"A Z2 state of mind..."

Today was an easy day training-wise. 1050 in the pool this morning, mostly drills. Low key. Kristina and I did Core Power tonight. Same thing to report, it's always wicked...one way or another...spiritually, mentally, physically....tonight was no different. For dinner, a Cobb Salad again...Not again in a bad way. My love affair with the Cobb Salad started months ago, at Perry's in San Fran...and hasn't stopped. We eat it like three time a week.

Tuesday was a great day. 6 am yoga, Robin busting our asses with insane balancing poses...I was wobbling all over the place, having run the night before my legs were like pisketti...Next, acupuncture at Southwest Acupuncture College . Amy is my student practioner, who is going to grow up to be one hell of an acupunturist...the last two weeks have been intense, effective...really focusing on my hip. Her tacklebox full of tricks had some tread moxa lighting near the needles by my Achilles tendon, to treat my kidneys, which indirectly dialed in my soaz, therein releasing some of the junk in and around my hip....don't ask how it works...just try it.

My day ended at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. Met Craig after work for a Lactate Threshold test...and this was supposed to be an easy week. Rather than have me explain the science, please read Lactate Threshold test - defined. Continuing, here's what happened...20 minute warm up @ 100 - 125 watts, followed by progressively increasing wattage in 4 minute intervals, accompanied by an annoying finger prick to obtain a blood sample to test the level of lactic acid in the blood stream. After 44 or so minutes, 6 finger pokes, legs on fire, and a percieved rate of excetion of "very, very hard", it was finally over.

The results from this test establish the necessary training zones that pave the road to success and improvement...and it all seems to start in Z2, Over Distance...103 - 120 bpm for me. No matter the level of athlete, Z2 is the critical zone to make the major gains...the biggest challenge for me is that it seems pathetically slow. Training in and around Boulder, you'd be embarassed doing it in public. But it IS the "Silver Bullet", "The Magic Pill"...must get in a "Z2 frame of mind". The end.

As an FYI, here's what my zones look like: (note that they are on the bike...run will be +15 bpm)

• Recovery <>
• O.D. 104 - 120
• Endurance 121 - 137
• Tempo 138 - 147
• LT 148 - 155
• Max > 156