Week one and done

Just completed a 15 hour training week... Smallish volume but good intensity.

Today (Saturday) starts week #2...

I hit out with a bang and went for a 2.67 hr ride with the first hour inside watching bootleg Avatar with Caitlin. I did it at Ironman pace and felt stellar. The rest of the ride would be outside and I could tell it was going to be hot though because... it is always hot. 90 degrees and 75% humidity is the status quo and today saw 92. I headed out prepared for the scrambled egg brain feeling. The intent was to peg it at 155-165bpm and just ride until that became unmanageable.

I started out going well at about 23-24 mph into a good crosswind... I thought the speed was suspiciously high and I was worried I would be greeted with a headwind on the way back. Got to the airport which is where the road ends... Brain was starting to turn into hot hot stew... took a gu, slugged a water, and prayed for a cross wind and not a head wind.

I started up again and was blasting along at 27-28 mph for the first 2k. The tailwind was expected for that stretch. Moment of truth came heading up onto an overpass and out onto the major stretch back into the city. HEADWIND! speed dropped to about 23-24 again and I cursed. About 3k later, I was blessed with some shelter with some sturdy highway walls and the wind died. Only crosswind from there on. Speed jumped to about 25.5-27 and I was clicking along well. About 10k out I hit a dark patch and started fading mentally. I was about to let up as it was becoming harder to keep the HR up and I was being a soft-shelled baby.

Like magic, a convoy of about 12 semis came plowing by, protecting me from the wind and sucking me along. A MAJOR PRIZE! A MAJOR PRIZE! I refocused with the help of the trucks and metallica. Metallica stopped abruptly and was replaced by Norah effing Jones. Huge mental challenge to hammer to Norah Jones. Try it sometime. It is agony. 4 minutes of being accutely aware of my pain as she warbles on about being jilted or some nonsense.

Song changed and I finished up strong...

RESULTS of the main set

29 miles of a 90% LT work

AVG HR- 161bpm

AVG SPD- 24.5 mph

I feel like I am getting faster but we'll see. Tonight is a short ride to load up the legs then a longish run.