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Ok, now on to the real meat of this post.
As always, I like to be honest with you all and I’m hopeful this doesn’t come off terribly, but I’m just not into triathlon right now. I have no desire to ride my bike and only a little inkling to get in the pool. And on top of all that I am debating selling my bike. The shame.
Race emails are starting to pour in with discounts and friends posting on social media about the triathlons they’ll do next season. I read them and feel very flat when I think about racing a triathlon. I assume this is typical burn out but I wonder if I should truly be this burnt out? Yes, an ironman is HUGE in terms of training but I always figured I’d want to keep competing and do have some unfinished business with the half ironman.
But….
I do not want to ride my bike.
Spin class? Sure. Hop on a stationary for a bit? Fine.
But, I just don’t want to schlep my bike to the trail and log any major mileage rides.
I feel bad because part of it is that I know I’ll have to put in A LOT of work to get to where I truly want to be. And even then, will I be satisfied and happy and most importantly, enjoy riding the bike? Tough to say.
Hence, the thoughts of selling it. I see it sitting in the garage all sad and I just keep thinking it’s really better off with someone who will love to head out and ride their face off. In consulting with friends they’ve all told me to wait. And I suppose that is the wisest thing to do for now.
Could I completely quit triathlon? Maybe. Will I be sad watching the S.O. and friends race without? Maybe.
What I do know, right now, for certain, is that I’m enjoying doing things I want to do: run, yoga, strength train, SLEEP!
Any thoughts on this friends?
I'm no expert, but I agree on giving it time. It hasn't really been all that long since IM, and you trained a TON, so taking some time off to do other stuff and let the rest just…chill, is a good idea, IMO.
First off – don't sell your bike just yet. I think taking a break and maybe a season off from triathlon isn't a bad thing but you might change your mind at some point. This is the reason I haven't sold my bike and all I do are sprints. I can't get past the fear of biking on the road but I love to sweat all over it in the basement.
Changing your focus and taking a mental break after months and months of training for the IM may leave you very renewed and ready for more.
I agree that you should not sell your bike just yet. You can always stick to the shorter distances for a while until you're ready to start sitting on the saddle for longer than an hour. If you don't get the urge to ride your bike after a year, then sell it. But, maybe after all the yoga and strength training, biking will feel easier and more enjoyable 🙂
We are all entitled to the burn out, been there done that! You have already set new goals that you are going to excel at! You will saddle back up when you are ready!!
You know my take on this, burn out is real and when it stops being fun you take a break and see if the love returns.
So don't sell your bike just yet, unless you need to, just take a few more weeks/months to see if your desire returns.
I think you should give it a little bit of time and see how you feel. You've accomplished SO much, so if you are done with triathlons, that just means you are going to focus on other things you love. And there is nothing wrong with that. 🙂
I think your friends are right. Hold off on selling for now. It's not hurting anything or anyone to have it sitting for now. It'll allow you to make the right decision that you won't regret when the time comes.
You are speaking my language about burnout. This last year was so hard for me with running, I am taking a physical and mental break. I limit myself to reading very few running blogs and I havent run in a few months. It was just a chore and that is not what I wanted running to be.
It will come back but on its own terms for both of us. I agree with everyone to not sell your bike. Give yourself a timeline and if in say six months nothing, sell it.
This is a pretty typical reaction coming off of an IM training cycle that just ended 3 months ago. Let the bike be sad in the garage for at least another 3 months before making any rash decisions.
FWIW, it doesn't look like I will be doing any triathlons in 2015 either. First year since 2008 with no multisport at all. But I have to limit the $$ for registration fees, and it's all going towards running and swimming events.
Let your heart be your guide and pick the races that look the most fun to compete in. If it ends up that no tri's make the cut for 2015, then maybe 2016 will be different or you can sell the bike then.
I totally understand the need for a break from training. I de-trained for about a year from my Ironman peak, but finally decided to use my fitness for good (not evil) and rode a charity event to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. It didn't take too much time to train up to the distance and it gave me a reason to bike again. Worked for me…something to consider.
My personal policy is not to make big, final decisions based on bad feelings for at least several months, just because I know from experience that my brain is weird & sometimes I have Feelings and Opinions after/about big-deal experiences that feel like they will be forever but it turns out that a few months later, everything is back to normal again.
Burnout is real, Ironman or no Ironman (& sometimes it happens for no obvious reason at all), so I say give yourself some time (like months) to just chill & do the things you love without the pressure of "should I sign up for x race" or "should I sell my bike". I mean unless your bike is hurting something just sitting there, let it sit there, & if you still feel the same way come summer, maybe then sell it.
(Because also, selling a bike is not REALLY a final decision. A kind of expensive one, sure, but if a few years pass & you feel the urge to get back on the horse, there will always be bikes you can buy if you want.)
Good luck!! 🙂
Iz arite!
If you don't enjoy something, why do it? Especially if it is not one of those things every day life requires you to do.
I LOVE riding my bike, and I still take a few months off and ponder taking up knitting after every century. Take the break, get some sleep, and reevaluate in a few months. Your heart and head will give you the answer when it's time.
Give yourself some time to really think about it. It's totally OK if you have no desire to do a tri or ride your bike right now… life is full of ebbs and flows, and you have to do what's right for YOU! But, I highly recommend not selling your bike 🙂 I did that once and was bike-less for more than a year… it was the saddest year ever, and if I could go back, there's no way I would have sold it.
This is exactly how I felt after B2B in 2013. I gave it so much and when it was over I just wanted to run. And that feeling still hasn't changed. I stopped swimming and biking in 2014 and made major growth in other areas I never imagined possible. I'm currently enjoying doing all sorts of classes (even some competitve spinning), but I'm not very interested in the intensity of tris and the tri community at the moment. Maybe that will change. Dont sell your bike. Just take a break, go get your BQ and then decide if you want to come back to tri. xo