motivation...

As i am in a transition period of my training. Meaning, i am trying to get over the little niggles i am feeling in my legs by not running (again). As well as beginning my base phase for the cycling and swimming. I have been comtemplating my reasons for doing what i do and this is what i have come up with:

1. I like being in shape both by looking fit (six pack and the like)and by being able to ride 40+miles, swim daily and run half marathons without much second thought.

2. I think about going fast and i like the feeling, so training helps me get faster and therefore live the 'fast' dreams.

3. I like competition. Training helps me be competitive where most people could never be and i feel truly blessed for that ability.

The problem i am facing is the fact that i have no long term goals. Sure the olympics would be great, Ironman too. But, i am not sure i could stay motivated for 4 years to, perhaps, be disappointed. I am the kind of person who waits til a week or two before a race to sign up so i know i really want to do it. Until this last fall, I hadn't specifically trained for a race for more than a month. Its usually a spur of the moment decision whether to race or not.

The bottom line of this problem is: how am i going to keep myself motivated to swim everyday, run everyday or bike everyday, let alone do all of them multiple times every week? So far i have had mediocre success with local races and a general natural ability pull me to the finish line, usually in a high placing. But a top-5 finish in a local race is nothing campared to be top-5 in a high class field of racers. I can see myself being a great athlete, but how do keep myself motivated to reach that goal? And what exactly is that goal? Olympian? Ironman? Until i figure that out, i feel like it is an endless struggle to keep myself motivated.