Burnt out?

[Aggie_Ama]

I know it has been discussed before but I think I am burnt out! Last year I rode all the time, after work, 60+ on a weekend day, 150+ miles a week, 4 centuries. I was always riding and I loved it. This year I have sort of lost that loving feeling. Mountain biking is fun and I am really enjoying running but I haven't had the enthusiam for road riding. In fact in the last month I have hardly done any road riding. I feel bored on the local roads but don't want to drive anywhere to ride either.

It has been an exceptionally hot and windy summer but I just feel guilty for my poor little Cannondale sitting there. I still love cycling but I just haven't felt commited to it lately. I am signing up for an organized ride on the 28th that benefits the organization (Lions Club) that maintains my local running trail. I am hoping that will renew some interest. In years past we have done many organized rides, this year only two and that was months ago. We did travel to Fort Davis and Red River which was a lot of fun but I struggled and didn't get to enjoy them as much as I had hoped. I think this may be part of my ho-hum attitude? I am sad about it but not motivated to start going full steam again, it is an odd mental state I am in.

[sundial]

I am sad about it but not motivated to start going full steam again, it is an odd mental state I am in.

I know exactly how you feel. I think I should have taken a couple of months off the bike last winter.

How about switching gears and heading to the gym to work on core strength and upper body work? How about hiking in and camping somewhere? In about a month it will be really enjoyable in the great outdoors. :) If you don't have the gear, than you're overdue for some shopping. ;)

[Tri Girl]

I'm sorry you're having a rough go of it with your love of cycling. I can relate. I think it happens to most people. You may still love it, but you just are sick of it. Sometimes you need to look at your bike and say "let's take a break." With some time away and doing other things, you'll come back to love riding again. I think we sometimes just need new things to give us a challenge/boost, and then we can return to the things that we found mundane and unexciting.
You're still commuting, tho, and I think that's a great way to still ride and find joy. Do you think in your subconscious that commuting has turned your cycling into a chore? Just a thought (it did for me when I did it more often last year).

[wackyjacky1]

Maybe the nice fall weather that we're supposed to have next week will give you a little inspiration to ride?

I think everybody has those physical/emotional hills and valleys...about everything, not just cycling. Ya just need a bit of a break, that's all. I'm sure it'll come back to you. :)

[SouthernBelle]

Next road ride, ride slower and look around. See that road over there? You've never been down that road. Go see what's there.

I did that today. I saw lots of horses and a mule.

[Aggie_Ama]

I know exactly how you feel. I think I should have taken a couple of months off the bike last winter.

How about switching gears and heading to the gym to work on core strength and upper body work? How about hiking in and camping somewhere? In about a month it will be really enjoyable in the great outdoors. :) If you don't have the gear, than you're overdue for some shopping. ;)

We love hiking and camping luckily we have several camping trips planned in the coming months. :D

Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts, suggestions. I think I really need to just finish up some remodeling projects, run, hike, mountain bike and not be so hard on myself. Just because you have a nice road bike doesn't mean not using it for a few weeks is a crime. I will look forward to my organized ride in two weeks and not beat myself up for skipping next weekend to go camping. Sure 60 miles will probably not come as easy but I am doing this one alone which means plenty of time to notice the sights and enjoy the ride. And at least it is here which means I won't have altitude sickness like Ft Davis and Red River!

[Popoki_Nui]

Most of 2008 has been like this for me too. I barely rode at all until the TdF was on TV; that got me sort of motivated, but not much. I've done more swimming (lake and ocean), and much more walking and hiking on days when I'd normally be riding.

SouthernBelle has a good point, and it's something I started doing a couple of months ago: I ride for pleasure now, not for sheer mileage like I was doing. It was becoming sooooo boring! When I ride now, I'm looking for a new road to explore, a trail I've never noticed before. I ride slower and actually see sights I never botherd to look at before. I stop more often, just because. I take my GPS and do a little caching.
I'm enjoying my rides much more than I have the last couple of years.

[chicago]

:rolleyes:I think what you are experiencing is somewhat normal...things do get "boring" after a while... I suppose.... after all... it does happen to me (alot!):rolleyes:

Let's see... through the years I have...

