General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Feel like quitting triathlons? Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
Feel like quitting triathlons?
OptionResults
Love triathlons and just getting stronger
Love triathlons, but find it challenging
Tried triathlons, liked it and want more
Love triahlons, but due to other constraint have to quit
Tried triathlons, are tired and want to quit
Tried triathlons and quitted
Never give up!
So hard to commit so much time
Beer
Back to my first love
Quit for a year and back at it again.
QUIT TRIATHILON?!?! I'd rather quit breathing!!
I love it but these races are sooo expensive!!!
Love triathlons and just getting started
Love triathlons and the training but sick of being injured
quit for a summer but I'm back!

2005-10-24 2:22 AM

User image

Member
16

Pretoria, South Africa
Subject: Feel like quitting triathlons?
I feel like quitting triathlons. Quit running, quit cycling, quit swimming. Maybe I am tired maybe I am over trained or maybe my race just wasn't good enough? Or maybe I have been tri-ing but have not seen any improvement.

I am still a beginner, but due to a lack of results the desire to just give up and go back to the way it use to be is overwhelming today!

Sulk sulk sulk, http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/images/emoticons/frown...
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/images/emoticons/frown...

Hope I can find some inspiration
Marelize


2005-10-24 5:03 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Extreme Veteran
579
500252525
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
Don't worry about results yet, race against yourself. You know, try to set course PR's and the like. Results will come if you train, and of course have genitic material to make all of that training worth while. What sport did you come from? I used to do a lot of cycling RR's, always wanted to try Tri's, but didn't start until last year, now I have done a total of 12 tri's all sprint and oly distance, I have no intention of doing longer distances, I like the short/fast stuff.
2005-10-24 6:06 AM
in reply to: #270862

New user
9

South Central, Pa
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
May just be the weather, we all go through down times, just remember the ups will be just as high as the down is low. Try getting a friend at Church to join you in training and make it fun. Nothing I've found is a better modivator then a training partner even if they just watch but most of all, enjoy the life you have, exercise will only make this precious gift better.
2005-10-24 7:25 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Veteran
277
100100252525
Spartanburg
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
I've been feeling the same thing too lately...
Its sooo cold in the morning and SOOO hard to get up and out...
During the day i sit here and think about tri and read BT and I just LONG to be out doing something...But working two jobs doesnt really give me time in the afternoon to train, but dangit if its not just FREAKING cold to me in the morning..I hate to even walk the dog...

Theres a new gold's gym opening in November and I'm REALLY hoping I'll be able to get my arse out of bed to go there...maybe all the new shiny equipment will get me juiced.

Trouble is...every sunday theres a triathlon on TV and i watch those guys and feel the burn again....
I really want to continue to be a part of them and get stronger and healthier...
but dang..
its tough..
no wonder theres only a few folks like them....

Plus, I'd get a serious shame and guilt complex everytime i heard the word ironman...because i know how much i really want to do this...I just have to find the power to get off my butt.

Edited by Jiggies 2005-10-24 7:27 AM
2005-10-24 8:06 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Expert
623
500100
Wye Mills, MD
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
Maybe triathlon is not for you.  But, for many it is a vehicle to get to where we want to go - a healthier lifestyle.  That's why results are only as important as you make them.  Even if you're near last in a race, are you still fitter than you were last year or "the way it used to be"?  Some people enjoy the activities without the pressure of a race.  For myself, I enjoy training with a purpose - the race.  The excitement of the race and performing my best motivates me to get out of bed at o'dark:30 on a cold, windy morning to run.  The bottom line, though, is that you need to be happy with the journey.  Triathlon can get you to your destination, but there are other activities that can as well.  Triathlon gives us diversity in training, the mental challenge of balancing three disciplines, the quest for better knowledge so we can train and know our bodies better, and lots of cool gear .  
2005-10-24 8:15 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Extreme Veteran
694
500100252525
New Haven, CT
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
Well, what specifically are you thinking about quitting?

1) All exercise?
2) Swimming, biking, and/or running entirely?
3) Competition and/or following an official training plan?

If it's three, I'd say it's pretty natural after a summer of training. I just came off a training program for a half-marathon, and being able to do what I want when I want to (even though it is sometimes running) is a huge release.

If it's two, I'd consider looking for another way to compete.

If it's one, get your butt out the door!

Through the winter (the off-season anyway), just stay active - aerobics classes, the rock wall, anything. When spring comes around, see if you have the itch again.


