Exactly my feelings!!
Congrats to everyone that finished and major props if you finished in style. I always end up decapitating that last hard(er) effort and spitting sweat and swear words all over my computer. Still, it’s nice to have that over with…time to channel our inner Edward Norton and Brad Pitt…
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It was my first time to do 9 hammers, I made it through and nailed it 
but it was far from easy! Good luck to the other first timers. Leg day is on the calendar for tomorrow, think I’ll be passing!
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And I’m done with Stage 2! Thanks, Mental Training Program!
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Whilst cleaning up, I discovered something solid that must have come from the bottom of my lungs on the handlebars. Then I remembered that during the conclusion to a particularly tough hammer as I sat up to try and recover I took a deep breath, I breathed out hard
and a pile of sweat from my forehead that fell down at the same time got sprayed on the tv (so had to clean that as well), and my second breath resulted in the previously mentioned lung part coming out and I couldn’t find it at the time.
I think I have rose tinted glasses on because I made it to the end, but as I clean up, I’m remembering the horror that I endured.
What is worrying, is that the type of rides I’m not good at, are yet to come in the tour. This is going to get ugly.
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So, after I’ve stopped feeling sorry for myself, licked my wounds and left the fetal position ready to face my dearest wifey I went downstairs and THIS waited for me.
Before you start being understandably judgemental (read jealous), please bear in mind:
- It’s been Nine Hammers day ffs
- The breakfast has been only a sandwich which was a BIG mistake (fuel properly people!)
- It’s that special day in February
- It’s not a doughnut (is there a flogging station for black forest chocolate cake?)
- The Mrs. baker did her 9H stage beforehand
- Coffee stops are allowed on long-ish or in-between rides
That said, it was DELISH! 
Sorry not sorry 
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Wow! That was a lot easier last week when Ididn’t do stage 1 the day before.
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“There’s a fiiiine liiine between Heaven and Hell…”. It’s the falling edge of the last hammer when you know you made it. PSA: make sure you check your settings before you start. I did the first 4 hammers about 30% too high for my current fitness level. Hammered. 
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That looks amazing!
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All done, now a good meal and some sleep. Work tomorrow so stage 3 will be interesting.
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The Nine Hammers soundtrack is one of the best. Since I am from Michigan, the “Hanging on in Michigan” track always makes me smile, despite the 7 minutes of torture that is right around the bend. And (as I posted in another thread), the rewrite of George Jones song, “The Good Ones and the Bad Ones,” is my favorite cool down song - I was way over that line into Hell today, but I’ve only ridden Nine Hammers better once before.
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That was brilliantly evil. I like Nine Hammers. I like MAP efforts. But a day after a day on the cobbles? Pain. Maximum suffering.
Well done GvA!
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Completed with new FTP numbers from a few weeks ago. Cracked on the 9th hammer. I think if there was a “normal” cooldown between 8 & 9, I would have made it through. Time to rest, watch some basketball, and put on compression socks.
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Argh!!! The last minute of the last Hammer got me again. Erg mode death spiral 40 seconds from the finish line. Only my second 9H but find the power step up at the very end is just insane when I feel like I’ve given absolutely everything from the 2nd VO2 Hammer onwards!
Brutal!
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Well I just spent two hours trying to get 
tubeless tires seated and sweating away. Seems like the right time to fire up the bike!
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Got through 9H today, albeit on slightly reduced numbers (Focussed option). That said I usually have to reduce the targets for 9H abs I still crack so I’m taking that as a win.
Can’t wait for stage 3, I love 
club!
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