ML,
I think I'm coming in with slightly better fitness than last year, but a much better plan. It was a big mistake to not ride with the PM or hr monitor last year. I did a 35min run/3:30 ride/35 run last week and yesterday did a 35 run/4:30 ride/40 min run yesterday and felt very good on the second run. Now I have a pretty good goal heart rate for riding the hills. My only prediction for this year is that I will not be the first guy off the bike, but should pass a few people on the run. And I will finish. And hopefully not get lost ...

Chad

You'll do a lot more than finish, I'm sure.
If you get lost *this* year, we'll hafta get you a guiding eyes dog and a cane or something, it's not like it's an orienteering event. ;-)

Sheesh - you kids are all killing me with this 4 hour ride this, 2+ hr run that....
I haven't ridden more than 3-ish hours at all this year, other than Epicman.
Did a nice hilly 60m today, after setting a 3+ min PB on my silly-hilly 29m ride yesterday.
Longest run is only 14m, call that 1:3x.

Since my R quad is still bothering me on the run, I did minimal running this week, but bumped up the bike volume a bit.
First week over 100m since E.dot, I think. All signs point to me being a tad stronger on the bike now vs. this time last yr.
If I can get over this leg issue w/ the running, then I will be firing on all cylinders for the race.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. ;-)

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float , hammer , and jog

Blah blah blah

I hate you fast young guys (-'

I will be doing the Pfalz point race. I plan to ride a lap of the bike course after the run. Let me know if you want to join me for the ride.

I think it's great that many athletes are taking AmZof seriously, and getting in big, hilly volume. Sadly, I'm in your boat Murphy, getting by on under 10 hours a week.

We're pleased to announce the welcome return of the following sponsors:

HAMMER NUTRITION
KEEGAN ALES
MAIN STREET BISTRO
YELLOW JACKET RACING

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

So, by "return of HAMMER NUTRITION", I hope that means you'll actually have fresh new gel packets, as opposed to the fossilized one I got on the run last year.
I was like, 'gee, I didn't know Hammer Gel came in a granular form now?....'
I guess since I'm recycled from the first year event, it only made sense for my gels to be as well. ;-)

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float , hammer , and jog

I think it's great that many athletes are taking AmZof seriously, and getting in big, hilly volume. Sadly, I'm in your boat Murphy, getting by on under 10 hours a week.

Uhh, last time I checked, the distance was 5 hilly trail running miles, 85 miles with 9,000 feet of bike climbing followed by 15 more hilly trail miles. It seems to me that serious is the ONLY way you can take it. Unless you like suffering. Well, suffering is going to come to all of us Oct 12, but I'm hoping to keep it to a manageable level of suffering instead of a big ol' can of desert dude's Whoop Ass Suffering.

Chad

Fresh gels, smart guy.

You were delirious when you got that gel and dropped it in the dirt, then ate it.

Don't dis' my sponsors, ML, or no beer for you.

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

I guess that means I should be riding now, instead of typing. OK, I'm leaving now for a ride.

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

If you get lost *this* year, we'll hafta get you a guiding eyes dog and a cane or something, it's not like it's an orienteering event. ;-)

If it had been orienteering, I would have done fine. I scored nine out of ten on my final land navigation at the MC Basic School.

Sheesh - you kids are all killing me with this 4 hour ride this, 2+ hr run that....
I haven't ridden more than 3-ish hours at all this year, other than Epicman.
Did a nice hilly 60m today, after setting a 3+ min PB on my silly-hilly 29m ride yesterday.
Longest run is only 14m, call that 1:3x.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. ;-)

Oh, we are. However, we must translate your training using the Murphy's Law Freakish Performance Parameters where one hour of training equals three hours for a normal human. That means you have ridden 9 hours and run for 4.5 hours so I'll just have to do my best to keep up on race day because I catch touch that kind of training.

Chad

I LOVE your sponsors (Keegan in particular, and Main Street Gourmet a close second! ;-)

I LOVE Hammer gels!!! Particularly the ones that don't say "best by 12/05" on them.


I'm going with my training plan (such as it was/is) from last year, again this time 'round.
If I get similar results from it, I'll be more than satisfied. Ain't broke, don't fix it.

We're all just trying to see who can finish closest to "only" 30 minutes behind Josh Beck anyway....

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float , hammer , and jog

"If it had been orienteering, I would have done fine. I scored nine out of ten on my final land navigation at the MC Basic School."

Yeah...but you forgot to tell them we had to send out a search party to find you....all the way at the Washington Memorial in D.C.....after you got lost looking for that 10th one!


;-)

"closest to "only" 30 minutes behind Josh Beck"


My...that's a bit optimistic, don't you think? We should be lucky enough to finish in the same Zip Code....

