Sufferfest - Your "favourites" and have you ever....

Sufferfest - Your "favourites" and have you ever....

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Discussion

E65Ross

Original Poster:

34,946 posts

211 months

Wednesday 6th April 2016
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Oh.... How harsh was it on revolver they made the 7th effort around 1min15secs.... bds! They also made almost every effort 61-62 secs, and each recovery was 59-60secs. Was a really good, but simple workout. Barely looked at the screen though as I was working hard!

Don't get me wrong.... When I say I could have done more.... I mean perhaps another 2 maybe 3 at the absolute most..... And I was working HARD! It wasn't easy!

m444ttb

3,160 posts

228 months

Thursday 7th April 2016
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What was I going to email you about? Pretty sure I didn't!

I find I could do a few more intervals on Revolver providing I've hit the figures on the 16. You just get into the groove. I think it would fall apart big time by 20 though. I certainly couldn't do Revolver all over again as per this years' tour. The cool down + warm up let my legs seize up I think.

E65Ross

Original Poster:

34,946 posts

211 months

Thursday 7th April 2016
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m444ttb said:
What was I going to email you about? Pretty sure I didn't!

I find I could do a few more intervals on Revolver providing I've hit the figures on the 16. You just get into the groove. I think it would fall apart big time by 20 though. I certainly couldn't do Revolver all over again as per this years' tour. The cool down + warm up let my legs seize up I think.
The warm up in particular is very short on revolver, and as I had time I made sure I did something decent before starting the workout "proper".

I've just copied and forwarded another PM (same as last time), if you don't get it let me know on here and will if there's another way.

Cheers

Edited by E65Ross on Thursday 7th April 12:46

m444ttb

3,160 posts

228 months

Thursday 7th April 2016
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E65Ross said:
The warm up in particular is very short on revolver, and as I had time I made sure I did something decent before starting the workout "proper".

I've just copied and forwarded another PM (same as last time), if you don't get it let me know on here and will if there's another way.

Cheers

Edited by E65Ross on Thursday 7th April 12:46
Strange! Was it an email via PH? I haven't received anything either way. Just send me an email to my user name on here @hotmail.com

E65Ross

Original Poster:

34,946 posts

211 months

Friday 8th April 2016
quotequote all
m444ttb said:
E65Ross said:
The warm up in particular is very short on revolver, and as I had time I made sure I did something decent before starting the workout "proper".

I've just copied and forwarded another PM (same as last time), if you don't get it let me know on here and will if there's another way.

Cheers

Edited by E65Ross on Thursday 7th April 12:46
Strange! Was it an email via PH? I haven't received anything either way. Just send me an email to my user name on here @hotmail.com
Done smile

Cheers

E65Ross

Original Poster:

34,946 posts

211 months

Saturday 23rd April 2016
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m444ttb said:
Sounds like someone needs to do an FTP test again winkbiggrin
Well, as per the wattage thread...you weren't wrong. My last FTP test gave an FTP of 219W, which I manually increased to 221W...but on Monday I did Rubber Glove and changed my FTP to 229W....now that doesn't sound like much (3-4%) but as I'm sure you're aware this has actually made quite a significant difference.

Workouts feel noticeably harder and, to get the same TSS score outdoors I'm having to ride that little bit harder....which, in reality, is what I want!

I just did "hell hath no fury" and found it really rather tough!! Was struggling a little in the last few minutes of that 2nd 20minute set. The final TT was tough but not horrendous. Finished that off with a few miles outdoors....in summer gear, which felt absolutely amazing (if a bit too cold, really!).

Can see why that last 20mins felt tough....It had an average of 238W, when my 20minute test gave 241W, and it wasn't a dead smooth effort....! After having done the previous 20mins as well....pretty tough that one.


Edited by E65Ross on Saturday 23 April 14:08

madzo14

159 posts

121 months

Monday 25th April 2016
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Done Angels with Trainerroad a couple of weeks ago, it is a completely different experience than just using the effort-meter on screen. As tough as it was I really enjoyed it, legs probably not so much

loudlashadjuster

5,084 posts

183 months

Monday 25th April 2016
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Are Sufferfest sessions markedly more challenging than a normal, well instructed spin session?

My wife likes going to spin and although not a cyclist per se she is pretty fit and gets a good workout from them.

