I’m generally pleased when I see G.O.A.T. on a plan. But when it’s preceded my Half is Easy it’s no longer pleasant. Oh well, kicked that one down… now rest up for the unknown tomorrow.
3 Likes
Stage 4. Much better suited to my strengths than Stage 3. Missed a sprint on Half is Easy, but grinded through GOAT thinking about how much I love low cadence!
3 Likes
Am I an anomaly, or did anyone else feel like they had a rest day?
Still nuclear, and after the last couple of days of high tempo, 100 cadence felt easy, though I got a sweat on.
G.O.A.T. however, it’s just my bag. Usually feel it more on the legs, but today they felt great for half way through the tour. The only swearing I did was at the trainer, it struggles with not dropping in and out at low cadence.
Got the full pro experience today though, puncture on the rear. How does that happen on a trainer?
4 Likes
Wait…what? 3 second shorter recoveries? Is that true?
1 Like
I read that and thought the same – I didn’t notice that!
2 Likes
I had a race yesterday evening so I had to do stages 3 and 4 all today, Fight Club in the morning before work and HIE and GOAT after work, this was brutal, but I fought through it. Usually I like GOAT but not today. Onward to Norway!
3 Likes
Well, don’t know what happened to my legs. Maybe Fight Club is my new Recharger, or if it was a bit of foam rolling last night, a good night’s sleep, or what. But my legs felt… not bad this morning. Throughout the day they were gradually feeling Even better, and by the time Stage 4 was due they felt great!
Unfortunately I was off to a bad start when my amplifier bonked, and I had to listen to computer speakers through both sessions. Noooooo…
But then…
Cruised through Half is Easy like its name was just Easy, cause it felt… easy.
The low cadence FTP efforts of G.O.A.T was harder, but fully manageable.
I am shameful for my low level of suffering today, and will ensure DPF is compensated. And report to the most remote flogging station.
2 Likes
Ive posted this before on previous stages, but low cadence is a mare. I finished GOAT but had to wind down to 93%, stand(well if its good enough for Cotty) and also (waits for ‘report to flogging station minion’ to arrive) did most at 5-15rpm higher. I just can’t do it. But in the essence of a true Sufferlandria, boy did i suffer. No recovery beer for me tonight…i just cant face it.
3 Likes
Oh and do we approach that camper van faster the second time down? Felt like it!
1 Like
Excellent post. Can’t like it or second it enough
1 Like
So…Stage 4.
if you had to do one of the 2 rides of this stage over again because you had a technical glitch, which one would you pray you had to do over again and which one you scream and curse and be on the hunt to make someone suffer along with you again??
For me… I’d do HIE 3 more times to just avoid having to do G.O.A.T. again.
Seriously I’d be on a laser goat hunting spree… my shotgun would locked, loaded and across my handlebars if I had to do that one again.
Still at nuclear level, but I’m pretty sure I could NOT do GOAT again at nuclear level today.
Keep on riding… we are more than 1/2 way now! YAHOO!
3 Likes
Somewhere in the second set they drop you to 12sec recoveries - don’t know how many, or for how long, but a message pops up at some point about GvA messing with you or something. All I remember is feeling like I wasn’t getting my 15sec there for a bit, so watched and noted the clock started @ 12 instead of 15.
Like I said, only my first visit to the 1/2 is easy ride, so someone with more experience might recall better?
#embracethesuck
I really had no idea. It didn’t pop up on my stem, so I didn’t see it.
How you can distinguish between 12 and 15secs at that point I’ve no clue.
The only thing I remember is coming up with the mental strategy that says, when the 10 second timer starts during the interval think “Only 10 secs to go!”, and during recovery think “Only 5 seconds gone, twice as long still to go!!”. It’s about the only thing that got me through.
8 Likes
2 Likes
Done with GvA’s spa and nail salon. Was half easy??? 
Stage 4 was a good one for me. HIE just goes by so fast that I don’t have time to think about the pain and I 
GOAT. I can grind away for hours and the Swiss Alps are so beautiful. I work for a Swiss co and I get there often, however it has been 368 days since I’ve been in Switzerland so I loved being there virtually.
On to Norway!
2 Likes
After wrecking myself on 9 hammers, I was a bit scared of how the cumulative fatigue would feel today during the stage. I started off going nuclear but… Took on Half at 85% of AC but then did GOAT at 100% b/c Mike Cotty and the Laser Goats. tried to focus on breathing and form during both, especially after realizing I was clenching my teeth during the first section of Half. Here’s looking to Norway full gas tomorrow!
I think I’ve seen on the forum that people were checking a challenge badge to make sure the app was tracking their progress, but I can’t seem to find that. feeling a bit paranoid. have the TOS plan on my calendar and the workouts go green after each completion. Any tips on double checking progress?
1 Like
“Half Is Easy” was nice (new to me), the “Goat” is an old fav, but BOTH back to back??? Ahh, sweet suffering. “Find the stillness”?? Then I look up and see Cotty spinning at LA cadence? Not funny GVA. Not Funny.
2 Likes
Half is easy + Goat. Love and hate. Back to back.
1 Like
My favorite part of HIE: the helmet footage going over those bigs jumps at the end. Wahoo, indeed!
4 Likes