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Motivation Monday: Monkey Knife Fight 9 Recap

If you read my previous “Motivation Monday” posts, you'll know I was somehow suckered into riding the Monkey Knife Fight on April 14th.  I'd suggest you read those posts to get an idea of what I've spent the winter and early spring training for.  I described it as “a spring classic, Pennsylvania style.  That means dirt roads, gravel, steep climbs, shitty weather and lots and lots of fun.  And beer.  There's a beer sponsor.  I think it's Funk Brewing, actually.”

Well, the beer sponsor was indeed Funk Brewing (who makes a wicked IPA I might add.)  I'll also add that I was completely correct about the description with one notable, important exception, which I'll get to.

To get an idea of how I proceeded to tackle a beast like this, check out my previous posts about the training theory behind a ride like this.  Yeah, it was lots of muscular endurance and plenty of VO2 max work.  No, it wasn't glamorous at all, but it (sort of) got the job done.

In this edition of “Motivation Monday” I'll recap Monkey Knife Fight 9, tell you what went wrong and what went right.

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Motivation Monday: Pacing For Preservation

If you read my previous “Motivation Monday” posts, you'll know I was somehow suckered into riding the Monkey Knife Fight on April 14th.  I'd suggest you read those posts to get an idea of what I've gotten myself into and where I've been so far in terms of training.  The short, short version of it is this: it's a spring classic, PA style.  That means dirt roads, gravel, steep climbs, shitty weather and lots and lots of fun.  And beer.  There's a beer sponsor.  I think it's Funk Brewing, actually.

In past columns, I've detailed some of my training theory behind a ride like this.  Yeah, it's lots of muscular endurance and plenty of VO2 max work.  No, it's not glamorous at all, but it gets the job done.  In all honesty, training never is glamorous, is it?

I've also gone on to explain how you can tell when your fitness has climbed enough for an “out of order” fitness test.  Since then, it's been pretty quiet.  Why?  Well, there are a couple factors I'll detail today.  But in reality, it's just been grinding out intervals and hoping to get fit enough to not die.

And what's my plan for not dying on this thing?  Click through the jump to find out!

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Motivation Monday: Testing Time

If you read my first “Motivation Monday” you'll know I was somehow suckered into riding the Monkey Knife Fight in April.  I'd suggest you read that post to get an idea of what I've gotten myself into.  The short, short version of it is this: it's a spring classic, PA style.  That means dirt roads, gravel, steep climbs, shitty weather and lots and lots of fun.  And beer.  There's a beer sponsor.

In past columns, I've detailed some of my training theory behind a ride like this.  Yeah, it's lots of muscular endurance and plenty of VO2 max work.  No, it's not glamorous at all, but it gets the job done.  In all honesty, training never is glamorous, is it?

Today, I'm going to chat about how you know it's time to test (even if it's outside your scheduled testing time) and modify your program a bit.

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Motivation Monday: What’s London Got To Do With It?

If you read my last “Motivation Monday” you'll know I was somehow suckered into riding the Monkey Knife Fight in April.  I'd suggest you read the previous column to learn a little more about the race itself.  The short, short version of it is this: it's a spring classic, PA style.  That means dirt roads, gravel, steep climbs, shitty weather and lots and lots of fun.

Since I've been suckered into this via a good buddy of mine (thanks again Nate…) I can't let him take me out to the middle of nowhere and leave me for dead.  No sir.  That's not an option.

This week, I'll explore a little of my training theory and what I'm going to do to get my butt in shape to actually finish this ride without breaking down and crying.

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Motivation Monday: Monkey Knife Fight For Fun and Fitness Profit

It's been no secret that last year was a tough year for me when it comes to riding a bike.  I spent much of the year planning and executing a plan, but not a typical training plan.  No, buying a business (most of you know I'm a chiropractor by trade) was a plan unlike any other that sucked most of the time out of my life.  I raced all of four races last year and put in the fewest training hours I've logged in any year in the last half a decade.

Because of that, and because I now have the additional responsibilities of running a practice, it's time for a renaissance of sorts.

“Friends don't let friends get fat”

I had been looking for a little motivation to build my early season on.  Sitting on the trainer isn't the most fun, so a fun early season target would be most welcome.  What was out there that would be worth doing, though?

This most recent challenge, which I intend to document in a series called “Motivation Monday” is based on a challenge/request from a friend of mine (thanks, Nate!)  Nate, much like myself, spent much of last year on the sidelines, albeit for very different reasons.  Those reasons don’t really matter, suffice to say he was in the saddle less than I was.  Recently, when he texted me and asked if I had any interest in an early season ride, he framed it a little differently then most requests people make:

“Monkey Knife Fight – April 14th.  I've been intrigued by this ride for a few years and I should really stop being fat.  Any interest?”

How can you say no to that?

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