Where is Your Hurt Box?

Open up Google and search the term hurt box. You are bound to get a cycling reference. If you are serious about your cycling you have to find this mythical item – your hurt box! My winter training routine sees each Wednesday as a tough day. There is a swim drill session in the morning and then, in the afternoon, a turbo session consisting of long or short intervals followed by run intervals. Today was the second time I have completed Wednesday training but the first long interval day. It had reminded me that achieving my goals would not be easy! I dusted off my hurt box and tickled it today. As the winter progresses I am going to have to dig to the very bottom of the box!

I did 3 x 10 mins at 260W today. I peaked at 2 x 20 mins and 3 x 15 mins at 290W during the race season. So, so 3 x 10 mins at 260W should be ok? Tickle tickle…it still hurt but I concentrated on not actually opening the box! Then it was out with the Garmin and 3 x 1 mile with 2 min recoveries. These run repeats are tempo at this time of year; full on speed is not the aim just yet. I set my Garmin for 6:20 per mile pace. First rep 6:08, second 6:04………best ease back…….third rep 6:15. Considering I had just staggered off the turbo the running felt reasonably easy. I am sure, as the turbo sessions suck me into the hurt box, the running will not feel so easy!

My legs were slightly heavy from the vertical kick drills I had been doing in the pool yesterday! What a momentous day! The first time ever that I have had sore legs from swimming – not sure if that is good or bad! As I have recently turned ……. I mean had a birthday….. my kind mother in law bought me some compression calf lingerie. What she thinks I want them for, I am not so sure! Anyway, I ran in them today for the first time. It is not a good look! Not sure if they will keep my calves healthy but we’ll give it a go! I am just amazed that they make them small enough for my matchstick legs!

I have my second Swim Shack swim session tomorrow – really looking forward to that. I have spent the last week doing hardly any full stroke swimming. I have done loads of drills and have mastered the homework given to me last week; I just hope that I can reproduce the drills perfectly in the endless pool so the teacher gives me full marks and gives me more secret stuff to work on!
Good luck with finding your hurt box…….learn to love it……purrrrrrrrr!