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Maybe you’ve been training for a while and you’re a going through a flat patch, your struggling for motivation to get out and do what you have been doing and when you do get out your aren’t enjoying your training like you used to.

The good news, you aren’t on your own, many of us go through these flat patches. So what can you do to get out of your funk? Here are some causes of a flat patch and some tips on what you can do to get past them.

Goals

You have set yourself some goals and have achieved them which is great! But now you have nothing to train for. Set yourself a new set of goals, try something different to aim for. Get some friends together and aim to conquer a team event, if you’re a road runner, hit some trails for some variety. Join a group and enjoy training alongside some new friends.

Over training

You caught the bug and couldn’t stop yourself. It felt great for a while but now you feel tired, sore and struggling to find your mojo again. If you are the type of trainer that records everything, for example using a GPS watch or similar to monitor your pace, distance, etc. when you are out next time leave the measuring tools behind. Just go out and enjoy your run, don’t worry about your pace or your distance, just go out and enjoy the session. Don’t go out too hard or 2 fast, if you are a runner or cyclist head somewhere different for a change of scenery and enjoy it.

Stress

You place too much pressure on yourself in your training, especially when you are training for a goal or event. Follow a program and take the stress out of it. Stick to the program and do the work knowing that it will help you achieve your goal, but don’t get too emotional about your sessions. Following a program will help to remove some of the emotion.

Bored

Maybe you’re sick of doing what seems the same old thing. So change it up, find a training buddy or a group, try a new location, a new type surface. Even if its just for a couple of weeks, that might just be enough to get your mojo back. And if that fails I always find that a new pair of runners gets my juices flowing again. Or how about rewarding yourself at the end of a group of sessions? Book a massage for yourself at the end of the month, breakfast or dinner at a new restaurant or have some of your favourite food waiting for you at home when you get back from your session. But stick to the rule that if you don’t do the work you don’t get the reward.

All of these things have been tried and tested by me. As I said earlier you are not alone in feeling unmotivated from time to time but hopefully the next time you are you can get yourself out of more quickly with some of these ideas.