Endurance Training Alone Takes Practice
An Endurance Training Tip From Childhood
100-mile rides, on tired legs, especially when chilly and wet, are always tough! Thank goodness I have a great bike, that fits – built by Victor!
A Simple Endurance Training Tip?
Endurance training alone, a tip from my childhood, about 60 years ago.
Break the task down into simple, repeatable pieces, and talk yourself into doing just one more.
YES! JUST ONE MORE!
Thanks, kid – that’s me, on the right.
- It’s easy when you’re riding with friends; competition gets you there.
- It’s easy when you have a coach; who wants to tell their coach they wimped out?
- But on your own? No one’s watching, but you!
As a kid, I wanted train myself to hold my breath for as long as I could. Just to be able to stay underwater longer. Don’t know why, I just did. The best I could do, in the pool, was about one minute, thirty seconds. Then I hit on an idea, or someone else told me – you never know where your ideas really come from!
Count to 10, over and over. It’s easier to stay for another count of 10, than to just think about how much you want to breath.
It worked: two minutes and 10 seconds, on the first try.
Well! Yesterday, I headed out on the bike, for my planned 100-mile bike ride, 30-minute run, brick (one after the other) – that’s endurance training, for you. The previous day, I’d completed a 40-mile ride, 2,000 yard swim, and a solid 1-hour run. So my legs were tired. Poor Kevin!
At mile 40, of my planned 100, my legs said, “No way!” I said to my legs, in true Ironman fashion, “Just keep riding, it’s your job!” But I sure was tempted to head home to a hot shower, and a delicious meal. I nearly did, when I remembered all those years ago, in the pool – I was about 10 years old, at the time, I guess.
As the rain was coming down, and other bikers vanished, I picked a 15-mile loop, on rollers (somewhat gentle hills) with a branch point, close to home:
- Go straight, wimp out, and enjoy a nice hot shower and a tasty meal.
- Turn right, and stay on course.
“Just one more count to 10, said my inner child!”
It got me to my 100 miles, and the run wasn’t so bad.
Only took about 20 minutes, to get my running legs back under me.
Wishing you happy trails and strong resolve,
FitOldDog
Didn’t it make your legs feel bad the following day, though? So you’d be unable to exercise at all the following day?
Hi Marian. My legs are tired, but feel warm and happy; that’s the advantage of a little regular exercise. Today, I’ll just do a 5,000 yard swim, and rest my legs. Only one hard workout left, before starting taper. kev
Good job Kevin. You ar a tough SOB. I ran 5 miles on Sunday – it was enouh for me.