Training in the sauna

We're down in Myrtle Beach visiting my parents. 90+ degrees , 90+ humidity.

I brought the trainer. We also brought both kids' bikes and my wifes bike. Space was tight. "Now why do you have to bring the trainer?", my wife asked. "Can't you just ride down there on the road?"

I like the trainer. As crazy as it sounds. When I go a long while w/o a trainer ride, I actually start to ride worse. On the trainer I can really really focus. Close my eyes. I can dream. Stupid dreams of cycling glory. The kind of dreams that you cannot have during a race. Because during a race you've got to be focused on the present. Lose focus of the present and it all goes to hell.

On the trainer, I can also flip through the catalog of negative images from the past. Use them as fodder, fuel for the fire, turn them into those dreams of glory. Turn a pedal in anger as Phil Ligget would say.

It's fun too. Sometimes, in a sick way.

7 hr drive. I was unloading the car and setting up my son's bike in the driveway down here. Hot. Very hot. All of a sudden I started to get dizzy. Like almost fall over and faint dizzy. I went inside and drank a ton of gatorade and ate whatever was in sight. It kinda worried me. I've had my blood sugar tested but it came up negative for diabetes or hypoglycemia, but I must have some hypoglycemic tendencies.

Later that evening I tried a trainer ride in the garage. It could have been a sauna.

I did have fan pointed straight at my face, but within minutes I was drenched. It was a good workout actually. The legs are coming around I think. Though I only did 2/3rds of the workout called for. Not because of lack of legs, but from overheating.

5x1min on 1 off at SMSP
5min MSP
5x1min on 1 off at SMSP

Repeat X3 with 8 min rest between sets. I only did 2reps.

I've also decided to race vet expert this weekend. Been waffling back and forth on staying vet sport or doing vet expert. Asked several racer friends for their opinions. You want to know what got me off the fence?

Sport=2 laps, approx time 1:05. Expert=3laps , approx time 1:20-1:30. My priority races later in the year are 2:00-2:30. So I wanted longer training. I could always do the sport 2 laps and then do another lap for training. But you know what, that just wouldn't happen. I said I'd do that last year, and didn't even get close to going out for a third. So by signing up expert I have to do all 3.

Interesting reasoning yes I know. I was going to move to Vet expert for 2007 anyway. In a way this will give me a tidings of things to come for next year, and it won't be as much of a shock. I'm in this for the long term, and I'm looking to 3-5years to make a dent into vet ex.

I found some old posters of mine that my parents kept for me. One was of the Specialized racing team with Cindy Whitehead, Paul Thomasberg, Ned, and Lisa Muhich. Those were some of my racing heroes back then. Ned is still going strong. So am I.