Personally, I always go. Unless I am injured, deathly ill, or fatigued to the point of physical failure, I don’t skip motorcycle rides. “Want to” or “feel like it” are always part of my mindset; they can be or often are to get going. I can’t say I’ve ever jumped out of bed and felt like I didn't want to get on the cycle, but I always want to have an enjoyable ride. That’s what drives me: an addiction to the endorphins that come from having just finished a ride. When motivation is lacking, addiction is a sufficient driver to get moving.
This is the time of year when many of us are struggling with motivation. It’s likely to be hot & humid no matter where you live in the Midwest.
Without the carrot of an upcoming events dangling immediately ahead, it can be hard to muster the motivation for yet another hot ride on some days.
First, I’d recommend for others to assess if you are physically well enough to ride. If you’re unmotivated because you’re still recovering from the flu, just had an appendectomy, broke your leg last week, or have chicken pox, it’s probably an okay time to skip the ride. If you’ve ridden 30 of the last 31 days and are so fatigued the sight of your cycling boots makes you gag, the day should probably be a rest day.
But otherwise – if you’re healthy and relatively rested – then take stock of your mental state. If thinking about riding makes you cringe because you’ve been working hard for a while without interruption, then that might be a good reason to take a personal day. Eat a cake, take a bath, binge on Netflix, go out to your favorite taco shop. Step away from the pressure of summer heat and reset for a moment.
Otherwise, my advice is to go find your bibs, fill a bottle, and get on the bike. Force it. Even if you’re stressed or crushed from a breakup or angry at your boss or so completely and totally opposed to riding that you’d rather have your wisdom teeth put back in and removed again. Because more than likely, you WILL feel better when you’re done. You’ll have a sense of accomplishment, you’ll be glad you overcame your lack of motivation, and you’ll be high on endorphins.
Don’t give yourself excuses, don’t let myself off the hook. If you give into quitting the ride maybe today, what’s going to keep you from quitting again tomorrow? But on the other hand, if you prove to yourself that you can get it done today, then you know you can get it done tomorrow as well.
I’ve almost never regretting getting a ride done, but I’ve almost always regretted skipping a ride.
Nobody is always excited to ride all the time; that’s not a natural human state. We all struggle to get motivated at different points, and winter is one of the most common. Don’t let yourself give into demotivation. The couch will still be waiting for you when the ride is done.
Have A Good Ride ya'll... I will see you down the road.
Nana
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