TrevorInSoCal

As of last week I'm in sort of a no-commute slump.

Took the day off work last Monday to do a long day-hike, and took the following day off the bike for recovery, and 'cause riding with fresh blisters (In retrospect, 8.6 mi. one-way + 6k ft. of vert. is not a good idea in new boots.) would've hurt.

Well, nearly a week later and I still haven't managed to drag myself outta bed in the morning on time to do my 15 mi. commute. I usually manage *at least* 3 days/week. Dunno why I suddenly can't get motivated to ride.

Part of it may be because I've recently started running 3x week, in addition to my commute, as sort of a cross-training regimen. I've never really been a runner, so maybe my body is still adjusting to the additional workload by sapping my morning motivation.

Anyone else get into these slumps occasionally? How do you get out of it and back into the routine? Thought about varying my route, to change things up a bit, but the route I ride now is *barely* bicycle friendly and most of the alternates are less so...

-Trevor

jyossarian

I'm not quite as athletic, but basically I try to get a solid 8 hrs. sleep. Make sure your stuff's ready to go the night before, get some good sack time and don't let yourself wuss out in the morning. Also, if you're using up more calories than before, try eating a bit more throughout the day to replace the lost calories.

oboeguy

It sounds like you have about the same activity level as I (depending on how much free time I have!). I never have a motivation problem when it comes to getting on the bike, because I love to ride! I look at every chance to ride the bike as a gift to be cherished. Heck, after doing a century on a Sunday, I look forward to the commute on Monday. Who knows what could happen tomorrow? Get out there and ride today!

jyossarian makes some excellent points, too.

(BTW, new boots + much hiking == bad idea)

Nicodemus

I have a 20mi commute and I've been in a slump for most of the year. I'm not as active as you (can't stand running). I've averaged, honestly, 2 days a week this year. I blame the weather. It's been a grey, wet, miserable washout this year, and I've been totally demotivated by it (that and the flat scenery). Don't sweat it - just find a scapegoat and kill it.

My solution is to run away from mine

tokolosh

heh. i'm pretty on-again-off-again, due to factors including but not limited to my own motivation. my main problem is too much variation; i deal well but not quickly with change.

i don't know if i'm any help for your specific situation. i try to think like a biker - but i don't mean to the extent of posing; i don't call myself one if i'm not doing it. i don't say i bike everywhere when it's growing cobwebs. but i keep the fact that i like doing it, i do it when i can, and i'd like to do it, in the front of my mind most of the time. i find that makes me a little more flexible to jump on any openings or opportunities that come up, and use them as a toe-hold to get back into it, i guess because i don't have to talk myself back into thinking like a person who bikes. when i started this contract in mid-july, i hadn't biked anywhere since the spring, and i knew up front that i wouldn't be able to even start thinking about it until mid-august sometime. but i guess i felt kind of like yogi berra: i ain't in no slump. i just ain't hitting.

even thinking about bike commuting makes you different from whatever-it-is percent of your fellow north americans. and i dunno, i find that keeping a pretty low profile about it in my 3-d life means that i don't have any pedestals but my own to fall off; i don't get all wound up in the whole image-to-maintain kind of thing. that works for me because i really don't like that feeling of subliminal pressure and living up to anyone's expectations but mine. some people might be more motivated by the opposite approach, i know.

roadfix

You're already getting enough workout....... we'll allow you to stay off the bike for a while.

jnbacon

I get these slumps. I've been sort of burnt out lately, actually. The temperatures are still over 100 degrees in the afternoon; I'm doing more miles than in the summer, and doing three rides instead of two, because of school; and I'm not getting enough sleep. The only thing that gets me on the bike somedays is habit. That, and my only other way to work is bus or commandeering the car from my wife.

I've been here before. Right now, I wish I had oboeguy's love of biking, but that is not getting me on the bike today. So, I'm faking it, going through the motions, until my schedule changes and I start to love biking again. I know it's there, I'm just going to keep doing it until it comes back.

Roody

Quit that damn-fooish running. If God wanted us to run He wouldn't have made bikes.

natelutkjohn

My suggestion is to sell the car, then you have no choice!
Works every time!

Daily Commute

That's what I did. I bike commuted off and on for years. Then I took an entire winter off. That spring, I started cycling everyday to prove to myself and my wife that I could. That fall, I sold my car and bought a decent commuter with decent equipment.

Radical, but it works.

P.S. Your knees will thank you if you run less and cycle more.

oboeguy

It occurs to me, re-reading your post, that it's not cross training if you're not riding. Get on the bike!

TrevorInSoCal

I've seriously considered selling the car. But even if I did that, I'd still have the motorcycle to fall back on, and I'm *not* getting rid of that. That's been my commute-vehicle of choice for the past week or so of sleeping in. At least it gets nearly 50 MPG, and is more fun than a cage.

-Trevor

max-a-mill

your falling into a slump because you have such an easy fallback and you let yourself fallback on it to easily.

bike or nuthin.

btw - i just started running for the first time (in my life) as well, what a b!tch huh??? i have a 2 mile off-road loop behind my house that i struggle through for now. my girlfriend is the runner so now that she commutes by bike i feel like i gotta run (a little anyway). i feel like the bike commute really helps me to stretch out the next morning a little. maybe its the 3x a week that killin you. i am a big guy so for me any more than once or twice a week really takes a toll on my knees and joints. i want to run all winter along with the commute so i can maybe get out and do some singlespeed mtb races and long rides next year. the running seems to take me to levels of pain i remember from my early days of biking. I SEE STARS; WOOOOOOO!

balto charlie

I know what you mean. Running really takes a toll on the body. I don't have a runners build(not supper skinny). I always found it hard to do other sports and run. I was running up to 12 miles 2-3x's a week. I ran for 33 years. THEN: I was told by my ortho surgeon that I only have so much tread left in my knees and I can use it any way I want. Well I stopped running, took up road biking, slowed down on mnt biking(less big drops and I walk the steepest climbs), continue to climb and paddle. By doing these sports I have upper and lower body workouts. Spread the pain. I commute almost everyday.

mooklekloon

Try packing everything the night before, laying out your clothes, preping your bike, etc. That way you will have no excuses. I find this helps when I know its going to rain. I pack all my stuff into plastic bags, get an extra set of "just-in-case" clothes ready etc... helps me get on my bike during those 6 am mornings where its pouring.

ch0mb0

^ what he said ^

also: when you get back on the bike you will feel "recharged" for having given your cycling legs a rest for a while. so yeah, give 'em a rest...just not for too long

swwhite

I read the environmental news.