top it

Between you and I..... I was secretly dreading the bike / run workout I had on tap last evening. For many many reasons and the top reason being that I was afraid I would not hit the numbers. And I had every reason not to.

I worked Monday night, I never work Monday nights but had made a switch to help a friend. I slept 2 hours going into the shift, and two hours after. In my first day of grad school I fell asleep during class (thank goodness I taped the class just in case) and when I got home at 6pm I took a nap for an hour and complained to Curt that I had BST's on tap and how would I make these numbers tonight. I thought about even bagging it'

I got on the bike and warmed up for 30 minutes. Since the Musselman I have been patiently sitting in zone 1 workouts across the board. Zone 1 high cadence. Zone 1 cadence 90. Zone 1 zone 1 zone 1. Was I making any progress at all?

The set is as follows: BST's but called Best sustained efforts: 30 min warm up, 3 X 10 minutes cadence of 60 and hitting a certain wattage, 4 minutes recovery in between. A few cadence drills after and totaling about 2 hours. I had begun this set in June able to hold a wattage of 225. Each week I was able to jump a few watts and the last time I did this set in early July my highest was 240. I knew my bike fitness was coming.

The Wizard set the goal today at 245. And so it began.

259

261

265

Oh my. I almost cried right there in my aerobars. During those intervals I felt good, I was surprised at where my heart rate stayed. I was smiling. I was listening to Infected Mushroom's Becoming Insane (fitting) and the third one was to Kelly Clarkson (please don't tell anyone about that one).

Nutrition went great. I love this nutrition plan. I could eat a steak with a hr of 180 if I had to and not toss my cookies.

As I completed the bike I realized how dark it was outside. 9pm, I never train this late. Next up was a 30 minute transition run with the first mile in zone 2 (Friel zone 3). I strapped on a headlamp (sigh) and started my run. My HR on the Garmin hasn't worked in ages..... so I run with a HRM and put the Garmin in my pocket. I have been doing that for months so I focus on HR and not pace.

When I hit that first mile feeling very good I pulled out the Garmin and it read:

"7:29".

Oh my, I thought and again I almost cried. It's coming'

I am not one of these athletes who will claim to be a "slow" runner and then turn out run splits of sub 7 minute miles for a 10K. I don't pretend that I feel like lead today and then run a sub 3 hour marathon. I will B**** slap you people who have a "slow" 5k of 19:58. My easy pace has been dropping from a 9 minute mile to right now about 8:35 give or take. I am becoming a runner.

As I walked down the driveway I swear I could have smoked a cigarette. The workout was that good.

But winning workouts in training doesn't mean much except for that there has been progress. A lot of progress. I have trusted in this plan even thought I have been sitting in the holding pen for weeks and weeks and weeks. Even though this week I begin intensity with a half Ironman next week, when I wish I would have started that 3 weeks ago. I am not my coach, I came to the wizard for a reason.

This is that reason.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." He wrote later that evening. "Apparently you have found your legs. Still..... this is just the beginning."

Okay Coach, I replied. Because I still do believe. I have watched what this team has done and where they have gone. I know it works, even in moments of doubt I know it works.

Next week I will race a 1/2 Ironman in New Hampshire. 5 pounds lighter than Musselman. The plan will be conservative again. I will be holding that bike back and focusing on what I am told to.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I am seeing progress, it just takes patience. Long term goals take long term work. Even when it seems monotonous, even when you wonder if you are the only girl in the world in zone 1 weeks while your buddies are cranking out best times weekly.

My time is coming.

The only problem with attaining that 265 ..... next time I have to hold 270. Bring it on though. I will take it to task.