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Staying Motivated

Hey guys,



Im getting serious about my training over the next few months. Just reading what you guys do makes me shameful that my training falls behind every few months! What do you do to keep motivated? How do you stop yourself falling off the rails?



I have a few ideas -



Pictures of women - nothing motivates a man more



Pictures of things that make me angry - get the testo going!

Comments

  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    If I don't train,I will have wasted a load of money on gear I don't use,I'll get fat and Gary Roberts will beat me at his next race.
  • garyrobertsgaryroberts Posts: 869
    I'll get fat and Gary Roberts will beat me at his next race.


    oh well, that's all the motivation you need!?
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    I know you have an injunction on me but...



    You have it all wrong. Those are distractions. They are things to think about when you are _not_ training/racing.



    1) Work out what your objective is (e.g. OD in 2009).

    2) Break it down into milestones - a 5K here, a 10K there, the odd sprint, swim, cycle TT or whatever.

    3) Work out a plan to get you tp the milestones.

    4) Decide what training you need to do.

    5) Work out the objectives of each training session (distance, pace, time, intervals, or whatever) - and make sure you do it.



    If you meet the target, then reward yourself with a furtive glance at a picture of one of your "women".

    Only ever be angry with yourself, not with others. But don't be angry for too long (5 secs max). Anger is just wasted energy. Think about your performance, and what you need to do to improve/meet your goals next time.

  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Coma



    I am a big goal setter. If I have nothing to work to I just do the same thing. Set out a run couse and start knocking off the time!

    I also use intervals to speed up the run and bike!
  • just2trijust2tri Posts: 198
    Set a goal, tell everybody at home and work about it .... the motivation you get from having to complete the challenge is unbelievable.



    Get a training partner, work out a weekly training plan, write it down on paper with a tick box next to each session, stick it to the fridge door - you cannot let down your training partner and you must get a tick!
  • garyrobertsgaryroberts Posts: 869
    its an oldie but a goodie



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD8pYFBYPRk



    If you're not more motivated after watching this......you're dead!
  • husslerhussler Posts: 237
    My motivational plan starts in October every year... I evaluate how my season went, what I achieved or what I didnt achieve lol

    I then look at where I want to be in 12 months time....



    I discuss goals/targets with my coach and he tells usually tells me to set them higher!



    I tend to go aim to beat certain members of our RAF Team, I have a list of the members of our team, all in ranked order slowest at the bottom fastest at top...

    I then tick off the guys who where prevously faster than me the year before that I beat over the season....



    A big motivational thing for me is that now I believe I am close to medal potential at Age Group World/Euro's Long Distance events so I think that if I dont train then one of my rivals has got one step ahead of me. Equally if im out training in the shit conditions or when I really dont want to then I am one step ahead of others...



    And finally



    'Gold medals are not won over-night'



    'If you fail to prepare then prepare to fail'
  • MGMG Posts: 470
    Hmmmm, racing is my main focus and motivation. Everytime I feel like lagging I think about the races I've planned and the sacrifices I've made and that soon gets me out the door.



    Get yourself a focus point, OD/70.3/Ironman/DoubleIronman, and use that to motivate youself. Believe me, you'll know all about suffering if you havnt put the training in........



    Good luck my friend.
  • teamspiritteamspirit Posts: 148
    did you say double iroman lol
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    hussler wrote:
    A big motivational thing for me is that now I believe I am close to medal potential at Age Group World/Euro's Long Distance events



    Good stuff. But you've got talent, (relative) youth, as well as the motivation - yeah, I know that age group competition means that we are all in with a chance... but I suspect that I am operating at the opposite ends of the spectrum - even though I think my overall approach is not dissimilar. So, what motivates me, even though I'm not going to get a medal [:(]



    1) Personality - call it overachieving, overcompetiveness or what ever - I just like to do my best, and I like to do things that I think I can't do. I think this "drive" is probably innate - you either have it or you don't. I assume that most of you reading this would have it, otherwise you wouldn't be here. So it is probably a given.

    2) Health/Age Concerns. I want to live as healthily as possible, for as long as possible. I suspect that the way the world is going, nice long retirements will be a thing of the past (i.e. pensions will be worthless by the time I come to retire). This means that I will have to compete into my 70s for work with much younger people. So I'm hoping to be fit, stroke free, not obese etc. to give me a fighting chance of doing this - so that I can maintain my nice standard of living, choose to do some nice things etc. etc.

    3) Having fun and finding out how far I can go.

    4) Not letting it interfere too much with my job/career etc.



    Those are the top level motivators.



    The next are season by season. I keep getting knocked back by injuries - which, I guess, is part of the fun!



    Season Goals:



    Learn to swim _well_ (well enough to compete). I finish in the top 20% - 30% at the moment in running events, I want to do the same in cycling/swimming.

    Do some cycling TTs

    [Given up on running objectives for this year (i.e. sub 40 10K)]

    Do at least one sprint triathlon.



    Physiological Measures: VO2 Max (about 50 - 51 depending on how you measure it - OK with that), Resting Heart Rate (Low 50s at the moment, OK with that), Blood Pressure (want 115/70), Cholesterol (want to be below 5% by 45th Birthday on total cholesterol! - was 5.1% last year, 5.3% the year before) are all other objectives. And, in a nod to vanity, look good too!



    Really, anything else is just play it by ear. I've effectively been injured since January - so not able to train in the way that I want. Which makes it hard to stay motivated. It's really annoying, as I've learned enough about training to really have a strong idea what I want to do - just keep having to hold back etc.

  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    comanighttrain wrote:




    Pictures of women - nothing motivates a man more



    I am told that some chaps actually quite like pictures of other chaps for the same reason!



    can't see the attraction myself but you never know what the chap mnext to you is thinking obviously as you prance around in transition in your lycra and/or rubber wetsuit!!



    [;)]



    didds

  • godluvsatriergodluvsatrier Posts: 199
    there's loads of stuff you could try. i love setting small goals but lots of them like "dont stop running till i reach ...." if im running fartlek or thingd like improving a time for such and such a distance by a minute etc etc.



    Also have you considered racing for any charities you particularly believe in? I find that thinking about all the people you have sponsored and the cause you're running for really gives you a kick in the pants when feeling a little sluggish or demotivated!!!



    Also remember everyone feels a bit like that now and again. sometimes overtraining can do that tho.. x

  • JessterJesster Posts: 482
    I usually look down at my tummy and think, "I really must run/cycle more"
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