Steady plodding brings prosperity...

The writer of Proverbs understood persistence towards achieving his goals. The Living Bible paraphrases Proverbs 21:5 this way: "Steady plodding brings prosperity while hasty speculation brings poverty". There are so many ways this passage can be applied to life! Cycling and Training are no different. Foundations must be laid and careful planning must be done before we set out towards a goal. I could go on... but you get the point.

Last night was a great workout for me. It was incredibly difficult effort but, I chose to keep going in spite of the pain/suffering. As cyclists we need to suffer and persevere so that we can endure greater suffering later. From a training perspective, the suffering should be measured out so that the body is challenged but it doesn't fail.

I programmed the Computrainer for 282 watts and set out for my 23 minute goal. About half way through the effort, my legs began to build up lactic acid. However, my HR wasn't at my LT threshold. I continued the effort and it actually became easier towards the end. After a 15 min rest, I was able to complete a few short high intensity intervals. My next Computrainer workout is set for Sunday evening. I'm planning to ride at 284 watts. I'll keep going as long as my legs respond.

I have a rest week scheduled for the week of June 25th. Another week and a half of hard work and then I get a break before starting again

I'm already formulating my plans for next year. It's obvious that I started my training plan too late in the season. Next year, things will be different. I'll start earlier with a graduated training plan that has a solid foundation so that I'm race ready in April or May.