(Coach Damian) Lina told us a personal story, she wanted to share with us her hard experience as an active person, who loves to ride her bike and be outside. I got a chance to virtually meet Lina on February 12th, since then we got a chance to talk on the phone a few times. Lina wasn’t alone with her depressions and demotivation. Many of Cyklopedia’s members have experienced this type of feeling.
That unique situation forced us to completely change our training routines, not speaking of changing whole lives. All of the races were canceled, you can’t go for a ride with your friends, or even alone.
The motivation was decreasing drastically, “Why would I workout if there is no racing coming?” many people asked.
But even this situation can teach us a lot, only if we willing to learn.
Good thing is to think long-term, even if you miss one, two, or ten races, eventually, it will come back, maybe in a few months or next year. I always tell my athletes to plan even five years ahead and think what is the “big” goal they want to achieve. All races, group rides, or every single workouts is only one little step on the long journey. The long-term goals will help you to stay focus and keep your motivation high.
“But what if I am not racing?”
Setup other goals, like staying in good shape, losing weight, or improving your performance. Encourage your friends and do it in the group so you can motivate each other.
Stay active in “social virtual life”. Everyone moved from outdoor to indoor, but we are still communicating through tools like Facebook, Instagram, Strava, TrainingPeaks, or Zwift.
Zwift is a great option to ride with friends, you can communicate through the Discord and go for “group ride” on your trainer.
Lina was active on her Instagram profile, where she was showing only positive emotions, which is good, she could help many other peoples even without knowing it. She was the inspiration for all of her followers, but remember that we all are just humans and we need to talk with others. Don’t be afraid to talk to your friends and tell them what is going on, depression can be very hard for everyone who is dealing with it.
The conversation is always a good thing to do as well as a sport can be a great “healer”, physical activities are helping people with depression for many years. With the right plan and strategy, everyday activities can help you, maybe it is a good time to take a break from cycling and try different things. Core training or balance training can be very helpful when cycling season comes back.
Feel free to reach out to the Cyklopedia team if you need help!