Staying motivated with no races in sight

As the days tick by and lockdowns are extended in most areas, many athletes are lacking motivation to continue training. As stated in a previous post I believe it is critical for future success to continue training during this period as long as it's safe in your area. Just because there are no races doesn't mean you can't make serious gains that will set you up for the summer/fall or 2021 season. Here are a few ways to get yourself out the door:

1) Set a goal- Whether it's a Strava segment near and dear to your heart or a target FTP number, choosing a tangible goal to set your sights on is important in staying motivated. If you're not thoughtfully putting in effort to your workouts you're just exercising. Nothing wrong with exercising, but if you want to effectively "train" right now it helps to set a quantitative goal.

2) Focus on yourself- Instead of picturing your race in your head for motivation, focus on internal motivators. Why do you really race? What drives you besides crossing a finish line and beating your friends? Maybe it's maintaining general health, losing weight, earning your dessert, or knowing you're gonna look shredded when the beaches open up and everyone will be jealous? Maybe it's just satisfying enough to work towards bettering yourself physically and mentally every day regardless of if you can show it off in races. Whatever it may be, this is a good time to connect with why deep down you enjoy training and racing in the first place.

3) Read Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins.

4) Train how you want to train- If you like going for super long jog/hikes on the trail then go for it. If you like crushing 400m intervals on the track then do that. If you like hitting the weight room and wanna get your 1RM up on the bench now is a great time for it. Whatever it is it's always good to move, and it will benefit you regardless of what you are doing. Now if you want to train optimally for fall racing improving your 1-rep maxes won't help much, but if you're struggling to find motivation just do whatever you enjoy to get your heart rate up.

5) Dream up a big race you want to do in the distant future. And while you are training know that even the steps you take today will benefit you toward achieving that goal down the road. Maybe you're out of shape but want to do an Ironman in 5 years. Well you have to start somewhere, so let that motivation carry you out the door today.

6) Get a coach- Having someone to hold yourself accountable is the number one way to stay on track. Whether that's a coach or a training partner, it's a lot more likely you will reach your goals if you know there is someone you have to report to.

Hope these tips help and lead you toward a more active quarantine.