Heart Monitor

I set a goal a few years ago to participate in one of the country’s top ten toughest mountain bike endurance rides called, The Vision Quest.

In order to prepare for this, I hired a coach to maximize my athletic performance. One of the gauges used for training is a heart monitor. The heart monitor is exactly that, a device that monitors your heart and will tell you whether you are in the aerobic zone or anaerobic zone. Training this way will be the key to your success when racing or doing an endurance ride like the one I signed up for.

My coach provided a schedule to train five days a week using different training zones. My coach also suggested as her final and most important tip to find a training partner to ride with and keep my heart motivated!

So, as suggested, I partnered with another gal that accepted the Vision Quest challenge. We trained both, in the mountains and on the road.  While riding we can become so focused on the challenging terrain not noticing that our heart rate was much to high for this segment. Sometimes the road ahead was foggy and we were so focused on trying to see what was ahead again forgetting to acknowledge our heart rate. Other times, we can become so engaged in conversation or perhaps a little competition snuck in there with one another. The heart monitor doesn’t lie though; it will show our coach all the zones. My training partner and I hold one another accountable during these interruptions and bring ourselves back on track.

Also, some mornings it’s just hard to get out there especially when were  training five days a week and a rolling temperature of 38 degrees.  Muscles ache, the body is fatigued and we feel like remaining in our bed’s cocoon. However, someone is counting on me to show up in my bike gear and be ready to roll!

The Vision Quest goal is big with 56 mountainous miles and 11,000 feet of elevation gain! Mountain climbing is not for sissies and I needed a coach to monitor the physical and emotional well being of my heart in order to have the strength to accomplish this goal and endure being on my bike for 8 hours! Vision Quest Day finally arrived after months of monitoring my heart and following my coach’s training schedule resulted in a victorious finish!

What is your Vision Quest? Is it ready to burst from your heart? Is it physically and emotionally ready to begin this journey?

With February being the month of hearts and love, why don’t we take the time to dig deep into our own hearts and resurrect the dreams we carry down deep inside? Place your hand over your heart and listen. What is it saying?

Is it time for a coach? A training partner? A new start equals a happy heart!

“Two are better than one, they have a better return for their work.” Eccl. 4:9