Also going through this. Was never a huge volume racer but up until 3-4 years ago I would jump into most local races if I was available and team mates were racing, plus target one or two bigger A races that I’d travel for and build a training plan around, ended up pinning on a number maybe 15-20 times a year, got some decent results and had a lot of fun. Motivation never a problem, it was what I wanted to do and I’d look forward to it. I was a carefree and happy racer, I was the one chatting away before the start, grinning in the photos after the finish.
And then I started getting pickier about the races over the last few years. Stopped doing certain courses or events where there was a history of crashes or sketchy racing. Started entering later and later to see what the weather was doing as didn’t want to race in the rain. Had to gee myself up to enter the races I did do, telling myself it was a waste of time and money doing all this training and owning all this race kit and equipment if I wasn’t going to race. Started worrying about races and being nervous in the run up to them. Though nothing bad ever happened in a race and I’d invariably enjoy them and acquit myself pretty well once the flag dropped. Last crit I did I finished 2nd from a field of 40 having been active throughout, initiating the race winning break and then splitting the break again with a few laps to go, loved every minute of it. That was a year ago and yet whenever a friend suggests entering a crit I find myself looking for reasons not to (work, form, fitness, crashes, weather, etc). Same with big A races - have done one this year and enjoyed it and got a good result, but find myself dreading the idea of entering another.
I’m just going to give myself a break. Deliberately not think about entering any races for a while, try to get out of this vicious circle of either forcing myself to enter races and then being stressed by them, or of beating myself up if I don’t enter them. Do the riding I want to do, keep myself in reasonable shape (I enjoy exercise and it’s a lifetime habit so even with no training plan or goals I’m not going to turn into a couch potato). Got quite a bit of life stuff and stress to deal with which may or may not be a factor (in the past training and racing was my escape from life stress, now the racing seems to be adding to it ). Figure there’s a good chance the racing bug comes back at some point. And if it doesn’t I guess I’ll have to reconcile myself to being an ex-racer.