Break it Down

The imposing sight of a mountain on the horizon can beat you before you’ve even clipped in.

It’s the same when you load up a training session on Zwift and think: “Fuck me. This is going to hurt.”

That thought is the enemy. The mind is sharper than the sword. So use it. Break the challenge into pieces small enough to hold.

Here is my inner monologue for a 75-minute session with 40 minutes at FTP. Not a brutal session on paper. Brutal in the legs.

Warm-Up

“This is free.” I piss about on my phone and build the playlist.

First 10-Minute Interval

“This is still basically the warm-up.” The body is on autopilot. My mind is somewhere else: processing the to-do list, solving problems, thinking about dinner.

Second 10-Minute Interval

“Comfortable. No stress.” The subconscious keeps ticking.

Third 10-Minute Interval

“Getting uncomfortable, but nothing I can’t hold.” I start to become conscious of the effort. Turn the music up. Tap the beat. Let the rhythm carry the cadence.

Fourth 10-Minute Interval

“This is starting to hurt. But here is the map: first two minutes are fine. Second two minutes might start to burn. Third should be uncomfortable. Fourth I may have to grimace. Fifth: I have nothing to lose. Empty the tank. Then it’s done.”

Crank the music. Let it drown out the clock. Get to the end of the final interval and think: “That wasn’t so bad. I could go again.”

That is the thing about it. When you break it down, only 10 of those 75 minutes are genuinely uncomfortable. Only two to four minutes actually hurt. The rest is just time and cadence.

It seems easier now, right?

The principle applies everywhere. Don’t let the mountain beat you before you’ve started climbing it. Look at the next 10 minutes. Not the summit.

And one more thing: if you never fail a session, you are not pushing hard enough. Take confidence in what your body can do. Then ask it for more.

G