My Love Hate Relationship

Everyone has a relationship like this...for me it is training.  As an avid cyclist it is obvious to say that I like to ride.  You could also say I like to ride FAST and FASTER.  That does not mean that I do not take time to enjoy the occasional slow scenic ride, but I love FAST and FASTER.  The problem with FAST and FASTER is that it does not come easily.  You have to work HARD and HARDER, and that means not just riding hard but training. 

If you have ever ridden an indoor trainer, you know you are going to experience ____ minutes of hell.  You work your butt off, go nowhere very fast, feel lots of burn in your lungs and legs, and must deal with the constant knowledge that the suffer-fest can easily end by simply stopping and getting off the bike.  However, there are tricks to making the time more bearable.

1 - Have a fan blowing on you
2 - Put some races on TV that can provide some entertainment and white noise
3 - Open a window so Bella does not comment on the stink (ok that pertains to just me, unless you have a Bella in your life too)
4 - Depending on the amount of time, two very cold bottles of water
5 - Did I mention a fan?

Even using all the above, you know you are about to do hard time.  To keep working I use a statement, as a mantra, I read somewhere..."You can do anything for one minute."  Each time I feel as if I am about to crack I start to repeat my mantra in my head. 

Most of my indoor training workouts are about 90 minutes.  By the time I am done (yes I chose done as in cooked like a turkey instead of finished) I am drenched in sweat, my headband is soaked, my shirt is soaked, my hand towel is soaked, my water is gone, and I am a brilliant shade of red.  The room also has a pleasant BO aroma that I am considering bottling and calling "Essence du Rod".

What I am really saying is that I love to hate training, hate to feel sluggish, and love to crush a local hill or climb.  In the end, I need this relationship to be more successful on each ride.  The relationship also allows me to better appreciate the long, slow, scenic rides in the mountains.