What to do when you are losing motivation....?

Brian Smith

So how do you motivate yourself when you are losing training motivation?  Whether it is caused by fatigue, work or family, how do you keep yourself motivated?

Paul Curtin

Rest works well for me.  But if you're already well rested, you've got to find the fun in training again.  Here are some ideas (in no particular order):

• Try mountain biking
• Take a swim lesson
• Buy some new gear
• Do a group ride
• Train in only your best event for a few days straight
• Run on the trails
• Hike instead of run
• Swim in the ocean (or different lake, pool, etc.)
• Go golfing

Not sure if golf will actually help with motivation ... it probably would for me.  By about the 14th hole I'd realize that the last 3 hours were a complete waste of time and I could have ridden 50 miles

Good luck Brian - you've still got plenty of time before Louisville

Jason Veith

I know what you mean.  I've got those "Post 'A' Race blues".  I need to get my butt back into gear since I have a a Half Mary in Oct and a Full Mary in Nov.

Scott Alexander

For me, it's finding something that takes you out of the norm. The last few years it's been mountain biking and trail running. You know, that nature "stuff"!

Mostly, I just take a few days/week off of all endurance related training and just do stuff for fun!

Doug Sutherland

Definitely new gear helps. Biggest action I can take is sign up for an event - tri or other - ideally far away so it is expensive enough that not doing it triggers my cheap stake genes. 

I work in medicine and get a front row seat to the results of bad life choices, which is very motivating. You could replicate that at just about any McDonalds, cigar shop, casino, etx

Brian Smith

Thanks to all for your input @Doug Sutherland @Scott Alexander @Jason Veith
@Paul Curtin , motivation has been low recently, maybe due to lack of sleep and fatigue or work load in the office or just training burn out, I guess that's what happens when I signed up for a race so far off an have been working towards it for some time now...who knows...

Gordon Cherwoniak

If it's off season I go for some fun stuff, maybe that other sports (basketball or badminton on occasion for me) or just going for a run without the watch for however long I feel like it. 

Post A race for me getting another race on the table with a goal helps.  I've set a big one for next year racing 70.3.  I've also decided to take a step back on doing the IM distance.  So switch up race distances or even races different types (duathlon, mountain bike).

Finally I'm doing something different with my post race end of season.  Actually following a plan but looking at a focus block, for me this is something different but still tri-related.

As for work or family, I used to go for runs late at night as a stress reliever while in university.  Anytime but it was a typical study break while studying late in the evenings 10pm-2am is was a common occurrence particularly in the summer. 

John Culberson

Realistic season planning helps me see the big picture, and helps prevent motivational failure. I enjoy ending my season in October or November with a long course A-Race. That means a race season of 8 months. Few amateurs can hold it together for that long. I limit my long races to one B-level HIM in the spring, and my A-Race in late fall. The long bikes and runs in the heat of summer tend to wear me down physically... and mentally, so I specifically train for an Olympic Distance A-race in August. This is the most focused training of my entire season! Short course in July/Aug is like OS in Jan/Feb! It is a very productive period of "rest" from those long hours in the saddle, and the chronic fatigue of weekly long runs. I maintain a 3 hour ABP ride weekly, although I limit my long runs to 90 min every other week (TRP). That freshens me up without losing much endurance, so I'm less stressed by the increased volume of an IM build.

The above pattern could easily include a common EN pattern of OS, HIM, GF, IM with a few (or a lot of) fitness fun events mixed in, but I look forward to using a specific race prep and facing the short course men... I really still am one ;-)