Motivationally Challenged

[[old] pynthanama]

Hi there (I'd call you fellow erg-ers...but that would imply I was actually erging...)<br /><br />I'm having a tough time translating my best intentions into actual practice, and I'm posting in a mild desperation that someone out there might have some words of wisdom that can help. My rower has been set up waiting for me for about 5 months. <br /><br />Long ago I used to be a water-based rower, and more recently I seem to have permuted into a chronic couch potato. I'm looking for some kind of motivation/inspiration because I don't seem to have it in me to get up and get going in the mornings. Mornings are the only times I have to row, but when the alarm goes off I just can't make myself get out of bed early. I'm frustrated with myself. I've laid my clothes out in the evening so there will be as little thought as possible- I've gotten energetic que-ed up and ready to go. The sticking point (the "catch" as it were) is that point in the early AM when I try and roll my lazy tuckus out of the bed. <br /><br />Please don't "Dr Phil" me- I know that there is a certain amount of this that I just have to do on my own, but thinking about it that way isn't helping me <br /><br />Any words of support or wisdom would be greatly appreciated. I do want to get back to my once-beautiful body and healthy self..... ARGH~!<br /><br />~Pynthanama

[[old] andyArvid]

you could try <a href='http://www.clocky.net' target='_blank'>clocky</a> alas it is not for <a href='http://bicillin.media.mit.edu/clocky/' target='_blank'>sale</a> yet.

[[old] Rowmum]

Hi there!<br />Know how you feel in the morning;your bed is so nice and warm!<br />Some tips that help me:<br />*put your alarm clock on the other side of the room<br />*sabotage the snooze button, so that you can´t use that<br />*set up your "rowing gear" in the evening, before you go to bed; clothes, heart belt,even fill up your water bottle<br />*put your rowing shoes on top of the alarm clock, so that they find their way into your hands when you hit the alarm<br /><br />You have been rowing before, so close your eyes and remember how you felt after a good training.<br />Think about the calories you will be burning, the muscles that will slowly pop up again and the energy you will feel during the day.<br />My 10000 meters in the (very early) morning are not always easy to row, but when I skip a day and get up with my three toddlers, it feels like I´ve got stones hanging down my shoulders. <br />After a good row, I´m proud of myself and just feel fit!<br />Well, it´s late over here(I´m in Europe), so by the time you need to get up for your row, I will just be ready for lunch.<br />I´ll cross my fingers for you;don´t think too much, just go for it!<br />It´s just like having sex when you have a busy schedual and toddlers running around the house; close the door, focus and when you´re done, you always end up asking yourself why you have waited so long since the last time.<br />Good luck!<br />Andrea

[[old] PaulS]

<!--QuoteBegin-pynthanama+Apr 12 2005, 10:29 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(pynthanama @ Apr 12 2005, 10:29 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->My rower has been set up waiting for me for about 5 months. <br /><br />Long ago I used to be a water-based rower, and more recently I seem to have permuted into a chronic couch potato.<br /><br />Any words of support or wisdom would be greatly appreciated. I do want to get back to my once-beautiful body and healthy self..... ARGH~!<br /><br />~Pynthanama <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Okay, there's a couple ways to approach this:<br /><br />1) You want results? Guess what? You are the one in charge of them. Once you see little, you will want more. So get your lazy butt out of bed and onto the Erg, nobody can do that for you. Once you log some results, we're all here to encourage you to stick with it.<br /><br />2) Wear your rowing clothes to bed, or Erg naked. This reduces at least one obstacle, saves time (or Laundry), and might even provide some motivation if you have a mirror in the Erg Room.<br /><br />3) Hey, you don't feel like getting on the Machine, excellent! While I'm sure that it is a rather attractive addition to home decor, there is no reason to let it gather dust, you could sell it in a heartbeat and use the money for something that you will enjoy more.<br /><br />4) Make a game out of your return to the sport that you may have loved once, no hurry, you can even wait for the 1st of next month to get started, but you must get started. On the 1st of May do 1 minute, on the 2nd do 2 minutes, and so on. by the end of the month you will be up to 30 minutes and well on your way to staying committed to this thing that will get your body back. You could even take a picture each morning before you start and have a record of how much better you are looking and feeling in a few months. Once your up to 30-40 minutes a day, just keep it up. You can even take the w/e's off if you like.<br /><br />Cheers!

