Believe

Hopefully today is the last day that I have to bike instead of running. Another hour on the sweat machine has proven that I'm out of shape (bikewise at least). This kind of soreness doesn't come around that often. I feel like I've been squatting for the past 3 days rather than cycling. The good news is that my leg is feeling much better. It even survived laser tag last night (which was epic, by the way).

As much as the stationary bike can suck, there's something about it that's almost addicting to me. The ability to just sit there and smash your quads into submission for an hour or two, without having to worry about traffic, turns, or the weather, really lets you focus. Sometimes I think I get a better workout on the bike than I do outside running. The low-impact nature of the activity also lets you go a lot longer than you could on foot, so when it's over I'm usually drained to the max from relentlessly pushing the pace. It's like running on a treadmill; the urge to increase the speed and effort level is nearly irresistible when all you need to do it press a button. Good monster training. It reminds me that I can always do more, try harder. If I can willingly go faster on one of these machines simply because I want to end the boredom sooner, than I should be able to do it in a race.

Being injured is no fun, but it doesn't need to be a setback. A lot of us feel like we're moving backwards when we need to rest or cross train for just a few days, even though we're not actually losing anything. But the key is to remind yourself that eventually, when you go back to normal training, everything will probably return to the way it's supposed to be. You'll continue to improve. You might even be better than you were before you started having problems. No matter what happens, no matter what obstacles are encountered along the way to success, you just have to believe. You have to believe that the monster is there inside of you, waiting. Believe that it's ready, and when the moment arrives, that it will come out and make things happen. Even when you're down on the ground, feeling defeated, with no will left to keep trying...believe in the monster. You might be surprised by what you can do with its help.