No Oomph

Sometimes, regardless of how much I like to run (or bike, or swim, or do yoga, or lift weights, etc...) it's hard to get my butt out the door. This winter has been so much harder for me than last winter in terms of motivation, and I'm not sure why. Last year, I would uncomplainingly get out of bed at 5:15 in the morning to be in the pool by 5:45. This year? I have only done that a few times, opting instead to swim later in the morning when the kids are at school. Or, as has been the case some days, skipped my swim entirely. I have not been biking as much as I should be, considering I have my second Olympic-distance (Oly) triathlon in March, with a 25 mile bike ride. And while I have been consistent with my runs, it often takes a few hits of the snooze button before I get out of bed to actually gear up.

I'm not sure what's going on. Yes, I'm exhausted, and I'm trying to go to bed earlier these days (I'm usually in bed by 10, but these days I'm shooting for the 9:30 range. Apparently, I'm 41 going on 85). But I'm always tired; that's just a fact when you're a busy mom of two, trying to fit in parenting, chauffeuring, cooking, volunteering, and oh yeah, triathlon training. I think it's more of a matter of my motivation.

When I was training for my first Oly last year, I was on my game. I consistently swam 2 long swims a week, and was on my bike every single weekend hill training for what I knew was going to be a grueling hilly route. For this Oly, however, I'm not as motivated. Don't get me wrong, I'm still working out, almost every day. But the drive isn't there. I know I can do the distances (the race will be a 1500 meter swim, 40k bike and 10k run) if the race was tomorrow. But to do it well, not just survive the race, I need to kick it up a notch.

Maybe I'm feeling a bit burned out. Yesterday I took my fourth yoga class, and really enjoyed it. I think I'm enjoying the challenge of something new. Not that running, biking and swimming isn't a challenge for me---all 3 disciplines are hard for me--but I'm enjoying the mental aspect of doing something new with yoga. However, I'm not burned out on working out...there have been times when I've complained on twitter and dailymile that I've "lost my workout mojo", where I don't want to workout at all. That's not what's going on here...I DO want to work out, I DO try to find the time every day to squeeze it in...but the initial "oomph" I used to feel in the morning to bound of bed and do it isn't there.

I hope this rambling made sense; I think I'm just trying to work it out in my own mind. I have lots of races coming up--4 half marathons and an Oly before the middle of June--and I need to get my mind in shape as well as my body.