Serious motivational deficiency

Caution: Rant. I really need some kind of help to keep my motivation alive. Seems like it's been one thing after another: in November so far we have had only ONE day without torrential rain and high winds. We have had well over 350mm (over a foot!) of rain, and only five days where the wind has been below 50km/h (30mph). Many days the wind has been at 70-80km/h ( 45-50mph). The sky at noon has been dark as twilight. Trails are a flooded, muddy mess, and road riding in the heavy rain and fog is risky at best. Today it is snowing like this was Banff. And MIL is still in hospital after her stroke, and we have to make some difficult decisions soon regarding her future care.
I have all of maybe 80 km (<50miles) riding total all this month. :mad: There were days when I could have gone riding, but didn't for unavoidable reasons, others for complete lack of motivation. There have been many days where riding was impossible. I'm totally fed up with winter. I have zero motivation left. I just want to curl up and sleep until Spring returns, which is still two months away.
Anyway.....
Rant mode off.

I've noticed a theme in this forum that seems to resurface for a variety of reasons. Bike = stable mood. No bike = depressed mood.

I'm going through this myself. I need my bike time to keep my spirits up. I'm programmed to be negative and dark, but my bike serves me better than anti-depressants. Bike makes me feel strong and alive and important.

The weather here allows me to ride about 8 months a year. (I have circulation problems --lucky me-- and I ride only when it's 60 F or above.)

Hiking just doesn't get me in the zone, but it is better than nothing. My trainer doesn't provide the same hard workout that I get on my road bike but it gets me off to a good start in the spring.

I rely on self-discipline when my motivation sags. I live in a rural area and have no exercise partners. I am my own coach. I know that there are others out there pushing themselves to ride. They know that the alternative is laziness and health problems. I want to be fit and capable.

Hey, go hug your bike. She's there for you.

Barb

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Originally Posted by bacarver

I've noticed a theme in this forum that seems to resurface for a variety of reasons. Bike = stable mood. No bike = depressed mood.

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Oh boy, yes. We went on a two-week climbing holiday to Kalymnos, a Greek island, a few months ago. I should have been thrilled, but it took me several days to stop griping about no bike, and even longer to stop missing it...

I've found out that 5 days a week will do, but 6 days a week is perfect. :rolleyes: Well, it has better side-effects than anti-depressants.

I feel your pain. I haven't been riding my bike, but it's by choice, because I wanted to focus on running. However, the weather has been crappy, indeed!!! And I can't believe the amount of snow we're getting either!! (The good thing: I can run in the snow. Riding would be another thing...)

I know it's not that easy in your neck of the woods, but what about swimming? Or spinning classes?

Something else might be long walks in the snow (enjoy it while it lasts). If you're dressed appropriately (esp. boots), it's a great workout (walking in the snow is much harder) and the white coat makes you kind of euphoric...

But you can also tell yourself that it's okay to take a break and to catch up on other things, like reading, spending quality time with friends or family, etc...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bacarver

I've noticed a theme in this forum that seems to resurface for a variety of reasons. Bike = stable mood. No bike = depressed mood.

I'm going through this myself. I need my bike time to keep my spirits up. I'm programmed to be negative and dark, but my bike serves me better than anti-depressants. Bike makes me feel strong and alive and important.

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That is so true! I suffer from depression, but when i'm riding every day I rarely feel it. The last few weeks i havent had much bike time so everything seems to get me down. Exercise makes such a big difference, but biking doubles the effect for me!

Depression and weight gain. :mad: I seem to put weight on incredibly quickly, so riding hard and often is a must. Also, I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and regular exercise is also a must. A week or two off my bikes and I begin to relapse. But, I guess it's ok to not beat myself up over not riding for a couple of weeks or so, but it's hard not to.

We had a rare and wonderful snowstorm here today, so that has perked me up :D I took Wo Fat out for a spin in the snow; I'll post some pics in the Open Topic board.

I'm a psych nurse so on many issues in my life, I should know better, but I'm human.

I am fortunate to have 2 treks (one for the road and one on the trainer), a mountain bike, a kayak, hand weights, miles of nearby forest trails, two dogs that need exercise and attention, and a husband who gives me all the time I want to go out and "play".

Beating ourselves up . . . I don't seem to be able to practice this destructive skill as much when I'm exercising or when I'm connecting in this forum. But, I am a real pro when it comes to the negative inner messages. It's hard to maintain a funk though when riding a tail wind or hiking with my pups.

Who or what is a "Wo Fat"? Is this a cat? So cool.

Hope you had a good day.

Barb

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bacarver

Who or what is a "Wo Fat"? Is this a cat? So cool.

Hope you had a good day.

Barb

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Wo Fat is my vintage 1984 Kuwahara mountain bike. It would be a great name for a cat though!!

I did have a good day, thanks. Snow is rare here, so when it falls I get out and play in it like a 10 year old :rolleyes: , and of course ride around in it. :D

Ah, the elusive muse, motivation. She abandoned me, nay, I let her escape, way back in July. I still don't know if this is a health problem that can be diagnosed or not. Many days, when I'm not very active, I just feel down, but I don't hurt much. Today I did weights, I played in the snow, I moved around....and this evening the symptoms are here. I do wish I knew what to do.

In the meantime, though, I've rediscovered this forum and all of the positive energy that it supplies has helped to buoy my spirits. I thank you all for that.:o

Best of luck to you!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

I think it's normal to lose motivation at this time of year, if you've been working really hard on the bike. It's your body's way of saying "enough!" I've dealt with this by doing a lot of different activities, to replace the cycling. If you have snow, snow shoeing or x country skiing seem to give me the same feeling/intensity as cycling. Hiking might not be as aerobic, but it sure works muscles I don't usually use. I also started using a trainer at home, along with a strengthening/yoga program. I find I really look forward to that, when the pressure is off because doing it at home means not having to go to the gym. I still go to a spin class once in awhile or run on the treadmill at the gym and outside. Another thing is take out a mountain bike! I generally suck at mtb, but even if you're going slow, it demands a type of concentration and fitness that you don't get on the road bike. And, it helps your skills on the road. You can get out on a mtb in weather that is a lot colder than my comfortable limit for cycling on the road. You will be fresher when the season starts if you do some cross training now and build some cycling specific skills on the trainer or at the gym. And have fun!