[quote=IvanDobski]Left the heating on in the bike room so was down to bibs and HRM after 2 minutes - not a great look!
I turned the heating [i]off[/i] last night so I wouldn't overheat on the turbo.. then forgot to turn it back on - cue a chilly start this morning!
God knows how we'll cope when we have to venture into the real world again!
This has been a good exercise for me so far. After being on the edge with Fight Club I have since felt steadily better. Angels was fine tonight. Hope everybody else getting on OK.
Not surprised. I'm not even thinking of venturing out until this is over. In a delicate balance at present.along with my commute i'm not ashamed to say it broke me!
Angels completed and with the added surprise of adding two new power records into the bargain.
Still worried about tomorrow though.
Stomped my way through Angels.. pushed quite hard.
I'm going to have to squeeze Local Hero and The Rookie in tomorrow (day off so should be doable), then stage 8 on Friday and stage 9 very late on Sunday if I can.
Wow. Some hard chaps on here - particularly if you're working to TR power-based targets. Having done both Local Hero and The Rookie, I wish you well doing them back to back. The Rookie is shorter but more intense I think.
Well, that was an exercise in survival but... Local Hero done!
I'm only doing them against the videos so maybe not as hard-core. I did do the heart-rate FTP Rubber Glove test which came out at 150 but I think it reacts to slow to use zones, so I just aim to make sure I'm above my threshold for the bits that count:
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Over all I'm just using it as a bit of a fitness kickstart after the Christmas period! 😆
Top effort there! Going for The Rookie today as well?
If everything goes to plan then I'll do Local Hero tonight and Rookie tomorrow morning to give me the max recovery time before Saturday's chaos.
Yeah, I think I'm going to have to do it tonight if I'm going to squeeze them all in within the allotted timescales..
Stage 8 tomorrow then Saturday / Sunday for recovery (er, at the Race Face Circus Of Dirt Enduro) and then Stage 9 for Sunday evening's warm down.. 😯
If everything goes to plan then I'll do Local Hero tonight and Rookie tomorrow morning to give me the max recovery time before Saturday's chaos.
Hmmm... that is a very good idea.
Local Hero done.
That was easily the most uncomfortable I've ever been on my rollers.
Shoes felt a size too small, saddle felt like a knife edge, legs felt like I'd mashed a hard run session beforehand.
Now to set the alarm for 05:15 and get the Rookie done......
That's The Rookie done, bloody hell that was a difficult one! Nowhere to get into any kind of rhythm, every few seconds your accelerating then easing off again. The profile looked ok but the reality was totally different.
Day off tomorrow so I've 2 choices, do the stage 8 videos tomorrow during the day which I think would work best or have tomorrow off and hope to recover more for saturday evening.
Local hero - tick.
That's The Rookie ticked off. Not sure I did justice after this morning's exertions (struggled with the high tempo bits) but still managed to hammer the sprint at the end! 😈
Good work guys! 8)
Local Hero was horrid. Nearly didn't bother. Nearly got off after each of the pyramids but hung on.
Kept to the profile on 100% FTP setting.
I think its become more a mental challenge now. I really just want to ride in the fresh air and with people to talk to 🙁 😉
just noticed this thread.
Just finished the Rookie. They're all hard but that felt easy after Local hero. The next 2 days are going to be painful.
Been fairly pleased to aim for my ftp throughout.
Confident of finishing this year. Crashed and burned on the Angels/Hunted session last year.
Off to bed now too. it does beat the shit out of you
And that's The Rookie done.
As was said, after Local Hero that was a comparative walk in the park.
Good effort - mine will have to wait till tonight. Looked at tomorrow for the first time while taking the train this morning. Looks quite intense. Not come this far to fail though.
Looks quite intense
😆
I'm looking forward to The Rookie after reading the above - well, I'm looking forward to a slightly easier stage. Local Hero was tough and again about a third of the way in I didn't think I would make it. Finished quite strongly.
I'm having a slice of malt loaf halfway through as an incentive! Having to sit with a fan blowing on me at 'outdoors' temperatures though, takes me ages to warm up again!
My plan is to get up early tomorrow and do Violator (1h:08) and then the other two tomorrow night (that's not cheating is it?!). Leaving Sunday evening for the 2hr ride into Paris 🙂
My plan is to get up early tomorrow and do Violator (1h:08) and then the other two tomorrow night (that's not cheating is it?!
