Done and dusted. I’d forgotten how “fun” Cash Register can be. 
Made me a bit nervous for Revolver, but I got my headspace sorted out and put in a solid effort. Now to do some laundry and make sure I’ve got enough kit to last me through the week!! 
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Embracing it…with caution
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Shouldn’t you be the other way round if you are revolved?
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We should ALL call at once!! 
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Stockholm Sweden over and out. Good food, sleep and back at it tomorrow after 8 hours of hard physical work.
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Stage 1 in the bag and to celebrate I am having my customary chocolate milk seasoned with Couchlandrian tears in my ToS 2022/KoS glass kindly supplied by Sir Joe Martin.
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Crossing over from the ARBtWiT…full marks for chocolate milk. And tears.
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Dang it, totally failed on stage 1 with a colour photo.
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(updated with a photo that is more respectful of the Castle’s tradition. I hope in time to deserve understanding from the minions.)
An unfillable void for finally being my first tour and at the same time not the mythical ToS for the first time.
Nothing but smiles, but only at the end of the first stage.
Beautifull edit at the end of Cash Register! This is a beautifull Tour. Hope and good luck for the recipients!
Photo inspired by Sir @Glen.Coutts
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It’s all good!
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This is my first TOS/Wahoolimabob Tour. This is also my first “off-season” of actually following structured workouts. I say “off-season” since I just ride for fun, no races or the like.
At the risk of offending the graph police, I want to share something from Intervals.icu. I followed the Tour Prep Plan to the letter, with a few substitutions (for monthly challenges and retiring videos) and a few schedule shuffles, and then added bike commutes as weather allowed (which was quite a bit) plus RGT group rides related to the Tour, as well as an extra Defender and Angels tribute for @emacdoug (and Sir Dan) - I only had one long outdoor ride in this period. The last week of tapering got me well rested after a good training block in prep for today (from Tour Prep plan start to today’s Stage 1A/1B):
Cash Register - (last done by me three years ago) At the end of the video, there is an interview with Polly Dawkins, Executive Director, from the Davis Phinney Foundation. I just got an opportunity to meet Polly two weeks ago. She was here in Black Moutain, NC to support a local runner (and recently retired physician) that was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the last two years. She and her husband, as well as Lauren Kempf (also of DPF) came to town to support Dr. Barker in his 26th participation in the Black Mountain Marathon (part of the Mt. Mitchell Challenge, an ultra-marathon). Dr. Barker raised over $10,000 USD for DPF.
Revolver - (last done by me, never?, never in the app days at least) Hey, I can count! When it said 5 to go, I already knew it was a lie as I had counted 16 way back when it said there were 15 intervals. I was only wise to the long interval just before it started though. I laughed that there was a dinosaur, it’s not only in Zwift-land:
Done, and feeling fresh. Shout out to Lauren at DPF who hooked me up with this sweet cap the other week:
This Couchlandrian watched the whole thing, just like this, but mostly with his eyes closed:
And this Minion couldn’t be bothered to leave the bed:
Onwards to Stage 2!
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Ufff sorry missed this tradition and also this message. Only noticed it now. Will uptade in conformity
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Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war! (off we go).
…aaaaaand finished.
STAGE 1: CASH REGISTER + REVOLVER
Classic Tour stage: Hard sprints. Wave on wave of pain suckers, NM, AC, and MAP in a relentless onslaught of suffering. Utterly Tour worthy. Level. Mode. All. Day.
Five of five shields, plus a fluffy.
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@DPhin and @AlexStieda, you guys were and remain absolute heroes. Not to get all weepy, but it’s wicked cool to get to throw on the vintage jersey once a year and (virtually) ride with you guys.
For those with access, I can’t recommend the documentary Band of Brothers, on GCN+ enough:
If you’re an American or Canadian cyclist - especially someone who came into the sport in the Armstrong era, you NEED to see this film to understand that we owe these guys everything (also Greg Lemond and some notable women - looking at you Connie Carpenter!)
All. The. Feels.
Onward and upward!
#711legends
#ontherivets
#embracethesuck
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for classic KoS kit!
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Loving the wicked evil smile. Clearly you were born to suffer!!!
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Not gonna lie, I’m kind of digging the graphs this year. You guys are bringing your “A” game!
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I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about…
Wait, Fluffy’s hunting in Z**** now? Must be slower prey over there - maybe she’s hungry?
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Again, no worries. All suffering pics are good!
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Feeling tough, fighting off some kind of bug like a light cold. Wasn’t going to join this year’s tour of thingamabob at all due to IRL duties/stress overload, but yesterday I thought you know what, I’ll join and just do whatever I can. Like those that the DPF supports do every day.
Cash Register was able to do a third at 100%. I was dying. Dropped it to 90% and made out about another third. Still barely making it go. Down to 80% and finally I thought, maybe I can at least start Revolver.
Was a rough go but a good start for me. Glad to be able to raise a bit of funds for the DPF in a proper Sufferlandrian team and
in proper suffering style. Got the nephew to snap a pic right after the first over on Revolver. I was already in a state to break the screen lol.
This quote sums up so many beautiful people:
“Know how sublime a thing it is to suffer and be strong.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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