Consistency ... Or Misery

Work and life occupied the five days since my last training ride.   I was getting short, intemperate, impatient, crabby and just plain angry.  

The temp this morning in Prescott was 21F at 6:30AM.  Which meant that I was going to do more indoor training or freeze my tucas off outdoors.  I negotiated with fate.

I drove south 40 miles and down about 3,500 feet.  Best of all the temperature was in the high 70's.  A great training road called Vulture Mine Road just west of Wickenburg, AZ.  The road is almost smooth, at worst very gentle chip seal.  During the 4 hours I was training I counted no more vehicles than my fingers and toes.    Sunny.  Silent.  Mesmerizing cactus desert.  

Parts report:  Consistency of training supports improved performance.  In addition, importantly, those tight tendons, etc, make their discomfort conspicuous.  The last hour I put more effort into the training and more focus on dissociating from the pain (right gluteus medius tendonitis).  Some times it is not foolish to stare down the pain.  In fact, there is something ascetic about it.  

But, when I finally stopped there was a loud complaint from those body parts that had concluded that they were exempt from training these past five days.  O.K., guys.  I hear you.  I promise to be more consistent.  

VULTURE MINE ROAD