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.

[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.

[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.

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!

[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 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!

[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?