Feelings pass, motivation comes and goes, even pain is mostly temporary. These are the things I try my best remember when I’m on a stationary spin bike for 3 hours. Yesterday, I logged a little over 50 miles and 3 hours on a bike that went nowhere. Physically, it was somewhat challenging, but that pales in comparison to the mental gymnastics that are happening as the self-talk starts to take hold.
Maybe it’s just me but it goes something like this:
- 1 mins: Ok feeling good this morning, I’ve got this
- 10 mins: Nice easy spin, endurance zone, I can do this all day
- 45 mins: let’s break up the monotony and hit some hills or
sprints - 46 mins: No stay disciplined. This is endurance training, stay
in zone, 70 rpms that’s it. - 50 mins: chaffing……. enough said.
- 1:10: Foot curling and cramping. The drunk uncle
Dystonia has arrived. This sucks! Ok not feeling this
3 hour thing. Rethinking my day - 1:30: Let the negotiations begin, Maybe I can cut this
short. 2 hours is still a solid workout? - 1:45: Shit I don’t want to my training peaks to show RED or
Yellow because I couldn’t do this. Figure something
out, just keep on grinding. - 2:00: New music playlist, new hour, I’m a super hero again,
let’s crush this last hour. - 2:10: Still chaffing……
- 2:15: Well that super hero thing didn’t last long! Still 70
rpms @ moderate tension, “feel the road”. WHAT
F’ing road! I’m on a bike that’s not going anywhere. - 2:30: I don’t even like riding in a car this long. Half an hour
left. You can do anything for half an hour. - 2:45: Ok 10 more mins and you can drop the tension for a
short recovery. - 2:55: easy spin…. you did this. Its only February. You are
going to be so ready for June and July. - 3:00: All is right with world again. Let’s go eat!
Self-talk is just talk. The only thing I want to hear sometime before midnight on July 23rd. is my name and YOU ARE AN IRONMAN. https://youtu.be/gAtlpJW-Dio
