total lack of motivation...

Am I the only one around here that's simply bummed about dipping outdoor temperatures?  I haven't felt so UNmotivated in a really long time.

I've put on 5 pounds, feel lethargic and crappy and just...ugh...can't get my butt in gear.

So, who out there has a peppy-sunshine-make-you-go-hurrah-speech?

i am conning, bribing & bullying myself. i went on vacation for 4 weeks & find it so hard to get back into it. i know its counterproductive but yesterday in order to get to the gym i had to promise to myself to pick up a bottle of wine after the gym. i actually felt better once there & that feeling motivated me to go there again. tomorrow im promising myself some nice expensive xmas lights. i figure i can bribe myself until i get back into the routine of going to the gym.

OMG!  That is SO funny!  Thanks for making me laugh!

It's eggnog season, maybe I can bribe myself with that...mmm...eggnog...

When I feel unmotivated, I try to at least maintain. (I suppose that's why I've been the same weight for like 6 weeks now, lol!) So while I don't have any great speech, I would say you're going to fell WAY worse if you gain more weight, so just try to stay within the five pounds you already gained. You'll get it back. The holidays are just a time when you just feel like pigging out on crap. =/ Sometimes you have to allow yourself a little.

skinny, you had a pretty intense training year that would be enough to leave someone unmotivated after the racing seasion. Is there anything you could do over the winter that is indoors and a complete change from tri sports? Indoor climbing, dancing, roller skating, adult gymnastics?

i would suggest signing up for a pilates class, spinning class, kickboxing, or anything that will make you go (since you are ppaying for it, you will be less inclined to skip it). OR, you can make date with friends to go to the gym for raquet ball, basketball or swimming (ever do aqua jogging-get a weighted belt and run back and forth on the shallow end of the pool-youll get some interesting looks but its really great cross training on your days off from harder stuff).

Change your routine. Usually around September time frame I take time off the bike, and do other stuff like swim, run, take yoga. No formal training, etc. If I do ride a bike it's more of a social ride, or a fun ride with no real goals. After few weeks I have the motivation again, and looking forward towards next racing season.

UD

Thanks for the suggestions...I'm afraid my inertia extends to all types of physical activity, though.

I swim 3X a week with the Masters, something I mostly enjoy, but I need to have more hours so that when I start training in January, I'm not completely out of shape.

I'd love to do some indoor climbing, skating, etc., but I'm in a rural area that doesn't have those options (Montreal is an hour and a half away).

I started lifting with the NROLFW, stopped and then forced myself to take it up again.  Today, I intend to bribe myself (really!) with eggnog and get out for a 12k run.  I love the high I get from running, but getting out there and getting started in the freezing cold kinda puts a damper on things.

I guess that it's one of the downfalls of triathlon -- the sport eats up any opportunity for variety by its very nature!

I am however looking forward to cross-country skiing once there's enough snow.  Also, a friend needs help exercising her horses in January, so there's that to look forward to as well.  It's the NOW that's a bummer!

I really do appreciate the ideas. 

Nice bike, UD!

Take a week off, pop some vitamin D, visit the tanning salon (not too much) and your SAD will get better. 

I'm the same way.  Its cold here and it ticks me off sometimes. 

Original Post by bpanke:

Take a week off, pop some vitamin D, visit the tanning salon (not too much) and your SAD will get better. 

I'm the same way.  Its cold here and it ticks me off sometimes. 

 Whoahhhh...diagnosing her with seasonal affective disorder!??!

Unwarranted diagnoses aside, I just posted about something similar. I'm feeling really burned out on working out, and the cold makes me want to hunker down indoors for the winter. I wish humans hibernated.

Considering how hard you have been training this year, I'm not going to give you a "hurrah speech." Perhaps this drop in motivation is your body telling you that you need a break. Enjoy the time off. What might be helpful in getting your "mojo" back is looking back at the past year and evaluating your progress (what you accomplished, where you made improvements, where you didn't live up to expectations) and from there, come up with a plan for next year.

Thanks, wrm.  I appreciate the encouragement.  I took almost five weeks off, though.  And I'm starting to put on weight (I think that's freaking me out more than anything else).  True, there were some really impressive gains (my HM time was improved by 20 minutes in six months), but next year seems so faaaar awaaaayyyy...

Add to that the fact that everyone else seems to be having a great time training (except those of us with possible *SAD* or who wish to be reincarnated as bears in our next lives) and I suppose I feel like I just need to kick myself in the butt and find some inspiration.  With all of the rich food coming up, I need to figure out a way to burn some of it off before I'm condemned to the Athena category...

Geez, I really didn't mean this to be a "woah is me" thread.  Let's think sunshine and happy thoughts.  Maybe I should buy myself some new running shoes -- that's always good for a boost.

Original Post by skinny_kitty:

Geez, I really didn't mean this to be a "woah is me" thread.  

ok then, woah is me. it was dark getting up for work & its dark an hour before i have to leave for home, sigh, then i have to leave my warm home for the gym, pooey! then i have to leave the warm gym, its just a vicious cycle!

anyway you said something about 'sunshine & happy thoughts'?

Is it just me or does the word "woah" look like it's not spelled right in this context?

Octo, I work from home in translation.  I can go days and days without leaving the warmth and comfort of my home -- but it rarely happens because someone will insist on being fed (feed the kids, feed the hubby, feed the cat...it never ends) and I have to go shopping.  Bleah. 

Today, we have a lovely snow/rain combination with 30 mile-an-hour winds at a balmy +2C.  Yay!  And I get to go to the pool later!  Double yay!  Hopefully, I'll make the 15 mile trip without crashing the car on the black-iced roads!  Hurrah!

With a little bit of joyful glee, I'll get on the scale tomorrow and discover that I've gained ONLY another 500 grams!  Woohoo!

(..this thread has taken an evil turn..)

maybe 'woe is me'?

drive safely