Technically yes, sorry, they are [i]meant[/i] to be done back to back. 😯
"NOTE: Stages with multiple videos must have videos done back to back. You wouldn’t take a break halfway through a Tour de France stage, would you? So don’t even think of taking one here in Sufferlandria."
http://www.thesufferfest.com/tour-sufferlandria-2015/ <
That is a blow... OK, then Saturday night just got a lot worse, but at least I get a lie-in on Saturday morning now. No point being dishonorable, what would the minions say?
Thanks for the heads up on the back to back for the 3 vids. Initially I did think you had to but then could not see that bit when I re-read the rules. I was going to 'play it by ear' and see how I felt as I went through them.
Thanks again
Not sure about the tactics for tomorrow, theory says your FTP must be too low if you can complete all three sessions all at 100%
Might aim for a negative split and go for 90, 95, then 100%
Yep. I feel I should 'control' my sprints and leave the 100%'s to near the end.
Pysching myself up for tonight.. a bit of a go with the foam roller, collecting together all of my drinks bottles, planning some carbs for an early tea.
Tactics-wise, I think I'm just going to go for it and give it death right from the start.. yeah, right! Softly, softly...
Judging from Blender and Fight club unfortunately my FTP is likely to be spot on so I'm drawn to the idea of 90,95,100 split.
If I start out at 100% any difficulty might result in the dreaded DNF. Decisions, decisions.
Right, I've put it off long enough.. I'm going in! If I'm not back by 10.. well, it's been fun - suffer on without me!
P.S. What do I do if I need a pee - behind the sofa!?
Don't you just lob it to the side whilst freewheeling 😉
When you guys say 100% FTP, I presume you mean the 100% setting bottom left of screen? But that intensity factor is still likely to be less than 1?
I really think its mental difficulty now, I can hit the figures but my brain has less and less desire to do so.
Stage 8 done. Not fun.
Still, done now. Revolver was nails, Violator was OK but for the last set of sprints and Half Is Easy was a massive pain in the arse which never seemed to end.
Did it all at 100% but the last half of Half Is Easy (not the easy half!) I was roughly in the right place but frequently about 5 - 10% down and then I'd get it back on track for a couple of intervals, more due to the acceleration required than anything else.
I won't be doing it again in a hurry!
The Rookie - tick
Easy tonight in some respects but felt a bit leggy. Long day at work.
Stage 8: Got the vids to try and help. Contemplating a nightcap.
When you guys say 100% FTP, I presume you mean the 100% setting bottom left of screen?
Yes: its the power you can supposedly hold for an hour, but is generally extrapolated from shorter efforts. It is used to generate your target power in Trainerroad. Reducing the % will proportionally drop your target power.
But that intensity factor is still likely to be less than 1?
Not necessarily. IF will depend on you actual power output. Just because you have decreased your target power does not mean that it would be below your FTP (which is what IF relates to). Target power could be 150% FTP for instance.
Clear as mud I expect.
Box ticked.. not fun! Especially liked the 15 minutes of feeling sick through the middle of Violator..
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😯
(drop off 1 was turning the fan up between Revolver / Violator, drop off 2 was having a wee behind the sofa between Violator / Half).
Stage 8. Be prepared. That was not nice. The last parts of violator and Half is Easy especially.
I get what FTP is, I just thought the way people were saying they did it at full FTP suggested something slightly different. And doing it at 100% is no measure of what figures you actually managed, just that you'll be aiming for zones based around your FTP. A little bit of the pedant within and wanting to make sure I was doing it in a similar manner to everyone else 😉
As Intensity Factor is FTP/NP, if you can manage an Intensity factor much above 1 for an hour's session, it suggests your FTP setting is too low. IF greater than 1 is achieable for much shorter sessions.
Oh and I wasn't that impressed with the Rookie. Hard enough in the bounds of this challenge. However, whilst there were a few interesting bits of footage in the peleton I thought the rest was pretty boring.
Great effort guys. Still got it all to look forward too.
mtbtomo - yes you've mostly got it. Trainers like the Kickr make you do the prescribed wattage, otherwise you will just come to a stop and DNF. Others will allow a little slacking but looking at the STW power curves on Trainerroad I don't see much evidence of that.
