The_Guru

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak ...
I really want (need!) to get out of the house and go cycling, but most times it's all just good intentions that seldom see the light of day. And more often than not, while I want (need!) to get long rides under my belt, I land up going out for only an hour or so.

I've tried to find others to ride with me, but most of the time they are otherwise engaged.

How do you motivate yourself to get off your lard and onto the saddle, when you'd rather be lying around at home watching a movie and eating ice cream?

TheKillerPenguin

I enjoy biking more than watching a movie and eating ice cream, thats how

sydney

Stick a big Rosie O'donnell bobblehead figure on the TV and a nice picture of her on the frig door.

duane041

I don't go on the same ride each time, and I never plan anything in advance. I have an idea of which way i want to go, and go. This "exploring" makes it interesting, and makes me look forward to the next ride. Plus, I rack up mileage and hardly ever notice, because I am constantly thinking "Hmmm, wonder what's down this road?".

Plus, I'm not that serious a cyclist. Numbers and cadence and max. speed and all that jazz don't matter that much to me. I ride to enjoy the ride and get away from everything for a few hours.

The_Guru

LMAO! Nice.

'Cept I'm 5'7" and 147lb, so I don't need to lose the weight ... if anything, everytime I go cycling I seem to come back a pound lighter - and it stays that way.
I am currently going out about 3x/week, and want to make it 6x/week, but I've never been a morning person, so getting up early would be really difficult. Come home in the evenings and I'm often really drained, hence only making it out once or twice on weeknights. And I cannot commute to work since there are no showers there - I've asked...

Edit: I'm off for a ride to the the lake ... it's a sunny day, I'm in my 1-piece catsuit, and I feel the need to do some posing around the sun worshippers :-P

120372

We all have 24 hours in the day. You can either make the time to go out and do it, or you can complain about not doing it. One is fun and productive, and the other isn't.
Why do you want to go out 6x per week instead of three? What motivates that urge? You don't really sound like you want to. You sound more like you want to want to. (confusing?)
-jim

JungleCat

There are a couple things I do for motivation:

1. I keep thinking summer will be over before I know it and I'll wish I stayed out more.
2. Keep the weight coming down ( see the Rosie thing )
3. iPod with a kickin playlist.

Guest

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Set up a training schedule. Commit. It takes commitment to get anything going, and if you just don't have it, then you'll keep making up excuses. In that case, find something new to take up.

Yeah, you can't get up mornings, so you say. It's commitment that gets me out of bed at 4:15am on the mornings I go riding, and once I get out there, I know what my ride is going to be, and I'm out until the ride is done (unless I get sick or something while I'm out riding).

Back when I used to ride evenings, it was commitment that got me out the door once I got back from work. I dropped my bag and hit the bike (or the gym then the bike or whatever). I had a schedule, and I stuck with it. It was rare when I wasn't doing my fitness routine.

Your problem is that you lack commitment- probably motivation too. Then you just make excuses. I think you ride because you feel like it, and it's no biggie. A lot of people here aren't like that. They ride because they like it, they ride because of how it makes them feel, they ride because they're addicted, they ride because it's an important part of their lives. If you aren't riding because of those reasons, chances are you're in the wrong sport.

You need to find something that gets under your skin and wills you to make the time in your schedule to do it. When I miss out on riding, I get morose. Actually, I get moody, angry, combative, and... itchy. I tap my foot and lose patience. I get really upset. I need to be on the bike. I need to ride. I don't like being away from my bike more than 72 hours at a time. I only am away from my bike more than 72 hours when I need longer recovery periods after a succession of intense workouts. If cycling doesn't get in your blood, then I don't know- perhaps you just aren't in the right sport. No biggie- experiment around some, find other sports and see how you feel about them. Then if you start getting itchy for the bike, then maybe the bike is for you, and you'll realize it and make a schedule to accomodate for it. But if you don't miss the bike at all, then perhaps it wasn't for you.

Koffee

RiPHRaPH

if you are coming back a pound lighter and staying that way, your dehydration = your level of lethargy.
it will take a week or two of changing your lifestyle to the point that you'd rather get up early and ride than waste nighttime hours, watching the boobtube and eating ice cream. i noted that i did nothing productive after 10pm, so i began going to sleep at 10pm and getting up at 5am. that was 3 years ago.

or just get a new bike or new equipment.

The_Guru

I think my biggest downfall is boredom ... if I had someone to cycle with, it would be different, but it gets a bit monotonous going out alone, day in and day out.

Had a good cycle earlier today, felt too good to stop, so pressed on and timed a personal best for the route.

