Over the last few weeks, I've been struggling with my motivation on the bike. I get on the trainer and... hmm... maybe that's the problem.
This winter has been so snowy and cold that I haven't been able to get outside much. In fact, I've ridden a total of 100 miles outdoors in the last 3 months (not even twice each month). Meanwhile, I've been riding 8 to 10 hours a week on the trainer.
By comparison, last year I was riding about the same number of hours each week but was getting outside at least once every other week or so. By this time, I had ridden almost 300 miles outdoors.
I'm definitely fit, exceeding the numbers from this time last year. I'm just having a hard time getting on the trainer for long enough to keep it going.
Making it even harder, I've been taking more risks in training. Last year, I gradually increased my intensity over the winter, increasing my targets just a couple of watts per week. As a result, I was able to hit my targets every workout all winter long. This year, I occasionally try to go a little higher, maybe 10 or 15 watts higher than I know that I can, intentionally going too hard to see how long I can hold onto it.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't, leaving me gasping for air and feeling a strong sense of failure. The times when I succeed, it feels amazing. The times I don't, it can mess with me for a few days.
Hopefully it will all pay off when racing season starts in 7 weeks!!
