Completely exploded on GOAT.
Massively underfuelled so hit a big bonk at the start of goat. Crawled through by resorting to standing climbs. GvA certainly got some suffering today.
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G.O.A.T was a lot tougher than I remember. Had a couple of touch and go moments when RPM dropped to 40ish and had to fight to get it back to the prescribed 50! Feeling good it’s done now!
Was going to take a selfie for the mugshot board but all too low-res (dark garage/old iPhone) so thought I’d combine … here’s a collage dedicated to (me and) my suffering on stage 4!
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Yep depends on the trainer. Mone handles the fast switches easily when connected via BT. Had some BT drops outs today tho so switched to ant+ and used my gears
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I absolutely loved that. GOAT is one of my all time favorites, and the combo of sprints followed by low cadence was awesome. Although I am seriously starting to doubt my FTP numbers… May need to add 10% for the remainder of the tour…
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Felt great today. I’m not sure why these two are both in my comfort zone, but they are. Repeated efforts are a strong point for me, so Half is in my sweet spot and the slow uphill grind in the mountains makes me think of my childhood home in the mountains. The recoveries in stage three look a lot like back roads in East Tennessee, where I grew up, and Michael Cotty’s trips through the mountains always leave me peaceful, no matter how hard I have to work. The Zen minions were speaking to me today.
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What rider type are you out of interest?
Done. Typically I hate HIE and really enjoy GOAT, but today I blew through HIE, feeling great, and then was grinding (mentally more so than physically) through GOAT. Anyway, out of Switzerland without being zapped by goats, and onto Norway.
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Hey Stuart, send us an email if you haven’t already… we can look into this and help you out! Theminions@thesufferfest.com
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Ordinarily I like GOAT. But not when it’s stage 4 of the ToS. Not last year. Not this year. And definitely not after the half that is NOT easy.
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You need to look in the mirror and ask yourself… are you a gap opener or a gap closer?
Do not leave a gap, it’s a Sufferfestian sin.
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Half was fun. GOAT wasn’t awful but I did struggle. I was surprised how high my heart rate got.
My whopping saddle sores more than make up for any less suffering I might have experienced in this stage.
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I hated half is easy so much the first time I did it that I avoided or completely until… This morning before work. Still hate it, but it did get much more bearable when I gave up on shifting to easier gears each recovery session. (I’m on dumb trainer.)
It felt almost cheating by going to work between HIE and Goat, until getting ten minutes into Goat. Right call for sure. Stage 4 done and dusted!
Aiming to hit Norway at 6 a. M. tomorrow, if I can walk easily when I wake up. Looks very spiky and scary! See you in Valhalla?
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Phew. Decided to do these back to back -almost- as I had a 5 minute break in between to down an ice slushy drink. I finished strong and felt energised through GOAT, which was great…
…It’s now 4 hours later and I feel like I’ve been run over by a herd of goats, and I can hear those special cows trampling up the road towards me too… ouch.
Sidenote: How awesome is that inconceivably relevant tip about Hobelkase some 8 mins into goat 
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Stage 4 complete. Back to back @ 100% felt surprisingly good. I thought today would be a painful experience after yesterday’s burn, but it wasn’t the case. I suspect my quality time with Abi helped me recover to the maximum extent possible.
BTW - anyone else amazed that the young rider in Half is Easy was able to get up after wiping out on the turn (only to get schwacked by another rider)? Truly amazing…
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Again with the rolling blackouts in Texas, again with the interrupted sessions—this time with 3:23 left on the clock of Half Is Easy.
Fortunately, I had the foresight to use my iPhone & just paused when the lights went out. Actually, it was the fans stopping that made me take notice. That and the drop in power…both of them.
Once power was restored to the trainer, I managed to wrap up HIE and the soldier on through GOAT. It hurt and was most uncomfortable. The laser goats, I hope, are pleased.
Hope your stage today went/goats well, too.
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Laser Goats and fighting cows. I never had a chance.
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Usually find GOAT quite easy but after the 40 sprints of Half is Easy, it’s brutal if you stay on the cadence targets🤮
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we can all dream😂
Thaaaat’s a nice picture of a GOAT, like the way your expression blends in 
I am curious…is there any video footage of your endeavors? Really liked those the last years.
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