Grumpy Stomach

I did another two hour ride today. It took all the time but with none of the novelty. I think that key here is that I did it. I think half of the battle of going on the trainer is mental fatigue. I find myself getting in my head with thoughts like. "Isn't an hour long enough;" "Your legs are tired why don't you slow down;" "Pizza sounds so good right now;" "This is stupid. I'm not even moving;" and most demoralizing "I'm really tired but not even halfway done."

Once you get in your head like that time literally slows down, your legs feel heavy, you sweat more, and atomic bombs start going off in your head.

So here are the few indoor cycling tricks that I've developed so far.

1) Don't look at the clock. What ever you do, try not to look at the clock

2) Don't worry about running out of energy. Keep up your speed for now, and if you bomb out later so be it. Just don't get into the habit of changing effort goals halfway through a ride.

3) Have someone in the room watching tv with you. Pride is an amazing thing. Wanting to appear strong can directly translate into being stronger

4) If you must keep on eye on the clock, set a false one 5-10 minutes behind the real clock. If a stare at a clock that says I've only done 5 minutes I'll believe it even if I've done 15. It works for me.

5) Look forward to drinking water or eating a goo. It gives you nice little mini goals upon which to focus. (If inside, always drink lots and lots of water)

And finally, when you are feeling at your worst...

6) Remember that you will probably feel even worse in a race so buck up and make it happen.

Now my tummy is a bit upset because the Gatorade I had didn't sit well. Oh well.

Here is my favorite jersey that I got last year. This is the one I crashed in, but it wasn't damaged.