Getting tired of triathlon... (Page 3)

I burnt out on it earlier this year, but the fire's back as of late. Trying to fit in training time became a duty rather than something I wanted to do. It really started to feel like another job related task. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do but there are only so many hours in the day. Trying to fit in long workouts for one or two races a year just wasn't working for me anymore.

The key for me was to set aside long distance races. Once I realized that I really don't want do an Iron distance race and that even HIMs are more than I can realistically train for, my attitude changed completely. All of a sudden training became fun again, it returned to being something positive that I do for myself. I look forward to every workout now. 

I have said it before.  No law dictates that if one pick up a hobby, that person must do it the rest of his/her life. 

I am the type that goes from hobbies to hobbies.  I like to try something new every now and then.  So I have decided I am quitting triathlon completely.  I do s/b/r, solely for exercise purpose.  Moving on to other activities and not feeling guilty about it. 

yes but by the time i buy the p4 and get the things rebuilt, it will probably be january that means a 6 month break from triathlon and roadbike racing.

yeah it sucks knowing i will loose all my run fitness, i have absolutely no worry about swim fitness.

I was thinking about this thread last night and it occured to me the wisdom of what Fred Doucette said in his post in this thread.

As athletes we will usually train pretty darn hard. Train, train, train... Get a "coach"... train some more.

Get tired, get burned out, have a bad workout, a bad race... Who are we kidding? We're not really meant for this. I don't look anything like Chris McCormack or Chrissie Wellington...

I suck.

The other side of the equation is missing. The pro-active recovery side. Massage, physical therapy, a sports psychologist (a real one, with a psychology degree who earns a living working as a psychologist- the kind you have to pay), meticulous food preparation, a clean bed, supportive friends (like on this forum) and a clear mind free from burden. Those things are so important. So crucial to a good athletic (and life) experience). They foster recovery and stave off burn-out, stress, discouragement and mental fatigue.

Those things will refresh the mind and body. No more burnout.

Two stories:

I remember a Swiss racer who felt having the right chair was so important. He had an upholstered chaise lounge in his house. He felt it was so important after training to quickly get his training clothes off, have a good shower, dry off with clean towels, dress in comfortable clothing and sit on his chaise with his legs off the floor. He would drink cool drinks and sit on the chaise in silence- resting. Alan Watts, the great author of "The Taboo; Against Knowing Who You Are" challenged his readers to "completely empty your mind and think of nothing for even 1 minute".

Try it. Thoughts creep back in. Worries... it's draining. The more you practice it, the easier (and more refreshing) it becomes.

I forgot the second one... because my mind is clear.

My last tri was IMAZ in 2008, I remember halfway in the run just kind of asking me why I did this thing called IM...instead of running hard, I cruised in - I basically didn't recall my motivation and really tanked the race and missed my goal time; not because I couldn't because I didn't want it at "that" moment.   I gave it up for a year and then decided to focus on running, then I got hurt and its been a struggle remaining healthy over the last two years to where a 30 minute jog is difficult.   

But I am getting my mojo back, I am older now (47) and in the worst shape of my life.   I want to be strong again, fit again.   For me, I beginning to believe I need a race on my schedule to be as fit as I can be.    We shall see, no tri on the horizon but I am running and doing some strength training.

Who gets to do this? I mean besides the guy you just wrote about. I have kids, a husband, two cats, a dog and 5 or 6 hummingbirds (yes, they stare at me through the window until I refill their feeder too). Clearing my mind is what I'm supposed to be doing during my workout.

Sounds nice though!

Pretty sure next year will be my last year of serious triathlon...probably going to do one more IM, maybe also a half, then scale back the cycling and swimming to a minimal "cross training" level and do the occasional tri (or aquathlon) for fun.  Fall 2012 will be five years of tri for me and that may prove to be plenty.

Mostly for me it's an expense issue, coupled with just a general lack of interest in spending the time in the saddle necessary to get my cycling performance to where my marathoning is.  I like the challenge of triathlon, but after a couple of IM finishes and a handful of AG podium finishes at shorter distances, I don't feel the motivation to endlessly tie up the hours every week on cycling it takes to keep improving.

We'll see how I feel at the end of this season... 

bingo.  house, family, job.  i clear my mind working out, but i also get tired as hell.  there are some that can maintain the pace but i bet its not indefinitely eventually you fall apart as an AGer. 

i just think a total break from the sport is a good thing. 

