Motivation

I think I am a combo, but primarily intrinsic.  There are times (a lot!) that I am running or biking along by myself that I just start grinning because I am loving the moment.  Actually, it happened at my race last weekend during the bike segment.  I am not fast and will never win a race, but I am trying to improve my own times.

The little bit of extrinsic somes from those days when I am feeling kind of lazy (we all have them don't we!?).  Anyway, those are the days when I think about the people I talk to on the BT forum and I work out anyway because I might get one of those cool inspire messages in my blog.       

Diane

Intrinsic ALL THE WAY! I love the sport, the people, the training, the racing, the sacrifice, etc. I began TRI-ing to test my limits, to be healthier and to take upon a challenge. Now I want to be the very best I can be. It will take me some time to get where I want to be but I am working towards that. Every time I am racing I am trying to beat every single person that is ahead of me

I think 70% intrinsic / 30% extrinsic:  I love training and love the feeling of doing it.  I have learned from hanging out on this site that I WILL WORK HARDER when I know others are watching my logs.  So, I did this for 4 years without knowing a soul (intrinsic) but am pushing myself harder now with the extrinsic BT motivation than I did before.

That being said, I race to beat my own times/goals. 

Intrinsic.  I don't race and get basically tolerance rather than encouragement from my family.

TW

it really depends.  On training I am all intristic.  Which is why I still go out and run/swim/ride even if my friends bail on me.  I can say that while I am out there working out, I love what I am doing.

Racing..... it gets dicey.  Usually I am racing against my own personal best.  some of that is because so far the only races I have been doing at local 5k's and I'm in that space just ahead of the pack where there really is nobody to catch or pace off of.  So I gauge the sucess of my race on my time and how I feel at the end.  I could come in dead last, but if I finish the race and feel I had nothing left in me and I gave 110%, then I would be satisfied.  Same goes for if I finished a race in 1st and felt like I still had some left in me, or that I could have been faster, then I am disappointed.  However....  If I am running a race and I manage to catch someone, or I run head to head with someone for a good portion of the race, then pull ahead on the final stretch....I do take pleasure in that.  Even when that person is not in my age group. 

What I'm saying is that I think this is still intrinsic motivation.  Are you being rewarded from any outside source for beating that person?  No, your reward still comes from within.  I was getting it twisted in my head too, then I re-read the OP a couple of times. 

Thank you all that took the time to answer, it was helpful!!! If any one else wants to answer it will still be helpful!

Jamie

Hands down intrinsic.

Specific motivation: Immediate and long term effects. Immediate being stress relief and endorphines. Long term being weight management and overall health.

Level of competition: I participate- mostly because I can, and each event gives me a goal to work towards which makes me feel like my exercise is more purposeful (but without tris, I'd still be active, see instrinsic motivation). But, after being on BT for awhile, I feel more compelled to compete against myself. I will never be on the podium, and I am totally OK with that. 

1) 100% intrinsic, I like the competition.

2) Me likes to compete (and bike, learning to love running)

3) I compete at maybe a BOP to MOP level depending on race? I've only done one as of yet. 107 of 184, MOP?

4) Both!

Rock on.