I would love a Kickr. Too many other priorities at the moment.
I am on virtual power but definatley trying to hit the taget power/cadence, Still its so much better than the percieved effort that I used to do before TrainerRoad
Violator just broke me. Started the day at 90% in TR and couldn't hold it in the constant on off switches. My bodies just not designed (trained) for that sorry of sprint intervals. Gonna break the rules and do halfnhalf later. Sorry.
Not yet tried a sufferfest video, though have bought tomorrow's. Got by till now on 24 box set & YouTube Hawaii ironman videos.
Feel for you
I reckon the on off intervals are going to play havoc with my poorly trained legs. Expecting a bit of cramp and suffrage. Going to go for it in a bit. Might watch the tennis first.
I am not looking forward to the best part of 3 hours today. Back to back.
But I've come this far....
That kickr sounds like potentially a good thing training wise but also a very baaaaaad thing too....
well that wasn't pretty, but its done 😯
FTP targets left at 100%, used the wrong Revolver film, and boy are 5 second sprints hard to do on rollers.
Set three new power records on TrainerRoad, 2 in Violator, and one in Half is Easy.
Is it possible to do all three at 100%, well I think you'd need a Kickr and you'd definitely need good legs
Quick cup of coffee here before the last set. I know I'm cheating. No cramp yet but I've had 3 electrolyte tabs (?placebo). The Kickr has problems with the 5 second sprints. Just gets towards the right resistance at the end. Difficult to set records too as you are power limited (in he ergo mode at least).
Still at 100%.
Done - unpleasant - had to go to 75% as legs were failing. Not helped by power signal being intermittently dropped resulting in ramping up of resistance.
Chapeau to everyone who endured (and survived) Stage 8.. Just one more to go and we're done!
Stage 9 Done
😀
I'm glad I like that session. Really hard since I've beaten the shit out of myself getting here but great feeling to finish on that one.
Now where's that beer!
Well done! I had a couple of hours in bed after 8. Now sitting with sore legs in front of the fire with a well deserved glass of red.
Stage 9 should be fine after a nights rest. Those repeated intervals today were something though.
The intervals were shit! Lets be frank about that.
I'm smiling now but the last set of violator was...well, lets not go there.
Uh oh....the plan now is to do stage 8 before midday tomorrow and then stage 9 early evening.
Five hours in a day.
Nice.
Why are we doing this?
Seriously, someone please remind me 😉 No, really - on Monday morning, will it really make me a better person?? 😉
And I'm done!
Thank god for that, really hard work and I was struggling from the off. Legs felt heavy and I was generally feeling the effects of all the hours on the turbo over the last week.
I was really tempted to drop the FTP but decided I'd rather crack going for 100% - just made the last climb and then the final sprints were a welcome relief.
And tonight there's no recovery shakes, just Indian and beer so that's nice...
Good luck to all those still to finish, worth pushing through just for the self-satisfaction.
Feeling really jealous of those who've finished, well done all, an epic effort. Chapeau.
Finished Half is Easy and set 6 PRs 😀
Stage 8 done. Nearly broke me, having to get going again for Half is Easy was tough. Did it all in one session and at 100% ftp which I'm pleased about. Can't wait to finish tomorrow, also coincides with end of Dry January, so I can have something bubbly as I cross the finish line 🙂
All done. Amen.
OMG! Done, but f¤%& me that was hard today. Not a chance of getting anywhere near my target power levels!
Respect to all those that have done this, I expected it to be brutal, but the last few days were another level again.
Well done guys.
Went out for ride in the snow today (had to go get my car). I reminded myself there's a reason for turbo training.
The questions are ... what next after this high intensity binge? What's the thinking about making the most of this and getting the training back on track?
Side question: I'm doing a bit of turbo Sufferfest due to injury. How do you mount your screens?
Best I've got so far is iPad on a tea tray taped to the bars. 15" laptop on a bunch of chairs, out past the front wheel, comes out as a smaller viewing area.
Any tips?
Thx.
quarter turn garmin adaptor glued to the back of a cheap iPhone case.
My screen is a 32" flat screen bolted to the wall in the "pain cave". And sat on the bike 3 feet away, its still not as immersive I hoped when I bought it 😉
Just got stage 8 done before the cut off, ISLAGIATT tonight cos I won't get chance tomorrow.
