Pace, the motivator and the killer

I recently read a blogpost about training and the difficulties to make progress. It all comes down to finding the motivation to jump on the bike even though it sometimes would feel better to stay on the sofa, getting over those "bad leg" days. It's all easier said than done. 

When I read this blogpost The Intensity Trap , I recognized myself. Pushing and pushing, and in the end of the day I couldn't see any improvement. Even though the results from the beginning of the season have improved, I now feel that whenever I'm on the bike, my legs just don't feel as good as they used to feel. No power, no endurance, just pedaling and feeling I'm going nowhere but back home sitting on that couch. And no, it's not about overtraining. 

Living in Finland, with really short summers I even feel bad every day I'm not on the bike. This is what I want to do, this is what I can't do during 6months of the year, this is what I love to do. So what's the problem? Why do I find myself here, writing this when the sun is shining outside? I've been reading the book by Chris Carmichael, and the theories about having to only ride 6hours a week to improve your riding. It's interesting, and I'm probably going to try it out during winter on the trainer. But as for any sports, everything is really individual and there are no blueprints that would fit everyone. 

The Intensity Trap was therefore a good reading for me. It's not always going full gas, going slower is also important (even though Chris Carmichael says quite the opposite). Like any other sport, half of the stuff you do depends on your mental state. If you push too hard, you easily find yourself fatigued, after a long day at work, you don't have to push full gas if you feel you don't have the legs. But with the extremely short season here in Finland, then how do you do this?

I have no idea, but finding other people writing about similar topics, makes it a bit better. I'm not the only one finding it difficult sometimes to jump on that bike. I just have to stop feeling bad about the days I'm not on the bike, or just jump on that bike and allow myself to take it easy, whatever the feeling, getting the those miles in the legs is better than blindfully stare at those average speeds.