The 2019 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo – How I lost 1st on Mole Hill KOM
by Robert Hess, on Strava.com at https://www.strava.com/athletes/58546
Sunday, September 29, 2019, was my favorite day of the year excepting, of course, my wedding anniversary, because Sunday was the annual Alpine Loop Gran Fondo when I get to take a crack at winning a KOM segment.
Sunday didn’t quite turn out as I was hoping. I was first in my age group but not first overall. Ego hit:-)
What happened to my King of the Mountain (KOM) form?
As near as I can tell, my mediocre performance comes down to two things:
- I went on vacation for the three weeks prior to the Fondo, and
- I managed to gain 3 kilos since last year. Three kilos is about 6 lbs.
But, c’mon. How much of a difference can a few pounds of fat matter on a 750-meter climb? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot!
But just how much?
How to calculate the timing climb added by a few dozen Crispy Creams or Dunkin’ Donuts
The fun (and smart guys) over at Global Cycling Network (GCN) did a test and came up with a pretty good calculation. Watch the video they made in Andorra at the following link – Body Weight and Climbing.
Next Steps
- Watch the video
- Start tracking your eating
- Lose weight before you spring for that very expensive carbon water bottle cage:-)
- Bookmark https://alpineloopgranfondo.com
- Connect with me on Strava.com and let’s go KOM/QOM hunting!