Motivation

What has motivated you to train harder ?

Last night I shaved my legs after not having shaved since the hyper to hyper. I've dont a significant amount of training since then, and seeing the fruit of my labour emerging from under all that hair was real motivation for me to get up early this morning to ride.

 

I'm still in search of that elusive sub3 in a 100k race (Hyper 2 Hyper doesn't count). I've come so close before, but no cigar.

 

I started cycling 6 months ago. It took me 02:50 to finish a 60km race :. On sunday I did the 58km at the Edenvale Spur in a time of 01:49. It would thus take about 01:55 to complete 60km. To think that 6 months ago it took me one hour longer to finish!

The second motivation is doing training rides that I couldn't dream of doing a while ago. My hill training road has changed to a more steep hill, which I could not do 2 months ago. That makes me realise that the more I do, the stronger I get and the stronger I get, the better I do!

 

Ouzo, all of the reasons listed so far are motivators to training harder. I'd say the biggest motivation for me has been similar to Ewep - where the better and stronger you get, the harder you go, to keep improving, so it's a never-ending cycle. It's also a love of the sport. I'm not doing it for any other reason than that I love cycling! Proud to be one! Feel good to be one! Look good for being one! The challenge to be faster than my previous rides; and something else that motivates me is looking at my log book from last year, and seeing in black & white how much I have improved. On times, on strength, and muscle definition in places in my body that never existed before cycling!
I also have personal goals like VO2 that I want to achieve at the BIG ones, but after a gr8 ride like yesterday, sometimes one must remember the social enjoyable ride is also part of cycling! i.e. ENJOY IT!!! ;D
(I did a race in the Vaal, and was part of a big bunch, and I've never had such an enjoyable, social ride, and still ended with an average higher than usual! this means I'm getting stronger, but I'm also riding wiser, and can still enjoy myself while achieving the goals)
Want any more motivation, Ouzo?

 

I don’t need any motivation to cycle. Love it too much. It's like eating, have to eat every day. I do the funrides over weekends, cycle everyday to work, (rain, wind, right through the winter), not because I have to, but because I want to. I don’t need to motivate me, its there already, and I don’t motivate myself to beat someone. Cycling for me id me against a clock. If I want to beat someone, I will register at SACF. I've got 2 objectives every year. One, is to give it the best shot in every funride and my main objective - to do a sub3 Argus. When you scratch this 3hour-barrier everytime, you tell yourself - next year - and that is my motivation

 

ok, i think maybe the meaning of my post was slightly misinterperated.

I am motivated to train, day in and day out, I get upset if I cant. I've spent many hours on the indoor trainer last week because of the foul weather. Saturday I got up early to do a 50km ride as I knew there would be not time on sunday.

The jist of my origional post is that seeing my legs after shaving was very rewarding and just gave me that little extra to train harder because beside the extra speed and strength (I avergaed 31km/h for the 50km on Sat) my legs were looking good.

I also keep a log, and once a week I do a Fitness test on my HRM, and seeing my max Hr slowly getting lower aswell as my resting Hr is also motivating.

 

Now that your legs are shaven, do the following before your next ride. Mix a bit of baby oil with normal skin lotion. Smells great and give you that shiny "wet" look. The the heads is turning when cars passed by. Specially when it's a woman. (They love to peep quietly in the mirror). The men? they only wish...... they was cycling. Now the hard part, to keep it shaven.

 

Some weird motivation...

I love chocolate: More cycling = higher choclate tolerance.
I love having shaven legs: Cycling is the perfect excuse!
Fitness: I love being fitter (better?) than the common man.
Shiny toys: The thrill/pride of buying and owning a precision built machine is incrediable.

THE BUNCH SPRINT! I need to fairly fit to get to the end with the lead group so training is essential. Mmmm adrenaline...

The overriding factor is that we're all endorphine junkies!

 

Right, I think we're all hooked because we're endorphin junkies and cycling is the most fun way to do get "high." ;D

 

My legs have been shaved for about a year now. I had just left them since the hyper to hyper race, and being Greek, the hair just grew back quickly.

I'll take your advice on the "wet" look and see what happens. I know the g/f just looooves the clean shaven wet look. (she even waxes my legs for me on occasion).

 

Auzo .. just a reminder...Shave your legs tonight before you take the lady for supper. And we want a complete report (on my desk)tommorow morning on the "consequences" of your irresponsible action. good luck buddy.......may your wishes came true ???

 

IN DETAIL...[/siz] ;D

 

sorry guys, the lady is working tonight.

she absolutley loves the clean look.

 

Auzo - We still waiting on the report back.If no response within the next 24 hours, you'll have to colour your hair "PINK" for the Argus.

 

it was cold
I wore pants
still got lucky.

Seriously now, my lady was working on Thursday so we went out on Friday. I took her for a picnic at the drive-in. It was chilli so I wore pants, but she never fails to stick her hand up and get a good feel of my smooth legs. She absolutley loves it and when my hair starts to grow she is quick to volunteer to shave them.