Mental block on getting out on a ride
So here's a thing, I love mountain biking, I love bikepacking, I don't mind a bit of hiking either. The longer I leave it between rides or hikes, the harder it is to get myself out of the door. I know that if I can just get myself out onto the trail, that I'll have a great time and be so pleased I forced the issue. But still, that getting out is the difficult part oftentimes.
You can see a YouTube on this subject here
Why does it matter if I don't ride or hike?
Getting out into nature is so important for my mental health. When I ride, not one thought is given to any other matter than to having fun.
Things that prevent me from riding my bike:
Motivation. My head isn't always in the right place and I just can't get myself out the door. Rarely nowadays does getting out come easily to me.
Indecision on where to ride. I'm so spoilt for choice of where to ride, I end up going nowhere because I just can't decide.
Procrastination over what type of ride to do. Mountain biker or Bikepacker, trails or Bikepark. I can't decide which I want to do on the rare occasions it is possible to do either.
Laziness. I like my warm/cool house and comfy sofa! And I don't like getting up early on a weekend.
Time Restrictions: I struggle to ride on days where I am restricted by a short time window
There's no one to let down: I always ride solo
Fear: Fear of getting injured
Another cup of coffee: just one more, then I need a wee and so the time wasting goes on!
Make it easy to get out:
Here's a few things I do to encourage myself to venture out when my head isn't in the right place. These things don't cure the problem but do make it easier to just get in the car and go:
As soon as I can after a ride, I wash, spanner check and lubricate my bike
After cleaning and servicing it, I put my mountain bike back in the car
On returning from a ride, wash and dry my Camelbak ready for next use
I wash all my kit as soon as possible