How to Stay Motivated

For best results, take one twice daily.
Image source: Campus Cycles. 

Looking to keep your Resolve to Ride More in 2012? According to Peter Bregman, believing motivation is the problem is your first mistake.

After all, you already love to bike. You enjoy harnessing your power to propel forward though time, space and air; the sense of community it brings; the quiet time to decompress on the ride home at the end of the day. Most likely you readily admit to family members and co-workers that you actually enjoy exercising.  The feeling of your lungs expanding going up a climb; of going hard and pushing your heart rate into the next zone; the dull ache in your legs the next morning after a really hard effort that serves as a physical reminder you did something enjoyable and worthwhile. The problem isn't really motivation, Bregman explains. It's follow-through.

Author Ellee Thalheimer finds epic places to ride, like this road in Hells Canyon, to stay motivated.
Practice follow-through by choosing a bike tour of your own in her upcoming book,
Cycling Sojourner: A Guide to the Best Multi-Day Tours in Oregon

Relaying his friend Byron's dilemma, he comments: "Each attempt to 'motivate' himself will only increase his stress and guilt as it widens the gap between his motivation and his follow-through, between how badly he wants to work out and his failure to do so. We have a misconception that if we only cared enough about something, we would do something about it. But that's not true.


"Motivation is in the mind; follow-through is in the practice. Motivation is conceptual; follow-through is practical. In fact, the solution to a motivation problem is the exact opposite of the solution to a follow through problem. The mind is essential to motivation. But with follow through, it's the mind that gets in the way.

So with that in mind, how do we commit to following through with our intentions to ride, train, race, tour, or commute by bike more this year? Here's a few of Bregman's suggestions--put into bike terms--to get you rolling:

• Create an environment that supports your workout goals. Have your [cycling] clothes sitting by your bed and put them on first thing when you wake up. In fact, [ride] first thing, before your mind realizes what you're doing. 

• Use a trainer or commit to work out with a friend. It's harder to argue against your accountability to another person. 

• Decide when and where you're going to [ride] — literally write it in your calendar — and the likelihood of follow-through will increase dramatically. 

• Commit to a concrete plan that is simple to quantify: 45 minutes of movement a day, cut out sugar, [ride any bike in your stable] six days a week. 

• Realize that the follow-through challenge will only last a few seconds. As soon as you put your [cleats] on and start heading to [the trailhead or your favorite stretch of road], your mind will give up arguing with you. 

• Discipline will be useful for the first week as you get back into working out. But after that, momentum will take over and the pleasure of feeling more fit will quiet the internal chatter.

Still stuck in a rut?  Grab your favorite riding buddies and plan a bike trip somewhere epic, such as the Porcupine Rim Trail in Moab, Utah. 

Readers: what tools or techniques do you use to keep on task and following through with your riding and fitness goals?  Post your comments below and let us know!

Resolve to Ride More in 2012

BicyclingHub.com celebrates your passion for cycling and would like to encourage you to ride more in the coming year. From commuting to work to pedaling thru all conditions, make the time and just ride!

Whether you're looking to make indoor trainers more enjoyable, cross-training tactics, helpful self-care tips or ways to to stave off the winter chill, BicyclingHub is here to provide you with a series of articles, training tips, product reviews and information to help keep your New Year's Resolutions and have your best season yet.

No matter what your favorite style of riding is, we have the cycling gear and advice you can depend on to help make an informed decision and provide the ultimate performance advantage. From year-round commuter to time-trialing specialist, die-hard roadie to mountain-bike maniac, rambunctious randonneur to Sunday saunters with the family, and all the riders in between: we are here to keep you riding in comfort and style. BicyclingHub supports your resolve to RIDE MORE IN 2012.

BicyclingHub.com's resolution for 2012:  continue providing customers with extensive product knowledge, sharing our trustworthy expertise, and offering exceptional customer service through friendly, fun and reliable attention.

Resolve to RIDE MORE This Year

How to Keep New Year's Resolutions and Have Your Best Season Yet

Whether your New Year's resolutions include better training, better race results, or simply getting into better shape, we all share one common goal: to ride our bikes MORE OFTEN.

Top bike-related resolutions from our readers include:
1. Ride more/drive less
2. Challenge myself to ride further than I ever have
3. Sign up for more organized rides
4. Gets someone else on a bike
5. Eat healthier
6. Take better care of my bike/learn bike maintenance
7. To ride 200 miles in less than 12 hours
8. 12 centuries this year and more time on my mountain bike.
9. Ride Seattle to Portland. Lose the final 30-40 pounds to reach my goal weight, Take a couple small bicycle tours, lead some short bicycle rides around Portland and put in 3000 - 4000 miles on my bike
10. Stop being fat.
11. Spend more hours between two wheels than not this year!
12. To bike 2011 km this year.
13. Track all my miles both daily commute and fun stuff! Reach the Beach and save $ to go to San Diego for 55th HI Christmas Ride!! and no more falling out of Rafts or any falls for that matter!!!)


