Time to give up?

[reohn2]

Rant accepted
If I don't eat for a while I don't want to give up
The problem with cycling is if I can't get out on the bike a sort of fear sets in,its the fear of the loss of condition,which is worse if I've been really fit,but even if I've not there's still a feeling of wanting to get back on top(top being relative).
Of course this is all psychological headworx stuff,that legworx stuff rids the mind of.
This headworx 'drought'(worry) looks for ways out.
There is an easy way out,or there's another, just go out when I can,and don't try to keep to a contract that was never signed only conceived in a headworx brainstorm at some time or other.
I accept the ebb and flow of a head that's never consistently on top of it's game,and enjoy the journey to a better level.
But all in good time eh?

EDITED for clarification.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

The problem with cycling is if I can't get out on the bike a sort of fear sets in,its the fear of the loss of condition,which is worse if I've been really fit,but even I've not there's still a feeling of wanting to get back on top(top being relative).

Not just me then.

[Vantage]

My last ride was last Thursday which was only to mums and home again. Friday I spend washing it and a basic service---new chain, cassette, clean the brake pads and some greasing and lubing. No time for a ride.
Weekend was spent with my daughters and faffing with the new bag uplift.
Picked up Sunday night to spend time with the missus until Tuesday night.
The bike gets locked at my mums when I'm away from home without it so no cycling for me till Wednesday morning with the bike club unless it pours.
The madness due to non cycling is already straining me. Grrr.

[mnichols]

I feel your frustration with the weather hence my other post about indoor v outdoor cycling

I used to do a lot of swimming and forced myself to train when I wasn't enjoying it, in the end I just couldn't face it and hardly ever go now.

So now I follow my motivation and do the training that I feel enthusiastic about. In the winter I spend more time in the gym and on the turbo, and in the summer I spend more time on the bike. If I'm bored with long road miles I get on the mountain bike, or do short fast rides, or vice versa. I have a plan, but I don't force myself to do training when my body or mind is telling me not to.

That way I'm training 6 or 7 days a week, and have been for over 30 years. I've hardly missed a week in that time, and I'm still improving.

I think the secret is to do the things that you enjoy and not force yourself to do things that you're not.

If you're enjoying walking then do that and wait for the motivation for cycling to come back.....and trust that it will

[bigjim]

Thanks for the replies. I enjoy or love the cycling once I am out but it is so hard to actually get out! I get guilty if I have not exercised and then have to think of something else, like walking. If I miss a club day it really gets to me. Especially when photos of the day turn up on sites. I have to click them off without looking at them, otherwise it winds me up. I have a 7 mile ride to a club meet-up so setting off in heavy rain means I'm soaked before I get there. Then of course the chance that nobody has turned up because of the weather so it's another wet ride home. You just get to the stage of wondering "why am I doing this"? My wife thinks I'm mental. I went to the gym late on Sunday afternoon. Had a good workout, went for a swim and had a bit of time in the jaccuzi and sauna. Chatted with a few people and had a bit of a laugh. I really enjoyed it. But doubt I could do it every day. I believe I have to excercise every day. Feel crap if I don't. So I can simply run or walk, which I can do whatever the weather. I can't do gym cardio. Too boring. Oh and of course I'm off on a prebooked cycling holiday at the end of the month so I'm under pressure to stay cycling fit until then at least.

[mnichols]

I hope you find your cycling mojo again

People tell me I'm very driven, and I am always setting new and harder goals, but I find winter very tough. My goals are months away and its hard to find the passion to get out in the cold, wet and windy weather.

After winter comes the spring

I hope you don't give up. I'm sure you would be missed on your club runs

[[XAP]Bob]

I use an app which takes it's data from the norwegian met office - it estimates the *amount* of rain, in mm that is expected to fall, and the amount that could fall (if their more dire predictions came about)

It only does 24 hours, but that's enough for me - it's also disturbingly accurate (although only in hour granularity...)

[PaulB]

Here in Cumbria it seems to have rained non-stop since the middle of October. You will have seen the floods on TV.

