Road to Barcelona, CHAPTER 2: Training even without motivation

There are training sessions that flow effortlessly.
Days when motivation is high, the body responds, and movement turns into pure pleasure.
Then, there are all the other days. The ones where even just stepping out the door feels like a battle.
Putting on your shoes feels heavy, and every step is a challenge to your willpower.

Mattia’s journey towards the Ironman in Barcelona is mostly made of these moments.
Not just performance, but sacrifices, scheduling conflicts, empty miles, and endless repeats under the sun.

“If I think about how many truly perfect sessions I’ve had compared to all the ones I’ve finished… we’re well below half.”

From December to March, every session had to fit in between a day on the snow and work.
From June onward, 30°C heat forces a choice: sunrise or night sessions.
And in between? Life. Friends. Unexpected events.
That’s where the mind comes in.
Or better: that mental state he calls flow.

"Training without motivation is an art.
You don’t do it out of duty, you do it out of respect for yourself.
Yes, you have a goal.
But above all: you chose a path. And you want to finish it."

This is where his journey overlaps with NASR’s.
Both are built on one simple principle: it’s not the summit that matters. It’s the journey.
A newagesportracer doesn’t gear up just to stand on the podium.
They gear up to feel that perfect turn.
To push through that final sprint of a brutal set.
To stand on the pedals at the top of a climb, just to prove to themselves they’re still there.

A ski jacket, an XT short, or a bike suit aren’t just for when you raise the trophy.
They’re for the moment you decide to start.
For when you push past the point you would’ve given up.

And then there’s the NASR TEAM.
A group of “crazed” athletes (our words), who embrace everything: the cold, the pain, the endless climbs, and the joy of sharing them.

"The last ride with them? 120 km and 2,800 meters of elevation gain.
A ride that would’ve seemed impossible alone, but with them, it becomes reality."

From today, there are 12 weeks left until Barcelona.
Is that a lot? Maybe. But they’ll fly by.
And Mattia knows: not every day will be a “motivated day.”
But that’s exactly where something happens.
That’s where it’s built.
Session after session.
Thought after thought.
Turn after turn.
All the way to Barcelona.