Fear and Respect Are Not the Same Thing

Check out my sweet new Cincy Express jersey! The pic was taken after my brick last night, which was very sweaty...and very speedy, by my standards.

Monday, I just didn't get up in time to swim before work...and as I've said before, the old lady acquatics class is at 6:30 and the perfume starts wafting around 6:15, so getting in my 3400 in 45 mins seemed an impossibility. I didn't yet have my training schedule for the week, just the swim for Monday. I decided to take the matter into my own hands and assume (yes, I know it makes me an ass, blah, blah) that I'd have a run on Tuesday and just do it on Monday, go to Masters swim practice Tuesday morning and call it even.

Monday evening was blazin' hot, about 90 degrees and humid as hell, but I was determined to begin this acclimation to the heat for IMKY. So, I went out for just under an hour. I swear I think the heat just cripples me. And then it was time for bed because that 4:30am alarm comes awfully early!

Masters practice never lets me down! Lots of 100s. Lots. And some laughs.

And THEN....I get my schedule.

Tuesday calls for a 90 min ride with some cadence work right into a 30 min run. So much for my assumption. Coach also made direct orders to NOT push it. Even if I'm feeling good.

Tuesday evening and again, it's scorching. I cross the bridge to Cincy with every intention of making this a nice z1 ride, as instructed...but for some damn reason, when I ride alone, I have to turn the thing into a flippin' time trial. Whatever. I blame it on the rabbit in front of me. I slowly closed the gap on him for a while, but God had other plans and stopped me at a red light right after he cruised through. By the turn-around, I had regained some ground, but not enough. I just waved as he cruised back toward the city. I ate a gel and refilled my aero bottle with my spare water bottle and headed back home. Best to just let him go and do my work.

I averaged 19.9 mph for the ride, which is good for me...and I think what helped was each time I'd start to think about that run I had to do afterward, I'd re-focus. I had to tell myself "Stop. Stay right here. Right now. And right now, you're on the bike. Worry about the run when the run gets here. Right now, just spin your legs."

So, I got back to the apartment, carried my bike upstairs, changed shoes, chugged water...and off for the run. I was already dripping sweat. The run called for some intervals in the first half which made me question the sanity of Coach. But turns out, legs felt great...and they had better turnover just getting off the bike. He writes some insane workouts and it seems that by the end of them, I'm just craving food like you wouldn't believe.

And once I got home and hydrated and showered, I realized just how exhausted I was. I hadn't had a three hour training day on a work day in a long time.

I was a little afraid to 'fess up to Coach that I'd added a workout with that run I did Monday...and that I went to Masters instead of following his swim. But, I emailed and did it anyway. His response? "Great job. Sounds like you're coming back." Ahh...

And I realized, I don't really fear him. I respect him. And fear and respect aren't the same thing.