Vegas in 24: A “Funky Fresh” Update!
April 14, 2016
AlterG Inc.AlterG TreadmillAthletic TrainingAthleticsEventsHealth and Medical
Well, hello there, all you cool, gravity-defying cats! I know I promised you more Achilles love this week, but sometimes in the blogging-biz, you have to make room for breaking news. So instead, I am going postpone our Achilles talk until next week, in order to bring you the long-awaited part dieu to my Andy “Funky Fresh” Funk interview. You may recall our last post on this Ironman altruist and his audacious “Vegas in 24” mission, in honor of the Pink Lotus Foundation, but if not, go give yourself a quick refresher; I’ll wait right here…
Andy’s trusty, stylish steed
Ok, you’re back! And just in time, too. Vegas in 24 is happening in just 9 short days! For those of you who skipped the required reading (tsk tsk), Vegas in 24 is a 365 mile bike ride, that Andy will complete without assistance, in just 24 hours. This masochistic, butt-busting marathon is in support of the Pink Lotus Foundation, which provides breast cancer screenings, treatment, and support to low-income women. Andy has a special attachment to this charity, as he and his wife, Kristi, are the founders. Their commitment to women’s health is steadfast and unbreakable, and we are confident that these same attributes will carry Andy through his ride!
In the midst of all this biking and event planning madness, Andy graciously took the time to get us up to speed on his training, and on how “defying gravity” is helping him to achieve his dual fitness-charity goals.
On his training:
“We are less than 2 weeks away from April 23 now, so I can definitely sense the pressure. Having said that, I have trained hard and well, and I feel ready to do this. My overall training has been 8 months, but my systematic training block fro VI24 didn’t start until late December, and was based on a 4-month buildup block with increasingly longer hours each week for 3 weeks, then following a 1-week recovery (which is about 8 hours of training), and then doing it again but with more hours than the prior month. This model has worked successfully for me in Ironman training, even though for Vegas In 24 everything has been a bit “different” and certainly more bike-focused.”
On the Ride:
“The 365-mile event starts in Los Angeles, ends in Las Vegas, and is covered nonstop on a bicycle in under 24 hours. Yes – 365 miles, as in 17% of the 3-week Tour de France in a single day, combined with 14,500 feet of elevation gain (that’s half way up Mt. Everest on a bike) with no outside support or assistance of any kind. A never before attempted challenge with a distance and time goal so tough, it leaves no margin for error.”
On the AlterG (Andy is simultaneously training for Vegas in 24 and an Ironman!):
“The AlterG came in very handy during training. My original plan for running on the AlterG was to minimize the possibility of injury as I was really stepping up my bike training. I generally ran on the AlterG twice a week and stuck to about 70-80% bodyweight and about a 6:45 to 7:15 pace – nothing outrageous but enough to get a good workout in. Because I felt a lot less stress on my legs, I could keep my running fitness in place as best as possible, and knew I was safe from injury at the very same time. It also allowed me to put 100% of my energy into my bike training without having to worry that my runs would fatigue my legs or create any kind of soreness. That confidence and peace of mind was very valuable to me during training and it would not have been possible by running outdoors. So while the AlterG is helping many recover from injuries, for me, it was a way to prevent them and to maximize my non-run related training during a time were sticking to my Vegas In 24 training plan was very important.”
A little gravity-defying action
We are pretty pumped, nay, RIDICULOUSLY RAMBUNCTIOUS with excitement for this event! Here at AlterG, we love putting our bodies through their paces, but what we love even more is when we can do this in the name of something far greater than a PR or swimsuit season. Andy embodies this very sentiment, and we can think of no better man to tackle this challenge than this “Funky Fresh” hero. If you haven’t yet done so, please consider donating to this event/The Pink Lotus Foundation, and join the mission to empower women through better healthcare.
Baywatch has nothing on Andy!