How to Start Training?

[SnappyPix]

Oops, slow on the uptake again!

I think that to make it fun you have to focus on the good stuff. I honestly do understand how hard the lack of motivation is. Just making the conscious decision to start a training programme can be a boost. You don't have to go the whole hog of intervals and power blasts, keep at it in small doses and the gradual improvement WILL become fun. Honestly.

[RoadRaven]

OK... fun factor...

Sorry if I misunderstood... I just associate my cycling in a different way I guess.

So... why do I do it and how?

FOCUS
Getting fit I guess is one major. My parents are both obese now, my father morbidly. I get a strange satisfaction knowing that I am fitter than either of them have ever been. Thinking about my mum's figure (sorry mum) really motivates me onto the bike and I relish being able to feel the intensity in my muscles and breathing.

ROLE PLAY
I am motivated by my partner and sons, and although I do not ride often with them, we talk about it often - their cycling, mine, our bikes, loacl cyclists, the elite guys and gals in NZ, pro-tours... that makes what I do fun and what I think about sometimes on the bike. Sometimes I am Floyd or Lance, or Onoene Wood, or Sarah Ulmer and that makes it fun.

GAMES
I set myself tasks and try to race myself - and a few of the gals have given some good ideas... try to climb a hill faster than before... try to stay above or below a certain heart rate... try to reach that cyclist ahead before the next corner...

ANAL RETENTIVENESS
A good deal of my pleasure comes from my training diary... and while all in my family record distances and times, mine is affectionately called by the others retentive! Not only do I have time, speed, distance - I also have who I rode with, weather, wind, temperature, bike, ride type, course, plus an extra column "just in case". In my log book (a large hard cover A4 book) I also have two threads from this forum printed and glued in, I also have print-outs from tests done in science labs, AND, to just confirm it is truly retentive I have several excel spreadsheets of various race/TT courses with the times of the top ten women in my cat, overall top ten times... and spreadsheets also of various courses or bits of courses I measure myself on... and these are all printed and glued in my journal so i don't have to wait for a PC to boot...
As soon as I get back home from a ride - before getting changed or showering or eating, I write in my training log - I just get so much pleasure from adding more kms in there.

So... to sum up...

Focus and be anally retentive but always make time to role play and play games...

[spazzdog]

Rent (buy) American Flyers... race someone in your head.

and li10up... lighten up

You've very obviously improved. You may just be at one of those infernal "training plateaus" where nothing changes in performance for a while.

Or, as tough as this one may be, you may have hit your "performance" high point.

Whichever, the most important thing is have fun with it. Ride with the enjoyment of a kid on a new bike.

spazz - who is working on that 2nd (3rd??) childhood