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2018 American Zofingen Race Day Thread
A truly epic duathlon race. The American Zofingen is a test of the athletes stamina and ability. This multi distance duathlon race is set in one of the most beautiful settings in the Shawangunk Mountains. Enjoy running on the single track and carriage roads. Road biking is a test of the endurance for the most skilled athlete.
Athletes racing
Scott Dinhofer
Woody Freese
Patrick Marsh
Andrew Lustigman
Brad Marcus
Give them some love people. It does not look as if we can track them. @scott dinhofer is this true?
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Comments
this is not going to be a great performance, but when is AmZof ever... the great news is that the mile one swamp will be there given that it's raining all week!
I am SOOOO jealous of everyone who will be doing this Epic race... Still my favorite race.
in july, i know better. I agree with @John Withrow about this being an epic race. thought definitely not my favorite - i'm not that much of a masochist.
if you've not read it yet, you need to read robbie goffin's race reports for this one. Even though I've read them 1,000,000 times, i'm about to hit 1,000,001 - and will be smiling and laughing the whole time.
links to them in https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/15366/mandatory-reading-for-all-amzofers
My bike is geared with a 53/39 upfront and a 10-speed with a 28-tooth cassette in back. I think I will be burning matches all day long on the bike course.
Per @Scott Dinhofer I am planning on bringing both pair of running shoes that are just about to be put out to pasture.
Hoping the weather holds out and the trails are somewhat dry...
How was it this year?
We had a solid EN contingent. @scott dinhofer , @brad Marcus and I went up the night before. The race itself was great. Very small crowd. The scenery was fantastic. There were lots of high quality athletes. But the course was a beat down.
The bike course had 3K of climbing over just 28.5 miles, per loop. I tried to hold back on the bike but it was impossible to keep my heart rate down during the climbs. The hills were long, steep and frequent. The flats were few and far between. I just did Battenkill, and this was on par with that; but we had the added pleasure of three hard runs.
On my first lap of the run, I tried to slow-jog the single track climbs. Midway up I was passed by someone power-walking. After that, I started walking on steep parts. By the third loop, I walked anything that looked remotely to have a positive incline.
I finished at ~7:25, just wide of the slow end of my expected range. However, to accomplish that I was frequently hitting HRs above the 172 that I hit on my FTP test two weeks ago. For the final run loop, I spent +25 minutes above my threshold heart rate to accomplish a 13:37/pace. My cumulative TSS was 438. My cumulative Strava Suffer Score was 656. There were five people in my age group. I finished third and got a now cherished 3rd place AG beer mug.
Needless to say, my legs are shot today. Climbing stairs is done slowly and gingerly. Oh, and I managed to acquire a saddle sore that requires bandaids. It was just that kind of day.
Agree with everything that @Patrick Marsh mentions above. What a F%*#ing day! @Scott Dinhofer organized a rental house where 4 of us stayed. We met up there the afternoon prior in the pouring rain (it rained heavily for days prior). After picking up packets, we decided to drive the bike course. I honestly couldn't believe what I was looking at as my ears popped climbing in the car. I live and train in the northeast and am no stranger to climbing, but what the hell did I get myself in to?
This race definitely has that "cult" feel. Heidi raced the SOS last fall in the same area, and I swear that I recognized the same crazies from that race as soon as we got into transition. Patrick and I joked afterwards that we couldn't decide whether the run or bike was a bigger beat down, as the hills were absolutely ridiculous! All I know is that while I was running, I couldn't wait to get on the bike, and while I was biking, I just wanted to die. After the 2nd run, I stood in transition wondering how the hell I would get through another bike loop. In fact, my transitions were super slow simply because I needed to mentally get my sh*t together every time. Dropping out crept into my mind MULTIPLE times during the day. During my 2nd run loop, I "ran" passed a guy walking on a carriage path. Earlier, this guy hammered past me on a steep bike climb. As I was in my next transition, he stumbling in and asked "where do I turn in my chip?". When people laughed, he said "No...I'm f'ing serious!". Did I mention that the climbs are absolutely relentless? I'd be on the bike climbing with a point in the distance thinking that if I got there, I'd get some relief, only to find that after a very small dip, there was more climbing. 3000 ft per bike loop and 850 ft per run loop will definitely let you know what you are made of. I originally intended on racing long course, but emailed the race director a week ago to change it.....THANK GOD!
Biggest shocker was when I crossed the finish line (7:19) and they told me that I won 3rg AG. That was icing on the cake and made the day well worth it. Will I race this again? You all know how this sickness works...I say NO now, but ask me next week. But, if you've never done this one, I highly recommend!
Since your legs are sore (established and confirmed above) and you (probably) have zero interest in seeing your bike, the trails or a pond, we have a few housekeeping items you can do to capture the day and start setting the stage for an even better performance next time.
>> Click Here for the Post Race Week Page