My plan today was to go for a relatively short bike ride and do a brief swim. The idea was to get the blood flowing and the muscles activated. I felt that some short bouts of intensity would serve me well. I didn't really think too much about how intense my effort would be. So, I set out on my bike, going comfortably for the first 15 minutes, and as I turned around, I decided to go hard over a half mile slightly uphill segment my typical loop. I managed to hit the light while moving and pushed hard. My quads started to burn, so I backed off ever so slightly, staying in my aero position. I kept pushing, and stayed in my 52 front chain ring, which I've never done on this segment before. The intersection at the end of the segment was ahead, and I was again fortunate to hit it with a green light, allowing me to maintain my effort and pace. This was pretty close to a consistent all out 90 second effort.
When I got home and checked Strava, I discovered that my previous best time on this segment had been 1:56. Today, I rode the segment in 1:27! Did I push too hard? I don't know, and in fact, I don't care. It turns out that this was the 7th fastest time on this segment amongst over 4700 people! How cool! From a mental perspective, I couldn't be in a better place going into Santa Rosa, where I'll have some opportunities to push har on the bike. I now know that I can push pretty hard for half a mile. Both major hills are only a little over one mile long, so this means that I have a chance to push pretty hard up these hills.
My left rib is a little sore tonight. I also did a hard 300 yard effort in the pool. My brain is fully ready for my race on Saturday. Having a goal is important. Achieving a goal is even better. That's what drives me. That's what matters.
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