Remember me?

Never show me that picture again, you sadistic bastard!! My legs still hurt from last year. 'Course, maybe the fact that I tried to do it with an 11-21 and a 53/39 chainring caused a little of my misery.

This year, 12-25, at least :-)))

Tony

Monk:

You and Tibbs need to go to counseling together.

Sugarloaf is like bad Karma....

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

That hill, in conjunction with those 3 hills on Buckhill, totally sucks!!

You're right about the counseling thing. They need it. Badly.

Tony

I am in. Road the Sugarloaf today. Sugarloaf is great but you got to love Buckhill. Buckhill is plain fun how you can work it and get through these hills quick by pushing it hard on the decent. Grassy lake is as rough as ever though. This course as a whole scares me more than the Queen K.

Got that right, man. I hear they repaved SR 19, so that real rough patch leading into Howie-In-The-Hills is gone, apparently.

And they didn't get rid of Hospital Hill on the run, either. Contrary to popular belief.

I'm using a Hed disc on the back and a Hed 2 on the front. That, and a 12-25, maybe, ought to do me better than my setup from last year.

Tony

Is this Kevin Grogan?

Tony,

So are you doing both IM-HI and GFT? I fly home into Orlando from Kona on Monday.

Ah, Sugarloaf, Buck, Grassy, Hospital - times two of course. It's a beautiful thing. This is my backyard. It seems as if you guys will have a bit cooler weather rolling in. I rode a hard 90 this past Sunday through the hills, tagging on the wheel of Mad Marty Gaal. It was blistering, butt-ugly, oppressively hot. Tonight it is much cooler out here. By the way, I am calling it now: Marty will win GFT.

PS. Glad to hear you guys think the course itself is tougher than Kona. Never seen the course, but will be racing it come the 16th sight unseen. Right now I am between nervous and scared.

Yes

Marty has to be the favorite - Joe Bonness will not be racing - watch out for Ken Manti from Michigan. Marty trains Ken and he is a great athlete. (His brother Matt is a pro baseball player) I'll be working the medical tent as a volunteer - hope I do not see any of you! Z

Yes, the Buckhill warmup!

For me Sugarloaf is a track stand with a 39-23. I bought a 12-25 today for the occasion. On any given day, there is a guy who lives at the top that puts cold water out in a cooler for bikers. Isn't that nice?

But here is your reward at the top--don't forget to smell the roses--Lake Apopka (?) in the background?. Or below, along the backroad after the turnoff at Howie in the Hills (Who named that place, and how can you tell anyone where you live with a straight face?)













Oh, and one more of..what's it called again?

I followed your training log site for awhile. You are pretty much an animal. I wouldn't think those Clermont hills would impress you. But I guess you charge them pretty hard and do repeats?

Monk - Great pics, especially the Sugarloaf one.

Tom - Great job organizing the Downtown sprint. Everyone I know that raced it loved it. I knocked out my best bike split ever on that course!

I did that IMH-GFT thing back in '98, and that was with three weeks in between. No way, brah. I wasn't even training for an IM distance race this year, but I scored a free entry on September 24th from a guy who decided not to do it, and I threw the last 3 weeks, plus 2 week taper, from the Lance Watson article in the August issue of Inside Triathlon together.

Did 22 hours the first week and 24 hours last week. I was averaging about 17 or so hours a week anyway, so not too bad of a jump. I just did my second 6+ hour bike ride/40 minute run brick last Saturday and then a 2:35 AM run followed by a swim and then a 30 minute run later that evening last Sunday. I took Monday and Tuesday off, and I'm doing a 5000yd straight swim today, followed by a 2 hour bike and then an hour run brick.

I struggled last year (it was my first race in over 4 years), so I'm hoping to improve a little bit this year.

We'll see.

Tony

When did you plan to actually start training?

A Joe Bonness Wannabe? :-)

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I couldn't even carry any of you guys' transition bags.

I live out here in Oahu alone, right now (my wife is over in Iraq as a DOD civilian), and when I'm not at work in my airline job, I train. I started on May 1st and did the Great Buckey Triathlon 1/2IM down in Ohio on August 22nd for my only race of the year. I didn't really plan on racing anything, but what the hell?

I cramped up in the legs HORRIBLY last year at GFT. From about 10 miles into the bike until the very end of the marathon, which took me 4:48 to do, for an overall time of 12:09-something. Something told me to at least try to get into some semblence of shape just in case I decided at the last minute to jump into the race.

Hopefully, I'll break 12 hours this time. I've actually went under 10 there, on an older course, back in '96. Those days are long gone, alas ;-))

Tony

Sorry Monk, I'm with you, I get tired watching! I was referring to Kevin - he is attempting the "Bonness" Triple - IMH, GFT, IMFL. Good luck Kevin! Joe's getting old, someone has to do it!

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I think somebody may have mentioned, Highway 19 is repaved and beautiful. I was going to come over to ride the bike course on Friday and watch the start and the top people come in on Saturday, to get a feel for IMFL a few weeks later.

A silent prayer for your wife, Kahuna!

Joe is the man. Do I wanna be like Joe on that bike? Heck ya...but will I ever...Probably not. To race these IM's like he does is incredible cause he has truly set the bar. Its tough to keep focused for Kona with GFT literally in my front yard. I really look forward to both races.

Monk that is a great picture! I'll be down there on the 23rd as well. I'm glad Fred has not taken all the fun out of the bike course this year. Last time I raced down there it was one 112 mile loop. Now, I get to enjoy those hills twice! Plus run/walk up Hospital Hill.

Rex

Kevin, don't sell yourself short. I hope you do well and prove Joe isn't a "freak" like they say. It can be done! Take it one race at a time. If the mind wants it, the body can do it. Joe's slacking off this year, Xterra instead of GFT.

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This information contained herein has been assembled for your assistance and convenience. It is believed to be reliable, however, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All opinions shown are subject to change without notice.