Our gym's spin sessions are always full but Sufferfest sessions are invariably empty, maybe because a lot of folk like her are scared of trying Sufferfest because of the name?

I think the gym have realised this and they're shortly to do some Sufferfest 'inductions' but she's still not very keen.

Is she right to be a bit worried about trying one?

Kell

1,708 posts

207 months

Monday 25th April 2016
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I've got a few of the sufferfest vids, but I'm not hooked up to anything other than a basic Turbo Trainer.

It's very different to being out on the open road, clearly, but that's a bonus for me as due to my size, I'm about as 'aero' as a beachball.

But to anyone that thinks this would make it easier than being on the road, think again. I've never sweated so much.

The two I've done so far are Downward spiral and A Very Dark place.

Preferred Dark Place as it was better put together, but at the end of the day, it's just something to help give you the motivation to push it a little longer than you would do yourself.

I'd imagine, in reality, a decent pin class would be an equal level of suffering. Clearly, the marketing dept decided Spinfest was probably a little too girly for their core market.

E65Ross

Original Poster:

34,946 posts

211 months

Monday 25th April 2016
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Sufferfest are great, having never done spin classes I couldn't comment on whether they're more difficult than those or not. But I'd suggest she at least give them a go, what's the worst that could happen?

I have done some very tough sessions on trainerroad (I'm using a smart electronic trainer which, in my opinion, really makes TT sessions SO, SO much better) and I'd say some of the "normal" intense sessions on TR are every bit as hard as the sufferfest ones. I enjoy Sufferfest because the videos offer better encouragement, they're more varied (not just in terms of the effort, but they specifically ask for cadence targets, whether to sit/stand on the pedals etc) so offer a little more in that sense.

I've done quite a few now and I'm not sure which I've found the hardest so far. Probably a mixture between The Hunted, Hell Hath No Fury (these 2 are quite similar workouts) or Revolver....possibly A Very Dark Place in there too. Only a couple are "easy".

37Flipper

494 posts

184 months

Monday 25th April 2016
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I do a Sufferfest every Monday in my garage as part of my TR work outs. I have a couple of friends who come round and I find that when you have a mate there you always give it a little bit extra because you are always egging each other on.
I only have about 7 videos, so I've done them all a few times, but I have to say 'There is no Try' always gets me. (That was tonight's vid!).

I've definitely improved using TR, but the Monday night Sufferfest sessions are always enjoyable, even if I want to cough up a lung at the end!!

E65Ross

Original Poster:

34,946 posts

211 months

Thursday 28th April 2016
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Bugger me fight club is hard as! Simply couldn't do it today and had to bail through the 3rd set. I wanted a high TSS today and managed to perk myself up and did The Wretched which was very tough.... Then did another short session after. Legs just didn't feel up to fight club today..... I just couldn't turn the cranks when it was asking for 130% efforts on that 3rd set, I tried bloody hard too! Hardest one yet, that one.

lukefreeman

1,492 posts

174 months

Thursday 28th April 2016
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Hmmm.......

Maybe I should use these videos.

I just use music, power meter and heart rate, and make up sessions as I go along.

E65Ross

Original Poster:

34,946 posts

211 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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I've done all of the videos now bar about 6 (2 of them are the way out and elements of style).....today, before going out for a ride, I did TBTITW and then extra shot.....TBTITW was utterly, utterly brutal....the last 5mins of the end was torture. I will say it's seriously helped my pace on the road, I'm sure.

Also.....last year I did a sportive for charity "close to home" as it were, and raised a little over £10k....this year, am I absolutely, ridiculously stupidly insane to even be remotely considering trying to become a "knight of sufferlandria"? It would be over 10 hours on the bike.....I've never done more than 6 hours before.....but I'm a lot fitter now than I was then (that was 103 miles at a 17.7mph average in a group....I'm averaging quicker than that doing 70 miles, with more hills, all by myself AND without working too hard at all at the moment) but there's a massive difference between 5-6 hours and 10-12!

I wouldn't know how to begin to start training for something so long.....I'm tempted to enter for the same sportive I did last year (Mega Meon) but as opposed to the 74 mile route, do the 102 mile route....I'd probably rather the 74 in the sense it's a distance you can work reasonably hard at and if you blow up it's not THAT far, but 102 miles would obviously be better training if I were to attempt the Knight of Sufferlandria.....

Thoughts? I'd also be unsure RE doing it for charity....in case I fail miserably hehe