Burnt out?

[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.

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.