So, today the workout was as follows:
Warm-up 10 minutes in middle-middle chainrings. Repeat the following drill set TWICE. Stay in big ring up front the entire workout, Shift to 3rd from largest ring in back. Alternate removing one foot from the pedals for one minute at a time, returning to two footed pedaling for one minute @ 90 rpm between single leg efforts. Repeat 4 times per leg.(12 minutes total). Shift to 4th from smallest gear in back. Pedal at 85 rpm. Focus all mental energy on the 1:00 to 3:00 position of the pedal stroke for 2 minutes. Focus all mental energy on the 4:00 to 6:00 position of the pedal stroke for 2 minutes. Focus all mental energy on the 6:00 to 9:00 position of the pedal stroke for 2 minutes. Focus all mental energy on the 9:00 to 12:00 position of the pedal stroke for 2 minutes. After second time throught the drills, shift to middle middle and cool down at 90 rpm for 10 minutes.
I have something to say that I found out LATER ON (thank you Sedonia I am still laughing…), but my thought on reading this was “How the HECK can they imagine I can do this? I can’t even barely balance to shift my gears.” So I was all pouty and feeling really upset (biking always has been my least favorite leg anyway), and so instead of doing the one-foot on, one-foot off, shake-it-all-about, Do the Hokey Pokey workout, I rode to McNear’s Brickyard and back. This is a steep hill down from our house, then flat to rolling hills with a moderate amount of traffic and broken tarmac (my wrists and hands are sore from the bouncing and jostling), out and back. I stopped at the bottom of the hill back home and walked the bike up. Actually – I was able to pedal up to the “no parking” sign – I have to remember that, so that slowly, slowly, as I get better at hills and maybe can some day reach my actual ROAD (much less my HOUSE), I have some way to gauge where I started.
Saturday, we’re supposedly doing a 20 mile “easy ride” that’s supposed to take an hour and 20 minutes. I decided I would go out for an hour on this ride, to see where I got, working fairly hard. I got 12 miles, and was VERY done at the end, thank you. Not feeling very confident about the whole “20 mile thing” that is for doggone sure. Was nice to be out though. And got better with shifting and all that jazz as the time went on.
So, here’s the route! And be sure to note below to see “what happened next”…
SO, I put a post on Twitter, starting with my daily quote. This is how it went…
Me (on Twitter/Facebook): My new mantra re Team In Training/the Ironman: “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” ~ Jim Rohn
Sedonia Yoshida: Success is doing what it takes to make your wishes come true! See you Sunday! Hope you’re having a good week 1!
Me: @Sedonia: I am actually having a really good time, but getting more and more scared. Did a bike ride today b/c the whole “left foot in, right foot out” just sounds too scary to me when I can barely switch gears – did 12 miles in an hour. Isn’t Sunday TWENTY miles? Ohhhhhhh myyyyyyyy. :-)
Sedonia: Don’t worry!!! That’s why we have 9 months to get you there!!! Nobody expects you to be able to do an ironman tomorrow! Baby steps and you’ll get there! you do know the right foot left foot thing is on a trainer right…NOT on the road?
Me: @sedonia OOooooooh!!! (Laughing so hard I just scared the cat.) No I did NOT know that. OMG. O….M…..G…..
Yeah…so I was “Unclear On The Concept.” Pretty funny, eh?