[[old] michaelb]

If you can't row in the morning, you can row at night. By definition, as a couch potato, at some point in the evening you sit down in front of the TV. Put the TV in front of the rowing machine, and watch TV and row instead.<br /><br />Forcing yourself to row at night will do wonders for your motivation to row in the morning.

[[old] marialbertini]

<!--QuoteBegin-michaelb+Apr 12 2005, 04:58 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(michaelb @ Apr 12 2005, 04:58 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->If you can't row in the morning, you can row at night.  By definition, as a couch potato, at some point in the evening you sit down in front of the TV.  Put the TV in front of the rowing machine, and watch TV and row instead.<br /><br />Forcing yourself to row at night will do wonders for your motivation to row in the morning. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />That's what I do when I feel lazy. Sit in the erg with the TV on and just start very slowly like if you are just playing. In 5 minutes you will see that you start rowing faster and faster once you get into the rhythm.<br />It works.<br />Good luck.<br /><br />Hi Andy. I'm from Brazil too.

[[old] AussieTaff]

Hi Pynthanama,<br /><br />Maybe you need some company to get started - a good friend or suitable neighbour for example. Then you both can set up a timetable and do workouts together, encouraging each other. Knowing someone is going to turn up at your house at a certain time is great for getting one up and energised !<br /><br />Or pop down to the local gym just to get into the swing of it.<br /><br />Martin

[[old] KathiS]

Hi Pynthanama,<br /><br />I think I understand what you mean, because there was a time that I would say the very same thing. I can tell you what motivated me to start exercising, and what kept me motivated to do it everyday. <br /><br />This is kind of a long story, and I hope I don't bore you too much. <br /><br />It was April 15, 2002, I weighed 270 pounds (I am only 5'4"). I had never really exercised before, and I lived on a diet of junk food. On this particular evening, I was talking to a really good friend on the phone, a man that I had never met in person. I bought a book from him online months prior, and we became very good friends through e-mail, and eventually began speaking on the phone. He knew a lot about me, but up until this point he didn't know about my obesity. I really began to develop strong feelings for him, and had recently confessed this to him. While talking about my weight issues I told him that I thought that weight shouldn’t matter. He said something to me that absolutely changed my life forever. I will never forget these words. He said, “Weight does matter to me, and I will tell you why. I really don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I think I need to be totally honest with you. I really enjoy activities like hiking, bicycling, windsurfing, walking, etc., and I want the person I share my life with to be able to enjoy these activities with me. I also want this person to be as healthy as possible, because I want her to live a long life with me.”<br /><br />Well, this is one of those times that the right person told me exactly what I needed to hear right when I needed to hear it the most. He didn’t sugar coat it. He told me the truth. For a few minutes I let the words digest and then I knew. I knew that I wanted to be that person that he shared these activities with. <br /><br />It was the next day that I changed my lifestyle forever. I started walking (I could only manage 10 minutes the first time). Everyday I added a little more to my exercise routine. I was getting up at 5 a.m. every morning to do exercise videos with my daughter before she went to school. Getting out of bed hours before I had to every morning would have been impossible, except for one thing. In October, my friend was coming to visit me for the first time, and I was bound and determined to be at least fit enough to go on a 6-10 mile walk with him while he was here. Nothing was going to stop me. Nothing. The reason is, that I wanted this for myself. <br /><br />Once I made up my mind that it is what I wanted, that is all I needed. You have to find your own motivation and you have to want it, really want it. You also have to believe you can do it. You can do it. I lost 100 pounds, and last year I married this man. I went from a size 26-28 to between an 8-10. I still workout almost everyday, because I love how I feel after I do. I just started rowing in February of this year, and my goal is to have a million meters by our first wedding anniversary on June 5th. If I can do this, anyone can!<br /><br />So bottom line, you have to make up your mind that not only do you want to do this, but you are going to do this. You have to believe in yourself and know that your health is worth the effort. Until you do that, nothing will get you out of bed. <br /><br />I sure hope that something someone says here will be the "right thing at the right time" for you.