Nahhh, the one I missed was early on. It took me five hours to find three and then three hours to find the last six after number four eluded me. Actually, the woods in New York are not so different than Quantico. At least we run during the day. I'm not sure there was anything I despised quite so much as night land nav.

How is that bridge treating you?

Chad

If it had been orienteering, I would have done fine. I scored nine out of ten on my final land navigation at the MC Basic School.

Yeah, Bugs Bunny had that same problem.... "I knew I shoulda made the left turn at Albequerque!" ;-)


Murphy's Law Freakish Performance Parameters where one hour of training equals three hours for a normal human.

But only on land, apparently. Water is like kryptonite to ML's FPP score. ;-)

Still working on getting the bum wheel back up to speed. Most bizarre "injury" I've ever had.
Going to the ART guru on Wed to have him wail on me a bit, hopefully beat it into submission.
Worst case, I undertrain the run a bit, and put the rest of the training time into the bike.

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float , hammer , and jog

<< "closest to "only" 30 minutes behind Josh Beck"


My...that's a bit optimistic, don't you think? We should be lucky enough to finish in the same Zip Code.... >>


I (barely) managed to pull that off last year....

...ok, so it was a few seconds under 30 minutes, and he totally loafed the first run lap off the bike, but hey - gotta take the moral victories where and when ya can!!!
;-)


If he goes under 7 like he did 2 years ago, then yeah - being within 30 mins of him is 'roight out' for me for sure!!! Maybe onea you fast dudes can actually make him work a bit this year?

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float , hammer , and jog

 


Murphy's Law Freakish Performance Parameters where one hour of training equals three hours for a normal human.

But only on land, apparently. Water is like kryptonite to ML's FPP score. ;-)

Clearly. Swimming fast has more to do with voodoo or sacrificing chickens than actual training. I've tried to get desert dude to let me into their secret society, but he only laughed maniacally.

Worst case, I undertrain the run a bit, and put the rest of the training time into the bike.

Having completed that successful long brick on Saturday I am coasting in to AZ with low volume, high intensity stuff to see if I can make the ML FPP work for me a bit and not get sick.

Chad

Well, I'm back from my 33:30 ride! Riding at dusk in NY at this time of year is DANGEROUS! Deer are everywhere. They're the exception that proves Darwin's Rule. Apparently, only the stupid one's survived.

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

Do you which flavor will be available or will not be available?
I usually do not use hammer gel (well actually I use whatever gel is available on the course and get use to them a bit before the race and it is the firts time Hammer gel is available on the course for me) so I might as well get use to the flavor(s) that will be available or not get use to the flavor(s) that will not be available.

[Don't dis' my sponsors, ML, or no beer for you. ]
BTW, while I have never tried Hammel gel, I am sure that the folks @ Hammer gel put together a fantastic product that not only will help my stomach with a rapid and efficient absorbtion of the gel but also provide me with all the necessary energy to be able to handle such a challenging course and keep Murphy'slaw in my rearview mirror :)
Do I get Murphy'sLaw beers? :)

Fred.

The bridge and I have come, grudgingly, to an understanding. I won't run any more tempo runs on it and it won't aggravate my low-grade plantar faciitis any more.

:-(


So my running is flat-land for the next three weeks leading up to the race. Make of that what you will. I still be brough'en it, yo!

 
It is freeze dried gel like they had on the moon 1979
Tang flavored gel was the rage then
ML has a motar and pestle on his tri bike just to savor the flavor of Tang gel

Cool thanks I will contact NASA to see if they have some left.
Fred.

shh we got it from the reds :-€

nice ...keegan ale's

was planning on doing a "crush" loop today( an 85 mile hill ride in n.e. columbia county ny, that i do a lot), but said f it, and went for the full "crucifixion"(it ends at a church, adding bash bish into the mix, steep, nasty, beautiful)

the ride ended up being 105 and change, a red bull at mile 85 helped me finish strong. will run 15-18 miles tomorrow, and do that same crucifixion ride on sunday again. actually swimming on wed nights now(can't pass up free pool time)

this time of year is the best for me, my motor runs so much better in the cool air.

hoping for 9.5 hrs at the a.z., i stopped a lot last season, pacing myself, and am in much better shape this season, and lighter.

looking forward to the day, and what about all this amazing weather!(this means the a.z. will be a cold, wet sufferfest):):):)

We're all just trying to see who can finish closest to "only" 30 minutes behind Josh Beck anyway....

Yet another challenge I won't be partaking in. I'll be lucky to finish in the same day as him. I just hope Josh sticks around long enough to give me a big ole kiss once I cross the finish line!!