Entering the World of Watts

This is my new favorite toy.

Ok. So it is not really a toy. And it is not mine.

And it is not even new.

But you get the idea.

It is the spin bike I get to use at the YMCA.

I have been using it since November

but I did not realize just how cool it was.

Until I talked to Coach M.

Sure. I like my trainer, too.

(Although I like my old cheap Minoura trainer

better than my new fancy CycleOps one.)

But here is the problem with riding on the trainer:

The only place for it is right next to my bed.

So either my foot gets caught in the comforter

or my elbow stuck in the blinds.

Plus, it is hard to open my drawers

or get out of bed.

And what husband wants his wife biking around

in the bedroom at 5am?

That is what you get for going to grad school with a family.

Therefore,

I escape to the gym for most of my indoor rides.

Space. Quiet. No interruptions. Ceiling fans.

And watts.

I know. For a girl who claims she dislikes numbers,

I am a little too excited about the whole wattage thing.

But I also like to execute workouts perfectly,

and watts sure come in handy for that.

My little computer can tell me lots of stuff:

cadence

wattage

calories

time

gear

distance

Pretty cool, right?

So after 2 months of riding on this thing

and oblivious to the fact that it shows my watts,

I finally told Coach M what kind of spin bike I ride.

I just did not think it was a big deal.

Well, it is a big deal.

I guess it is the nicest one out there.

Thank you, YMCA!

Tomorrow I get to do a little wattage test:

30 minutes until I fall off the bike.

Report to Coach M.

Receive wattage-specific training plans.

It is kinda like Christmas.

Sort of.

Good bye

I-am-tired-today-so-maybe-I-will-just-shift-down-a-gear-and-no-one-will-ever-know days.

I will miss you!

Hello

You-are-going-hold-250-watts-today-whether-you-like-it-or-not days.

I hope I will like you!

PS: Thank you for all your comments about the Halfmarathon Report. I will talk about the aftermath in my next post. For now, it is bedtime.

Comments

Camping Trip - Big Sur - CA

Andrew Molera State Park - our paradise for a week After it became clear that we would most likely be in Utah all summer, I got a bit antsy and really wanted to go on a family vacation. We went camping in Moab in March and it was great fun. Since I am not training or racing, we might as well go on a road trip to California and camp by the beach for a while! Easier said than done because, of course, we were way too late to get any decent spot anywhere along the coast. Everything bookable was booked. We did a bunch of research and found a little campground in Andrew Molera State Park that fit our (very small) budget and was first-come first-served. Perfect! So we mapped out a plan, loaded up the car, and took off for 10 days! Not exactly traveling lightly. That road bike (mine) was solely for commuting purposes. Traveling from Provo up to Salt Lake City and then west on I-80, our first stop was Donner Lake up by Lake Tahoe/Truckee. I love Lake Tah...

I am so lucky

I feel the need to write. My thoughts are all jumbled. Can I make sense of them on paper? Writin g gives me perspective and makes it easier to let go. Last weekend I was very frustrated, mad, self-centered, unhappy , wallowing in self-pity. This weekend I was more balanced, a little more patient, trying to be less selfish, happy . How did it happen? I have had to deal with myself for almost 30 years now and, luckily, have figured out a few things on the way. Like how to feel at peace with myself , my family , my life . It shouldn't be complicated to be happy in my circumstances. I realize that. But sometimes it still is. Sometimes being a mom and wife doesn't come easy to me. Sometimes I think everyone would be better off if I wasn't a mom and wife. Sometimes I wish it was easier to just take off and do nothing but swimbikeruneatsleep for a week or two. It's not helping that my German teammates are doing just that. Right now. On a beautiful island. In the warm...

Freedom Run

I decided to celebrate my freedom by running the Freedom Run 10k . Not exactly my favorite kind of race but definitely one to make me feel alive and happy . For this girl endorphins = happiness . I know. I know. It's not everlasting happiness. But I will take it. The more happiness, the better . Right? My motto for this race: "A lot of people race to see who is fastest . ` I race to see who has the most guts ." -Steve Prefontaine It's time for me to show some guts in racing and training. Time to get out of the grey zone and push myself hard. Time to really hurt and put it all on the line. I wanted to run sub 40 minutes. That is a 6:25 pace. That is fast for me. The plan was to start out fast and try to hold it. If I was going to die at the end, so be it. Fortunately, I had some great company for the Sufferfest . It went something like this: I convinced Jen . Jen convinced Carlee . Carlee convinced Heather . Here we are ready to race We also have matchi...

Sarah Borst Jarvis

Search This Blog