The Red Zone

Before I decided to get healthy, I knew absolutely nothing about exercise or how my body worked. I figured if I was huffing and puffing, that was good enough.

Since then, I've done a lot of reading and research and I know the whole spiel about aerobic / anaerobic exercise. I have a heart monitor and I know how to use it. However, I've developed my own exertion scale which seems to be at least as effective as my heart monitor, and it doesn't make me sweat under my bra.

Level 1: (we're talking under 120 beats per minute) I call this the "You-need-to-kick-it-into-gear-here-you're-not-doing-much-good" zone. It's way too easy to spend time in this zone when I'm exercising with friends. It's slightly better than sitting on the couch. Slightly.

Level 2: (130-150) This is the Awesome zone. This is when it feels like I am flying and I could go for pretty much the whole day, barring crazy hills or a stiff booty. I can still talk at this stage, but have to catch my breath every once in a while.

Level 3: (150-165) No Woman's Land. At this point I'm riding a little too hard for comfort or sustainability, but we're not in danger yet. I can stay in this area long enough to kick Calli's butt up the golf course road. (I spend more time than I should in this zone when Layne's riding in front of me and I'm trying to keep up.) Silly Wabbit.

Level 4: (170+) This zone has no name, other than the RED ZONE. Not red because of danger or stop or any of the other things that the color often signifies, but because that's the color of the spots I see when I get to this point. A classic symptom of this zone is a slightly metallic taste in my mouth-- I think that might have something to do with parts of my lungs exploding from the exertion. Blood is full of iron and I'm pretty sure that's what I'm tasting.

I know, that sounds terrible, and it is. Nothing that gets you that close to vomitting can be good. However, there is this incredible feeling that comes about a minute after you get out of the Red Zone that makes it all worth it. The beauty is that you are usually descending by that point, so the anaerobic endorphins combined with the exhiliration of the descent-- well, if I wrote what it's most like, your internet filter would probably block this page.

If I would have known what a buzz I could get on a bike, I would have picked it up years ago. . .