I'd be interested to know what next. I think some easier rides OUTSIDE, a few commutes maybe and then the Sufferfest Advanced training plan.....??
I'd be interested to know what next.
what you have done, is essentially this
http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2011/02/crash-training.html
so, what you need to do, is rest, then a 20 minute test to reset your FTP as it should have gone up as a result of a high week of training, before you embark on a new plan
unless a TSS of 1000 over 9 days is normally what you do?
Set up:
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so, what you need to do, is rest, then a 20 minute test to reset your FTP as it should have gone up as a result of a high week of training, before you embark on a new plan
+1 excellent advice!
Well done to those who have completed so far. Looking at the stats on trainerroad the majority of riders are still to complete stage 9 so you are in good company if yet to finish.
I think I'll just go for a few light spins this week to avoid seizing up - essentially a week off. Then perhaps venture out next weekend.
I was fearful someone might mention doing another FTP test 😉
Well, at least it would give me chance to get a proper comparison between my Stages and Trainerroad virtual power.....
I'm going to give it a few ays first and maybe experience the outside world too in that time 😉
That was ugly. I had to stop and have a word with myself. And then knock the intensity down. Suppose thats what happens when you try and knock out the best part of 4.5 hours of high intensity turbo training in a day......
Yeah stage 8 and 9 in the same day wouldn't be my idea of fun! How far did you get before you had to stop? I found the ISLAGIATT climbs nails and that was the day after.
I got off on Stage 8 Revolver about 5 minutes in and a certain person in the house told me to carry on. It was more of a mental thing at that point. A bit "why the F... a I doing this when I could be sat having toast and coffee, reading the papers, chatting with the family". NORMAL stuff 😉 But a bit of coercion from my "DS" was all I needed so I got back in the saddle and pushed on . The rest of stage 8 was fine, just hard getting up and down between the sprints on violator.
Got about 2/3 the way through stage 9 before everything looked very grey and it seemed like I was in a trance wading through mud with legs full of lead. So I knocked the intensity down a notch. Otherwise I was going to seize on the bike with the frozen look of pain on my face 😉
And... Done. 100% today and it hurt, but 4 more PRs so yes the FTP retest is going to be a goood thing.
Slightly jealous there Chef, I'm in the garage at -1 with gloves and frozen toes. Still dripping really badly after the first step ups. Need a more sensible area. Going to bed now. Cheers all
Done. Finished at 21:30 last night and had a Guinness to celebrate the tour and also ending Dry January.
ISLAGIATT went on forever, 2 hours was really tough, I started it at 19:30ish and even at 17:00 I could barely walk up my stairs, I didn't think I would be able to do it.
Good little thread - was good to hear other people's stories. I told my OH to remind me not to do it next year. I did it in 2013 and this was a lot harder. Congrats to all!
Think I will do an FTP on Thurs. night, time for some rest...
Good job that man! Bet that Guinness tasted great.
There wasn't a single minute of ISLAGIATT that I didn't begrudge. The previous 8 dyas were fine, if hard, but yesterday I was questioning why I was doing it as the fun had gone out of it.
Rather than hijack your Tour thread gents, I made: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tips-for-sufferfest-newbie
Missing our nightly tour already - had to go out and do Angels 'for fun'. Seemed nice and easy for a change. I guess trainer sessions will be easier for a while compared to stage 8.
I went for a bit of a spin round Zwift Island, legs still felt a bit heavy!
so, what you need to do, is rest, then a 20 minute test to reset your FTP as it should have gone up as a result of a high week of training, before you embark on a new plan
Interesting to know what results people observe. I'd expect a negative impact on FTP for some period of time (a week or two) before it bounces back.
I felt surprisingly fine tonight. Euphoria I imagine. Agree interesting too see what results people get with FTP retest. People like me probably have quite a bit to gain coming from a fairly unfit state. But might take another month to start seeing results.
It assumes you have some recovery time. They reckon about a week should do it for that length of crash training.
FTP later this week.... 🙁
Well done to everyone who managed to complete The Tour.. I have to come clean and admit I fell at the last hurdle. After a long weekend I just couldn't face 2 more hours on Sunday night.. was going to do it Monday evening but once the time window had passed my motivation went.
Hey, there's always next year! 😉