Do y'all cycle alone, or with sidekicks?

amahana1

Something that helps me is to plan to ride...doesnt matter where, just say to yourself that when you get home from work you are going to hop on the bike and spend a couple of hours or an hour just riding somewhere. I never do well if I am sitting a home thinking about going out on a ride, usually in that case I end up just not going. But if I plan to ride I usually get pretty pumped about going.

After a while It becomes a habit and you start to notice when you dont go and you start to miss riding, even if you miss a day or a couple of rides. I have finally got to the point where it feels more natural to go riding that it does to drive my car.

va_cyclist

Eat a big pizza and ice cream dinner, then you'll be motivated to burn off the calories.

The_Guru

I've been cycling (roadbikes) for the latter two thirds of my life.
It *IS* my sport.


Do you also have a fulltime day job with overtime (manage networks - anything can happen at any time), a new home that needs work, are the chef for the house, and have a pregnant wife due in 6 weeks??

Oops. excuses.


For me, it's necessity. If I don't get out, I feel like a schloomp. I need the exercise, else I regret it. My body needs to have fought it's way up the 2mile 7% avg hill atop which we live, else I feel unfulfilled.

I don't think you understood - once I'm out I love it. Once I return, I feel fantastic.
But it's getting out that's the problem. It's forcing myself out the door that I feel should come easier.


I know that. See topic



If all I did was make excuses, I wouldn't be asking how better to boot my sorry a$$ out the door
Just wondered what made you all with 24x7-commitment careers, head out the door for 3 hours at a time.

As a young(er) lad (ie, 15 years ago), I'd be out the door at the drop of a hat, cycling mornings, evenings, to school and back, racing almost every Sunday, doing some track training once or twice a week with a club ...

Nowadays I seem somehow to lack the energy levels to do that, and am just curious if it's because I have so many other demands on me, or whether I'm just unfit and will get back into shape to kickstart my drive for it once again.


I feel some of that too ... but perhaps not to the same degree - I'm certainly not dependent on my bike to live a sane life.


I have no doubts about it being the right sport for me ... I think you've missed my intention with this thread.

I wanted to know what drives you to go out ... What is so exciting that you simply HAVE to get out. For you, it's quote obviously an ingrained passion ... a lusting for the thrill you get while on the bike.

Don't get me wrong - I appreciate your candid response ... Perhaps it'll come back to me - I've only recently gotten back in the saddle [3 or 4 weeks ago], and am rebuilding what I've lost in the last few years (5 jobs, 4 countries, married, new house, etc... oops - excuses ).

Guess I just gotta grit my teeth and force myself back into shape (fitness, not flab), afterwhich it'll hopefully all fall into place.

Swiss Hoser

[QUOTE=The_Guru]I think my biggest downfall is boredom ... if I had someone to cycle with, it would be different, but it gets a bit monotonous going out alone, day in and day out.
QUOTE]

Guru, you're joking, right?
You live in Biking-Heaven! Velo-Valhalla! I'm about 30km west of you and I know the area.
I get up every morning and kiss the very roads I ride on because it's a true privilege to be here. Maybe I don't understand the need for company on a ride.
Have you done the Pragel Pass? How about Susten, Grimsel or Klausen?
You won't find better biking on the planet, so have fun and enjoy yourself!

Ciao for now.

theopowers

ride to work. for me it's a guaranteed hour plus on the bike five days a week. sorry for the lack of capitalization. i'm typing with one hand cuz i have a milkshake in the other.

The_Guru

Perhaps ... but I've never been a large person.
I do sweat BUCKETS though, but drink a litre or two of water/juice/tea a day.

The watching TV eating ice-cream was supposed to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek ...
But yes, I suspect do need to force myself to go out more frequently initially until the routine is properly established. I'm just - as mentioned above - comparing my cycling of 15 years ago with what I'm doing now, and wondering why it takes a little more motivation to get out there.


I did that. I was riding my same 1980's ride until just under 2 weeks ago - I now have STI, round wheels , and a bike weighing under 25 pounds. I love it. I also love the thrill of coming home having accomplished something.

As mentioned to Koffee - once I'm out there, I'm like a pig in mud. Last weekend, I set out for a 30km short stint, and came home 76+km later. It's putting everything else on hold and getting out there that I was questioning.

The_Guru

Grüezi wohl!


Great. I'm in Binz, gemeinde Maur.
Wanna meet up sometime??



Actually, I only found out about Fürka-Grimsel-Susten last weekend while out cycling with a friend. I heard there's an organised ride there in September, but it's too close to my wife's due-date for me to be hours away from home... Would love to do it some other time though - interested in joining me one Saturday or Sunday?

