The Sting
BY KENNETH LUNDGREN
Legs still mega-sore from the weight session. Ouch. Usually I bounce back quick, but on holidays, for some reason, when I work out, I push it to the edge. But it’s a good soreness, I suppose.
Trekked forward today. Legs were heavy from the get-go as I did big-gear repeats on a local climb. I was one hurting puppy, and I went at a reasonable effort. Legs were hurting, but HR was where I wanted it.
Then I cruised past my house, slung on my backpack, and headed towards work. A nice commute cutting through 3 counties, the whole thing is up and down, lotsa short climbs.
“When in doubt, leave it out.” My legs certainly weren’t up to par, so I cut my intended sprint workouts short. Still did all of them, just cut the sprint duration in HALF. Short pops. I think I did the sensible thing. Didn’t want to blow the workout off altogether and screw the remainder of the week up. If it were easy, everyone would do it, I thought.
WWBD? What Would Boonen Do?
Funny thing: on the last pop of the day, I gunned it and hit almost my 10s best ever. Didn’t do anything special. Just riding and getting stronger. It’s funny: legs felt dead, but as the ride went on, I felt better and better, the legs getting fluid. By the time I was at work, I was ready to go! I may never have Gisler’s or Kimball’s acceleration, but I’m still going to try like hell!
Reminds me of my high school wrestling coach. Before our bout, he’d bearhug us, cracking our backs. Then he’d shake our hands, pull us close, and slap us with his left hand. “You gonna get it done, Lundgren?”
“I’m gonna try.”
“Try?” he’d asked with a disgusted look. “Try? A three-year-old can try. Go out there and (*censored*)(*censored*)(*censored*)(*censored*)in g do it.”
He was an intense man, borderline insane, but he sculpted us into one of the state’s top-ten teams every year I was there. God, I miss those years…
(I think a lot of us are borderline insane…)
Cold coming home, but it’s nice having the road, and the darkness, all to yourself.
Tanita: 157.7 pounds
Ride Time: 2:24
Norm Watts: 249
Distance: 45 miles
Avg. Watts: 188
Max Watts: 1198
HR: 145
Cadence: 91
Speed: 18.7 mph
