PSA
I have some ideas about the basic greens fees for finishing at the pointy end of your AG, but none that I care to defend, debate, or deliberate. They are only ideas, and only what works for me.
The following are facts, not the alternative kind. These are things a person 100% does not have to do and can still win their AG, because my lame-ass just did it for the second time in 2 years. Hope it helps:
1. Take any supplements or recovery powder.*
2. Average more than 16 hours a week in the 16 weeks leading up to the race.
3. Be a doper.
4. Train much on a tt bike on the road as long as you can get a few hours a week in the bars on the trainer.
5. Train the Run very much, if any, above Z2 on fresh legs.
6. Be at your lightest weight ever.
7. Have a power meter on race day as long as you truly know your Z2 HR and know that steady pressure on the pedals is more efficient than surging.
8. Worry an iota about or even find out who is registered in your AG.
9. Practice race-day nutrition in training very often once you learn what works for you at different ambient temperatures.
10. Spend time or energy trying to be “sponsored” by anything.
11. Have superfreak genes.**
12. I would love to make #12 say “Spend time lurking in ST forums or thinking and daydreaming about recreational sports when you could be being WAY more productive.”, but sadly I cannot claim that yet.
*In the past I have dabbled with Spirulina, B-12 lozenges, Optygen, Fish Oil, Sport Legs, Amino Acids and First Endurance Multi-V. I read Cody Beals saying something the general worthlessness of supplements, and since he is smarter than I am and has likely thought about it way more than I have, and since I secretly suspected that it was the case all along, it was liberating to leave that junk alone. ***
**I come from a long line of drunks, horse-thieves and crazy people. There is not one athlete in the last 3 generations on either side.
*** Warning, the following is gross. Stop reading here unless you enjoy disgusting things, weirdo. I once talked to the guy who comes with the big vacuum and sucks dry the porta potty tanks. I first asked him how he deals with the smell and he said, “What smell?”. Then I asked if he ever saw anything weird in there because a friend who served in the Peace Corps told me some stories about Guatemalan out-houses that actually affected my worldview(for the worse). The vacuum guy told me that oftentimes undigested vitamins are stuck to the bottom of the porta potty tank.

PSA
I have some ideas about the basic greens fees for finishing at the pointy end of your AG, but none that I care to defend, debate, or deliberate. They are only ideas, and only what works for me.
The following are facts, not the alternative kind. These are things a person 100% does not have to do and can still win their AG, because my lame-ass just did it for the second time in 2 years. Hope it helps:
1. Take any supplements or recovery powder.*
2. Average more than 16 hours a week in the 16 weeks leading up to the race.
3. Be a doper.
4. Train much on a tt bike on the road as long as you can get a few hours a week in the bars on the trainer.
5. Train the Run very much, if any, above Z2 on fresh legs.
6. Be at your lightest weight ever.
7. Have a power meter on race day as long as you truly know your Z2 HR and know that steady pressure on the pedals is more efficient than surging.
8. Worry an iota about or even find out who is registered in your AG.
9. Practice race-day nutrition in training very often once you learn what works for you at different ambient temperatures.
10. Spend time or energy trying to be “sponsored” by anything.
11. Have superfreak genes.**
12. I would love to make #12 say “Spend time lurking in ST forums or thinking and daydreaming about recreational sports when you could be being WAY more productive.”, but sadly I cannot claim that yet.
*In the past I have dabbled with Spirulina, B-12 lozenges, Optygen, Fish Oil, Sport Legs, Amino Acids and First Endurance Multi-V. I read Cody Beals saying something the general worthlessness of supplements, and since he is smarter than I am and has likely thought about it way more than I have, and since I secretly suspected that it was the case all along, it was liberating to leave that junk alone. ***
**I come from a long line of drunks, horse-thieves and crazy people. There is not one athlete in the last 3 generations on either side.
*** Warning, the following is gross. Stop reading here unless you enjoy disgusting things, weirdo. I once talked to the guy who comes with the big vacuum and sucks dry the porta potty tanks. I first asked him how he deals with the smell and he said, “What smell?”. Then I asked if he ever saw anything weird in there because a friend who served in the Peace Corps told me some stories about Guatemalan out-houses that actually affected my worldview(for the worse). The vacuum guy told me that oftentimes undigested vitamins are stuck to the bottom of the porta potty tank.

Hey, I love me some "I don't train an insane amount and still kick ass" threads as much as anybody, but -

That you were a Cat2 and a low 2:40 marathon guy prior - shows you have above average innate ability, likely coupled with an ability & willingness to work/suffer to maximize the ability you do have, on the training you do.

You can't poo poo off any of those things, as they show you have a great motor, and fairly exceptional ability at 2 of the 3 disciplines.

Cat2 = MONSTER AG tri cyclist.
Low 2:40 Mary = MONSTER AG tri runner.

Frankly, you'd only need to not drown as a swimmer, to kick AG ass with those bike & run abilities.

PS - congrats. You put it all together and crushed dreams.

I understand what you're saying and where you're coming from. I didn't mean for it to come off like that. I think I train and execute pretty much perfectly (for me) and I'm certain that my genetics are ok but not crazy. I ran in high school it but was not good enough to run in college. I raced bicycles for 10 years and was good but not great(average cat 2 when in perfect shape). Got back into running and did a couple marathons in the low 2:40s. That is what I meant by not super freak genetics. Certainly good, but not crazy. I've always been around more talented people for sure.
Training methods have been debated on slowtwitch so much that sharing what works for me I don't think will be beneficial for most people.
If you have a coach that you like and you're continually progressing and enjoying yourself, that is what it is all about.

I will tell you this in regards to training, I trained a certain way for seven years and was good(KQ2, missed 3x). I made a change that involved a written plan from one of the big coaching places and I am much stronger at 47 that I was at 40. 16 hours might not seem like a lot but the way it is written out works for me. I can't know how hard or not hard other people go, but my build is absolutely the limits of what my body can handle.

Hope this helps, sorry if I came across like a sanctimonious wiener, and hope you keep at it. Sincerely.


Typed from iPhone excuse typos please.

I raced bicycles for 10 years and was good but not great(average cat 2 when in perfect shape)