About time to ramp up the hours on preparation for my ninth summer of IM racing in a row.
The last year or two were rough to get going but, eventually I got in the groove.
This year…I have no motivation at all. The noobs in my tri club annoy me with thier motivation and pure jubilation when they get this months triathlete mag in the mail box or find a article about how to cut another minute off a sprint tri.
I am not considering giving this up and want to do this into my eighties (only shot at Kona). So I ask, how do you old timers do it year after year?
You have more IMs in than me but feel like I can weigh in as I’ve been a pretty serious endurance athlete starting at age 11… 43 now. State-level cross-country runner in HS, a decent swimmer, Cat 2 in college, marathons in 20s and got into tris in 30s. IMs late 30s. Back to a couple marathons… and now doing another IM this summer (Norseman, yikes.) Very invigorated… super into it.
If you are truly in for the long haul, as I am, I’d urge you to break it up. Periodization, just like a training plan. Also, by breaking things up, your body will thank you.
My advice: Fully commit to this year. But maybe take on a different challenge after it. Doing that will give you focused purpose this year and will free you after. Not advocating sitting around… just something different. Come back to IM, but when you’re ready.
See you at Kona in 30-40 years.
There are lots of avenues for endurance adventure aside from IM. Maybe take a summer off IM and try MTB racing, bike racing, cyclocross, long distance swimming, trail running, etc. Forces you to mix up your training and meet new people, and you get to be the excited noob.
About time to ramp up the hours on preparation for my ninth summer of IM racing in a row.
The last year or two were rough to get going but, eventually I got in the groove.
This year…I have no motivation at all. The noobs in my tri club annoy me with thier motivation and pure jubilation when they get this months triathlete mag in the mail box or find a article about how to cut another minute off a sprint tri.
I am not considering giving this up and want to do this into my eighties (only shot at Kona). So I ask, how do you old timers do it year after year?
Seems like on the one hand you still have a lot of passion for triathlon and on the other hand you don’t have the motivation to train long hours for IM.
Here’s a quick exercise you may find helpful that I do with clients to help them move from ambivalence to action:
List the ‘good’ things about IM training and then the ‘not so good’ things. Then list the challenges of IM training and finally list what you hope to get out of IM training and racing.
One final step - if you could keep the good stuff, minimize or eliminate the not so good stuff, have strategies around the challenges so they were manageable, what would be one thing you could do to move you in the direction of your hopes?
Let me know what that one thing is (if you want). (Also, the one thing initially may be one of your values, then the next step is to make that value a behaviour).
Good luck!
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since your IM is in the summer, do nothing for absolutely 2-weeks, just enough not to lose too much fitness yet long enough to cause you panic for the impending doom this summer. that should motivate you!!!
Thank you for your responses! I didn’t expect so many good ideas. I now have some tools to work with! And Scottriguy. I will do just what you said!
I’m in the same boat, no motivation to train, luckily my IM this yr isn’t till November.
I’m going to do Xterra only this summer and maybe some MTB races, the road stuff is just boring me this year, and last now that i think about it. I hope my motivation turns the corner but for now I am digging the dirt.
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Just don’t do what I did.
Back in 2010 to the end of 2012 I did 2 full marathons, a bunch of halfs, countless 5 and 10ks, then got into triathlon and did three sprint tris and just out of nowhere hit a wall and decided I didn’t want to do any of it anymore. It just got so boring training by myself all the time. I wasn’t putting in IM training hours or anything but I definitely let it consume me too much. Told myself I would take some time off and then start back up.
Well a little time off turned into a year and 7 months today.
Now I am itching to start back up and it is so much harder since my fitness level is now shit. I want so badly to be able to just go knock out 10 mile runs like nothing like I used to and hate basically starting from scratch. I’m very impatient.
Looking back I really wish I had just switched it up and done some cycling races or trail runs rather than quitting, so that is my recommendation if it gets to that point.
I only have a couple small suggestions that have helped me:
Change up your music playlist. While it probably does not hit on the underlying burnout issue, it is one subtle way to attempt to obtain a wee bit more motivation. Another suggestion would be to mix up your workouts quite a bit, perhaps adding in some high intensity bursts.
Other than that, I thought the other suggestions were great.
youre burned out because you are doing nothing but slow ironman every year, do fast short stuff for a couple years, then get faster at im, instead of just doing a ton of boring long slow training and slow im’s, and saying “im never getting to kona”
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How about stop doing ironmans and start actually racing at the olympic distance.
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Sign up for a race that excites or scares you.
How about stop doing ironmans and start actually racing at the olympic distance.
Agree 100%. Was on the IM thing for few years, but switched to short course due to the immense amount of time required for IM training. Olympic distance is challenging if you are trying to get on the podium. The bike, in particular, is so much more fun. Let’s face it, most of us got into this because we like to go fast. OLY has more outright speed without the feeling of having to slow down all the time as in IM. I’ll take 27 MPH for 25 miles over 21 for 112 any day.
Stick to Olympic Triathlon distance and at the most, a couple of Half Ironman, a half marathon, maybe a marathon, several shorter distances races, a couple of duathlons, an Xterra or two…… You will see the difference. No burnout…. Just fun……
Have you thought about maybe becoming a one sporter for a year? Maybe just suffer with the roadies for a season or until the fire comes back? I did that in '97 and came back for my best racing ever. Good luck!
I don’t race much, but have done 7 IM over 19 years. I’ve done about 20 1/2IM, a bunch of marathons and 1/2 mary’s as well.
I’ve had almost 3 years off training (but still to my favourite 1/2IM every year, regardless of no training) and am just getting back into training now.
I also commute to work by bike every day for the last 11 years.
Like you, motivation/mojo is a bit lacking these days. I’m MOP at best, but I LOVE this sport of triathlon. I just find it harder and harder to pull on my running shoes or swim my leg over my bike. Maybe it’s just that it’s getting towards winter (more of a rainy season than a real winter), but I am having trouble finding where I left my mojo.
If you find your mojo, check for mine nearby. I hear mojo hangs out in bunches