Keeping the Faith

No, I'm not going to write a whole post about the most awesome De La Soul song ever.  What I mean to discuss is how to stay on a training plan when things get tough (even though this blog is secretly about '90's hip hop and not really about cycling at all). 

Last year I worked with a coach to improve my sprint.  Once my sprint had improved, I was able to coach myself.  I noticed that some people use coaches to "babysit" them and ensure they'll do their workouts.  "Haha," I thought to myself, "I'll never need a babysitter like those clowns." 

One year later: HELP!  I NEED A BABYSITTER!  I know what to do, but this year I'm not motivated enough to stick with it.  A couple options came to mind to make myself accountable to other people:

1. Hire a coach.  Nope, too expensive, and besides, any resources I might have had for a coach have now been diverted to a therapist.  Maybe that will eventually address this motivational deficiency...
2. Make a training plan consisting of group exercise only.  Hmmm...that could be awesome if your goals are to win Philly's World Championships of Vino Velo group ride or become the bendiest person in Power Yoga class. 
3. Do all lifting workouts with a trainer.  OK, it would obviously be helpful to have someone stand there and yell “You suck," or "You’re a f***ing god,” (depending on whether you’re motivated by self-loathing or narcissism).  In the face of limited resources, I’ve found a good compromise to be a few instructional sessions with Lance, then to stay on his gym schedule once I’m doing the prescribed lifting on my own.  Just the threat of being caught slacking is pretty motivating, but I guess that means I'm stalking my trainer...
3. Acknowledge a deity.  Maybe the thought of some omniscient being (Spaghetti Monster, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy) could be motivating enough to make good choices.  This study found that children were 16% less likely to cheat on tests when told an invisible princess was watching.  OK, this might work assuming you have at least the mental capacity and discipline of a child, and that may not be the case for me...
4. Find some like-minded friends, and be accountable to each other.  OK, I can do that.  Thank you, Google Calendar.


So, to keep our nutrition on track, my friend Ashley and I are sharing a food diary.  And the occasional comment, like "hey man, you're definitely not getting scurvy today," is a motivating reminder that someone actually saw how many servings of grapefruit I ate that day.  It's a lot harder to make bad choices when you know someone's going to make fun of you for it later, although somehow I still manage to make my share of bad choices...

Workouts are being tracked too: several of us have shared training calendars and login info so we can check up on one another.  Is that slightly more work than paying for the "coach" edition and having everyone's workouts show up under one account?  Sure, but it's free, and we get to stick it to the man while monitoring each other's progress. 

So if you need a watchful eye to keep you on track but can't rely on a coach, group rides, or an invisible princess to make you do it, share your goals with your friends.  You're a lot more likely to achieve a goal that you've shared with someone else, and who knows what might happen; His Noodly Appendage often touches those who don't seek it...