2014 Tour of Sufferlandria

This year I thought I'd give the ToS a try.  I grossly under-estimated the intensity of this event.  The good news is that I finished.  The bad news is that my performance wasn't very inspiring.



The event is a 9-stage 'tour' which is based on the TrainerRoad software and the Sufferfest videos.  It should be noted that you didn't have to actually own the videos to participate, although I did own half.  A total 2471 riders signed up for the event, with 41% of the riders not completing the tour.  The schedule of the event is as follows:

Day 1: Rubber Glove (FTP Test)  My Results:  Guppie Rubber Glove

I sucked it up during the FTP test.  Normally I start out too hard and blow-up halfway through.  This time I think I started to soft and then try to catch up, thus blowing-up halfway through.  For many people, indoor FTP is lower than outdoor FTP.  I'm no exception.  But damn, it sure did come in lower.  I need to learn better pacing (and get stronger).

 

Day 2:  ISLAGIATT (Endurance)  My Results: Guppie ISLAGIATT

This stage is a 2-hour tempo/sweet spot ride.  I still had TrainerRoad set at 100%, however I was not able to hit all my power targets.  However, I did end this stage with some confidence.  Primarily the two hour ride.  Normally I can't last longer than an hour on the trainer, so this stage was good motivation to stay on the trainer longer.  It helped that I put in The Godfather to help distract me.  (I watched the entire Godfather collection during this race).

 

Day 3: Revolver (Speed)  My Results:  Guppie Revolver

This stage is a 45-minute speed workout.  This is a workout I've completed before and one I've always struggled with.  Thus attempting it on day-3, I knew I was in for a LONG 45-minutes.  I did start out slow and a couple of intervals I completely tanked.  Overall, I am still happy with my performance given where I'm at with my cycling training.

 

Day 4:  Hell Hath No Fury (Race Simulation)  My Results: Guppie HHNF

This stage was just over an hour and included some long interval times within sweet-spot and threshold.  Being day 4 I was exhausted and my ass hurt.  Near the last half of the intervals, my wheels really fell off.  I did manage a short power burst, but the damage was done.

 

Day 5:  Extra Shot + The Wretched (Race Simulation)  My Results: Guppie Extra Shot and The Wretched

This was a two stage workout.  Stage 1 was called Extra Shot, which is a 20-minute race simulation.  I believe the video was designed for people who want to add another 20 minutes to their workouts.  The issue I had starting out with Extra Shot was the lack of warm-up.  The Wretched was also a race simulation, although if it had been a real race I would have DNF'd.  With a TSS of 54, it was everything I could do to stay on the bike.

 

Day 6:  A Very Dark Place (Speed)  My Results: Guppie A Very Dark Place

This was actually a pretty good workout.  I came close to my power targets and did feel good during the workout.  The only issue I have is my low cadence (78).  I would like to get that closer to 85.

 

 

Day 7:  Angels (Climbing) and The Hunted (Climbing)   My Results:  Guppie Angels and Guppie The Hunted.

This was the day I feared the most.  Two hours of intense climbing.  The Hunted was just brutal and my performance reflects that.  I did hang on better during Angels, but not as much as I hoped.  The tough part was the lack of real recovery.  The workouts called for recovery in 'endurance' zone, which was really tough to hold after 6 days of riding.

 

Day 8:  Blender (Endurance)  My Results: Guppie Blender

This 1:45 workout was actually pretty good.  I am happy how I performed on the latter half of the workout.  I managed to come close to my power targets.  I think it helped to have plenty of recovery time between intervals.  This may be one of my new favorites.

 

Day 9:  Violater (Sprinting)  My Results: Guppie Violater

The final stage filled with sprinting.  It was one sprint after another.  I was motivated during this workout because i knew it was the final stage.  Although I didn't hit all my power targets, I was still pleased with my performance. This tour is definitely something I will do again next year.