Wow, And I thought I was alone in how I felt. So many of your comments ring true with me also. Having done IMOO the past 2 years and being a little disappointed in last years time(but not effort) I signed up for IMOO #3 via a charity slot. I wanted revenge on that Effin bike course...LOL. Once my training volume started picking up in June I could tell something was the matter. My heart was simply not in the big weekend volume training. I simply wanted to be doing other things...mainly with my family. Dont get me wrong, If I was motivated I would have found the time to fit everything in...I just wasnt. So I decided to eat the 1000$ + and enjoy myself this year. Spent time with the family, made big family breakfasts, and got involved in guiding challenged athletes competing in triathlons. What an awesome experience!!! Highly reccomend it. As IMOO approaches and alot of my friends are doing it, a part of me will wish Im out there, but I am more then happy with my decision as I filled the void with other meaningful activities. That being said, IMFLA 2012 may be calling me

Since we are talking about a hobby, suggest you take a break, then do it less often for a while. I think what's kept me running for 32 years, both physically and mentally, is that I HAVEN'T done it full tilt since age 10! At some times, I've been very into it, run high mileage, speedwork and a lot of races; sometimes I've just done the long, slow distances I love and trained solely to finish a favorite destination marathon or half; at other times, it's just been a way to stay in shape for hiking and climbing, or a relaxing activity that I do for stress relief 1-2 times a week. A lot depended on what else was going on in my life, my health, where I was living, etc.

I started swimming again and then doing tri because I was trying to get back into shape in the tropics after several years of very little training, and found that running almost every day was physically and mentally draining. Now that it's only 3-4 times a week I really look forward to it!

I can see tri being the same way--I'll probably due it more seriously for some seasons/years; at other times focus more on running, or (if I lived somewhere where it was fun) biking or swimming. What I don't want to do is get really out of shape--I don't know about other people, but the older I get, the harder it is to get back in shape!

2X

Once it is not fun anymore, why voluntarily do it? There are other ways to lead a healthy lifestyle. Good luck!

I've done hundreds of tri's over the years, come back from some situations where I thought I'd never be able to run (and thus tri) again, so I may be in a different place...

But I've kinda gotten a bit... ambivalent? towards tri racing. I haven't done any this year. There's one next week I may do, but frankly I'll let the weather forecast determine whether I do it or not. I was doing some run emphasis this year, hoping to get to a half-marathon or two, maybe some trail races... Ill-timed minor injuries made those plans go to dust... I'm doing a series of aquathons (the last is next Wednesday), and I think aside from the races themselves, I've done maybe 6 swim sessions... Total. Since my last tri literally a year ago.

Next year may be a bike focus year, as there's some pressure (both from myself and from Lisa) to do RAMROD next year. I'd still like to do a half-marathon, maybe even a trail half.

It's not that I don't like swimming -- I actually do. It's just that it's the least convenient of the three sports for me to train. I can do either at my lunchtime from work, or right out my front door at home.

I still like tri, but I don't feel the "need" to toe the line as often.

Me too!  And I haven't done that many and haven't even branched out into the HIM or IM scene.  My burn-out stems from having 2 very busy girls.  So I'm involved in everything they do.  I love being involved in my children's lives, and I find that training for 3 different sports gets in the way.  I haven't done any tris this summer.  I have mostly just ran.  I am planning on a HM and a full Marathon for this fall/winter, but running doesn't get in the way of my family time like cycling does.  I do enjoy reading up on this site and I love my Tri mags.  Hopefully as my children get older my health will be good enough to get back into it somewhat, but for now I'm happy being a runner and occasionally throwing in some cycling and swimming!

jami  

When I started a consistent yoga practice, it took a while to really be able to clear my mind. Those thoughts did come. The key was acknowledging them (not dwelling on them), and then let them pass. The breathing helped. After a while, I got to where I could clear my mind. But the side benefit was that I found, during all the OTHER time of the day, my focus was dramatically sharper, I was a lot more aware, both internally and externally. And I also found that, during times of the day when I'd normally be feeling tired, I was wide awake.

I done at least one triathlon nearly every year since 1998.....I think I'm gonna burn out in a few more years.  I think the reason for my longevity is I only race 1 or 2 races a year.