2005-10-24 8:18 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Expert
798
500100100252525
Potomac, Maryland
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
Set yourself a goal and stick with it.  Recent entries in your training log indicate you are discouraged with your progress. But think how much fitter you are now than when you started, and how much closer you are to your personal goals.  I think it's natural to have some periods of time where it all seems like too much to bother about.  Why not just do one sport and stay fit that way?  For me, it always comes back to the the idea that I identify myself as a triathlete, I like the benefits of cross training, and the diversity of three sports helps keep me more motivated.  Keep up your training and you will see benefits, both in your times and the distances you can cover.
2005-10-24 8:23 AM
in reply to: #270862

Veteran
221
100100
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
I know what you mean man. But from a different view. I'm just coming off 3 weeks of rest and I have no ambition to give up my afternoons to training. While its not like I do anything now, I just don't want to go out and get those first steps in. It stinks. Best bet take some time off, cross train get your mind off. You have to find that fire again. Try to find a local road race and focus on that and get a really good 5K time in. I know that helps with me.
2005-10-24 8:26 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Champion
5183
5000100252525
Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
hmmm. Yes. I voted "so hard to commit..." I tend to have a hard time with structure and organizing myself (time, belongings, money, whatever...) So at first, this summer tri training was a big help bc I got into a routine and found that I was able to be much more efficient because all the exercise sorta helped clear my mind.

I started out doing it just to improve my health. I quickly loved riding my bike (never really having ridden road bikes) and getting to see beautiful parts of the state, and being with my friends. Weight training has always been fun for me, I like being able to track progress. I also got turned back on to swimming pretty qickly. I was an age grouper through middle school, and hadn't really swum since. I took a few lessons and watched TI drills, and found some peace in swimming laps, and even more peace in swimming in the lakes. Running sucks. I have a nagging hip/ass/knee injury that never seems to get fully recovered, and it ALWAYS hurts, and I am impatient so I keep reinjuring it. And racing makes me anxious and I get all uptight and do not have any fun while competing.

So bottom line? at this point I think I will continue to train like a triathlete (except for the running I will do cardio machines on run days) but probably not race much. I am contmeplating a TNT Oly next Spring, but I won't decide until Xmas. My mind has always been my weakest muscle, and I have some work to do this winter to figure out what will become of me....
2005-10-24 8:43 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Master
1210
1000100100
Saskatchewan
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?

My problem is that I once I take a break, go on vacation, or life gets crazy, and I stop training, it's tough for me to get right back into the swing of things. I like the momentum of sticking with a plan, feeling good about myself, improving, and being regimented....but when it falls apart, it's hard to get right back on the horse. I hope that with more consistency over time, I'll reach that median.

2005-10-24 9:08 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Crystal Lake, IL
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
Since everyone else seems to have covered all the other stuff (and covered it quite well) I'll just say this: If you quit, won't you miss BT?


2005-10-24 9:09 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Extreme Veteran
604
500100
Northwest Ohio
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
Is there any chance that you could get a training partner or maybe different partners for the different sports? I know that 6-7 years ago when I started running, what made a HUGE difference for me was to start running with someone else. Always before, I'd start a training program for a few weeks, get bored, and then quit for a while.... When I started running with a woman from my church, it made it so much more enjoyable---and we motivated each other to get off the couch to go out even if we really didn't feel like it---over time, we became best friends....

I have others that I bike with, and swimming---well, I guess that has to be a solo sport---but you get the idea. Find a training partner!
2005-10-24 10:14 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Champion
4902
20002000500100100100100
Ottawa, Ontario
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?

I thought that triathlons were so cool the first time I saw them in the mid eighties.  I was a cyclist at that time and so I took up running and learned how to swim.  I got into running in a big way but eventually overdid it and so I quit.  I started again in 2004 and amazed myself by finishing all the spritn tri's I had set out to do.  This season, I had wanted to do a Half IM but "chickened out" at the last minute.  I did do one olympic tri though, which I enjoyed tremendously.  Next season, I definitely will do a Half IM.  So, although I am not getting stronger, I am still going! 

2005-10-24 11:33 AM
in reply to: #271059

User image

Expert
900
500100100100100
Austin, TX
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
When I feel like quitting, I force myself to go out and run/bike until I've successfully punished myself for thinking those bad thoughts. Bad, bad runningfoo!
2005-10-24 12:47 PM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Master
1275
1000100100252525
Sonoma County, CA
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
marelizenel - 2005-10-23 11:22 PM

I feel like quitting triathlons. Quit running, quit cycling, quit swimming. Maybe I am tired maybe I am over trained or maybe my race just wasn't good enough? Or maybe I have been tri-ing but have not seen any improvement.

I am still a beginner, but due to a lack of results the desire to just give up and go back to the way it use to be is overwhelming today!

Sulk sulk sulk, http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/images/emoticons/frown...
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/images/emoticons/frown...

Hope I can find some inspiration
Marelize


Marelize, don't beat yourself up.
I just got off a year hiatus myself.

If you're not feeling it, and you've tried what you could to get it back, don't beat yourself up...maybe you just need a rest...try something else...maybe yoga or weights or soccer...i don't know. the key is to stay active. In my case, I actually stopped working out COMPLETELY for about 8 months I was so burned out. And I'm someone who's been playing organized sports since I was 10 and belonged to some gym or some team or some league the past 25 years.

