goal reduction

I have decided that I'm working too hard.
I am going to cut back, be less of an overachiever, tame down my workouts.
possibly even assess my level of obsession.

okay, that last one might be going too far.

but the universe has been sending me a few messages, and I am heeding them.
it's easy to get caught up in the excitement, the energy, the stimulation that comes with a good workout. this is not a bad thing, but I think I have been consistently working in a zone that's higher than is good for me to consistently work in.
got it?
someone said to me today that their understanding is that athletes must learn the discipline of working at lower levels than they might want to at any given moment. to reign in their abilities, to hover in zones where they are holding back.
I've heard this before from spin instructors, urging us to have the discipline to lengthen our warm-up period.
when I ride outside, my usual warm-up period lasts about twenty seconds, before my street rises to the north or I turn east and confront a different rise. rarely do I start to the south or west, which gives me gentle decreases in grade. I blame my lack of warm-up on the fact that I live where I do and choose to ride that canyon I love. it would be different if I lived on a perfectly flat road . . .
ha.

this morning in spin class I controlled myself fairly well. I didn't hit my top zone, and I barely reached the one below that. I rode for most of the time in a good, aerobic work zone, and was proud of myself.
transferring that experience to my outdoor rides is the challenge.
it's like practicing for a crucial conversation with your therapist: it's much easier in their office than it is when facing the actual person.
when I ride my real bike in the real world I don't like to hold back.
but I am now determined to discipline myself in this way, and you know what that means. I will accomplish this goal.

the discipline to hold back, to not give my all: wow. what an intriguing goal.