Living in the Red Zone

Feeling MUCH better now, and mostly I just wanted to update the blog so that it does not look like I am on my death bed.

Quite the contrary. The health is back and this week I have transitioned my training to learn to be comfortable in the red zone.

Tuesday: Back to the old 3 minute intervals HR 185. Unless of course Joseph Mendes decides to bridge up to me when I am supposed to start my recovery interval. "OK, I guess I'll do a 10 minute interval instead of 3 and launch JM on the climb."

Last interval my 3 minute plan was foiled again. I launched out of the group to start my suffering and built up a bit of a gap. As I sat up at the end of the 3 minutes I realized the group had really let me roll away. 40 seconds into the recovery phase with the full intention to just let the group catch me a big rig rolls by and I find myself in dead air and only Kilo and half from the sprint sign. So I cranked it up again to hold the group off.

Finished off the day with a leadout practice at final sprint point. My sprinter took it easily and I coasted in for second.

Wednesday: Flying solo and a repeat of the 3 minutes on 5 minutes recovery intervals. 1 set of 5 and on the third I felt like I was going to puke.

Re-learning to live in the red is brutal!

Can't I just be a wheel sucking sprinter?

Please!?

I promise to pull really hard at the end.

If you pull me around I promise to exert as much energy in the last 200 meters as you did cumulatively the whole race, you won't have to pull through at all.

Deal?