Going All Out

Every time a planned trainer session is on tap, I look at what is to be done and say to myself, "huh, that's seems too easy... I can handle that." And then I get on the bike and start the interval and end up wheezing, gasping, screaming, gyrating, struggling and in the end, fizzling out and not finishing it fully (it's only a couple seconds that I fag out and cheat myself - can that be THAT bad??). Last night was another one of those kinds of nights. The plan said warm up for 30 minutes, then simulate a race start with one foot on the ground and the other clipped in, then push off like you are starting a race. Stand on the pedals and go all out for a minute. "Use your whole body to explode on the pedals." After that all-out minute, you recovered for 5 minutes. The first interval is always the hardest no matter what the interval is at hand and this one held true like all the others. Pain, pain, pain. I was literally gasping for air at the end of it. At the 12 second mark, I glanced down and said "SHIT! Another 45 seconds of this!" It was hard. I was thankful-beyond-belief for the 5 minutes of recovery after each and every minute. Rick came in the room for the 2nd and remaining intervals and looked at me like I was dying. I really think he was a little worried I was hurting myself. Breathing was difficult at the end of the interval. By #5, I just couldn't get the full body power out of the full minute. I think that one was cut short by about 1/2. And I couldn't WAIT to get off the bike at that point. Only 5 minutes of going all-out (and I mean wind-sucking all out) is NOT easy. Try it some time! It's training like that that makes glad I'm an endurance rider and not a time trialer, crit or cyclocross racer. I ain't got it in me!