The slave master
Coach Yigal is getting more and more creative. Today's workout took the prize. Fortunately, didn't have to do it -- it was my turn to accompany the team in my car, so I just got to watch it.
We left just after 6 a.m. The weather was still pleasant and as the team rode towards the first segment of the workout and I drove behind them, I couldn't help thinking how much I would rather be on my bike. The first hill was on the Goral Road and it's one I actually don't mind doing. It's about 4 km long, but not terribly steep and then there's a nice, long downhill section on the other side. As I watched everyone ride up and down and then turn around and ride back up, I was very jealous. After riding down the second time, they ran a km or so. It was still nice outside and even watching them run didn't make me happy to be in the car.
Then we rode towards the next hill, the one that leads to Sansana. This one is harder. There are a few rollers, but mainly, it's a rather long and fairly steep road that winds up into the forest and then back down on the other side. The guys in front of me really suffered going up this one and I wasn't so jealous anymore. Going down looked like fun, but turning around and going back up again didn't. I didn't drive back up the hill behind those who went up the second time -- instead, I parked my car and waited at the bottom of the hill, where they had to run. It was getting rather warm and I started thinking about how running in the hot sun was probably the last thing I would want to be doing.
My teammates were starting to wilt -- I could see it happening. But it was on to hill number three: the road up to Eshkolot. I hate this hill. It's about 2.5 km long and it has two difficult sections. The first one is short, but so steep that almost every time I do it, I want to get off my bike just before I reach the top. This is the hill that we do our serious hill work on, going up and down several times. Those are my least favorite workouts. I didn't drive up the hill -- I waited at the bottom with the other two cars. I just looked up the hill and smiled, knowing that my legs weren't going to hurt after the workout (well, apart from my left foot, which was getting tired from hitting the clutch so often). They went up, turned around and came down and then went back up and down again. By the time they got to the part where they were supposed to run, it was no longer warm -- it was hot. I was hot just standing outside not doing anything. Everyone was out of water and all the extra water we'd brought wasn't enough. But they ran.
At this point, even though all I was doing was sitting in my air-conditioned car, I suggested to Yigal that it might be wise to skip the last part of the workout. He actually agreed (maybe because he was doing the ride/run, too, and he didn't look like he was feeling so great).
So off we headed to the next hill, the road up to the Joe Alon Center. This time, though, it was just one time up and no run. The hill was still hard. The kid I was driving behind got off his bike and walked. I could imagine precisely how he was feeling -- I've been there. This is another hill that I don't like, by the way. It's not as steep as the Eshkolot hill, but it's a bit longer, I think, and it's also always the last hill we do before we go home, so I've only done it when I've been tired.
I got home just after 10:00. It had been a four hour workout, much of it in the heat. As much as I like the feeling of satisfaction after finishing a hard workout, I can honestly say that I'm not sorry I missed this one. With all these exams to grade, the last thing I needed today was a workout that would knock me out for the rest of the day. But remember my friend, Gil? Well, this was how he got to spend his birthday and he looked quite pleased about it. Strange man... ;-) I hope he at least treated himself to some birthday cake after the ride!
We left just after 6 a.m. The weather was still pleasant and as the team rode towards the first segment of the workout and I drove behind them, I couldn't help thinking how much I would rather be on my bike. The first hill was on the Goral Road and it's one I actually don't mind doing. It's about 4 km long, but not terribly steep and then there's a nice, long downhill section on the other side. As I watched everyone ride up and down and then turn around and ride back up, I was very jealous. After riding down the second time, they ran a km or so. It was still nice outside and even watching them run didn't make me happy to be in the car.
Then we rode towards the next hill, the one that leads to Sansana. This one is harder. There are a few rollers, but mainly, it's a rather long and fairly steep road that winds up into the forest and then back down on the other side. The guys in front of me really suffered going up this one and I wasn't so jealous anymore. Going down looked like fun, but turning around and going back up again didn't. I didn't drive back up the hill behind those who went up the second time -- instead, I parked my car and waited at the bottom of the hill, where they had to run. It was getting rather warm and I started thinking about how running in the hot sun was probably the last thing I would want to be doing.
My teammates were starting to wilt -- I could see it happening. But it was on to hill number three: the road up to Eshkolot. I hate this hill. It's about 2.5 km long and it has two difficult sections. The first one is short, but so steep that almost every time I do it, I want to get off my bike just before I reach the top. This is the hill that we do our serious hill work on, going up and down several times. Those are my least favorite workouts. I didn't drive up the hill -- I waited at the bottom with the other two cars. I just looked up the hill and smiled, knowing that my legs weren't going to hurt after the workout (well, apart from my left foot, which was getting tired from hitting the clutch so often). They went up, turned around and came down and then went back up and down again. By the time they got to the part where they were supposed to run, it was no longer warm -- it was hot. I was hot just standing outside not doing anything. Everyone was out of water and all the extra water we'd brought wasn't enough. But they ran.
At this point, even though all I was doing was sitting in my air-conditioned car, I suggested to Yigal that it might be wise to skip the last part of the workout. He actually agreed (maybe because he was doing the ride/run, too, and he didn't look like he was feeling so great).
So off we headed to the next hill, the road up to the Joe Alon Center. This time, though, it was just one time up and no run. The hill was still hard. The kid I was driving behind got off his bike and walked. I could imagine precisely how he was feeling -- I've been there. This is another hill that I don't like, by the way. It's not as steep as the Eshkolot hill, but it's a bit longer, I think, and it's also always the last hill we do before we go home, so I've only done it when I've been tired.
I got home just after 10:00. It had been a four hour workout, much of it in the heat. As much as I like the feeling of satisfaction after finishing a hard workout, I can honestly say that I'm not sorry I missed this one. With all these exams to grade, the last thing I needed today was a workout that would knock me out for the rest of the day. But remember my friend, Gil? Well, this was how he got to spend his birthday and he looked quite pleased about it. Strange man... ;-) I hope he at least treated himself to some birthday cake after the ride!
posted by bari | 12:45
2 Comments:
Its nice to know that some routines are maintained in your current climate and you are thankfully right now away from the worst of it up north.
I feel for your boy and his stress and hope someday he understands the responsiblity that has been placed on him to protect his homeland when he gets older.
Been thinking of you a lot lately and God be with you.
I'm with you on running in the heat. I don't like it either, but the tris I have done so far this season have left me with no choice. Good for training though.
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