The Burn

"Look we have HAD IT. That's it, no more"

"If you don't help finish this thing I SWEAR TO GOD I'm going to puke all over this monitor!"

Today's tempo workout is not going well. My pansy thighs are giving me nothing but static from the get go. Twelve minutes and forty-eight seconds from finishing and I just want to quit and vomit or vomit and quit, the order seems to be important. The music isn't helping on this one, I just can't get into it, too many systems going red line and phoning in their dissent not allowing me to get lost in the beat.

My muscles, lungs and mind all know if I can cross into single digits (9:59 will work) I'll finish this thing but I'm not there yet. Covered with sweat and sucking air through a straw I'm having doubts. Since I'm too busy at work to bike in I at least wanted to pretend, so I selected an upright, plugged in 35 minutes allowing for a five minute warm up and went.

I inched up the resistance, starting at six and going as high as thirteen when I noticed my beloved Garmin was informing me that I was in zone 3.8 to 4.0 and oh yes I was feeling it, breathing hard and grimacing in pain once I hit that mark. I began backing off the resistance as long as I maintained the HR Zone. I don't know how I got here but I wanted to see if I could hold it, my cadence fluctuated between 70 to 80 and if it dipped to 68 or so I'd groan and force it up.

Why?

I don't know!

The battle raged between muscle and mind and I wish it was an interesting fight but it was more like siblings quarreling.

"Not gonna!"

"Are too!"

"Am NOT!"

"TOO!"

"NOOOOOTTTTT!!!"

Sweat is rolling off me and gasping for breath I'm desperate for distraction but not finding any. My legs, sensing this weakness renew their whining and my lungs decide to join them in harmony - the pricks. I take a swing of water, inhale it, start coughing but manage to keep my legs moving. Not the distraction I was looking for. My eyes dart between the Garmin and the cadence but mostly I look at the floor.

Finally it's over and I'm in cool down, which I take full advantage of trying to regain my composure, while the sweat stings my eyes and I struggle to bring my breathing under control. I notice that others are now in the gym. God only knows what they witnessed.

I get off the bike, grab a few wipes and thoroughly clean it.

Well that was weird.

I feel so-so, on the bubble between an endorphin rush or a serious nap. I just want to sit, so I plop down on a bench and record some stats like calories burned (460). I averaged 74rpms throughout the thirty five minutes. For the thirty minutes I averaged 77% maxHR, for the entire forty one it was 72% maxHR.

My thighs burn and I'm still sweating but I have Bubbles' new ABS routine to get through. That was a struggle. I can't recall what a "C" Mat Crunch is precisely and awesomeGirl and goodMood don't know. I do a pelvic tilt along with a crunch hoping I'm at least close. The BOSU was not fun and the same with the stability ball. I do the stretches and as I stagger by Bubbles office I stare in myopic balefulness at her saying, "That new ABS routine BITES!"

I get back a cheery, "Good morning!"

Maybe for some... I hope you're one of them!