Note: Check my last post, A Fear of Logs. I added a video and pictures of the logs in question.
Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it!
I’ve been telling my coach that I have all this energy... that I’m ready for more intensity... that I want less Zone 2 stuff.
I asked him to recalculate my heart rate zones in light of my recent lactate threshold test. My LT is higher now; so all the zones would have a higher top end. This would allow me to push harder and get my heart rate up higher for each zone. All part of my plan to be able to push harder than I’ve been…
Ask and it shall be granted…
Mike just updated my training calendar and the next 5 weeks are going to be killer!
Remember how excited I got last month because my training plans changed? The length of the workouts got shorter, while the intensity increased.
Well, last month is nothing like what I’m about to do!
Six days of riding per week.
-Monday is still a rest day; only now I will do NOTHING…no yoga…no core…NOTHING!
-Zone 5 intervals on Tuesday (getting harder as the weeks progress).
-Easy ride on Wednesday (but 20 second sprints have been added to the ride).
-Tabata intervals on Thursday (way more than I used to do!)
-Skills practice on Friday.
-Hill repeats on the mountain bike on Saturday.
-Zone 4 intervals during a long road ride on Sunday.
And on top of all that… on the 4th week, the weekend workouts are longer than normal, followed by another set of intervals on Monday. The rest day finally comes on Tuesday on the 5thweek.
The fifth week will have less rides, more days off, and less intensity. The 6th week will be almost completely off the bike. This is so I’ll be fully rested and ready for my A races in mid April.
To get ready for the important A races, I have two practice races chosen. These are races I don’t care about. The purpose of these events is for me to get my nerves worked out. They’ll help me get back into the swing of racing. Mike is not giving me much rest leading up to these races, so I don’t expect to be at my best. I’m mentally preparing myself now so that if I don’t do well at these races, it won’t bring me down. But hey, I’m definitely stronger this year, so maybe I’ll still do pretty well.
Whether I’m fatigued going into a C level race, or at my peak fitness going into an A race, I plan to approach them all like I want to win. I am going to push myself harder than ever before, saving nothing for the end of the race. I will not settle into the last place position and take comfort in knowing I’m in my place and the pressure is off. No. This year, I will turn myself inside out trying to get ahead of everyone I can. The practice races will be great chances for me to see how far I can push myself before I hit the wall.
So… Patapsco: A practice race that I’ll go into with no rest. It’ll be followed by another long ride the next day. A hard training weekend, basically. I want to see if I bonk before I complete my 23-mile race.
Then the Marysville relay: A fun race that will be a handful of 15-20 minute all-out sprint efforts, followed by trainer spinning while I wait for my turn again.
Then the A races: Fair Hill and Greenbrier. I’ll be fully rested. No excuses. Whatever I do at these races will be “my best”.
I’m so excited, yet nervous at the same time. I can’t wait for the thrill of competition. I can’t wait to put my improved fitness to the test. I want to see great improvement from last year. I want to be proud of my results. I want to be near my competitors instead of left in the dust.
