Motivation to Train is Gone. Any Tips?

Large bottle small glass

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Practically impossible unless you only go out once or twice a month. The only way I could do that is to go further and further every bike ride (which isn’t practical) as I have ridden every single road around me over the years already and most of them countless times.

There's 80k km of local roads in country, not including Coillte forest roads.

In 2013-15 I was doing a minimum of 10k per year and I've attached a heat map.

By deliberately avoiding anything resembling a regional or busy road, while doing a lot less cycling 3k-4k per year, I've attached another heatmap for same area.

Some of that is with a cx bike, most with a road bike and the very odd mtb spin.

To OP, I'm always surprised that people can get motivated at all to continually ride the same few routes week in week out, on busy roads continually looking over your shoulder for the next close pass.

Macy0161

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

To OP, I'm always surprised that people can get motivated at all to continually ride the same few routes week in week out, on busy roads continually looking over your shoulder for the next close pass.

The numbers that choose*, for example, the Kilmac - Roundwood - Glendalough road always amazes me. Especially with the much nicer Old Long Hill - Annacarter - Old Bridge option.

*I live on that road, and hate cycling it.

Wishbone Ash

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

....I'm always surprised that people can get motivated at all to continually ride the same few routes week in week out, on busy roads continually looking over your shoulder for the next close pass.

Horses for courses etc.

I'm fine on rural back lanes and quiet roads when I'm on a club ride but find them very tedious and unmotivating when I'm out solo. I'd much prefer busy main roads with plenty of vehicular traffic. My fear of loose bloody dogs doesn't help either - 99% of which are found on rural back roads where ironically, the 'law abiding' people are supposed to reside.

(You are just as likely to encounter a close pass on a narrow rural road as on a busy main road).

Wishbone Ash

Macy0161 wrote: »

The numbers that choose*, for example, the Kilmac - Roundwood - Glendalough road always amazes me. Especially with the much nicer Old Long Hill - Annacarter - Old Bridge option.

*I live on that road, and hate cycling it.

I prefer the main Roundwood Road.

Weepsie

Also depends on where you are. Now I live not too far from Dublin city centre. It's a super area for all of the amenities we could ever want and realise I'm very fortunate to be living there, especially given the current scramble.

However, I love cycling in Wicklow and I enjoy north county Dublin and parts of Meath & surrounds, but it's the 10 or so km to get to anywhere where I can get into a rythym that's annoying, so by then I go with what I know.

I do often try to take a new road or routes in other directions.

In the last 2 years I've done 15-16k km. I've done all but 700 of them on my own. Go at my own pace, stop when I want to stop, if I feel like the touring bike or cross bike and a slower, meandering cycle, I'll do that.

I need to find a happy medium as I imagine those days when I'm finding it a slog, company would help

marvin80

Out for a spin today close to sunset - passing by a line of trees and behind them a luscious green field with sheep running around it - was going to stop and take a picture but it wouldn't have done it justice.

I find it's the simple things like this the add to the enjoyment of cycling for me.