1) 1995-2000... played ice hockey for 5 years... loved it until the drama got too much (too many women in one locker room after 5 years gets to be a bit much:eek:... quit on the spot... missed it but didn't regret it)

2) 2000-2001... lived in the city and did just about everything on the "lakefront"... bike/run/swim/etc...and then THAT got boring, LOL!

3) 2002-2006... took up running. hmmmmm... I like this. Did a race every weekend and soon did a 1/2 marathon and then my first marathon in 2004 (Chicago)... and again in 2005 (NewYork)... and oh climbed PikesPeak on a "running" ascent in 2005 (that sucked!!). Continued to run... I must have 50+ medals that I can't seem to throw away

4) 2007 -2008... found biking, lost running, LOL!! cycle cycle cycle and thought I try a bit of a tri ;) Did a sprint in June 2007... it was fun... but alot of work for such small distance. Registered for a HIM (1/2 Ironman)... and the doc's found a 1" tumor in an endocrine gland in my neck (damn those good docs)... there went summer 2007 and my HIM :( Had surgery in June 2007... neck cut open, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! Fall 2007... met a great guy until he found out I used to run... and then HE started running, so of course I had to get back into it... arggggggggggh!

5) 2008-current... I love biking, I love running, I love my new (soon to be a year) boyfriend... I do not play hockey anymore (sold all my old equipment).... but I can still outskate most guys;)

I guess what I am saying is that I think what you are going through is normal... things get old, they get boring... maybe you need to try something new... ever run a marathon??

[Aggie_Ama]

Chicago- Marathon training is on the agenda for next year, which is why I am training for a hilly 5 miler right now. I haven't been a regular runner in about 2 years so this is a new challenge and I think that is why it excites me.

I guess my panic button came on because of my past life. I was a really good bowler, seriously. I went all over the country, won big time awards, it consumed all my time and is how I met my husband! I had started at 6 but at about 21 I put down the bowling balls. It was also another sport with a lot of cattiness and expectations. I got to the point I didn't feel like trying to meet them so I walked away. Quit the college club team and just walked away. I tried league a couple more times but it just wasn't working for me. I still have my bowling balls and shoes but it has been 3 years since I used them.

I just don't want to crash and burn on cycling. It just is weird when you find yourself in a different spot. I think I will be back in the saddle, just need to decompress for awhile.

I did get a bit OCD about racking miles, would feel awful if I didn't have a hundred mile week. Now I log them after every ride but it is more like "wow look at how many mountain biking miles I have done, crazy!" It is also about a maintenance record keeping.

[chicago]

^^^^^^^^

awwwwwwwwwwwww Aggie.. I so know how you feel. I have felt that so many times in so many ways in so many aspects of my life. I know how it feels. Earlier this summer the boyfriend and I both crashed big time... too many weekends out of town, too many century(s) too fast, it was nuts. So we just stopped... for the latter part of June and said "no more" for a few weeks... no more. Sometimes you just need to say "no more".

I can related to the OCD about logging the miles, argggggh!! All my friends are doing Ironmans... I feel like a loser with xxx miles, it's crazy!!

So you are most likely doing the right thing. Everything new gets old... and then it moves into maintenance mode... just like our jobs, our commute to work, hopefully not our husbands and SO's... (but then maybe sometimes, LOL)

Honestly... I think being honest about how you are feeling is most important. Cycling is great, but certainly it's not everything. Life is soooooooooooo big... maybe you just need to see what else is out there.. "while" riding on that sweet bike;)

oh and not to mention... I can sooooo help you with that marathon goal... it's great, you will love it!! The boyfriend is planning his 1st marathon in May 2009 at The Flying Pig. Marathon's are great... you can do it!!!

[crazycanuck]

Last year I put a lot of pressure on myself to rack up the km's, etc etc. I was doing 160km+/wk, did well at many mtn bike events and my first 200km. I wanted to do 10,000km last year.

It took a cycling mishap to bring me back down to reality. Spending 4 months away from something I love made me think about how much it means to be out there! I've spent the last 6 months getting myself back to the shape I was and will probably need a bit more time..

I'm desperate to get my right leg muscles to the exact strength I require to jump out of the saddle quickly. I am desperate to do longer distances but am not going to beat myself up if I don't do one right away. Patience...

The trails, your bike and the cycling community will always be there. If you need to take time away to rejuvinate yourself, then so be it.

