It is April already. Some of us have been training quite consistently since our season break from last year. By now, you have done over 3 serious month of base training, and with the weather still cold and gray, you might be feeling a little worn out and down. But you are not alone, as most people have a hard time training now for a race that is usually 6 months away.

As a professional triathlete, I often have to use some 'mind tricks' to get me out the door. When I was younger, I had all the motivation in the world, and my improvement curve kept my enthusiasm on a constant high. Now, with over 8 seasons under my belt, things are not so easy and I frown at the idea of a 5 hour ride in the cold.

Trick Yourself Into Shape

One way I always make sure I get out the door is telling myself I can turn around and come home if I am still miserable after 30 minutes. It is a lie, but it always helps me get dressed and go.

Other times, when the above doesn't seem to work, I try to go online and see some race videos, or pictures, or just look at other pros training logs. The image of people I will be facing later in the season busting their butts in harsh conditions while I sit in the couch eating chocolate chip cookies is too much to bear. And I head out.

Another way I make sure I endure long or difficult training sessions is to break it into sections. I recently did a 6 hour ride alone, and what I did to keep boredom away was to divide it into 3 sections of 2 hours. I had the first section, similar to a warm up. I had the middle section that was the 'core' of the ride, where I practiced race nutrition, imagery, and some steady efforts, and the last 2 hours, when all I was doing was riding home. Simple, eh?

Keeping the Motivation High

Some things are important to avoid in order to keep your passion for the sport burning. You must absolutely take an extended rest each year - at least 15 days. During that period, don't do any scheduled workouts, but only what you feel like doing, when you feel like doing it, and as slow as you feel like it. Go snow skiing, rock climbing, kayaking, in-line skating, or jog with that friend that runs 14 minute miles. Just for the fun of it. Fun is why you chose this sport, remember?

Having a good mix of workouts that are alone and with a group often helps to keep things in perspective. The group workouts will challenge you and make sure you are going fast enough. The lone ones will ensure that you keep an eye on your target heart rate and keep the effort in check ( it would surprise you how many of us go too fast in our recovery sessions, and not fast enough on the fast ones).

There is one more thing you can do that will not only inspire you to get out, but will also help others who can't be doing what you do: help. I chose the ITP Foundation (www. itpfoundation.org) as my beneficiary, and I will be trying to raise money for children and teenagers with this debilitating disease. There are many organizations like this one. Anyone can help, and Team in Training (www.teamintraining.com) has been doing this for quite a while, and you have fun while aiding in the cure/ treatment of Leukemia and Lymphoma.

Felipe Bastos is a professional triathlete living in Florida, training for the 2004 Olympic Triathlon. He can be reached at: Felipe@felipe-bastos.com.

Felipe is sponsored by - SportzEdicate, UFIT, WinTheSwim.com, Rudy Project, TriSports.com, Paketa, Truvativ, Kinesis, and XTERRA Wetsuits. He is a member of the XP Performance Oriented Coaching and Athlete Development.