My advice...put the big stick away. Sometimes you just ain't feeling it. BUT, do something...stay active...Hell, even walks at night with your dog until you get your mojo back.



hang in there.

nt
2005-10-24 12:48 PM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Veteran
192
100252525
Draper, Utah
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

That made sense when Churchill said it back in 1941 and it's still true today. My worst training days are still the best portion of my day (except for eating and relaxing with my family in the evening). Put in perspective, triathlon training can be such a benefit. It is a great way to release stress, it teachs me how to set and achieve goals, and allows each of us, no matter how fast or slow, to accomplish something extraordinary. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.

Edited by pbarlowtri 2005-10-24 12:49 PM


2005-10-24 2:01 PM
in reply to: #270862

Regular
81
252525
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
I've done my first and not my last. Doing these TRIs are a lot of fun. But, I don't think I'd do more than 2, maybe 3, of these a year. It costs too much to race! I think I'll stick to the regular industrial park crit on the weekends and mix in a couple of 10Ks in between.
2005-10-24 4:15 PM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Master
1462
10001001001001002525
Michigan
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
IMO the absolute worst thing you can do as a beginner is to overtrain. It can wipe out your progress and destroy your spirit. Take some time off, rest have fun. Then have a plan, make small goals and work on them slowly. Don't give up, fight through it and keep tri-ing.
2005-10-24 4:35 PM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Expert
620
500100
Guelph, Ontario
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
I did 2 tris this summer and loved them.. took 3 weeks off and then got back into my training. Right about the same time as my return to trianing, I found BT. For me, motivation comes from a variety of sources.. but most recently it has been from all of you "die hards" here on BT. So thank you so very much! Keep training.. and when you don't feel like going out for that run, just remember how wonderful you feel when you get home.
2005-10-24 4:44 PM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Extreme Veteran
319
100100100
Dallas, Texas
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
I just did my first 2 tri's in the Aug/Oct, and can't wait to do more.  Now, my training is patchy to say the least.  I take lots of days off when I need, but I can't (even when I tried to) stop it.  Before that first race I knew I was addicted, and the more I train, and race, the more I don't want to stop, ever.  I really want to go live in Liberia, or Ghana, Africa for a few years, but the thought of giving up triathlons for that time makes me shudder.  I don't wanna.  Don't give it up Marelize!  Take some time for you, and whatever breaks you need, but keep going as long as it makes you happy.
2005-10-24 4:44 PM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Extreme Veteran
341
10010010025
Houston, TX
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?

I have to admit - I started feeling this way about 3 weeks ago when the hurricanes hit - I was living my job - training was infrequent and tiring. I think I put too much on my plate for the offseason - trying to spin, masters swim and train for the Houston marathon  - my off season became as packed as my on season.

Just back off - re-evaluate what's important. For me that was cycling (Which I still love) and running. I just picked one thing - ONE THING - and decided to work towards it. If I feel good, I'll go to my masters swim, but if not - I'm not going to push myself. This is the off season afterall!



2005-10-24 5:16 PM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Champion
7704
50002000500100100
Williamston, Michigan
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
I'm with you.  I love the competition and I love the training.  I am very frustrated with being continually injured.  I think I have had about 3 injury free months since I started training June of 2004.  I can't train my weakness and feel I have not improved at all...I actually have not improved my speed at all.  Everyone does the sport for a different reason.  Biking is a mental  break for me.  FIgure out what you like about the sport and if it is worth continuing.  Maybe there is something else you may like better.  The BEST exercise is what you like to do because you will continue to do it!! 
2005-10-24 6:53 PM
in reply to: #270862

Elite Veteran
781
500100100252525
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
I think a certain level of fatigue is to be expected at the end of a season. For me, it has been the number of tris I did this summer (10--too many). Like Possum, I like training more than racing so I'm planning to cut back a bit next season.

But now is the time to take 2-3 weeks off and then start back on your base training. Slow runs, enjoyable bike rides or tours, and minimal swimming (if that is weighing you down). Focus on what you like about working out. And you will improve your times next summer. I promise.
2005-10-25 2:48 AM
in reply to: #270862

User image

Member
16

Pretoria, South Africa
Subject: RE: Feel like quitting triathlons?
Thank you guys for all your words of advice and inspiration. For me it is time to move on. I have spend too much of my time on exercising to such an extent that I might be hurting my relationship with the people I love. I have been neglecting my relationship with God and even my work has taken last place. Exercising became too much.

I want to go one exercising. I love the way it makes me feel, but my focus must move back to God and the things that are everlasting.

"2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen, are eternal. "

Thanks for a great time, but I must move back to my First Love.

Let this not be an excuse for anyone that is tired and not seeing results to quit. First do what everybody has said:
- Set a reasonable goal
- Work at a plan to that goal
- Find a training partner and possibly a coach
- And re-evaluate after some time
- Rest if you must but don't quit

May God bless you in your search

Marelize
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Feel like quitting triathlons? Rss Feed