I think we got that …
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Not sure if this is anywhere near the topic …self sabotage …I kinda need an excuse or a reason if races don’t go well. I do set out a plan, well kinda, but don’t want a coach, I do watch my weight but don’t get on the scales or rigidly drop weight even though I could get rid of half a stone, I don’t test FTP but do watch my numbers, if I test it could make training really hard.
I get into a training groove and put a few really good weeks together then miss a week because I allow ‘life’ to interfere. If the build up is perfect and I have no excuse to blame, the result if not outstanding will just reinforce the self doubt that exists within me.
My worth is wrapped up in physical achievement, I have a disposition to be ‘all or nothing’, glad I discovered triathlon before red wine!
However fear of failure and fear of success not too far apart in my world, so I need a scapegoat. That’s why I dip out and don’t put the finishing touches to my prep.
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I am vaguely motivated, today I ve got a couple of sessions to do and it is already 5 30 and I m procrastinating, but I m totally not competitive at all. It is totally absent from my psyche. Beat me in a race? Hardly an exclusive club 
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I agree with the ride thing about going out for the large loop to avoid going back. On a beautifully sunny warm day I once couldn’t be bothered to go out and turboed in the house for over 3 30. I can’t explain why.
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I’ve definitely got that in me too. I think it’s why I gravitated towards silly ultras, because maybe i was fed up of not executing at the shorter distances, with structured training.
Been thinking about motivation some more.
You know those life coaching type diagrams which deal with different areas of life? Here’s one:
For me, the tri lifestyle ticks most of the boxes. I guess that’s why I keep at it & enjoy it.
Physical health - yep.
Mental health - yep
Spiritual means different things to different people, but a ride in the mountains, a run in the snow, or a swim in a tropical sea - yep
Social - clubs, training buddies & communities and of course TriTalk - yep
family - yeah get them on board
contribution - marshalling at local tri or park run is all good. yep.
But if my tri habits started detracting from any of these areas, like making me injured and tired, or impacting badly on work or family, I’d probably take myself to one side and have a word.
Crushing opponents into a red mush does not feature on my wheel, which is just as well, but I guess other peoples wheels may vary?
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One of the hardest things for me is knowing that I can do the events I am entering if I just grind them out and have lost the “terror” of a new challenge that I am not sure that I could do without a shit load of training.
I am never going to be at the pointy end of the field and therefore the only competition is with myself.
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What’s this “spiritual” BS?
We live. We die. Disintegrate. End of.
There’s no real point to it all.
But I’m cool with that 
I’m like that. Fairly confident I can get through. This tear and lead up to SDW seems different though. I have extra weight (totally my fault) extra injuries (maybe my fault) and the DNF of RttS still rings in my ears.
Mostly for me though, it’s work stress. I used to use exercise as a counter to stress but lately, the stress side of the scale wind the battle and I sink into a funk. I’m in one now because of my knee 
Ouch🤪! People in glass houses, Mr 7 hour turbo!
Anyway, no I don’t have any great insights. I would just say there are clearly a lot of highly motivated people on here. It’s also clearly a self-selecting cohort that are very passionate about triathlon (and pets, action films and outdated music😂), often want to share training data and have some banter about these things each day.
But maybe that commonality is obscuring the fact that many different types of people might try tri sports and get hooked on them, for myriad reasons and at different stages of life. I’m not going to attempt to categorise personality types by responses here. But I do think that because of those intrinsic differences, motivational factors may also be very different between individuals who appear to outwardly have a very similar ethos.
As a very annoying man once sang in a very good song: We’re one, but we’re not the same. 
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Likewise my back is making me a bit miserable - have done very little training in the last 2 weeks - it’s getting better (but dammit not quick enough😤)
When the stress side of my job is winning i become a bit of a grumpy old bastard until Mrs T tells me FFS go for a run for the sake of everyone
I have had 3 DNF’s. UTMB x2 - both at 73 miles and circa 32 hours when I just felt there was nothing left. On reflection if I had sat down, got some food in me and given myself a stern talking to then I am sure I would have finished. The other was Transgrancanaria when I pulled out with 10 miles to go - was carrying a chest infection, on antibiotics and shouldn’t really have started in the first place.
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Didn’t think you were that brainy … it did you copy that…?!
If not … outstanding.
Are you really big, and bald?
I did sundowner one year and had a good run, crap bike.
I was talking to a large chap each lap
“ alright baldie “
Last lap… “ your a little fast baldie ?!”
Just wondered ?!
I’ve been thinking about why we do what we do … most of the day.
My personal answer is because I can.
One day that might not be the case, so I’ll keep plodding on.
7 hour turbo record HAS to go this year !!
Someone did longer I think …?!
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Nah don’t think so although description is right!!
By which I mean big and bald. I dont think I talk much to folks on the run as I’m going so slow. In LD I can generally be more conversational as there’s always a few where the wheels have come off and need a chat!
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Close enough. Certainly what my dad thinks I do so who cares?!
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This part is me as well and although I used to get competitive with myself and train hard I think I let that go a few years ago.
I generally just want to get through life with the least amount of hassle and most amount of fun as I perceive it, not everyone wants the same and the world would be fairly boring if we did.
Generally speaking if I start a race I’ll get to the end, I’ve been tempted to bail a few IM’s but even on a bad day a lot of people would have been happy with 11 hours or so that I finished in.
I’ve DNF’d a few bike races, mostly if it’s cold or potentially dangerous like the race near Keswick last year.
Not having a training plan anymore helps as I don’t really work to any plan or think I’ve missed a session or need to do one if I’m pushed for time or tired. If I want to do a couple of hard sessions I will, if I want an easy run or bike ride I will. When it gets closer to the season I’ll probably do some focussed running reps or just do parkruns etc.,
I don’t even put everything on Strava. But occasionally (and recently) I’ll get into the mindset that I have averaged 160K PW on the bike and think I’ve got to maintain it, forgetting that I wasn’t really running or swimming.
A lot of what I do now is more exercising, as the Doc says it’s for the physical and mental health benefits, I’ve also helped out a few parkruns in the previous 12 months before they stopped, loose aim is to help once for every 10 I do.
But every now and then or when the season starts I get a bit of momentum and some competitiveness (with myself) and focus a bit more.
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I think we’ve all been profiled 
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And somewhere in Golders Green, Sigmund Freud’s grave twitches imperceptibly
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Just read ‘Mans search for a meaning’ by Frankl if you are into a bit of psychological stuff it’s quite a good read.
I’d agree with this and ‘knowing yourself’.
We have different parts of ourselves that have different goals that can conflict at times. I believe we all overvalue the conscious part of our minds, and undervalue the rest.
Sometimes the voice telling you to stop should be listened to, sometimes not.
There was a podcast I don’t wholly agree with but is a good discussion on the matter two weeks ago:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/that-triathlon-show/id1209821045?i=1000517690583
There’s a bit of annoying psychobabble and almost zero neuroscience, but I suspect the messages are good.
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I wouldn’t listen to me Joex, apparently I am delusional! 