Rain is back and motivation is gone, what do we do about it?

With the return of rain, many cyclists flee. And their training week is sometimes completely ruined because they no longer have the mental strength to go out. But if you aspire to results, do you know how to differentiate between laziness and fatigue? Do you know when your body truly needs rest or when, on the contrary, it needs a good kick in the butt?

By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: Depositphotos / JFT

Fatigue is when you have insufficient rest. You lack sleep or your sleep quality is poor. Your diet is not balanced. You work too much. You sleep poorly. You train too much. You are too solicited by your colleagues. Your mental load is too high. Perhaps due to family, the start of the school year, children resuming activities, and complicated organization. Daily tasks accumulate faster than they are dealt with… In short, the reasons for fatigue – true fatigue – are numerous and unique to each individual. And when you are physically exhausted, you really need to know when to press the STOP button.

What are the signals? They are unique to each person, but when you have more difficulty waking up than usual, that’s already a first alert. If, in addition, you have headaches or muscle tension, and you feel physically “at your limit”: it’s time to take a few days off. There’s more to life than just sports. Take time to recover. Pamper yourself and sleep until noon next Saturday if needed.

Laziness, however, is another story! And when the reason you’re not going to train is the September rain after a very sunny summer, then we can talk more about motivation. And more precisely, LACK of motivation. But good news, fellow cyclists: this is where it’s all in your head. Laziness and mental fatigue: in either case, sport is your solution! Sincerely, on behalf of 3bikes.fr.

I would even say that training is when you least want to, but need it the most. After your ride, not only will you feel great, but you’ll also be extremely proud of the work accomplished and of having pushed past that invisible barrier. It’s even possible that you’ll gain energy. It’s not winter yet. Intermittent September rain doesn’t have the deleterious effects on the body that icy, continuous February rain does. Upon returning from this rainy ride, you’ll feel energized and even more confident. Don’t forget the effect of endorphins and hormones that make us feel good. Physical activity is wonderful for getting us back into a virtuous dynamic in just a few minutes! Morale improves. Anxiety and sadness fly away…

Don’t wait to be motivated. Motivation is like your phone or Garmin bike computer battery: at the end of the day or the end of the ride, it’s gone! Don’t count on motivation. It’s a bad bet. Rely on much more pragmatic rules. If you’ve invested in a training plan. And you have a sports calendar to follow, stick to the program in a disciplined manner.

We often hear: “You should listen to yourself and rest.” I think it’s mostly a cliché phrase. Or a somewhat generic expression. Like: “there’s no reason,” “I understand,” “that’s life,” in short, we reassure ourselves however we can…

But if you’re still struggling to figure out if you’re tired or just lazy about going for a ride, ask yourself these questions: do you still have enough energy to go to a restaurant with friends? Do you still feel like going to the cinema or bowling? To go for a walk at the store or buy new bib shorts at a bike shop? If the answer is “yes,” then go inflate your tires to 7 bars, and fill your water bottles, it’s time to ride… “When it’s sunny in your heart, it’s sunny everywhere else.”

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