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August 25, 2007
Just Say No to Beeping!
I've recently been making a greater effort than ever before (at my coach's request) to keep my HR within each workout's prescribed limits. I've done very well (on most occasions) with keeping my AVERAGE HR within the correct limits since I've started this program but that's not good enough. When the HR range is 146-156 that means NO GOING OVER 156 - not once, don't even think about it, don't even mutter a 157. And that, my friends, is really much harder to do. But it's been made clear to me that it's very important so by golly I'm going to do it if it kills me!
So I tried and tried and tried and although I'm getting better it's quite hard to never go over the top. Two things get me - (1) hills and (2) sometimes I start to get rolling either when I'm running or riding and the HR just creeps up ever so slightly until WHAMO - I've done it again.
In my frustration I decided to set my watch to beep at me when my HR gets near it's limit - so for example if my limit for the workout is 156, I have my HR monitor start beeping at 154 - so I know to back off. This has helped a ton. I'm still not perfect on every workout but I'm getting closer.
That is until today. Imagine if you will 85 degrees and EXTREMELY humid. As in the suffocating kind of humidity that makes you want to turn around and march right back into the AC. The kind that turns your stomach. The kind where the air feels so heavy and wet that you're almost certain it's raining, but you're not even lucky enough for it to rain. This is Pittsburgh today. (and I know I have no right to complain because I'm sure it's way worse in other places but still... :)
So as I'm starting my 3 hour ride this morning I know it's going to be hard to keep my HR in check. I was just standing next to my bike - just standing there! - and my HR was 100. Hmm.... But I was going to do my best to keep the HR under 156. So here we go...
I started off pretty well and actually wasn't doing so bad. But as the temps rose and I turned off the flat main road into the hills, the beeping started. Ah yes...the beeping. My HR monitor letting me know I was getting too close to the top. I had conceded around mile 25 that this was going to be tough with the heat and humidity so I told myself to just make sure I didn't go over 160. In order to ensure that I kept the bike moving forward (forget actual speed!) I was going to have to make some concessions.
And that was actually a pretty good plan that I did pretty well sticking too. But that didn't help the matter of this beeping. This incessant beeping that made my ears ring and my head hurt. It was almost like a little chirping bird in my ear. At one point I actually yelled aloud - "STOP that beeping!"
But the beeping went on. And on. And on.
About half way into the ride I wanted to cry. The beeping. The heat. The humidity. I had already gone through 2 of my fluid bottles and I only had one left. The sweat was stinging my eyes and the salt was starting to form major crust all along the outside of my sunglasses. Then I opened up a gel to eat and before I could get it into my mouth about half of it oozed out onto my newly cleaned bike frame (it was more like water than gel). Worse yet my cycling computer started in on the beeping!! I have no idea what it's problem was. It never beeps (except when you press buttons on it). At first I thought I was imaging things. Is that a different beep or the same beep? Is there really beeping at all or am I just hearing things? Is this some sort of cruel, beeping joke that is designed to push me over the edge?
Luckily things took a turn for the better in the form of a tailwind when I was about an hour from home. Thank. God. The beeping slowed down considerably and now I was able to move a little. And I could smell the finish line. If this tailwind hadn't found me, I still might be out on Freeport Road, a sticky, sweaty, salty mess of a triathlete, in a puddle on the side of the road. And still beeping.
Once home I smiled. No more bike. But I made the mistake of leaving my running shoes inside the house thereby insuring that I had to walk into the nice cool AC to get them. That sucked. Bad move on my part. Next time just leave them outside so you're not tempted to lay on the kitchen floor and poor cold water all over your body.
But I got the job done - shoes on and a 30 minute transition run where my legs felt much better than they did on the bike and I was able to keep the beeping under control.
How do people live in the south?
Such is life. I think it's good to have tough training sessions like this every once in a while. Where you don't necessarily challenge your body by pushing it faster and faster but rather by adding some heat and a whole bunch of humidity and then some hills. And then some beeping. :) Because you survive nonetheless and are definitely stronger for it. Now excuse me while I go drink another gallon of water or two...and pour some salt down my throat... :)
Posted by beth at August 25, 2007 1:53 PM
Comments
Oh Beth! This is a funny entry! I'm not sure you think it's funny. Nice, nice job perservering in the heat and humidity!
Posted by: Meghan at August 25, 2007 9:17 PM