Your daily does of GET PUMPED
Oh the GLORY of taper. I've never understood people who freak out during taper. I LOVE IT. I love the downtime. I love the lower training volume. I love eating. I love sleeping in. I love coming off of peak time and seeing the improvements that were in hiding under workload volumes and exhaustive workouts.
Because then, I have days like today. Something magical happen.
It happened on the bike: 4 intervals of 15 minutes.
I did the first 2 interval sets. Right where I was supposed to be; albeit at the lower end of my power ranges.
At the end of the 2nd interval, I just happen to look up at my computer. My training peaks log was up. Just then, at that exact moment.....trainingpeaks timed out, and my Coach's website popped up in front of me....as I was staring at it.
There SHE WAS....staring at me....I looked at her picture, and I was like, "Hey Coach. How YOU doin'?"
Then, I remembered something that told me, just the other day after a very similar ride. "Don't be a slave to technology. Sometimes you need to let it go. When you feel good, go for it." I decided to hide my garmin and do the last 2 intervals strictly by how I felt.
HOLY SHITTAKE.
The last 15 minute interval, I avg right at threshold, but my heart rate was 9 beats below threshold. I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't have done that if I was staring at my Garmin.
A lot of my training has been learning. I've had to learn how to ride by power zones. It took me awhile to learn how the zones felt. It took me time to learn to trust myself. Trust myself in different ways. Trust that I can push even when I don't have the guide of a garmin. Trust that I have the strength to push. Trust that I won't let up when historically, I would have.
As I did my cool down, I thought back to how I got there. It came from the days that I didn't want to go. It came from the day that I was technically still running, but it felt like I was barely moving. It came from NEVER giving up on hill repeats. It came from climbing monster hills and getting up early to swim.
The easy way out will always be there.
The minute you take it, you've given up on your goal.