[[old] CAROLE MAC]

wow Kathi that's inspirational......day 2 of my new regime just what I needed ..

[[old] dmhayden]

"Just get on the erg. Even if you only pull 100m, just GET ON THE ERG."<br /><br />That's what I tell myself and it really works wonders. Sometimes you'll find that you're too busy to pull for more than a few minutes, but more often, you'll end up pulling a decent workout.<br /><br />Another trick I've heard is to tape the most unflattering picture of yourself that you can find to the erg. As you stare at the rolls of flab, you tell yourself "I will NOT look like that again!!" and you pull harder. Or, if you're like me and your body has gone from pretty buff to marshmellow fluff, you can find a picture of your former self and try to get back to that stage.<br /><br />Oh, and KathiS, what a great story!<br /><br />Dave<br />

[[old] seat5]

Kathi, I am totally amazed by your story!!!! you're awesome! Your husband must be a really great guy and he must feel great that you lost 100 lbs for him. Wow!!!<br /><br /><br />Pynthanama, I can't row in the morning, not because I can't get up, but because I'm not flexible enough to row then. So I row at night. Late. I usually start around midnight and end up showering and going to bed around 1:30 or 2:00 am, and have to get up at 7:00. I only row 4 or 5 times a week because there's only so much of that you can do without totally collapsing.<br /><br />Try late night rowing. It's great. No one interrupts you. It's very invigorating, and you fall asleep within seconds of getting in bed. If it's winter and cold, you are nicely warmed up to sleep. If it's summer and hot, that' s the coolest time to row. You shower before bed and then you don't have to in the morning (except you have to wet your hair or it will look a little punk.)<br /><br />Gosh, if I go on like this, I'll even convince myself that it's normal!

[[old] sharp_rower]

When you're on the erg and you feel your motivation flagging, pull a little bit harder, let the endorphins kick in and enjoy the high ride. It'll keep you going back.

[[old] JaneW.]

Hi (I'm not even sure how to pronounce your name)<br /><br />I don't normally give advice unless asked so here goes. Hope this helps.<br /><br />a) Do you really love the erg or do you enjoy being outdoors in the open water rowing? Can you find other outdoor activities to complement the indoor rowing? Being with nature is incredibly motivating for many. <br /><br /> Can you afford a personal trainer or a gym membership for a short period? Being around other exercisers can be a good source of support in addition to sharing training info. with one another. If you decide on a personal trainer, make sure he or she has a nationally accredited certification such as ACE or American College of Sports Medicine. I know that trainers get a bad reputation but there are caring and amazing trainers who have helped others achieve the beautiful bodies, inside and out, with proper nutrition and a planned regimen.<br /><br />c) Try not to think of your early morning routine as a workout but instead a way to be in touch with your body and feel alive, not groggy. In the beginning, don't focus on your weight. Instead focus on what you're feeling inside and how to love and take care of the beautiful person that I know you to be.<br /><br />Don't give up. I haven't and if you knew my life's story on my recovery road from my back injury, it might make you consider your life as precious and valuable. I had to learn how to walk, brush my teeth, sit , stand and do the most daily activities that most people take for granted all over again. I was close to being crippled. Take care and hope you have already started your path to a glorious life which you have envisioned. <br />

[[old] JaneW.]

Dear Pynthanama, <br /><br />Don't know why you're in my thoughts today. Another suggestion is:<br /><br />Check out your local community college under Physical Education classes for adults. There are morning and weekend classes with teachers who have Master degrees in kinesiology. These teachers are often coaches themsleves and would love to help anyone achieve their fitness goals. The fee is affordable and you'll make great friends!<br /><br />I forget that sometimes the gym can be intimidating for some and the atmosphere can be like a singles bar. My best, Jane

[[old] LandLocked]

I am not a morning person anymore. I row at night, very late. Of course that’s because I work weird hours. But I find I’m too tired if I row before work, and it’s much better for me to row, cool down, & flop into bed. <br /><br />YMMV