Motivation

It's 5AM. The alarm goes off. It is cold outside. And dark. And sounds wet. Cold, dark and wet. “Great”, you think. Your better half is sleeping soundly and provides a very warm cocoon in which to envelope yourself.

• What are you going to do – ride or hide – GO…

You're staring at the computer with credit card in hand. The entire trip is $5,000. It is a month in France. Watching the Tour. Doing Etape. It is cold in Melbourne. And dark. And wet. Winter is coming. This is your dream trip. You will not miss the money.

• What are you going to do – fly, ride and climb? Or hide? – GO….

Motivation is an incredibly important aspect of life.

Without it, we are lifeless, listless corks floating along, at the whim of others.

Motivation is the spark that ignites desire into action.

Each of us is motivated by different goals, dreams and desires.

Whether it's motivating yourself to train harder, get on the bike to do a session, lose weight, resist that delicious Mars Bar, the motivating factors that actually drive you into action are incredibly important.

I've had a few people email me asking what I do to motivate myself if I don't feel like training, don't feel like riding at all, and how I motivate myself to work hard to stay fit.

• What separates Wes in Lennox, who gets up to ride at about 4.30am every day before work, from the person who would rather sleep?
• What separates Tim who makes overseas trips happen, from Mark who wistfully remarks that he wishes he could do his dream TDF trip too?
• What separates Steve who did the Marmotte, 2 x Etapes and Haute Route (more on Steve soon) in the space of 5 weeks, from people who can't mentally push themselves to ride up the Ventoux, a mere 20km from the finish of the 180km 2009 Etape?

I look at motivation as having two components: intentional or aspirational motivation (intent to act – “yeah I'd love to go to the Tour de France/Lose 10kg one day”) and willful motivation (where action is taken – “wow this is so awesome [as TDF choppers buzz overhead”).

Whether it's motivating yourself to train harder, get on the bike to do a session, lose weight, resist that delicious Mars Bar, the motivating factors that actually drive you into action are incredibly important.

Why is this important for you as a cyclist, and more importantly, for cycling travel?

Permit me a moment for a short digression (grab a coffee, wine, scotch, comfy slippers etc).

My story

Part 1

About 8 years ago, I was a very different person. I was overweight and miserable. I was pretty much on life's treadmill.

I had no motivation to do anything. I’d stopped mountain biking and surfing with my friends, disconnected from family; it was just terrible.

Then everything changed (a bad relationship ended – happily, I've now managed to get myself engaged to most marvelous, fabulous girl I've met).

I’d long had a motivation to reconnect with my old life, and this was it. I lost 25kg (dropping from a dumpling man-like 88kg down to 63kg) over two years, started road riding, saved a house deposit and reset my life.

What motivated me to slog my guts out at the gym, bust my butt running endlessly, eating the same boring (delicious, wholesome) food 99% of the time?

I can remember the exact meme in my mind: “happiness”.

I didn't need a catalyst to motivate me to do anything anymore. I could clearly envision all outcomes and that was enough for me.

I was SUPER motivated to travel, heading overseas to snowboard in Canada and then to France for Etape and the Tour.

Part 2

About 3 years ago, I became very ill with a thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism) caused by iodine poisoning from Bonsoy soy milk (this is subject of a class action, which you can read about here).

At the time I was starting to make a mark in my local races and had moved from E grade to B grade in one season. I climbed well in the hills and was eyeing off A grade when I was struck down.

I dropped from 65kg to 59kg, my heart was badly affected, I lost all aerobic capacity and had to stop riding for 4 months. I was grumpy, down and lost all interest in cycling.

When I was “well” again, I'd blown out to nearly 70kg and had no interest in serious cycling. That period coincided with my 2010 trip to the TDF and Etape du Tour.

I had very little motivation, even to do Etape. I was cynical about cycling.

The 2010 Etape was quite torturous for me. It was a long, long suffer fest. I did not enjoy it, but could appreciate it.

When I got home, I started training to a program, but was so affected by my illness, results did not come. I stopped riding with my group and rode solo.

At the end of 2011, Kate and I moved away from Melbourne to the Byron Bay hinterland, and I stopped racing for a year. I just rode – almost always alone with my music – just for the pure joy of it. I rode when I wanted. I had no company but my tunes, endless magpie attacks and local eagles, snakes, wallabies, bearded dragons and the occasional fellow cyclist.

If I didn't feel like riding, I simply didn't ride, and didn't punish myself for it.

