It's all about the GLUTES
The weather has been beautiful in Boulder since the day I arrived over a week ago.
This morning it was pouring …. I mean the proverbial cats and dogs… it went on for hours. Unusual for Boulder – showers here move out quickly. Thunder, lightening, the works.
I wanted to swim and then JZ was going to show me some exercises to help build my glute strength. She had a hunch my glutes were likely pretty weak given my poor cycling strength and incredible back pain. She and I waited for hours for the rain to pass…. it wasn’t …. eventually we just got tired of waiting.
I went on ahead to Flat Irons as I wanted to swim a bit more than she… that way I would just get out when she did and we’d hit the weight room. Swimming…. swimming… swimming… as I was on my final 100m JZ swims into my lane in front of me … I pop up… “What?” .. “Lightening! And it’s close!” she says. We bolt out of that pool and into the club in record time.
So… Joanna demonstrates some exercises to strengthen my glutes. Balancing on one leg, hand touching various floor markings, body perfectly aligned. They look easy enough. No problem.
I attempt to duplicate. HOLY CR@P!!!!!!!!! My body was tweaking, shifting, rotating, falling, all over the place!!!! I could NOT believe it. The more exercises she showed me, the more she had to continue to modify their degree of difficulty in order for me to actually do them. It was incredibly humbling, and illuminating. “This is why your back hurts so much. Strengthen these muscles and your cycling will fly!”
I can see her point. I had no idea this muscle was so weak, but with no glute strength, and with hamstrings so tight I can ‘t even bend towards them, it is easy to understand why when in the aero position my back gets recruited. My glutes and hams aren’t strong enough…
I can’t begin to tell you how much this woman has and is doing for me. She is not only perhaps reigniting my desire to train and race in 2008, but she is likely saving my sanity.
Everything she has suggested since I got here over a week ago has been 100% on the money.
Everything.
We came home from the gym…. and napped. 