G

The_Guru

I wanted to. No showers at work, and I sweat like the proverbial when I cycle.
Wonder if the nearby gym has any shower-only memberships
Actually - I'm gonna ask!

Guest

Dood, I was making an observation.

I still don't see a lot of motivation. But I do understand how kids and stuff can take away from it- which is why I don't have any! It's not my plan to have any either. A few more years, and I think I'll actually be too old anyway, which is a good, valid excuse.

Still, Zurich is BEAUTIFUL for cycling. When I went to Gstaad, we rode every day. It was about as natural as putting on clothes, man. You just could not stop riding. Great stuff.

I still think it's a matter of scheduling and commitment too. It would not be so hard to get out the door if you really, truly loved the sport. Maybe you're just too burned out from spending all your time 15 years ago cycling. Maybe it's just easier to stick with your current routine. And yes, they are all excuses. Not bad excuses (well, some of them), but still excuses.

If you just wanted to find out what makes other folks tick and why they cycle, then yeah... I didn't get the point at all, because I didn't see that. Ummmm... it would be good to give that info like the preg wife and stuff when you did your post and not just make out like an overweight, ice cream eatin' machine. I wouldn't have taken the time to write out such a response, and I could have tailered it differently to address your current situation. Shoulda coulda woulda....

If I get to Zurich again... oops... WHEN I get to Zurich again, I'll look you up so you can spank me up those hills out there.

Koffee

The_Guru

And I appreciate your input!
(I really do).



No quibble there!



I know they are ... some are terrible.
Although, when all's said and done, I have gotten somewhat of the kick in the butt that I need from this thread to see what options I have:

• cycle to work, provided I can find showers in the area
• get to sleep earlier, and force myself up in the mornings regardless (it may take a while, but I suppose even this could become routine - I mean, I get up earlier during the week than on weekends already because I have work commitments, so why not shift my schedule back an hour or two for cycling)
• establish a routine for evening cycling, and set predefined goals a-priori

LOL.
I should have been less subtle about that one.

FWIW, I'm 5'7, 147lb, 30years old, 52bpm resting heart rate.
And yes, I do enjoy a good ice cream on occasion - but that occasion isn't more than once every week or two. Now, potato chips or candy is a different story altogether!


Deal. Just let me know a few weeks in advance so I can get up at 04h15 to go training
-- oh, and the coffee (or ice cream?) thereafter is on me.

Thanks for your time - I do appreciate being able to bounce ideas off the people here, and really appreciate the heartfelt responses such as your own.

Off to sleep for me now ... a friend of mine is waking me up at sparrowfart tomorrow morning (08h30 on a public holiday ) to take him cycling.

Longhorn

There are no showers at my work either but I commute and I'm a woman so I have hair and make-up issues as well. I wash all my exposed areas at the sink in the restroom, then finish in the stall. I also do a once-over with a citrus-scented Wet Ones for good measure. Then dress and finish hair and make-up at the mirror. I commute in 90-plus temperatures that last for months, as I live in Texas.

So if lack of shower facilities is all that's stopping you from commuting, you might want to reconsider.

Edit: NO ONE sweats more than I do! My shoulder-length hair is soaked, my clothes are soaked and they're even still wet at the end of the day. I wear the previous day's cycling clothes home. But after my "bird bath" at the sink, when I'm tutoring students one-on-one in the tutoring lab (in other words, close proximity,) I can't tell you how many have commented how good I smell. I spray on some Victoria's Secret body spray but you can always splash on some cologne or even after-shower powder.

daytonian

Drink more coffee

Guest

Well cool, then. But I don't get up at 04:15 in Europe... I'd be insane to try that one. I don't think I ever slept so good or so hard as when I was in Switzerland. It's like a great big fluffy pillow- quiet and peaceful. How about 8am if it's the weekend, and we'll try to shoot for 7am on a weekday instead?

I'll let you know well in advance when I get out there. I might head out next year for the Tour de Suisse. I love Jan!

Koffee

lilHinault

Sit in front of the TV. Watch a sports channel. Eat ice cream, but make it Haagen-Dasz COFFEE ice cream. Once you have ingested that and some sports, you'll go out and hammer. Have fun!

biodiesel

I'll disagree strongly that you should feel motivated or you're in the wrong sport.

Even the best of the pro's have motivation problems.

Someone once said that winning is habitual. Unfortunately so is loseing.
You have momentum either way. If you don't have it now you have to build it back. Start riding more, little bits at a time. 3 days a week then 5 then every day then build a training calender then set season goals. Build your season one brick at a time. Set big goals.
You'll get so caught up in it you wont be able to stop.

It's possible to love this sport and live for it but develop bad habits that prevent you from enjoying it.