Just don't know if I feel like racing anymore

Just kind of thinking "out loud" here...

I've been doing tris for about 5 years now. I usually do 1-2 a season. I really like the training and having a goal. It's a guilty pleasure, but I like the looks I get when I tell people I do triathlons. Being a triathlete has become part of my definition of myself. It's not a huge part, but it's definitely a part.

But... I realized when I did my disastrous race at the beginning of June (too hot, overheated on the swim, had to walk a lot of the run) that races stress me out. I REALLY did not enjoy that race, even before it began.

I'd planned on doing the HIM that I did last year again to see if I could beat 6 hours (I did 6:09) but now I'm just not sure. I'm not sure I want to put in the time to do it right. I keep thinking that I'm being selfish. My SO would love to play tennis with me or do some all day hikes. But I haven't been able to because of my long bikes and other parts of my training. And, most of all, I just don't have the fire in me to do that long race again. I still want to SBR, but racing.... I just don't know. I've been thinking of just keeping on training like I was going to do the race, but deciding at the last minute. Last week, though, I blew off my long bike ride and was happier for it. I just don't know...

Have any of you gone through a lull like this? What did you do?

Well I don't race and I don't do triathlons, but...just be happy.

Take a break. Maybe you'll decide next year (or sometime later) that you want to get back into it. Or maybe you'll decide you'd rather be doing something else.

But if it's not something you have to do, then why force it?

Yup! Been there, done that. 3/4 of the way to an R12, I quit, because it wasn't fun and I missed Thom on the long rides.

I just got a call that my SIL has had a heart attack. In light of that, my advice is, spend your time doing what you love, with the ones you love because you never know what tomorrow will bring.


Veronica

This is your brain telling you to take a break. If it is not fun, it is not worth it. The race will still be there next year.

Maybe you could try some short distance races to satisfy your love for racing and being a triathlete but not have to consume so much time training. Sprint and Olympic races are much easier to train for and if you miss a day of training to go hiking or paddling it's not a huge deal. It might also help you let go of some of the stress of racing longer distances (when you come back to them) if you raced some lower pressure/shorter distance races - starting a race just becomes something normal.

I guess those two things seem counter-intuitive, but I considered racing another HIM/IM race this year and decided not to because I love spending the time with my family through the summer (and training through the heat for distance races is less enjoyable). The short distance races let me race, enjoy the race, and still be challenged (in a different way), but I don't feel consumed (or like it's a second job) like I do training for an Ironman.

[QUOTE=colby;523605 The short distance races let me race, enjoy the race, and still be challenged (in a different way), but I don't feel consumed (or like it's a second job) like I do training for an Ironman.[/QUOTE]

Consumed is a great way of putting it.

Colby makes a great point. I've done a few centuries. While I was training for the last one, I found myself saying "I hate this I hate this" over and over. Out loud, while I was riding. Now I do 2-3 metrics per year and otherwise stick to shorter rides and I'm really happy with it. If someday I decide I no longer like 50-60 mile rides, so be it.

Veronica, I hope your SIL is okay.

What Colby said.

Don't let it get to the point that I did with the bike, where I burned out so hard that I didn't get on a bicycle for 10 years.

It's okay to take a break. Or just give yourself permission not to race right now, without even thinking about whether you will in the future.

Just swim. Just ride. Just run. Let the fun come back to each one, and then decide what you want to do next.

I have to admit that my "forced" "um, literally BREAK" has been kind of ok, I am not even that anxious to get back, and have decided to just exersize for awhile, and not TRAIN...and now I have energy to do other creative things, which has been very cool. Take a break, when you MISS it, you'll go back.

This is exactly why I don't really care to ever go beyond Oly distance. I have too many other things in my life that I enjoy and I really don't want to give them up to train. I DO go for long hikes (and weekend trips) and long bike rides (and weekend trips!) with my husband. I consider it part of my training! I also enjoy spending a day in the garden or tending to our goats and I don't want to feel like I have to choose either/or. I want both!

To have both, that means I will stick to short course. Of course, I'm really new to this, so I might be kidding myself, but so far, so good. Basically, I agree with the others, enjoy the training, sign up for shorter races if you need the incentive and make sure to enjoy the rest of your life too.

V - I'm sorry to hear about your SIL - I hope she is ok.

Take a break. You've had lots of good suggestions.
This is why I don't "train." I just ride. When the voice in my head says, "you are slow," I put in a little more effort, with intervals or longer rides. Most of the time when I am doing this the voice is saying, "I hate this."
The past 2 years I hardly did any rides over 30-35 miles. I still had the same total miles, but I just didn't have the "feeling" to do lots of 50+ mile rides. All of a sudden this year, I am doing longer rides and riding a little more. It just happened...