I'm curious about something. The course is amazing, especially the bike. I just love (and hate) it. What is your favorite part ?

For me its the top of the first climb. You come around the corner right near the top and I always think I am going to hit the summit and then...damn it pitches up at the steepest angle of the entire climb for that last 100 yards. The third time up that hill is absolutely no joke. My second favorite part is the first downhill on the bike, so fast and fun.

So many amazing spots on that damn course. A few of my favs:

1. After turning left off the gravel and getting punched right in the mouth by that first climb. It's at that point I promise anyone within hearing that I will stop eating every chicken wing I see and maybe, dare I say, moderate the Heady Topper/Daisey Cutter/Single Cut/Trillium Mettle beers I imbibe every friggen night.

2. After that insane climb, blasting down Butterville Road with my thinning hair on absolute fire. Then I always enjoyed the gentle rollers past the Herb farm and orchards before getting punched in the mouth again climbing and grinding up 55/44 Main Street and getting passed by everyone and anyone in the state of New York that owns a bike.

However, my favorite part of the course and for that matter on the LC race day is getting heckled and cajoled when passing through the beer/whiskey/food pavilion, starting your third and final loop. I swear to everything that is right in this world, if I am ever stupid enough to attempt the LC again, I'm gong to chug the biggest growler of beer present and finish that son of a bitch race stinkin' drunk.

It really is a flat out great race, period.

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Roar Lion Roar

@sevenride....when I get back there and do LC again, I will join you on that last time thru the pavilion and at least try to drink the largest stein of beer available. It will probably end very badly but what the hell, I am old and back of pack anyway so it really doesn't matter if it costs me a few minutes :)

The opening few hundred yards of the run. Every-one is friendly, happy, laughing as we head through the parking lot, into the field and then down along the road. Quick turn and the climbing starts and the happiness ends.

My least favorite part is the 1'st downhill on the bike. I'm infamous enough to be highlighted in a video of the downhill from a few year ago. I'm sitting up on my breaks and people are flying by me as the guy on the moto films my entire decent.

But I did win a Big mug that year, so it ended well.

I have 2 favorites on the run. I like the turn from the cinder trail that takes you to the wooden plank crossing, and the portion that goes behind the gazebo.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

Wow, this is going to be my first year at Am Zof, doing the long course.......this thread is making me a little nervous

This will be my 4th LC- favorite part on the run is the last section before the return to the gazebo, just out of the woods, gradual incline, open field and another loop closer to finish. On the bike the Minnie descent makes me feel twenty years younger, straight shot down the road and good roadway since they paved it. All that climbing since the switchback, descent over in no time and the water stop comes up so quick, good times.

Ah, you'd be surprised how little you can do and suffer thru it anyway.
It's never too late to start!!

For Q1 2017, I averaged < 3:20 / week in total for bike/run action.
Last week was only the 2nd week in 2017 that I achieved my 4 hours/wk riding goal in Strava.
(have had 3 weeks of o-fers, and another week where my only riding was a Stupid Human Trick of fatbiking for a few miles out in Stella)

And 3 weeks straight of hitting my massive 15 mpw goal - yay me!
(had 2 weeks of o-fers, 2 weeks w/ 4m, another week w/ 5m)

I'm gonna try to pretend I'm an actual multisport endurance athlete for the next 6 weeks, and hope it's enough.

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float , hammer , and jog

I love it all.

I hate much of it.

Run - love the casual start, then bombing down the off-camber steps that go past the Ranger station near the entrance.
Always love my last time going past the run aid station, knowing that it's (mostly) all downhill from there.
If my calves and/or legs aren't cramping, I love all the carriage road descents.

Hate that climb up to the run aid station on the 2nd run, as I often end up "power-hiking" at least some of it.
Ditto for the steep scramble up past Bonticou.
DESPISE the little loop after getting back on the carriage roads after that, as there's a potential short-cut that I eyeball and think about EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. that I go by it. I've never not been tempted there....
LOVE running up the stairs into the Pavillion, the last time. The satisfaction of finishing that race never gets old.

Bike - LOVE the big Mohonk descent. It's more than a little scary, and totally exhilerating.
As I rode down it last night, the thought ran thru my head that this may be where I die, someday. I'm OK with that.
Love going up around the hairpin, and topping out (temporarily) at the steel bridge - which, BTW is GONE. Dunno if they'll be done w/ the construction there before raceday.
Love the last climb before Minne, going past the gleaming white rock, knowing some extended descending is coming my way.
Love the Million Dollar View descent, and powering over the rollers before it to keep my speed up.
Love the Towpath section with the canopy of trees and the river.

Hate the steep kickers near the top of Mohonk.
Hate the nasty little climb near St. Josen.
HATE the Chapel climb, as it's near the end of the loop, so you're pretty shot by then.
DESPISE the dirt hill back into the transition area, since you're tantalizingly close to being done, yet the course gives you that one last kick in the ass before you dismount.

