All It Takes...

Is an email. A few words. Some input. Some details. Catching up. From a client. A friend.

I was looking through some Power Files earlier today from a client of mine, an AE collective member. I noticed some of the numbers he hit earlier in the week from a workout I prescribed. I was psyched to see such strong numbers, so I dropped him a quick note to let him know I was happy with what I was seeing. What followed from him...it made my day. And it reminded me why I was making some changes in my life to see if I might be able to pull this off.

I'm not going to go into too many details, out of respect for him and the work we're doing. But the numbers speak for themselves. On Tuesday, he put out consecutive 30 minute efforts, with 5 minutes of rest in between, at the same power output that he maxed out at for 20 minutes only 6 weeks ago. These were controlled efforts, not all out, as evidenced by the fact that his heart rate was 5-7 beats per minute slower than during his 20 minute test 6 weeks ago. What's that mean? He's stronger. And more efficient. And in our sport, strength and efficiency are vital to performance. I know he's got more in the tank. A lot more. And so does he. And that's where it gets fun. He's excited. And happy. And proud. I can read it in his words, sense it in his tone. He's excited about eating better, about taking better care of himself.

He's not obsessed,  not at all. He took a family vacation to Florida a few weeks ago. It goes without saying that hard training on a Florida family vacation is NOT a recipe for a good time...so we didn't set any goals for the trip other than enjoy the time with his family and ride a bit if he could get a leg over the saddle. He rolled with the punches during February (and now into March), as the weather did more than dictate training, it dominated it. He rode the trainer like I told him to, hit the numbers I asked him to hit. No more, no less. He knows the weather is supposed to finally clear a bit this weekend, but he's got other priorities..."this weekend i will do as much as i can but i'm going into the city both days to watch my nephews run in the high school national indoor championships.  they are ranked in the top 3 in the 4x1600 and the older one is leading the country in the 2 mile so has a great chance of winning that.   i'll let you know how much work i get in and we'll see if we need to adjust anything for next week."

There are A LOT OF THINGS that are important in our lives. For some of us, cycling is important. But for all of us, I hope, the chance to see our families strive and achieve is even more important than riding bikes, or just about anything else for that matter.

This is where it gets fun. I'm excited. I'm happy. And I'm proud of him. And all of my clients. I've got stories already about how much progress they've made. They have put their faith in me. They have been honest, sometimes surprisingly so. They have asked questions and challenged me. I am grateful. I am doing my best to make them stronger. Not just on the bike or the trails or the local roads. I think they realize I am trying to set a foundation for the rest of their lives. 6-8 weeks in, we're just getting started.

ALLEZ