It hurts so good!

This week was spring break for the kids, and we stayed in town this year. The weather wasn't as nice this week as it has been, but that's what indoor training's for! We are in our final weeks at Brockmiller Elite Endurance, and it seems the closer to the end we get, the more we are getting tortured. The numbers in our class have dwindled, as others were perhaps spring breaking somewhere warm and tropical, but the three of us left were determined and showed up ready for work.

I am not a morning person. That's pretty well established, so just getting to the gym in the morning is a feat in itself. Knowing that I am getting up just to go sit on an indoor trainer and stare at the numbers on the computer isn't very motivating either. I usually stumble in, either just on time or a few minutes late, adjust my bike, get my heart rate monitor on, and will eventually glance over at the dry erase board to see what the workout is. I'm still not usually convinced that I am better off here, rather than tucked into my nice, warm bed. Once I get on my bike and start warming up I eventually wake up and get with the program. Previous grumblings and complaints forgotten, I get focused and make the most of the time I have on the bike. 

On Thursday, it was probably one of the hardest workouts I have done since starting with Lauri over a year ago. Two minutes going as hard as we can go, at over 110 rpm, with two minutes recovery, repeated 9 times. By the 7th or 8th interval, I was starting to feel teary, a little nauseous, and was having a hard time recovering. My legs were turning to jello. I had to dig way down deep, into the reserve that I save for special occasions. Once in awhile, when I am racing hard or really struggling along in a ride, I reflect on how this pain is almost up there with childbirth. I had a home water birth with my daughter, Nora, and at times I am digging into the same reserves I needed to get through that. Since I lived through that experience to be able to tell it again with a smile on my face, then anything else seems attainable. Now, I am being a bit dramatic, because it really wasn't THAT bad. Although, this is exactly what most women say about childbirth after our brains make us forget how bad it really was. At any rate, I suffered appropriately, accomplished the workout, and promptly returned to bed as soon as I could. It literally took me most of the day to recover from this ride, my legs were toast and I avoided the stairs in my home at all costs.

I have to say that I do appreciate how much I have improved since being coached by Lauri. She has helped me grow immensely in this sport, and I know I wouldn't have nearly the same results without her assistance. Thanks Lauri!