What are you holding back?

Yesterday was the final spin class of the year.  It was also the first one I've been able to make it to in weeks.  One of the biggest lessons this spin class has taught me is to give it everything I've got.

The first one I went to, I joked that I might die if I kept doing this.  The second one I attended was even harder.

So, when Angie announced that it is tradition to for this class to be the "torture class" prior to indulging in holiday treats, I didn't know what I was in for.  The main set was some really hard intervals.  Only 30 seconds long each, but when you do 10 of those, it gets brutal.  When you do three sets of 10, it leaves your legs trembling.

Afterwards Angie asked me if it was harder then the ones where I said I felt like I was going to die.  I didn't have a straight answer.  On one hand, it was harder.  On the other hand, I didn't have the same feeling of: "I have never worked that hard in my life", that I had the first couple times.

After giving it some thought, I came to the following conclusion: I almost always hold something in reserve.  I almost always hold something back.  In some situations, that's simply smart pacing, but taken too far, it's a major way of limiting yourself.

I almost always have a sprint left in me at the end of a bike, run or swim.  I almost always am able to give it more.  And sometimes that's great.  But, other times, it's good to empty the tank.  The more you push your limits, the further away your limits get.

In the spin class, I've learned to give it everything I've got.  The first couple times, I had never felt so spent.  This time, that feeling was a bit more familiar, even if it didn't make it easier.  At the very least, I didn't feel like I was going to die.

How do you push your limits?  What's holding you back?

Monday HBBC points: 7 (60 minute swim, f/v)

Tuesday HBBC points: 8 (76 minute spin, f/v)

Week to date: 19

Total: 141