C :)

[newfsmith]

It is normal to burn out when you are passionate about something. It comes back if you just let the embers rest.

[sundial]

I just don't want to crash and burn on cycling. It just is weird when you find yourself in a different spot. I think I will be back in the saddle, just need to decompress for awhile.

I've given this more thought and I've noticed that not only have I lost my desire to cycle, but other things as well. I think I'm in one of those cycles where I feel apathetic about.....everything. :o The interesting thing is others feel apathetic too. It feels like something is pressing down, as if everything feels like a chore--like it doesn't matter if we try.

I wonder if we are more sensitive to atmospheric changes than we previously thought and, as a result, may have a bearing on our energy level.

I am only hoping that with the cooler temps it'll give me a boost and that I'll truly desire to ride again. I want to try and focus on enjoying the ride and not focus on performance, mileage, and numbers. Maybe I'll pack my watercolors with me on the mtb and do a plein aire painting.

[chutch]

I find that every year around the end of August/first of September I get really bummed out, no motivation, just a major slump. Then I get revived as soon as the weather starts to change and that crisp fall feeling starts up.

Now that I've figured it out, I give myself a break around this time of year and don't beat up on myself if I don't ride a lot. I try to do other activities and start to plan for fall riding and adding in some cross training as the daylight gets shorter.

[Aggie_Ama]

Today I went and did my longest mountain bike ride to date but that only matters in I was able to spend 2.5 hours in the lovely outdoors. It was 14 miles of trails, I was excited to notice a marked improvement in bike handling. I also noticed the squirrels, two big doves (safe from hunting season when in the park) and and girl about 12 riding with her dad! I felt happy, content and unpressured. I think I just need to loosen up and let myself just be, pick the activity that suits my mood and not pressure myself to do one because I haven't in a while. No goals, no bars to reach, just ride when I want to and enjoy it. ;)

[wildhawk]

Now you’re talking Aggie - just ride for the fun of it and take a break with mileage. I find that on days when I tell myself I will just do however many miles that I want to that I actually end up with more energy and notice more things. Sometimes it is good to just step back and enjoy the scenery! As an artist and avid nature lover, it is easy for me to do that on most rides, although I am disciplining myself to set some rides in as strictly training rides. I am mostly burnt out on my job - I have been at it for over 18 years at my current company and vacation time seems to be few and far between. So getting back into cycling is having a very positive effect on my other interests as well and DH and I are having a blast. Glad you had such an awesome ride this weekend! Hang in there!

[Dogmama]

I like everybody's answer. Here's my problem - I decide that I'm going on "my own ride" and then I get passed. Something clicks inside of me and before I know it, I'm out of the saddle and on a mission!

I did that yesterday. Went on an El Tour training ride. It was supposed to be 45 miles. I did 58 because I deliberately went off track to get away from the crowd. Came home exhausted, sore & discouraged. :(

Bahhh!

[sundial]

I think I just need to loosen up and let myself just be, pick the activity that suits my mood and not pressure myself to do one because I haven't in a while. No goals, no bars to reach, just ride when I want to and enjoy it. ;)

That's the spirit! Just enjoy the ride and leave it all behind on the trail. :)

[smilingcat]

mayyybbeee this too is my problem of late. I keep finding excuses not to ride. Well the upcoming event the lighthouse century is going to be a no show for me. WORK really is converging onto that weekend. And I have to be at work (most likely). So this is a real excuse or is it? I keep running into these kinds excuses.

My other excuse is if I'm tired or lacking sleep, I don't go out to train. That was what caused my last really serious accident about 8 years ago. And I can't afford another head banging crash even with a really good brain bucket.

I know I should when I do it feels good; but, the malaise before hand is keeping me tied to my house. blahhhh with tongue hanging out

Maybe I need to move back to a ski resort town and get back into skiing.

[Dogmama]

For me, it comes down to competing with myself. And not in a good way, like "You can do it." My self-talk is more like, "You're lazy, uncommitted, flakey, ungrateful..." etc.

In today's world, why the heck would I want to do that???

I need to get back to the reason I started to ride. And it wasn't to beat myself up because I'm not training to ride the next century. It was about enjoying the outdoors, clearing my head, getting some exercise & relaxing.

