After the resounding success of my long ride on the Ironman course, I had been actually looking forward to my next long road ride. I felt like I had made a breakthrough on the bike and that it would be a steady progression from that point forward.
Ummm...not so much. Sunday I had a 2 hour ride planned on the Arizona Canal paved path that runs through central Phoenix. It is a drive from my house (I went straight from work, which is a little closer), but it is a great place to ride because it is away from traffic and I don't even have to cross streets; there are actual underpasses. So that alone should have removed a ton of the fear factor that plagues my bike rides. And yet...
The underpasses were very steep and dark, so with my sunglasses on I couldn't see a thing, which caused me to slow down to about 11-12 mph (going downhill!) entering each underpass. And for some reason I still found myself constantly thinking that every imperfection in the path surface was just waiting to take me down. I got so frustrated that I turned around after 4 miles. Within half a mile I felt myself calming down, settling in, and enjoying myself. That is when I made another discovery: the first few miles of every ride suck. Those first few miles are usually the traffic-choked ones, so I had attributed it to that, but apparently it's just me. Apparently I have to overcome my fear every time I get on the bike. So now, knowing this, I can just suffer through those first miles, suck it up, and get to the good part!
So after my whopping 8 MILE RIDE, I was feeling like, once again, I had not had a successful training week. But when I looked back over my training log, I realized that, though few of my sessions were particularly long or intense, I had gotten in 3 swims, 2 bikes, 2 runs, and a strength workout! 8 mile rides do not an Ironman make, but frequency and consistency, over time, does an Ironman make.
Today I rode to work, then to the gym, where I did a full body strength workout, then home. 22 miles of riding in all. I was clipped in the whole way, which I have never done on a commute before. Riding to work it was dark, and there was a lot of traffic, and I was clipped in. And I just sucked it up and did it. I think riding to work may be the best training motivation for this simple fact: I have to get to work. I cannot wimp out or get tired or get scared and nervous and all pathetic and turn around half way through. I have to get to work, so I just have to keep going. Darkness. Traffic. Clipped in. Done! And now I feel great! Like I have made real strides!
Until the first few miles of my next long ride. Because we all now know that those are just gonna suck.
Ummm...not so much. Sunday I had a 2 hour ride planned on the Arizona Canal paved path that runs through central Phoenix. It is a drive from my house (I went straight from work, which is a little closer), but it is a great place to ride because it is away from traffic and I don't even have to cross streets; there are actual underpasses. So that alone should have removed a ton of the fear factor that plagues my bike rides. And yet...
The underpasses were very steep and dark, so with my sunglasses on I couldn't see a thing, which caused me to slow down to about 11-12 mph (going downhill!) entering each underpass. And for some reason I still found myself constantly thinking that every imperfection in the path surface was just waiting to take me down. I got so frustrated that I turned around after 4 miles. Within half a mile I felt myself calming down, settling in, and enjoying myself. That is when I made another discovery: the first few miles of every ride suck. Those first few miles are usually the traffic-choked ones, so I had attributed it to that, but apparently it's just me. Apparently I have to overcome my fear every time I get on the bike. So now, knowing this, I can just suffer through those first miles, suck it up, and get to the good part!
So after my whopping 8 MILE RIDE, I was feeling like, once again, I had not had a successful training week. But when I looked back over my training log, I realized that, though few of my sessions were particularly long or intense, I had gotten in 3 swims, 2 bikes, 2 runs, and a strength workout! 8 mile rides do not an Ironman make, but frequency and consistency, over time, does an Ironman make.
Today I rode to work, then to the gym, where I did a full body strength workout, then home. 22 miles of riding in all. I was clipped in the whole way, which I have never done on a commute before. Riding to work it was dark, and there was a lot of traffic, and I was clipped in. And I just sucked it up and did it. I think riding to work may be the best training motivation for this simple fact: I have to get to work. I cannot wimp out or get tired or get scared and nervous and all pathetic and turn around half way through. I have to get to work, so I just have to keep going. Darkness. Traffic. Clipped in. Done! And now I feel great! Like I have made real strides!
Until the first few miles of my next long ride. Because we all now know that those are just gonna suck.
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