Yesterday I rested my ticker and today I had some hill repeats planned. On my first trip up the hill behind home I was having the same ‘problem’ as yesterday and my heart rate wasn’t getting past 145. I descended and started back up for my next run at it and this time got out of the saddle and sprinted for 30 seconds or so. Suddenly the HR was pushing 160. I sat back in the saddle and kept on pounding to the top, holding that old familiar rate.

Weird, but I’ve experienced this same thing before on climbs. There seems to be a ‘wall’ that I need to break through, then I’m good to go in zone 4. The rest of the 1:45 minutes today I had no trouble at all…um…getting it up, so the day off must have done the trick.

And although I was into ‘serious metal’ in the 80s, I can’t resist adding this video for your listening pleasure. I have to admit it though, they did have good hair.