…in your legs, and in your head whether on the Turbo, Road bike or mtb, when banging out an interval, climbing or racing and you get that feeling of sickness on your stomach, the pain in your legs and your head says “you can just stop you know…”

So when it’s really hard, and you have that one stretch goal in mind, how do you manage to go beyond the pale?

Stop

What you talking about?

Bloody Sofa surfers… 😉

Shout STRAVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The coach in our cycling club always said the difference between mere mortals and pros with pain is they embrace it. Those that try and think of something else can’t suffer as much. Not sure if this is true

For Mr depends how I’m feeling.. Sometimes I can keep pushing further. Just another 10 seconds.. Okay now another 10. Or get angry 🙂

There’s a video somewhere of a pro in a break with 3 others. He starts punching himself in the face to keep going

The coach in our cycling club always said the difference between mere mortals and pros with pain is they embrace it. Those that try and think of something else can’t suffer as much. Not sure if this is true

This is in part why I’m asking. I recieved and am reading Froomes book for Christmas, and amongst others there is a common theme in the amount of suffering they can take, continue with or ignore.

“Shut up legs” :DD

Coming from a rowing background I used to do lots of 2k ergo tests, after those nothing is that unpleasant anymore!

Not much help but there seem to be two ways of dealing with it

1) embrace the pain and use it to make you push harder (I know of some people who can do this in races)
2) find your happy place! Sounds very trite but my pain therapist (yes it is a real NHS job) explained that pain is all in the mind, and how you experience it depends on your mood! I did nearly punch him at this point but it does seem to work for me! I sort of ‘daydream’ and stop paying attention to the pain

It makes no difference btw I am still pretty crap and slow 🙂

Or as my rowing coach described it. ‘Pain is weakness leaving your body’

You should read Tyler Hamilton’s book. He ground down his teeth in 1 tour. He could apprently endure a severe amount of pain

I find it best to be proactive and not get to the pain stage 😐

Opiates, physio, occasional massages and lots of mtfu. And going on a bike distracts 😉

Strikes me that if it’s worth it, you’ll do it, if it’s not you won’t, so either make it worth it and don’t lose sight of the actual goal, or know that it’s not. I reckon for a lot of people the trick is to make your training appropriate for you, rather than pushing too hard. My “training” is very soft, because if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t do it and I get more benefit from an easy regime than from a hard one I wouldn’t do.

Push through it knowing that amazing release of endorphins is just around the corner.

Heres my opinion…

When in Intervals I have a goal in mind so I try to achieve that by actually getting to that goal. As I progress the goals get harder/further away and yes I’ve got to the point of almost vomiting or getting so light headed that I’ve had to stop for a breather, but then this is what I’m training for. I expect to get to this point so I prepare for the inevitable and that way it doesn’t come as a surprise nor inconvenience.
All this leads to pain, it’s a consequence of getting off your arse and training hard. The only way to progress to mentally train for it and not let it rule your life.

An example: 111 clicks today with 16 interval sections for climbing then rest periods in between. Hard intense spinning 90rpm for me on the up then rollout 75rpm on the flat or down bits. Todays training almost blew my head up on one climb but I managed to distract myself just at the point of blowout and I got over the top before I knew it.
Consequence?
I’m on the sofa in pain.

So I do the normal thing, stretch, I have a foam roller I roll on, then eat and relax. When I get up off the sofa it’ll hurt like hell for about 15sec’s but then I’ll move freely.
I expect it, I manage it, I cope with it.

Trainings hard, it’s supposed to be.

Don’t be tempted to take pain killers, you are supposed to know/accept when it hurts, you need to manage that.

Carry one I’d say, do some other form of training to break up the rollers, and maybe focus on another weakness that you have for a couple of months.

Don’t forget the rest periods, you need them just as much as the intervals..

Hope that helps, clearly what I’ve said is a little old school but thats where I come from.

Good to hear it’s hurting.

8)

I think it would help me if I was a pro and getting paid to suffer. As it is I just swear at myself out loud.

Re 2k on the concept2, nothing worse than that in my sporting life, I used to be scared of pulling the handle to get started.

I always find pure stubbornness and the fact I can’t stand giving up once I’ve started something will pretty much always drive me on through pain.

On tough climbs if thoughts of stopping enter my head I’ll tell myself if I stop it means I’m weak and the hill has beaten me, or during a race if it’s near the end and tiredness & cramp are setting in I’ll tell myself something similar to get to the end even though I know I’ll probably be limping round for a couple days after 😆

It’s part of the selection process.

