Posted 07/12/2022 by Jenny Lucas-Hill

When the temperature drops and the daylight hours dwindle, finding the motivation to get out and train can be tricky. Let’s face it, when you wake up to the sound of driving rain hitting your window – the prospect of having to spend half an hour putting on endless layers of kit (only to need the loo the second you finish putting it all on!) feels far less appealing than hitting the snooze button and staying under the duvet.

But, making the time to keep Finding Your Freedom over the winter months is vital.  Not just for your fitness, but to take care of your physical and mental wellbeing too. Once you do manage to get yourself up and at ‘em, you’ll be amazed at what a different it makes to your mindset and energy levels.

If you want to keep your training ticking over during the winter months but you’ve been struggling to stay motivated – this one is for you!

How to stay motivated during the winter months 

Don’t beat yourself up for not feeling 100% motivated, 100% of the time

Public service announcement: no one feels 100% motivated, 100% of the time. Anyone who tries to tell you that they are is either a) lying or b) secretly a robot. Everyone has spells from time to time where they just really cannot be hoofed with getting up and getting their training done. Beating yourself up for not feeling motivated is only going to make you feel worse, and it’ll make getting your training done even more difficult.

The key to “staying motivated” is really about redefining what we mean by “motivated” in the first place. Motivation is not necessarily always a feeling. It’s not somersaulting out of bed the second your alarm goes off and singing a cheery song about how excited you are to do some intervals on the turbo trainer. Motivation is more about your actions. It’s making a plan and sticking to it. Getting into a routine. Making a commitment to your goals and to yourself. Knowing what you want to achieve and consistently making the decisions that will get you there. Giving it your best shot, even if you don’t really feel like it.

Once you can accept that you’re not always going to feel super excited to get your training done, and that sometimes you’ll have to rely on habit, routine and determination to keep you moving. It makes the whole process that little bit easier.

Establish a routine

So we know that motivation can be a fickle beast. There one day, totally AWOL the next. Habit and routine pick up the slack when motivation goes missing. Getting yourself into a routine takes discipline at first, but it soon becomes muscle memory. Planning out what sessions you’re going to do and when takes away that moment of decision-making when the alarm goes off and it’s cold and dark. You haven’t got to put energy into deciding what to do, and you leave yourself less room to talk yourself out of it. Past you has already done the leg work.

Put your training sessions in your diary and treat them like an important meeting with yourself: that’s your time to do something that’s going to make you feel awesome. You wouldn’t keep cancelling on a friend or a colleague – so don’t cancel on yourself. You’re just as important!

Lay your kit and anything else you need out the night before, so you can just get up and go. Sometimes just the thought of having to search around for your kit can be enough to extinguish any spark of motivation you might have, so make things as easy as possible for yourself.

Establishing a routine and planning out your time becomes even more important as we make our way into the festive season and life gets busy. There are so many fun things to do at this time of year, but being able to make space for those little moments of ‘you time’ to get your slice of freedom and adventure will help to stop you from feeling overwhelmed.

Give yourself an “out”

Okay. So you’ve set your routine, that training session is in the diary and you know what you’ve got to do. But the alarm goes off and… good GOAT the thought of actually getting up and getting it done feels impossible. We’ve all been there! If the thought of tackling the full session you had planned feels overwhelming and it’s enough to put you off from even starting, give yourself an out. Maybe 3 hours on the bike sounds like too much. But a quick 30 minute spin down to your favourite coffee place isn’t so bad, right? Give yourself permission to change or cut the session short if you’re still not feeling it once you get going. Knowing you’ve got that option makes getting started feel far less intimidating. And chances are, once you’re out there you’ll end up completing what you had planned anyway! Getting out the door is usually the hardest part. All you have to do is show up… and not give up, until you’ve warmed up.

Even if you do end up taking your “out”, it doesn’t matter. You’ll feel better for the fact that you gave it a go. Don’t dwell on it, just accept that for whatever reason – today was not the day. Enjoy a bit of extra rest and you’ll be ready to come back stronger next time.

Make it fun

Winter might be harsh and bleak, but your training plan doesn’t have to be! Now is the time to make your training as fun as possible. Gather your Herd and head out for a chatty group ride. Head to your local parkrun and treat yourself to a coffee and a cake afterwards. Never underestimate how powerful the lure of baked goods can be when your morning alarm goes off! Rope someone in to join you on your Sunday long run, or head somewhere new so you can focus on exploring a new route rather than clock watching.

If you’re regularly struggling with motivation, it’s probably a sign that you need to switch things up and make training fun again.

Treat yourself to some cosy winter kit

If the thought of being cold, wet and miserable means your bike is gathering dust in the garage… it’s time to treat yourself to some proper winter kit! Our Alpine range is made from premium Tempest Protect fabric, designed to keep you warm, dry and comfortable – whatever the weather. You’ll be amazed at how much more enjoyable your winter rides can be once you’ve got the right gear.

Until 24.12.22 you can save 20% on winter cycling outfits with our new bundle deals. So if you’ve been thinking about upgrading your winter riding wardrobe, now is the perfect time to get some of our next-level cosy kit in the bag!

Take your training indoors

Lack of daylight hours or the thought of heading outdoors when the weather is frightful is making it hard for you to get your training done? Let’s take it indoors! Training indoors on rollers or a turbo trainer is time efficient, you can train when it suits you… and you can catch up on whatever guilty pleasure you’ve been binge watching on Netflix without any interruptions. Check out our tips for making the most of indoor training and keep an eye on the Stolen Goat Herd Facebook group for details of virtual Zwift group rides with some of your fellow goats.

 

Still struggling to get motivated? This time of year can be tough for so many reasons. If you’ve tried all of the above and you’re still finding it difficult to get out there… it might be a sign from your body and your mind that you need a bit of a rest and a reset. Be kind to yourself, take the time that you need and trust that your drive will come back when you’re good and ready.

Whatever adventures you’ve got planned this winter, make sure you tag us in your photos – we love seeing what you Goats are getting up to!

 

WINTER KIT TO KEEP YOU MOTIVATED

There’s nothing like treating yourself to a  little bit of #NewKitDay joy to help keep yourself motivated. When you’ve got a new Stolen Goat jacket or jersey to show off, you’ll be desperate to get out and ride! Check out some of our top picks below and don’t forget to take a look at our new winter bundle deals for your chance to save 20% when you bundle up this winter.