If riding is getting to be a job, forget it for awhile. It will come back if it's supposed to. Or - maybe it was a stepping stone to other things like running, yoga or hiking. Relax & let life come to you, rather than forcing the river to change its course.

[chutch]

Good response Dogmama!

[li10up]

Amanda, sorry to hear about your struggle with finding motivation to ride. Just wanted to let you know that my goal this year is 4000 miles...and that is because of you from last year pushing me a bit to set my goal high. It will be tough for me to get to 4000 this year but I think I will make it. I know that if I do, next year I won't have a specific goal. Sometimes being goal oriented can just burn you out. Maybe that's what happened to you. Maybe you burned yourself out a bit by having such a high goal last year?

My suggestion is to find others to ride with and make it a social ride. Maybe that will put a little more joy into your rides. I know I enjoy my rides a whole lot more when in a group. I rarely ride solo now. Do what interests you. You don't HAVE to ride. But I do hope you don't give it up completely.

[Aggie_Ama]

Yep, I think last year I was too focused on centuries, miles and riding my butt off. This year it was hot so centuries were the last thing I could even begin to think about. Tracking miles got a bit OCD, I sometimes get too hung up on things and put unnecessary pressre on myself to do it. So this weekend I am doing a ride, signed up for 65 but will do what feels right Saturday. The Sunday it is mountain biking. :D

I deleted my mileage goal from Bikejournal, it was too much pressure the last two years. My goal is to love what I am doing whether it is hiking, mountain biking, road riding, running. When I started riding it was like being a kid again, riding my bike to Brushy Creek Elementary school and having fun racing myself or the boys home. Riding to the gas station for some candy, to my friend's house across the neighborhood- 3.5 miles!

But this is yesterday's ride report and how I felt last night is how EVERYONE should feel about cycling, it isn't a job but a chance for fun:


I finally took Miranda, my poor neglected Cannondale out for a spin. Since I signed up for the Rip Roarin' Ride this weekend I felt like we should get back on a first name basis. Man I forgot how wonderful of a bike she is. I have been riding my mountain bike and my commuter for the past month while Miranda sat lonely in the dining room. The mountain bike fits alright but it is a mountain bike. The commuter is a just "good enough" fit. But Miranda, she is perfectly dialed in on fit and snappy. Funny thing is after riding the commuter the bike feels tiny and shocks me at the handling. But the get up and go, I had forgotten how stiff the bike is, I hammered along the rolling hills and scoffed at the head wind. Oh how I love my little Cannondale.

15.58 glorious miles on the "Dog Ride" loop and I fell back in love.

[indigoiis]

I totally feel for you. I have those moments.

I think a lot of it is psychological.

[li10up]

I'm so glad you loved your ride! Sorry to be so late......

[Jiffer]

I don't think you should have guilt for not "feeling" like riding. You are doing other things. As long as you are doing something to keep yourself fit and enjoying THOSE things. By the time next season rolls around, you might find yourself longing to be on the bike more. Or maybe not. Variety is good for this very reason. I think it's normal to get burned out on something you do so much of ... even if you have loved that thing so much.

My husband runs as well as rides. He goes through periods where he does both fairly equally, or one or the other predominantly. Right now, he is in full on running mode and has hardly ridden his bike this year, his extremely nice Cannondale System Six. He has no guilt, nor should he. It's there when he's ready to spend more time on it.

If you get to a point where you want to try to motivate yourself to get on the bike consistently and find a way to really love it again ... other than the already suggested "ride for fun" and "notice the scenery" and all of that, which is great .... challenge yourself in ways that you haven't really done before (if that's possible ... not sure of your history). If you have always been about building up mileage, then switch to being about your speed. Going shorter distances at a faster speed ... or even longer distances at a faster speed. Or work on being the best climber you can be. Maybe do a time trial if you never have. Explore places to ride that you never have. Think of goals that would be different than the goals you have had before. Maybe try mountain biking if you haven't done that.

My husband does road biking, mtb, street running and trail running ... oh yeah, and triathlons. He mixes it up and gets to experience a lot of different things that way. I, for now, am all about the bike. It's new enough to me that I'm in no way burned out.

