POWER test

I thought bike time trials were the most painful physical exertions. I was wrong.

Nope - the new top of my list? The Power Meter Test.

Yes, I brought it on myself. For a while I've been meaning to have my power meter hooked up/installed on my time trial bike. It just never happened - between the move, getting ready for our move, and the holidays in a new place, the power meter was never hooked up.

Then came the new year, new goals, resolutions, and (ahem) training methods. Somewhere along the way, I casually mentioned to Jen that I was ready to start training with power.

So naturally - Jen being the coach that she is - scheduled a MAX EFFORT LT TEST for me.

Super!

30 minutes, all-out, on the trainer, as hard as you can.

A few choice adjectives could be used to maybe, possibly describe the feelings that coursed through my body during the actual test.

Pain.

Suffering?

Hurt!?!

Not even close.

Agony endured, is more like it.

Yes, a pretty picture indeed.

And the worst part? No matter how fast I went, no matter how hard I pushed, or how much more energy I applied - the test was still 30 minutes. No amount of 'going faster' was going to help in this case. Nothing like the 40k time trial, where the faster you bike, the sooner you're finished.

Nope, not even close. My reward? A higher watt output.

As I said before: Super!

But that's the key, my friends. It doesn't have to be pretty. It hurts, its not (always) fun, and no amount of cajoling can get us out of the hard stuff. But honestly - would I have it any other way?

I hate to admit it, but the overwhelming sense of satisfaction as I watched the final few seconds click down - covered in sweat (MORE sweat than hot yoga), snot faced, quivering, smelling awful, and about to fall off the bike - made the test hands down worth it. Sure, it was hard to walk and the concrete that I flopped on outside after the test, but I did it.

And now we've got the data to work with.

Sure, for a time being I hated my bike, power meter, coach, sport, trainer (borrowed from Charisa - thank you!), the yellow power tap sensor that was cheerfully displaying my output. But that's normal - I assume - when one is performing at max effort. Right?

In the end, 30 minutes of hurt was a small price to pay for the overwhelming sense of euphoria, of accomplishment afterwards. Not often do we push ourselves to new limits, do we set our bars a tad higher. Yes, we may be a wibbly mess afterwards - but that just affirms our previous effort.

Even though it was hard, I loved it. Even though I wanted to yell at Jen, chuck the bike, throw the yellow bike computer across the room - at a deeper level, I enjoyed what I was doing. From the work, from the effort, comes the sweet satisfaction of living. This was MY choice, something I WANTED to do - and in spite of the hurt, the pain, the 'enduring agony' - it made me feel more alive than nearly any other activity could have (at the time).

Does this mean I want another test tomorrow?

Respectfully, no.

But it is a reminder for me to embrace the challenges as well as the easy stuff. To relish the good, learn from the bad, and that I can accomplish many things when I put my mind to it.

And you can too. (But you don't need a max effort, 30 minute power bike test to prove it). That, my friends, I guarantee.