sarals 

I've been riding bicycles "seriously" since 2008. I found out and accepted that I really wanted to race just three years ago. Before 2008, I was a confirmed couch potato (and I looked like one). I have NO athletic experience prior to this, no ability, and I'm hardly a "physical specimen" (shut up, Chuck ). The ups and downs I've been through are new, new, new...and this is apparently something that's best handled in a "group environment". I've never had a coach, someone telling me what I was doing wrong. Oh, I've had flight instructors, and insufferable captains I've had to fly with, but never anyone who looked at how I perform on a strength/physical/skills platform before, and it is such an eye opener. Of course I want to do well! I want to please Ex and I want to please you guys, and I want to please me. I just get so frustrated when I can't get the hang of something. When I was learning to fly helicopters, I was one of the last ones to solo ("there goes that girl, she'll never make it.."), and it took me forever to learn to hover (to find the "hover button"). But I did it. Now, I can fly in my sleep, and I'm smooth, easy on the controls, and about as far from ham-handed as there is. The bike, though, I am just having fits with. It's a bicycle, we learn to ride them when we're very young! What is so hard about this? Well, plenty. You have to be an artist to be good at it, to conserve, to be efficient. It's a dance. It's fluid motion, and it's beautiful - and those things go against my innate skills, they're what I am not.

But...I want it. And that's more than enough.

shovelhd

You've already won the battle.

sarals 

Today I did an exercise Ex designed to show me how to be smooth and efficient. I did it, and it was an eye opener. Mostly the results were subtle, but they were what he had told me to look for. I think it worked.

sarals 

Don't make me cry...

Oh, it's happy, believe me!

shovelhd

Single leg drills help.

IBOHUNT

5 miles ru**i*g (rTSS 70 according to Training Peaks)
2:15 on the trainer
IF 0.72
TSS 118

IBOHUNT

And that will take you to heights (no pun intended) that were unthinkable 3 years ago.
Keep after it

sarals 

Absolutely! On everything.

Thank you, IBO!

And Shovel!

AzTallRider

Sara, your very well written post reminded me of when I was courting TallWife who, as most of you know, is an actual athlete. Of the retired HS jersey, 4 year full scholarship, team captain variety. And because it is all so easy and natural for her, she has the belief that it either comes easy, and you look natural doing it, or you should do something else. She'd ask questions like "If you are 18, and aren't on the <volleyball equivalent of Cat 1> team, then why are you still playing? Since then, she has finally come to accept that there is a place for recreational sports, and value in persevering. Some of us may have to struggle a bit more, but we end up where we need to be. But anyway, as we were courting, she showed up where I played basketball. I gave her a kiss, but was thinking "WTF?" Later, when she said something like "Yeah, you look smooth and natural out there." I realized she was checking to see if I was trying to do something I shouldn't, and whether I had any legit athletic talent. As I started to feel like I was a bike racer, and having dragged her to a crit, I asked "So, do I look like I belong out there?" She said that, while some of the guys certainly did not, I certainly did. I've seen you race, Sara. You belong out there.

AzTallRider

Another "Symmetry" class last night:


With "Chola":


Great core and balance work, but apparently I really need work on proper pelvic tilt and butt extension, so she has to constantly demonstrate the proper form. But <npi> with her doing demonstrations of proper form every time mine isn't perfect, why would I ever want to do it correctly? I fear I am destined for a life of slacker pelvic tilt. And if anyone ever tells her why I don't seem to improve, they will have an improperly positioned butt sitting on their head.

Allegheny Jet

I'll never tell. Just reading your post wants me to hear more and possibly include a few images of the teacher doing it correctly.

Allegheny Jet

At our indoor training class I got a PR in "progressive spin ups" by doing my last 15” set @ 211 rpm average. Then, on the last drill in class, when we were doing 4' OTS into 5' TT's I got cramps in both calves. There is no pedaling through those buggers.

AzTallRider

Pictures would never do the demo justice, AJ... it would require HD video.

Allegheny Jet

Superslow motion no doubt.

AzTallRider

I hate you, Jet.

Hermes

+1 Now we know what it takes to get him to the gym.

Hermes

Let us be the judge. Grainy cell phone shots from an old Samsung will do.

Hermes

Leg workout last night followed by a 90 minute massage. If I posted a pic of my massage therapist, you guys would all be on airplanes with appointments.

AzTallRider

TallWife and I both see "Sabrina"... I picked the therapist.

IBOHUNT

GoPro or it never happened.

IBOHUNT

I can do that...

If I have 3 magnets

AzTallRider

For the men here, that video would constitute a "religious experience", and as such, would not be allowed.

AzTallRider

I truly appreciate having a coach who is considerate, and assigns workouts with an understanding of the prior day's activities. Having worked my legs to the point of a hamstring cramp last night, trying to get my pelvic tilt correct at the same time, this morning I did two different sets of criss-cross intervals, finishing with 3 of the roadie version of a track sprint. You know, where you are moving at the start, and never get up to trackie speeds. Those are "to failure", however I'm a total loss trying to understand what that means, when they follow intervals that already took me to failure. I mean, is failure from failure the same as nuthin' from nuthin'?

IBOHUNT

5.2 mile run at dinner then a 3x20 with 5 rbi this evening
My fan quit with ~10 min left in the last interval. I was left sweatin' like Jessica Simpson taking her SAT's

rtTSS - 71
Bike IF 0.83, TSS 114

sarals 

AzT - thank you! I was having a REALLY GOOD DAY when you saw me! I can fool anyone

On the Good News Front, I am starting to get the hang of what Ex has been trying to get through my thick skull. It's multifaceted, really. ~Be smooth and conserve, and by being smooth I WILL conserve. Roll on the power, don't snap it on. Use only what you need to, no more. Cadence, keep it high so your muscles don't load up. As I improve, the power for a given effort will come down.~ I've been so wrapped up about this I've been dreaming about it.

Today, I went on out my Thursday hill training ride with my training partner (AzT, Cleave - it's Barb from PSG). I have been told to keep my power below 145 watts, and today I started to see the benefits of that as well as the SMOOOOOOOOOOOTH remark Ex put in the comments section of the schedule. I was relaxed and going easy. At no point did I snap the power on. I rolled it on. I have the LYC set at 2 second display, so anytime the number went above the upper limit I eased and the next number was at or below the limit. I got to where I could anticipate that. Smoothness started to really come, then. Any time that I could I was above 90 RPM. I rode for 1:48, and when I finished the ride I felt fresher than I did when I started it. TSS 107, IF .907

I think I'm finally getting somewhere!

And, everyone - everyone - thank you SO MUCH for your encouragement, kudos, tips, and concerns. I owe you all so much!