I’ve had a really shitty week or so at work. (started from last Thurs) and haven’t had much time time to train. Things have been extremely stressful.
Today, I have some time from pretty much now but when i get like this mentally, I find it really bloody hard to get out the door. I know that after 10mins I’ll be fine but some days (like today), that first 5-10 mins seems insurmountable, especially running.
I just want to sit on the sofa and watch tv but this week I’ve only run 18kms and ridden for 2hrs. Sometimes I’m angry at myself for not doing it but have no problems talking myself out of it at the same time.
I have completely lost my mojo to do any running, biking or swimming since we got His Muttliness as he takes up so much time. but the upside is I’m doing a lot of walking! (just about to head down the beach with him)
I also think that my ticker - still in AF - is also stopping me as it’s fucking hard work doing any exercise now, and the beta blocker stops it working too hard anyway.
but, at 67, and after a lifetime of heavy exercise (rugby, mountaineeing, marathons and triathlon) it’s actually quite nice not having to bust my arse just to get my aerobic kick, so I go with the flow now.
I find work stress does this to me pretty quickly, far more than being just physically tired.
I try to make any exercise I do at the fun end of the spectrum, think no turbos just bike rides on nice roads. Or runs round the woods rather than plodding round roads.
yep i get that all the time. At the moment, other than zwift, i’m training solo very little for this reason. I just cba. So i try as often as i can to line up someone to go with. partly to keep me honest as i won’t bail on a mate unless something is really bad and partly because i like the social aspect.
I took a low week last week on purpose as i could feel the self bulit pressure mounting to continue my nice CTL build that i could see. So had to remind myself i’m training for fitness and fun, not a race at the mo. And i just don’t need to expend that type of emotioanl energy right now.
I must say, after my summer of Zwift/turbo, I’m really enjoying my Monday night rides with the local small club I’ve discovered. I might do their Sunday long ride this weekend.
Resurrecting my idea to join the local AC for some Tues night speed work also. Doing nothing is like eating a packet biscuits for me, seems like a great idea at the time but the post event guilt kicks in hard.
I’m also convinced a lack of races has to do with it.
There are ideas for stuff knocking about my friends all the time. So i need to stay just in touch enough to either be able to participate the enxt day ( but be in a world of pain) or get myself to a mid level shape in a few weeks if there’s a tad more planning involved.
in fact it’s already happening. I have to decide quickly if i want to just play in November or do some damage and try to get in shape.
Finding time to stop… relax… & refocus before a session might help ?
I’ve been doing some of the runners targeted yoga with adrienne stuff on youtube, she has a 7min pre-run set & similar post run amongst some other longer ones that i find really useful.
I find that I need a goal to drive my training…some years its a race and a target time, others its been a bit of a race to the highest mileage or elevation gain against friends… this year its veloviewer tile bagging to get the biggest square… without that ‘purpose’ it just becomes a chore.
I struggle to get out of the door for a run and spend ages ‘procrastinating’ as my better half says!
Really don’t know why I do it but I am doing it now by typing this instead of going out for my run.
I finished work at 5pm but it will be another hour before I actually go out and then I will be rushing to get back so not to waste too much of the evening.
Fatpom if you had a heavy week at work and you feel tired, I reckon there’s nowt wrong with relaxing and unwinding with a beer on the sofa instead if going for a run.
Cycling or running are things we do voluntarily for fun and fitness. They should energise us, not finish us off when we’re already cream crackered.
Having said that, I often find that the chimp brain is saying “beer” but really means “relax and reset”, and a run is quite good for that.
When I feel like this, I keep the intensity really really low. Run by time, not distance- not even thinking about pace. I have a screen on my watch that just shows HR and time elapsed for this exact reason. Just let your mind wander and the chances are when you get back you’ll feel much better.
Routine. A routine is easier to fall into and get done rather than waiting for morivation.
Time off. We all need time off. I used to think I was weak and inconsistent. Now when I have that strong urge not to do something like SBR, I dont do it. There must be some valid reason I dont want to, even if Im not consciius of it. Take a break, find out what it is that you do want to do.
Have felt much the same many times. The last was after doing the Scilly Swim in 2015 when I did basically nothing for 6 months afterwards. Having realised that I could no longer run more than a few miles was the trigger, along with 2 hours in the car every day for work and having a toddler to raise.
Rediscovering myself as a cyclist wasn’t expected but it has done the trick ever since thankfully
That’s the beauty of exercise - it does energise you.
If getting out of the door is the hurdle, go and do 10 - 15 mins or running drills. A short turbo session with brief accelerations or some dry land swim exercises
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