Too Good to Be True?

When I read Mark Cavendish's "Boy Racer" autobiography, he described that euphoric feeling of peaking in his training.  He wrote he felt invincible, that his legs were almost floating on the bike and he had tons of wattage to burn through without any fear of depleted power stores. Then, he wrote about getting sick.  Very sick.

Unfortunately, I may be about to experience the same thing.

Frank and I rode a leisurely 65 miles today, meandering through the Conejo Valley once again and racking up around 4,600 feet of climbing along the way.  Not once did I feel remotely fatigued.  My heart-rate idled consistently between zones 1 and 2, as prescribed in my training.  While it wasn't my fastest workout, it was among my best.  It seemed I could have ridden for hours more.  I didn't need to eat much on the bike, I drank plenty, and consistently found enough power to get through any climb or false flat.

I also think I found my Ironman pace, if need-be.  It appears I can maintain a consistent 18.4 mph pace without tiring.  It doesn't challenge my heart-rate, and my legs felt great off the bike.  Even though I didn't run today, I could have.  Maybe I should expect a 6:20 Ironman bike?  I'm not sure how to pace myself for the Big Event.  Do I pick up the pace to that magical 20 mph plateau and maintain there with some occasional trouble?  Or do I play it safe?

All these questions were swirling around in my head as I sauntered into my restorative yoga class at 5 p.m.

They went away half way through the class when I started sneezing and my throat tingled.  Right now, it's a full-on sore.  I've been taking echinacea and Emergen-C supplements, along with Stephanie, who is suffering from the same malady.

I've been sick once this year already.  That's usually my marker, though I pick up at least one cold annually as well.  I'd rather get it out of the way right now than face it in November.  But I suppose the real lesson is that if my bike rides the day after a triathlon race seem a little too good to be true, that just might be the case.

Here's to a quick recovery.  I'm shutting down early for the night.

68 days and counting.