One week out of structured training and I already feel like a lazy slouch. But maybe that's natural?
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TRANSCRIPT
Hey everybody, and welcome back to The Lonely Triathlete.
I've been in a bit of an unusual place over the last couple of weeks.
My racing season is over. I had my final race on July 12th, and now I'm in what coaches would call a maintenance phase. Instead of training six days a week, I'm only riding three. Two VO₂ max sessions and one endurance ride. That's it. The goal isn't to get faster right now. The goal is simply to hold onto the fitness I've built before I begin my next training block for the 2027 World Championships in Germany.
On paper, this should be easy.
Three rides a week.
No swimming.
No running.
No pressure.
And yet...
I'm finding it harder to motivate myself to do three workouts than I was when I was doing six.
That got me thinking.
Is the human body actually designed to be...lazy?
Now, "lazy" is probably the wrong word, but it's the word that came to mind.
Why does taking just a little time off seem to wake up this voice in our heads that says, "You could skip today. You've earned it."
If you've ever taken a week off because of vacation, illness, or simply burnout, you've probably experienced the same thing.
The amazing thing is that physiologically, you haven't lost much fitness at all.
Research consistently shows that if you've built a strong aerobic base, one or even two weeks of reduced training causes surprisingly little decline—especially if you keep a little intensity in the program. That's exactly why I'm still doing those VO₂ max intervals. They're enough to remind my body, "Hey, we're still athletes over here."
So the body isn't falling apart.
The interesting part is that the mind often changes faster than the body.
Why?
Because your brain is constantly trying to manage energy.
For almost all of human history, calories weren't unlimited. They were precious. Our ancestors weren't rewarded for going out and doing hill repeats for fun. They were rewarded for surviving, conserving energy when they could, and spending it only when there was a good reason.
So in many ways, our brains evolved to be efficient, not enthusiastic.
When your brain senses that there isn't an urgent reason to burn energy, it starts negotiating.
"Maybe tomorrow."
"One more cup of coffee."
"You've had a busy day."
Sound familiar?
What's fascinating is that during a structured training block, those negotiations almost disappear.
Why?
Because you're no longer making decisions.
You're following a routine.
Monday is intervals.
Tuesday is easy.
Wednesday is strength.
Thursday is another hard session.
The routine does the thinking for you.
But remove the structure for just a week, and suddenly every workout becomes a fresh decision.
And decisions require motivation.
I actually think that's why maintenance can feel harder than full training.
It's not because the workouts are harder.
It's because momentum has slowed down.
I've often said that motivation is overrated.
Identity is much more powerful.
I'm not someone who trains because I feel motivated.
I'm someone who trains because that's who I am.
Right now, my schedule has changed.
My identity hasn't.
I'm still a triathlete.
I'm simply in a different season.
I think that's an important reminder for all of us.
Not every month is about building fitness.
Some months are about absorbing the work.
Some months are about recovery.
Some months are about letting your body and mind catch up.
And that's exactly where I am.
The funny thing is, I know this intellectually.
I've read the research.
I've experienced it before.
And yet I'm still having the same conversations with myself before each ride.
That's comforting in a strange way.
It reminds me that discipline isn't something you achieve once.
It's something you practice over and over again.
Now, speaking of the next season...
I've been working on something that I'm REALLY excited about.
Some of you know that I qualified for the 2027 World Age Group Championships in Hamburg, Germany.
Over the next year, I want to document that journey in a way I've never done before.
I've ordered a follow-me sports drone.
I've got a new action camera on the way.
And I'm going to start experimenting with video.
I'm calling the project—at least for now—Journey to Germany.
I don't know exactly what form it's going to take.
Some of it may end up on YouTube.
Some might be exclusive to Patreon.
I'm still figuring all of that out.
But what excites me isn't the equipment.
It's the opportunity to let you experience the process with me.
Not just race day.
Not just podiums.
The rainy Tuesday morning ride.
The workout that almost didn't happen.
The trail runs.
The recovery days.
The small victories that nobody else usually sees.
I've spent years talking into a microphone about training.
Now I'd like to show you what that training actually looks like.
And maybe that's fitting, because this next chapter feels different.
I'm 58 years old, heading toward 59.
For more than twenty-five years, I've somehow continued setting personal bests.
Every few years I think, "Well...this is probably it. This is where improvement finally stops."
And then somehow...
Another personal best.
I honestly don't know where my ceiling is anymore.
Maybe I've already found it.
Maybe it's still ahead of me.
I don't know.
But I don't want to spend the next year wondering.
I'd rather find out.
And if I'm going to find out, I thought it might be fun to bring all of you along for the ride.
Thanks so much for listening. And if you want to hear more from me and even drop me a line, why don'tyou head on over to patreon.com and search for the lonely triathlete.
If today's episode resonated with you—especially if you're struggling with motivation after taking some time off—I hope it reminds you that nothing is wrong with you.
Your brain is simply doing what it evolved to do.
Our job as endurance athletes isn't to eliminate that resistance.
It's to gently, consistently, keep showing up anyway.
Until next time...
I'll be on my personal road to Germany.
Peace