Another thing is to find good people to ride with, unless you already have this. I ride at least twice a week with a friend of mine. It motivates me to get up and get going in the morning when I know I have my friend meeting me to ride and it's so much more fun to do it with her than by myself. On the weekends I look forward to the club rides where I'm beginning to know more and more people and socializing with them, challenging myself to keep up with the faster riders. Or for you, it might be challenging yourself to hang back with the slower riders and take in the sights!

[tulip]

Aggie, I've taken a break from riding lately. I just don't feel like it. I've been traveling some for work and my schedule's been all wacky. And now it's gotten cold, which gives me one more reason to hesitate.

I know that riding in the fall when the weather is brisk and the light is perfect is wonderful, but I'm having such a hard time getting my butt out the door! I have one more travel day tomorrow--long, long day--but after that I'm travel free for a few weeks. I'm going to do my best to get out for a fall ride at least twice during the week (I do ride on weekends because I ride with my honey, but we only see each other on weekends).

I try not to beat myself up about it, but it's a pattern that I find all-too-familiar.

[Crankin]

I always get burned out. Every year. So now I just accept it. I slow down and smell the roses. It seems like my body breaks down after whatever big ride/vacation we do after it's over. I should have taken time off after my 4 day tour, but since it was August, I didn't.
I am looking forward to hiking, maybe a little mountain biking, weights, and the snow.
And in the spring, I am going to work on building those base miles.

[emily_in_nc]

I'm with a lot of the others here... as long as you're still moving, who cares if you're riding all the time? Be gentle with yourself. If you're not feeling it, do something else!

I used to be pretty hard line about that sort of thing, but I'm a lot more relaxed about it all now. I used to road ride, period. 4-5 times a week, about 3000-4000 miles yearly. I had a serious accident on the road in 2005, and since then, I just haven't been nearly as interested in road riding. I might become so someday, but for now, I ride a mountain bike on trails more like 300-400 miles yearly. I don't even bother riding in the winter unless we have an unusually warm day. I also run, hike, sail, lift, walk, and most recently, do Pilates (just started a class at work). Oh, and I'm doing the One Hundred Push-Ups (http://www.hundredpushups.com/week1.html) program lately too. So, I'm still very active and fit, and I don't seem to get injured any more because I switch up my activities. I love it all! Sure, right now I'm not able to do a century ride or a long bike tour like I could before my accident, but I couldn't run a mile then either!

It might sound blasphemous to post this on a cycling site, but there really is more to life than riding! :D

[Aggie_Ama]

There are so many wonderful suggestions in this thread and it is nice for anyone to know they aren't alone. I am still not riding much been landscaping, running, visiting friends and just busy. But I did let go of my guilt. I tend to be a bit hard on myself, a bit OCD. Letting go of pressure I put on myself is hard.

But I am content, I might do 2,500 miles this year but I may not. It has still been a great year. Next weekend I am spending Saturday riding back on my Dad's Harley to LUckenbach, Texas. My mom will be blazing along on her harley. I can hardly wait, I have only rode 20 miles on the bike but love it and "everybody is somebody in Luckenbach". Sunday we are hitting the trail for a little dirt slinging. I am happy and looking forward to my weekend. I may ride this week, I may run. Who knows?

[Crankin]

I love all of the suggestions, also. It is hard to stop feeling guilty, though. One thing, I know is that I am not going to record my miles on Bike Journal next year. I feel too much "virtual" peer pressure from you guys! Not so much in terms of miles, but in speed. So, I will just use my trusty computer and maybe keep a journal. Two years ago I rode 3,000 miles. Last year, I did 2600, but chalked it up to my illness woes in the fall, when I didn't ride much. I set a goal of 2500 this year and I have about 100 miles to go. I know I will make it. But, I am not sure it's realistic for me to set a goal of more than that.
When I started riding, I still was doing step aerobics a couple of times a week. After a couple of years of riding, that stopped. I still go to the gym, but I'm doing stuff in the weight room, elliptical and some spinning when it's really cold out. I am thinking maybe I need to get back to step class because it burns the calories.
Based on my experience with aerobics, etc. I think it's wise to vary what we do. Not just for physical reasons, but for our mental health. I got so burned out on teaching classes, it really ruined it for me. Once I stopped teaching, I was half hearted about participating and I gained 15 pounds. That's when I started riding.