My bike hasn't been out of the shed for weeks because of the weather. I don't enjoy riding in a downpour but I will do it if the mood takes me. My problem is, I have no where under cover to work on my bike and clean it following a ride. If I arrive home wet through with a dirty bike the machine has to be put away in that condition without being wiped down and lubed. With the weather we've had it could be days or even weeks before I could get the bike out to clean it and we all know what state the chain and gears would be in.

I've been swimming (in a pool - not the floods) and walking a bit to keep fit and get out of the house but I am getting frustrated at my lack of cycling.

[Flinders]

Here in Cumbria it seems to have rained non-stop since the middle of October. You will have seen the floods on TV.

My bike hasn't been out of the shed for weeks because of the weather. I don't enjoy riding in a downpour but I will do it if the mood takes me. My problem is, I have no where under cover to work on my bike and clean it following a ride. If I arrive home wet through with a dirty bike the machine has to be put away in that condition without being wiped down and lubed. With the weather we've had it could be days or even weeks before I could get the bike out to clean it and we all know what state the chain and gears would be in.

I've been swimming (in a pool - not the floods) and walking a bit to keep fit and get out of the house but I am getting frustrated at my lack of cycling.

It's not just the rain, it's the flooded roads even when the rain stops - more particularly the now very badly maintained side/rural roads which I have to use. That gets bad enough here, but must be far and away worse up in Cumbria.

[Vantage]

8.20 on a Wednesday morning and right on cue it's started p*****g down.

[Vorpal]

Thanks for the replies. I enjoy or love the cycling once I am out but it is so hard to actually get out! I get guilty if I have not exercised and then have to think of something else, like walking. If I miss a club day it really gets to me. Especially when photos of the day turn up on sites. I have to click them off without looking at them, otherwise it winds me up. I have a 7 mile ride to a club meet-up so setting off in heavy rain means I'm soaked before I get there. Then of course the chance that nobody has turned up because of the weather so it's another wet ride home. You just get to the stage of wondering "why am I doing this"?

I have pushed myself sometimes to go out when I don't really want to, and I have never regretted it. I have on a few occasions turned around and gone back home because it was icy, started to hail, or I just decided that the benefit wasn't worth being cold and wet. Sometimes I can motivate myself by talking to a friend or clubmate in advance and agreeing to meet, or even ride to the club run together. Then, I feel I have to go, or let the other person down. It probably helps him / her, too.

I have regretted staying in when I could have gone out. But I haven't regretted going out when I could have stayed in.

[Manc33]

I can tolerate rain, its wind I can't accept. I mean I wouldn't turn back because of rain, but I would because of wind.

That time I was on the middle chainring and lowest sprocket (38x28t) on the flat because it was that windy, that time yeah I turned back, about 3 miles into a 20 miler.

I'm not cycling and having to pedal down hills or else I will stop, no way no how! Its rare the wind is that bad but it seems to take 20 miles of energy to go 3 miles in such conditions. Rain doesn't slow you down.

[reohn2]

I can tolerate rain, its wind I can't accept. I mean I wouldn't turn back because of rain, but I would because of wind.

That time I was on the middle chainring and lowest sprocket (38x28t) on the flat because it was that windy, that time yeah I turned back, about 3 miles into a 20 miler.

I'm not cycling and having to pedal down hills or else I will stop, no way no how! Its rare the wind is that bad but it seems to take 20 miles of energy to go 3 miles in such conditions. Rain doesn't slow you down.

Wind breeds character,make friends with it and accept you won't be able to go as fast,in one direction at least .

[Manc33]

More often than not it blows towards me again by the time I turn around. It knows when to switch.

Its funny when I go about 20 MPH down a road and think "Wow all this cycling is paying off" then I come back and have to do 7 MPH back down it again in a gale... oh right so that's why I was "comfortably" doing 20 MPH.

[simonineaston]

Two thoughts:
The much quoted "one in every hundred years" floods have a 65% chance of happening somewhere in the country, every year... http://bbc.in/1Uyh2zF
I used to hate fell walking and even country walks and now I love 'em...