Sunday, December 05, 2010

lessons in either futility or patience


Wholee fuck but I was pissed during the ride today.

Running wasn't bad. (pic is from my only run route)

How is it possible that I was regularly hitting under 1:18 for the ride, getting faster and faster each ride the first two weeks and plateauing a bit the 3rd week, but this week has been just AWFUL. I had a 1:30 ride and yesterday just squeaked under 1:19 and today was 1:21. I'm getting slower and slower and I Do Not Like it Sam I am.

I've decided to run out towards Janten again even if I can't run my usual mileage (I stuck to 10 min runs this week), even though I have to pass the palaperos each time (and I'm sure they're wondering WTF this gringa is doing running out and then (seemingly) turning around immediately and going back. Is she too much of a pussy for a REAL run? Gawds. They probably don't even notice me.

So Jamie says from now on, no timers allowed on the bike. I tried today to make it Not About The Time and really succeeded until I got near cenote row and realized just how slow my time was going to be and lost it. I had planned to enjoy the ride, look down the dirt paths (off the carretera), wave to the taxistas, wave to the vigilencia at the compounds (they must be at compounds, I mean really, what ELSE are they there for?), find the coral snake (road kill) Jamie saw last time and ignore the clock. I think I would have been a LOT more successful had I not STARTED the damn clock to begin with. And I did pretty well for the first hour. I waved to the taxistas, waved to the vigilencia, missed the fucking snake (but saw all the dead raccoons) and then got pissed.

I can't figure out why I'm going backwards but Jamie says I'm not. He also says the wind patterns have changed and we're getting a constant headwind all the way back and the week I was doing 1:13 and 1:14 was an anomaly. I'm not sure I believe him. Oh, and my legs are ALWAYS sore. Ugh.

I guess I could concentrate on taking pictures and ignore the fucking clock. I hate being so slow. Hmph.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

My coach told me last month that numbers aren't real. They are NEVER truly accurate. I really started thinking about it and he is right!! How can you REALLY measure speed ? I know he told me that lie so that I wouldn't dwell on my Garmin numbers but it didn't help.
Tomorrow you will be faster.

Big Daddy Diesel said...

It can a number of things

- weather, especially if you were going into a head wind
- you could just be tired, maybe a rest or recovery week is needed
- the probelem with us endurance athletes is that we are addicted to the watch, the splits, the times, maybe for a week, go one your ride with out it, leave it at home, go for the sake of just riding.

Jody said...

Yes, I am with Jamie and Big Daddy. Ditch the watch and make it about the bike for now. Go back through my MapMyRun log and look at my Very Slow Bike Rides in late spring and early summer. You have only been on the bike for a month, and you are doing wonderful!!

The Wind sucks. She is a PITA, but when you get in the hills eventually, you will be so grateful for her and how she pushed you.