I finished last week on a pretty positive note with a really enjoyable 80km spin. Monday I started the week according to plan with a short walk and kettlebell session but wasn’t in the mood for a walk after work. Instead I took a lazy night sitting chatting with Catriona. Tuesday I was up and out for my short pre work 25km spin as usual and felt good. That evening after dinner I did go out for a walk and pushed myself to complete the 6km route to make up for Monday evening.
It all went down hill from then. I had an important household maintenance job to complete Wednesday morning but the plan was to cycle late morning/early afternoon depending on the weather conditions. Whatever happened overnight though I just couldn’t be arsed. No matter how I tried I just couldn’t get motivated for any kind of decent activity. In the afternoon I eventually talked myself into going to Monellan for a wander off the trails and through the trees. I did really enjoy that, bushwacking along the length of the river and exploring the wooded areas for possible camp spots. I also found a massive den, possibly badger but more likely fox that I intend to go back to.
The rest of the week was worse. The weather turned quite wet and windy on Wednesday afternoon and stayed that way for the rest of the week, even turning very wintry on Friday with snow and hail. This gave me all the reasons in the world to take the foot off the pedal and just drift through the end of the week.
I was able to get through the working day having found a system of dealing with the volume of phonecalls and messages without getting stressed but outside of that I had zero interest. I managed to push myself enough to keep my daily walking streak going but it was the bare minium of 2-3km just once each day with no cycling since Tuesday and no further kettlebell sessions. Somehow I clocked up a reasonable 24km walking for the week which surprised me!

I also decided during the week that Intermittent Fasting wasn’t working for me, that I was too active for my calorific intake and that I wasn’t at my most productive during the morning at work. All this is correct but it gave me the excuse to eat very poorly for most of the week. I’ve been tired and out of sorts since Wednesday, feeling a bit rundown and at least some of that is probably due to diet and a bad sleeping pattern. It’s been another great excuse for taking the lazy option.
From Tuesday the weather is set to improve again and I’m hoping that the time shift to Summer Time last night and the resulting longer evenings will help me break out of this funk and get back on track. The plan is to restart the week tomorrow morning with the usual kettlebells and see how it goes.
The first casualty of Covid is motivation…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Covid did cross my mind. I’ve been a bit sniffly and the lethargy and achy thigh muscles were definite symptoms at the time. It’s possible that a bit of a head cold has created a similar response to Covid?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well it may be indeed. I was making a more general point about the virus sucking the life out of the general population, but of course, you have actually been there and done it, so apologies; that wasn’t what I meant. I hope it’s nothing sinister :-0
LikeLiked by 1 person
đ Gotcha now! I like to think that the current lockdown isn’t affecting me but it probably is and the general flow of bad news and bad humour in the people I meet must rub off too. I’m feeling better today so hopefully that post was cathartic đ¤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some “extra daylight” with summer time and improving weather should help with the motivation!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m always motivated so if I feel like that occasionally it’s my body telling me to back off. The mojo always comes back. Yours will too
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s so easy to take the lazy option, isn’t it? I do it too often. However, it seems to me that needing to take the lazy option means that something inside–mind? spirit?–needs healing. The lazy option allows the opportunity for that to heal. May you have many better weks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that concept. Thank you đ
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! I could identify with your post. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: resetting expectations | the idle cyclist