If you can deal with the pain you’ll probably be quite good. If not: not.

111 clicks today with 16 interval sections

It’s like another language.

Embrace it.

It’s one of life’s great pleasures, no pain = your dead.

I just kind of don’t notice it.

Just think about soapy boobies and how they can be used in alternative ways

Stopping just isn’t an option.

I guess it is a mindset really.

Of course it is.

^the question was asked how we manage pain. That was how I deal with it. My mindset is that stopping isn’t an option.

You can’t actually correct me on how I feel about something 😉

All depends on the cause of the pain. I have a bad back(40yrs or so). Entered a 3 day event in July knowing it was going to hurt. Started off the year with some good traing then “stuff” started to get in the way and I didn’t get the time in the saddle I really needed. I knew my back and possibly my shoulder might cause problems and had to give up 30mls from the end when my legs would no longer push the pedals, standing became an effort and I was feeling faint!! Still suffering now btw……
As for cramp. I suffered really bad cramp on an event many yrs ago and ride through it on a very cold, wet day causing permanent muscle damage apparently. So be careful 💡

How do I manage my pain? Nowadays I am cycling less, stopping and stretching when I feel twinges but use no medication atm, that may change…….
My back was damaged long before I took up cycling btw and I have had to give up squash..

Tramadol

I find the first 4-6 mins of lactate pain a bit uncomfortable, but then the body releases natural pain relief and I enter my ‘other world’.

It’s lovely.

Interesting.

I’m pretty in sync with bikebouy’s process here. I’m aware it gets better after the lactic has cleared, I know on the second or third interval I’ll start to feel sick but I also know I can work through it and feel ok again, and I know my legs hurt but actually 2 mins is a short time (don’t look at the timer just keep working !).

I’ve had issues being I’ll for six weeks now and I’m on the road to recovery – and had to take a 20second stop on my third 8min @95% Ftp yesterday, but I got going again and finished the final 30 secs at 120% in penance. I did think of lowering my Ftp a bit to make it easier but no, 3 x 8 with a 20’sec break gives me the goal of only having to go for 20’secs more next time – on Tuesday which are 3 x 10 mins ouch. I know I’ll thank myself later next year… 😐

Mentally I visualise Vasil Kiryienka as I’m quite struck but the steel at which he taps out 400w up he climbs with that steely consistency which I like to emulate on my intervals.

^^ thats the ticket, see that guy hacks long and hard but eventually he blows, like most do. Difference for Pros as we know is they get paid to do a job then are allowed to join the Bus home.

I think you are doing remarkably well TBH, what you say on here about your training regime is quite inspirational.

Don’t forget that the Pros have the same issues as we do, we don’t however have the press on our backs if we soft peddle for a few ks…

8)

I just visualise how pissed and low I’ll be if I haven’t done what I set to do.

Don’t forget that the Pros have the same issues as we do

Indeed, mentally its something fall foul of, in that, it’s just me going through this, which is why I keep a close eye on the TrainerRoad thread, and the other reason I started this one is kind of self confirmation if that makes sense.

I’m surprised my whinging Is an inspiration to anyone tbh. I’m not a natural athlete, my road cycling experience is limited, and I’ll be trying really hard to hang on to the Hillingdon cat 4 pack in a few weeks after a compromised plan and few long rides recently – although these will be “c” (experience only) categorised races for me. Mind you, I’ve had several people comment on the self discipline required to knock out an hour of TR 3 x8 intervals & 186w np on Boxing Day morning after a chest infection and massive Xmas dinner – with booze – the day before. It was bloody cold for at least 5 mins in the mancave in nothing but bibs and shoes 😀

i just visualise how pissed off and low I’ll be if I haven’t done what I set to do

Me to. I’m really good at self flagellation over the most minor of things.

Tramadol?

I do 3000 X 550W intervals followed by three kilo tons of lunges & thrusts – this assists reducing my mid-life crisis by 1.5 gigajoules or the equivalence thereabouts.

Hmm, deluded although what you posted doesn’t do you any favors I can see why. Me posting those numbers isn’t and wasn’t intending to be a boast – those winter training will recognise that nothing I posted is “special” or “unusual” for an amateur racer. Plenty of others will be doing & achieving much more. With hindsite I shouldn’t have mentioned it, my faux pas.