks ago. I found a new swimming group and have been getting in about 1.5- 2 miles in the ocean on the last few Sundays. So kinda keeping up the basic fitness, but not so much. I didn't do anything this weekend at all, just stayed in bed and tooled around the house.

Now I am working full time with a horrendous commute (4 hours, 240 miles round trip, 4x week) The drive just burns me out. Been having some kind of weird vision/lightheadedness/anxiety on the road that makes me feel like I am going to lose control of the vehicle. Not fun when your barreling down the mountain at 80mph surrounded by other speeding cars and trucks! Oh ya to top it off I lost my public medical insurance last month because I make too much money, but yet cannot at the time afford to get insurance coverage.

Even my diet has taken a not so good turn. On the road alot so living on cliff bars and bananas. I went from a huge kitchen with acres of counter top space, now I am in a tiny little beach house with a 1.5 x 3 foot counter to prepare food on. 

Sorry, don't typically make poor me posts but I am just going through some personal upsets at the moment and was looking for some feedback of how to get myself back in a positive groove despite the challenges that face me. The same things that used to motivate me no longer seem relevant or meaningful. Perhaps its just because of all the big changes or I need to find anew or rediscover what motivates me.

I need to get off my arse and walk away from the negative nelly party and get my sh*t squared away. I need to conquer these negative feelings and just be able to find joy in my training and racing aspirations. I mean for crying out loud, I live at the beach in a great town with everything I need and tons of new opportunities. I should be ecstatic and full of life just bouncing off the walls, outside running, riding and swimming endlessly with the sharks! Instead I am laying in bed waiting for the time to pass feeling as peppy as wet cardboard.

Ok so here is the races I got planned for a weekend of Triathlon madness, I have less then 8 weeks. As you can see these are all military themed races and I am feeling like a weak untrained recruit.

Saturday Sept 23 Semper Tri at Pendleton Marine Corp Station (Oceanside, CA)
750 meter rough water ocean swim, 18 mile bike and 5k run
Sunday Sept 24 Ironman 70.3 Super Frog (Imperial Beach, CA)
1.2 ocean swim, 56 bike, 13.1 run

 

If possible I think you need to let go of what "should" have been in June/July. Life happens, things get in the way of training. You have gone through some major life changes. Trying to schedule training around a 4 hour commute would throw off anyone's training schedule. On days I don't want to workout I force myself to just get up and get moving telling myself even 10 min of exercise is more than nothing. Inevitably the endorphins kick in and I will go longer and almost always feel better. 

Start small, what is a 30 min workout? You can manage that. Do that for a week then see how you feel. 

What about inspires from other members? If people check in on your blog would that help? 

 

I don't race much anymore. I have redefined my goals from training to get faster or go longer. Now I workout to stay in shape, relieve stress and remain healthy. Redefine your goals and find what motivates you. You can do this, it's just a slight derail. Your never far from getting back on track, just focus on one positive step forward today and get moving!!

2017-08-08 1:54 PM
in reply to: rjcalhoun

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Subject: RE: How to get back into training, need some motivation
Originally posted by rjcalhoun

I need to get off my arse and walk away from the negative nelly party and get my sh*t squared away. I need to conquer these negative feelings and just be able to find joy in my training and racing aspirations. I mean for crying out loud, I live at the beach in a great town with everything I need and tons of new opportunities. I should be ecstatic and full of life just bouncing off the walls, outside running, riding and swimming endlessly with the sharks!



Post this up and read it every time you need motivation. Start small; initially create workable goals to achieve some confidence. Maybe sign up for a 5k soon to get the feel for the energized atmosphere. You can do it since you've done it before; you just need a little push.

Remember it's all relative. The fact that we can train the way we do are 1st world luxuries.
2017-08-08 2:16 PM
in reply to: rjcalhoun

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Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: How to get back into training, need some motivation

Originally posted by rjcalhoun

...I need to find anew or rediscover what motivates me.

 

I have gone through some spots with a lack of motivation too.  I am guessing we all do.  What has got me out of the slump and what I am guessing gets others out of the slump is to rediscover what motivates us.  For me, I have to have accountability to stay motivated.  If I am just doing it for me and I I decided that I would rather stay home and walk around the house than train then that is what I am going to do.  It is a what every makes me happy at that moment and I look sight of what is going to make me happier look back at the week, or the month, or the year.  So...I have to set accountability a week out, a month out, a year out.  I may put a wand written training calendar up on the refrigerator where everyone can see it a put a fat red "X' through the day when it is complete.  Seeing 5 days with out missing then 10 days with out missing then 20, then 40 makes it really hard to miss on day 41 when I am not feeling motivated because it isn't one day I am missing but 40 days that I have to start over on and then every one in the house asking what happened when my red X isn't on the chart.   Going into a race that I don't feel prepared for it is nice to be able to look back and see that even though training had been spotty for the past few weeks that I have already done more in 4 months on this plan than I did in the full 6 months on the last race plan, etc.  I also like a good rival. I meet people in training and at races and we compete against each other.  Some one that I run will the last 5 miles of one race I may have the goal of being in as good of shape at the next race so that we can be right together again. Or I may make a goal to beat my own times from previous races, etc.  Look back at what you have done with the sport and you should be able to identify your motivation. 

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