Eventually I found that if I didn't ride for 2 days I started getting cabin fever.If I didn't ride for 2 days I started getting cabin fever.

And when I did ride, it was never enough, but was. I could ride for 1 hour and feel sated, but wanted more.

I was in love with cycling again. It's been that way ever since. If I don't feel that keen edge and desire to ride, I just don't. Because I know the motivation and desire will return of their own accord.

Finding motivation

For me, motivation is a natural by product of how I live and who I am. I am constantly motivated. By my surrounds, by how I want my life to be, by natural energy, drive and vigour.

Using exercise as an example, I need no motivation to exercise, ever. For me, exercise and riding, is a pure, unadulterated joy. It's not pain (I enjoy the hurt though). It's not a chore. It's not something I “have” to do. I'm never too busy, I can always find time.

Exercise for me is an intrinsic, visceral statement of life, and of who I am.

…Motivated to get up at 5AM to go riding, running, surfing or to work on VeloNomad.
…Motivated to exercise when I least feel like it, because I KNOW how crap I used to feel if I didn't.

Like I said though, it's not the same for everyone. For many people, exercise is a chore, or something they have to “fit in” to life (rather than being a key element around which their life revolves).

And for many people, motivation that can drive such elemental, obsessive behaviour and actions, does not come easy.

For you, finding motivation might come not naturally so I'd like to talk about how you can motivate yourself.

What motivation means

Firstly, let's look at what motivation means. It could be the difference between:

…A wistful “I'd love to go to the Tour” (or Etape) and actually doing it.
…A sad, “I'd like to lose weight” and actually doing it.
…A wishful, “I'd like to get faster in the hills” and actually doing it (without spending money on lighter wheels or other tech and mech).
…Looking with envy at super fit people, and holding out pot gut with a mixture of embarrassment and despair.
…Having a heart attack at 50 or living and riding until 90.

Motivation is the spark that actualizes your intent, dreams and hopes.

I have an old high school friend who wistfully used to remark (with a sense of “it'll never happen”) – “you're so lucky, I'd love to go to the Tour de France.”

Here's a mad-keen cyclist, working in IT, on a decent wage. What's stopping him. Kids? Nope (and kids are NOT an excuse). Money? Nope.

He is missing that can-do spark that transforms desire into action.

What has this got to do with cycling travel?!

Plenty.

It saddens me that so many people are able to voice their desires but are unable to motivate themselves into action. This is particularly true of cycling holidays (leaving affordability aside), taking care of ourselves and finding motivation to ride.

Lighting the spark

Often, we can lose that spark, or desire, to ride, or train hard. Or we lack that spark to actually start booking that trip overseas.

We might be busy with our job, kids, busy with life.

It might be raining.
Or cold.
Or wet.
Or all three.

So, how do you motivate yourself to race that local race when it's near-snowing. How do you motivate yourself to actually block out 2-3 weeks in July and fly to France.

For me, it often comes down to a few things; habit and vision (picturing outcomes), recognising past outcomes (“when I train hard I feel better”) – or rationalisation (“the weather isn't THAT bad!”).
…If you're trying to lose weight, remember how you feel after exercise (great…eventually. This is easier once you start seeing results).
…If it's wet and cold – “come on Timbo, it's only rain!” (I find this works, especially if it's warm and raining).
…If you want to go to the Tour (or Giro, or wherever it is), just picture warmth, sunshine, croissants and the choppers overhead.

Now, I'm not some self help guru or fancy pants psychologist.

Nope. I'm just someone – just like you – with a real life (I still do the dishes, mow the lawns, cook meals, make the bed) who manages to get it done.

All you need to do is one of these things, depending on your circumstances.

1. Take a break – if you are lacking motivation to ride, for example, just don't. Wait for the motivation and desire to ride.
2. No time? Find time. Cut TV out. Cut sleep down by 30 minutes. Dropping 30 minutes sleep you can live with. The 30 minutes of exercise will pay you back. All of us are busy – work, kids, etc. I promise you can find 30-60 minutes a day.
3. Make your activity (a ride) a habit. If you have to ride to work, you'll ride to work. If you're trying to lose weight, well you're kicking goals.
4. Get intense – challenge yourself. Do a 200km ride. Too easy? 300km. Do something non-ordinary.
5. Imagine the consquences – in 2011 I was not properly prepared for Etape du Tour. Here's what happened – not pretty.

If it's dark outside…the day is already getting away from you.