But...
I don't really like to hurt.
I know, after 2 Ironmans my pain tolerance is all relative. But there's a reason I like the nice steady distance stuff over the redlined sprint stuff. Still, I've garnered some quality experiences in suffering since I entered the world of triathlon (some when I was a runner too but less so...). If I'm going to be critical of myself, one thing I would pick on is my willingness to suffer when it's all on the line. Sure, I'll put in some strong effort in my workouts but ask me to really really push through pain and suffer and...I don't like it so much. There's a reason I fear tests on my training schedule!
That stops now. One of my biggest goals for 2012 is to learn to suffer. To keep the pressure up despite strong opposition from my body. So that when the closing minutes of a race come around, I maintain the pressure all the way to the finish.
I got an excellent start at learning to hurt this weekend. There on my schedule - oh lucky me - a swim test AND a bike test. (Inner monologue: what did I do to deserve this? My coach doesn't even live close enough for me to have shit on her front lawn!)
Saturday morning: swim test. The standard old 10 x 100 all out on 10 seconds rest. I did one of these on December 30th but I've been working with Tim weekly over those 2 months. Time to see the payoff of all this technique work.
Our weather turned for the worse on Friday night and it was cold and windy when I got in the pool Saturday morning. I shivered my way through the warmup, especially any time I had a body part above the surface of the water. And then...it was time to go hard. Note: swimming all out hurts. Doing it over and over with minimal rest just feels brutal. 10 repeats of 100 yards all out. #1 felt strong and good and surprised me with the speed. By #3 I was feeling a little short on oxygen. By #5 I was ready to barf. By #7 I wanted to cry. #10 was just a slow slog with what remained of my arms and core. And then it was done and I sent my total time off to Coach (in the meantime she was off swimming 100 x 100, so what am I bitching about?) and moved on.
The end result?
Best swim test ever. 10 seconds off my 100 free time in the past 2 months. And the sad (scary?) realization that I need to be working this hard in the pool all the time, not just on swim test days.
Sunday morning: bike test. My upper body was still a wreck and my legs weren't exactly feeling fresh. But I needed to just get it done, so after walking the dogs and grabbing all of my get-on-the-trainer paraphernalia (heart rate monitor, Powertab computer, Garmin, headphones, iPhone, Cliff shot blocks, bottle of water/Zym), I turned the fan on high, aimed it at the bike and started my warmup.
I pedaled along, watching the 4th episode of The Walking Dead (yes, I'm still a season behind reality but this is a great show for trainer entertainment), and felt pretty good once my legs warmed up a little. I finished my last last build segment, enjoyed the last rest interval and beep-beep-beep-beep...time for the show. 20 minutes of pedaling as hard as I can. This is NOT my idea of fun. Somewhere around 4 minutes in, you realize just how painful this is going to be. Minutes 7 to 10 were...highly unpleasant. With 9 minutes to go it dawned on me that I might actually make it. 5 minutes to go and my heart rate was maxed out, face red, feeling pretty nauseous. No more watching TV shows, I've switched to upbeat music trying to keep my legs moving anywhere near the cadence of the songs. A handful of minutes left and I just focused on 30 seconds at a time, digging deep to hold the watts, moving my feet around in circles with the stumps I had left for legs. Beep-beep-beep-beep...*slump*...done. A minute to gasp for air and watch my heart rate drop, then an easy spin to finish up.
I threw the data onto TrainingPeaks and headed off to my grandmother's 80th birthday party. Every so often I checked my email, wondering what Coach would say (of course, AGAIN, she had to one-up me and go do some big indoor time trial today), but I knew I'd gained some watts so I didn't think about it too much.
Oh yeah!
So, there you have it - one weekend, two sufferfests, two wins. I suppose that means I'm left with no excuse not to put it all out there when required. It won't come easy but the best things rarely do! In the meantime I guess I'll go make friends with my foam roller because...OW. My everything hurts.
17 comments:
You forgot to mention the "pain" you endured when you decided to for go sugar for like and entire month! I think that was something!
Nice job on the swim sets. 10x100 can be way harder than 100x100. Especially if it's a swim test!
Holy cow, that is AWESOME!! 10 sec off your 100 pace in only 2 months is huge. Bike test sounds... awful. Ha. I know mine will be on the schedule soon enough. Great job for pushing through! I will remember your pain when I go through mine so I won't be a slacker :-)
Oh, and BEST QUOTE EVER: "My coach doesn't even live close enough for me to have shit on her front lawn." Ha!
WAY TO GO MOLLY!!!
Amazing, CONGRATULATIONS.
I think I am the same way. Yesterday I fell behind, because... well man there was another hill coming up, and I was already breathing hard. :)
Congrats on a good weekend.
"My everything hurts" is classic!!! Love it. I feel you on that one. :-) Great work on your tests Molly!!
Great job! Must feel good to see improvement like that so early in the season.
Nice work on your big weekend!
HAHAHA I remember telling coach how much I hated tests :-) I think she quit giving them to me after that.
This year, however, its the year of "NO EXCUSES". I've already done a bike and swim test, and at least one 5K :-) gonna to them a bunch over the year.
WELL DONE on your tests!!
Rock star!
awesome molly! i hate pain too. Ok, I USED TO. But it really really does work. I was pretty much the same swim speed for years until recently. Michelle gives me intervals based on that same test and I have finally started to embrace nailing the times she gives me. I had my 2 weeks swim block and was supposed to test to see the results last week but with the Baxter drama I wasn't into it so I think I'm retesting this week.
My T-time from a month ago was :10 slower than my last test so it's clear when I get lazy about swimming (don't focus on hitting intervals) as well as not swimming at least 3 days per week ( I was only doing 1-2 for a few months)… = no improvement. Keep up the hard work!
That is awesome Molly!! And, you are so right on...learning how to suffer is so key. SO MANY, I would say 90% of the athletes I work with really do not understand that concept - and I know Elizabeth would agree with me...we try so hard to teach it....but it is so hard...and you are starting to get it - AND seeing the huge payoff. Remember, when you are swimming so hard, you have to shut your eyes and fight off the vomit. :))
JOY!
This made me smile and laugh :)
You forgot to mention that since we've started together you've taken 46 seconds off of your swim test pace.
You've got "IT", Molly - it's that drive, passion and commitment to always bettering yourself.
PS - I guess I better watch what I put into emails, eh?
As us southerners like to say.
GIT IT, GIRL!
Woohoo! And about "...realization that I need to be working this hard in the pool all the time..." I say BRING IT! LANE MATE ;-)
I too am reluctant to get into what I've heard called the Hurt Box or the Pain Box. Especially in the POOL!
As you're living proof of it does pay off and if the goal is consistent improvement there is no other way.
10 seconds off your 100 pace is gargantuan WOW. Makes me think I can do it -- if I put my whole heart into it and am willing to suffer.
NICE JOB!!!!!! So happy for you!
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