I’m a desperate masochist

The sounds of the Rocky theme filled the air. My phone was ringing. I took a quick glance at the number.

Hmmm. I don’t recognize that one.

Usually, when I don’t recognize a number, I let it go to voicemail. But, this time, for some reason, I hit the answer button.

“Hello?” I asked, more than said.

A cheery voice sang wonderful words to me: “Hi, Maria! This is Sherri from CompuTrainer.”

CompuTrainer?! Did she say CompuTrainer?

About two weeks ago, I had submitted an entry for a contest that CompuTrainer was running to find their 2011 “Desperate Athlete.” The winner would receive a free CompuTrainer (worth about $,1700!), along with a 12-month custom training program, monitored by coach Simon Ward.

The announcement read: “Wanted: CompuTrainer seeks athlete desperate to improve cycling performance in 2011.”

As soon as I read it, I knew I had to win.

I set to work immediately to craft my entry, which had to be kept to just 100 words. I took me about 8 days to get it the way I wanted it – I mean it had to be the right mix of desperation and confidence. That’s not quite so easy to pull off. Here is what I sent to CompuTrainer:

Why should I be your athlete for 2011?

Simply put: I am the desperate masochist you seek. I live to suffer! Only CompuTrainer can give me the sufferfest I need to reach my #1 goal for 2011: a 12 hour Ironman at Lake Placid on July 24. My key limiter is the bike.  I’ve been spending hours upon hours on my old-fashioned magnetic trainer. Slogging away, all the while knowing there is something better. It’s like riding a beach cruiser with white-walled fat tires, when you know you could be riding a sweet, light and fast tri bike. I talk about my training like it’s my job on Facebook, Twitter, Daily Mile and my blog (https://www.runningalife.com). I will wear any logos, talk up any triumph, market any marvelous improvement – just put me on a CompuTrainer (please!).

At the time, I said to John, “I have to win this.”

His response? “Yup, you do.”

If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know why I had to win. To say my cycling has been mediocre would be kind. I’ve been beating my brains and legs out on my current trainer since November – and I’ve been making gains. But, with the kind of workouts and data I could get from a computrainer, those gains would become impressive – the kind of impressive that will help me shave an hour off of my bike split at Lake Placid this year.

So, when I heard Sherri say “computrainer” on the other end of the phone, I could feel the excitement building.

I tried to play it cool, “Yes, hi, Sherri.  This is Maria.”

“Well, are you ready to work out?”

Okay, the attempt to play it cool seemed nonsensical at this point.

“Did I really win? Oh.my.God. Did I?” I squealed. Yes, I squealed. To me, this was the equivalent of Publishers’ Clearinghouse showing up at my door with a check for a million dollars.

Sherri assured me that yes, I was the desperate athlete – selected from a pool of 500 applicants. While I’m sad for the other 499 hopefuls, this win is truly a blessing, as I would not have been able to own a CompuTrainer – let alone a custom training plan and coach – if I did not win. So, you see – I really did have to win this contest.

The CompuTrainer website promises to improve cycling power by 20-30%, and increase speed by 2-4 mph. Hmm, let’s see. Last year, I averaged a dismally pathetic 15 mph in Lake Placid. This year, if I average 17 mph, I will be exactly where I want to be to achieve my 12 hour goal. If I improve by 4 mph for an average of 19 mph, well, I just don’t think I have the words for that right now.

I appreciate the kind words I’ve received from those on Twitter and Facebook who heard about my good fortune. And, I’m grateful to the folks at CompuTrainer for picking me. I’ll be sharing my experiences with all of you here.

In the meantime, if you own a CompuTrainer, I’m very interested to hear about your experience and suggestions. How can I get the most out of my new toy?

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