For the last 3+ weeks, I have experienced increasing self doubt with every ride. I was actually starting to lose my #bikelove and dread upcoming bike rides. Every workout was HARD…SO MUCH harder than it should have been. Even the easy rides felt taxing. Why? Was my power meter not calibrated correctly? Was my Garmin not synced with the most recent updates? Was I training too hard? Was I not getting enough sleep? Why were these workouts SO TOUGH?! I was troubleshooting right and left, up and down to try to figure out what was wrong.
I expressed all of this to Coach Kelly. She thought I was carrying a lot of fatigue from training and life, so she made some changes to my schedule and gave me a power ramp test last Thursday after resting me just a bit. This was EXACTLY what I needed! Not only was this fun, but it also quelled the self doubt and turned it back into self confidence on the bike! Hello #bikelove! I’m so happy we meet again! I’ve missed you!
I executed this ramp test exactly how it was written and produced beautiful increasing trends for my power, heart rate, and speed.
While these beautiful graphs are amazing and something I am proud of, the best part was turning the self doubt back into confidence on the bike! Sometimes the chimp between my ears needs a reminder to STFU and stop interfering with forward progress! Clearly Coach was right…I’ve been carrying a lot of extra fatigue from training and life lately. It was nice to see that everything was calibrated and synced correctly and that I wasn’t losing fitness as I feared. With a little rest, I am performing right where I should be. Time to keep that confidence rolling in the forward direction and soak up some more #bikelove!
PushMyLimits 
I love the phrase #bikelove!
Btw, have you tried HRV (heart rate variable)measurements? I have only recently started so not an expert, but I know others who swear by it as a way to give accurate measurements of when they’re up for it or needing a rest. I am using an app by “ithlete”, along with the little finger HR thingy, although probably other ones around..
Thank you! I do use the HRV app and have been for almost 2 years. It is SO helpful!! Thanks for the tip though!!
oops, I am a bit behind the curve … which isn’t that unusual 🙂
Not at all! Usually I’m so far out of the loop, that this would be a great recommendation! I appreciate it! ❤️
It’s a good thing you have a good coach who listens to your concerns! A little extra rest is never a bad thing and I’m glad you’re feeling the #bikelove again.
Thanks Amy! You’re correct! I’m blessed to be working with such a great coach!!