Intervals: my first time

I used a red pen to write my intervals on my arm.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

— Bene Gesserit litany against fear

I was so worried I'd forget what I was supposed to do that I wrote a reminder on my arm — 4 times for 6 minutes at 92 percent of my maximum sustained heart rate. I warmed up a long time because I was still a bit tired from yesterday's ride over Pig Farm, up the Bears and back through LanceOldStrong's secret Walnut Creek climb. But eventually I got to the road I'd decided to do this on. I tried to set aside my fears of failure and pain, and got close to succeeding.

I'd been told intervals hurt, but that's an understatement, and not even all there is to it. It's hard to concentrate on keeping a specific level of pain going, even with help from a stop watch and heart rate monitor. And it's even harder to do the second, third and fourth interval when, after the first,  knowing how much it will hurt.

But I did. The real question is: Will I be able to convince myself to do this twice a week until the Solvang Double? To help motivate myself, I got on the scales today. My optimistic estimate of only a slight weight gain over the holidays was proven hopelessly naive. I have a long way to go.