Status check, bike focus

Alright, a quick status check of where my training is at in preparation for my next race of the season. My next race is the Chicago Triathlon at the end of the month. I’m feeling great about my run after my performance last week and recent brick workouts. I’m feeling strong on the run and feel fluid coming off the bike. I’m feeling good about my swim and know that I've made real progress this year. I just need to stay focused on my technique when I’m out in open water so my form doesn't fall apart in the middle of a swim. On the bike, well, I still feel like I need to push it a little more, and to that end I’m setting a bike heavy focus these last couple of weeks before the Chicago Triathlon. I know I’m not going to pick up any real top-end strength in time for the race, but my focus will be on holding a high intensity for longer periods so I can accustom my body to being in this zone. I still tend to back off way too soon when I’m racing for fear of running out of gas before the end of the race. I need to train my body to handle this intensity so I know that I can handle it while I’m racing. It’s kind of odd; I have a high pain threshold when I’m running but that doesn't seem to translate over to the bike. I definitely think there’s a big mental factor at play here so I’m hoping that by spending a bit more time in this high end ‘pain zone’ on the bike I won’t be so scared of it on race day.