LOVE the beer afterwards, it always tastes even better in a BIG HONKIN STEIN.
LOVE bs'ing with old friends and new afterwards, heckling the LC racers, and generally taking in the vibe of being part of the coolest race in the country.

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float , hammer , and jog

The Mohonk climb sucks especially bad on a cx bike while wearing a backpack. As I found out this am.

The upper trails that I saw were mostly in pretty good shape.
The lower ones were quite soupy.

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float , hammer , and jog

I have had a couple decent weeks of running. Actually made a whole 5 miles this morning.

A smart man would probably bail and not risk blowing it up...

I am not a smart man..

If I can get one more good week in, I will join the rest of the "men" in the CWD fun.

Your fellow not a very smart man looks forward to seeing you there at the start of the CWD.

Ran the course yesterday, it's a little moist in the usual locations, but overall in great shape.
Wish I could say the same about myself.
(Not the moist part - the great shape part. ;-)

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float , hammer , and jog

Just to be clear...We're *ALL* ok with that.

I am glad to see a post from someone who has done LC for 4 years. This year will be my first and I keep reading posts from people who say they are still recovering , or one and done. I want to race the rest of the season so any helpful advice would be great!!

Last year I rode my tt bike with all the aero goodies and took 45 minutes off my time compared to my road bike which I had rode for my first two. I also took in a lot more calories last year and it made a big difference for me. I was up there riding the course for a few loops today-super humid and it got pretty hot after noon.

I'm Murphy'sLaw, and I approve of this message.


I can't give any great LC tips, because I've never done it in the Spring. I have infinite respect for all those who do.
But in general, stay within yourself, don't blow yourself up on any climbs if at all possible (run *and* bike), and just keep moving forward.
Try to ride and run as many hills as you can the next 2+ weeks, that's about all you can do to prep now.

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float , hammer , and jog

I have done LC two times and will be back. The first was 2 years ago "the heat wave" and last year where the weather was better but windy. My advice, Take in as many calories as possible early in the race, and pay attention to hydration. My first year I was so focused on the climbs that I was forgetting to drink. I paid dearly for that mistake later in the day. I ran by heart rate and power hiked the climbs as necessary to stay under control. On the bike, focused on managing power on the climbs And not spiking power too high (really hard to do this). Use the downhills to recover. The final run is where you need to be able to perform, to get there with anything left in the tank you have to be smart earlier in the day. This race is my favorite, very hard but manageable. Mentally Embrace the difficulty, it's one of the things that makes is race special. Good luck.

3 weeks till the slowest race of the season... Fly by night this upcoming weekend, Possibly Spring Dual in New Paltz next weekend (very similar course to AZ DU), and then AZ DU. Great way to start the non-swim racing season after a DNS at West Point.

I've got a very slim chance of FBN.
If I wangle that, I'll letcha know.

Already registered for Spring Dual (since you can't get much more race-specific AmZof prep than that. /end pink)

I'm more than a little askeered that I'm not gonna be ready for AmZof like I was hoping for, but it is what it is.

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float , hammer , and jog

Turns out the Spring Dual was VERY AmZof specific after all!!

50 and rainy, and a detour added a few decent hills to what otherwise is a pancake bike course.

PS - I was up at Minne Sun afternoon, and rode up to Minne on the Trapps trail yesterday am - the construction zone was FULLY OPEN TO TRAFFIC IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
GAH!!

I know the huge crane is coming soon to install the new bridge, but it ain't there yet.
It woulda killed them to hold that off for a few more days?
Sigh.

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float , hammer , and jog

Was up this weekend and did the loop with a couple other people who were registered. The construction...what construction??? It is sad the race had to be cancelled and the day of the race is basically perfect weather, the area of concern was open, no work taking place, fully open, and at most 50 feet of shoulder closed. I honestly didn't think I saw the proper construction spot until I hit the top of the Minnewaska climb.

That being said, I did the loop and made it 7 years straight. Got back to the rental house and a bunch of beer had already been consumed by those who get up earlier and are faster than me. Made it feel like AmZof actually kinda happened...at least in spirit.

Oh...and I actually stopped a couple times to just look around and really appreciate the course...wow...

Yeah, very irksome that the whole crane and new bridge thing, hadn't even begun yet.
GRRRRR.
And yes - the weather was real, and it was spectacular.

Turns out there ended up being no reason whatsoever to have to cancel the race.
Note - this is NOT the RD's fault.

We did a carriage road ride from the SA-WEET rental house baliman and his posse were at, up to and all over Minne, then back.
Followed by some RecoverWrongs- as is the custom.

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float , hammer , and jog

Damn didn't know you were up there
I was hiking the course on race morning