14. Work on my prototype for ELBIGG; External Load Based Infinite Gradient Gear.

15. To quit using my exercise bike as a glorified towel rack and actually start using it again...
16. Ride more - drive same.
17. Do 6,000 miles again this year. Finish the Death Ride. Raise LOTS of money for the MS Waves to Wine Ride. Lose another 5 - 10 pounds. The list is long.
18. All of the above

How to Stay Motivated

Keeping your resolutions will give you the confidence and motivation you need to set—and reach—new goals throughout the year. Here are some suggestions to help you stay motivated during the winter months when you're locked to the trainer or braving the elements with visions of springtime races and long summer rides dancing in your head.

1. Limit the number of resolutions you make.
Sure, there are a million rides you would like to do and races you'd like to compete in, and you are excited about every single one of them. But making a huge list of goals will ensure you won’t have the time - or energy - to reach them. Prioritize your list, and then pick one or two resolutions to follow through on.

2. Be realistic.

If your goal is to become a stronger hill climber, don’t tell yourself you have to do it by January 30. Making resolutions that are impossible to keep will just set you up for failure, and will discourage you from reaching your goals. Remember: discipline and consistency often yield the best long-term results.

3. Break your resolution down into smaller goals.

For example, if your goal is to stand on a podium by the end of the summer, break it down into steps like “increase base miles and training time,” “hire a coach or attend a training camp,” and “select key, smaller races to provide more racing experience.” Breaking your resolution down into smaller actions will ensure you take the right steps to meet your bigger goal. You'll also feel encouraged when you reach these smaller goals.

4. Write down why you want to achieve your resolution.

Visualization is a key training tactic, utilized by pro-level cyclists such as Lance Armstrong and Alison Dunlap down to amateurs hoping to complete their first long-distance charity ride. The more compelling and detailed your reason is, the more likely you are to stick to it. How will keeping your resolution positively impact your life? How will not keeping your resolution negatively impact your life?

5. Write a resolution outline.

Develop a plan of action and start a bike journal. Ask yourself: what things will you need to do, step-by-step, to achieve your goal? Write down the actions you will need to take on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis: i.e., if "I'm going to complete a 300K Brevet in under 12 hours by the end of March, I need to have 8 solid hours of saddle time the first week of January, 9 hours the second week, 10 by the third, etc." Track your progress and note your successes along the way; if you fall "off the wagon" one week, you can more readily catch yourself early and get back on track.

6. Make a list of things you need in order to effectively reach your goals.
For example, if your goal is to complete a self-supported bike tour in Western Europe, you might need specific gear (touring bike, panniers, lightweight camping gear) in order to do that. If your goal is to lose weight, you might need to re-stock your pantry with healthier foods and consider passing up that third slice of pizza after the Tuesday night group ride. Set yourself up for success.

7. If you have more than one resolution, tackle one at a time.

Pick the most important goal, and accomplish that before you move on to the next one. If you're new to long-distance riding, complete a 50 mile ride first before taking on a double-century. If you plan to race this year, pick out a few races you'd like to place well in, and plan your training schedule (and recovery periods) accordingly. Having too many balls in the air can be overwhelming, and you can end up dropping them all.

8. Be accountable by telling others about your resolutions.

"I'm going to bike commute to work three times a week this year!" It's one thing to have to keep promises to yourself, but it's quite another to have to keep promises to others. Telling others about your resolutions will increase the likelihood of you keeping them...and your co-workers will keep you honest the days you show up with car keys in hand. :)

9. Get support from family, friends, and others who care about you.

Ask them to motivate and check in on you, and let them know what they can do to help you succeed. Find others who have similar goals, and develop a support group to keep each other motivated. Recreational bicycling clubs, amateur racing teams and events such as the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure--which offers local training rides and motivational email tips to registered riders nearly year-round--are great sources of both information and inspiration. Ask a friend, colleague or co-worker to join you for a ride or participate in an event; form a work team and rally the troops to raise funds and participate in annual rides sponsored by the MS Society, LiveSTRONG Foundation, or charity of your choice. Remember: "group support is always stronger than individual willpower!"

10. Celebrate your successes!
Give yourself a pat on the back at the end of every week you stick to your resolutions, or every time you accomplish a little goal on the way to your larger goal. Rewarding yourself regularly will contribute to the motivation you need to stay on track.

You don’t have to be one of those people with dozens of failed New Year’s resolutions. With the right tactics and strategy, you can meet your goals now and in the future. Good luck and happy riding!