Results...

Results!

After about 2 months of using Trainer Road and 5 weeks of following one of their training plans, I believe I am seeing some truly measurable results.

The graph at left shows 3 rides of the famous (or infamous) Sufferfest video ISLAGIATT.  My latest ride was yesterday and is represented by the green line(s).  As you can see, the bold green line (which represents average power throughout the ride), is consistently higher than the other two and by the end of the ride my average power was almost 9 watts or 5% higher than on the other 2 rides.

At "first glance" you might think a 5% improvement is pretty minimal, but over the course of a two hour ride that's an extra 1.1 miles on my total distance!  Not that I race much, but in a business where wins are sometimes measured in centimeters and fractions of a second that's huge!

Now granted it's indoor training and not on the road.  And there are some variables that could affect my (absolute) power readings.  But as I have noted in a previous post, I have found the results produced by Trainer Road to be very consistent.  Each time I ride I use the same gear ratio (39/17)@90 rpm to check my power right after warming up and then again during my cool down... and it's always the same within +/- 1 watt.  You can't ask for better than that.

So I believe the results to date to be real and would highly recommend the Trainer Road system and the Sufferfest videos to anyone looking to improve their riding results this season!

http://www.trainerroad.com/features
http://www.thesufferfest.com/

Bon Voyage Sufferlandria...

It's with a heavy heart and burning quads that I leave the country of Sufferlandria today. Passport stamped and '85 Yugo rental car returned, I prepare to cross the border back to what's considered by most to be "civilization". Yet I've developed a fondness for this interesting country. I suspect I will have to return again this time next year to revel in it's charm & endure unspeakable pain, misery & agony. Bon Voyage for now... and as they would say when you come face to face with a rabbit with sharp pointy teeth... RUN AWAY!

The Sufferfest, TrainerRoad & the Tour of Sufferlandria...

"Blender"

Stage 8 - Blender.

Well, here we are on the eve of Stage 9 in the Tour of Sufferlandria.  With 8 full stages of suffering and misery complete... there's only one short, hour long stage to go. It's a sprint workout planned for the crack of dawn (Sufferlandrian Local Time).

While hardly "out of the woods" yet (or more accurately, out of the somewhat "backward" & "developmentally challenged" country of Sufferlandria)... I'm already starting to reflect on my efforts in this year's Tour and my plans to return in 2015.

@TheSufferfest, @TrainerRoad and of course @GrunterVonAgony put together one of the most epic athletic events of the year (the Sochi Olympics will pale by comparison) and are to be congratulated for wringing out the most suffering, pain, agony and cries for 'My Mommy" possible from every rider in the peloton.  Ultimately even top tier talent like @thejensie got sucked in.

Now I have to admit I came by the tour rather "accidentally" Ok... I was told to say that to protect the guilty.  Actually it was ride the ToS or endure 15 unfocused hours per week on the CompuTrainer for the next 6 weeks as punishment from my DS for indulging in to much Holiday Cheer. The choice was clear.  I packed my bags and was on the next plane, and then a rusty cargo ship and (finally) a rented 1985 Yugo GV!  However after what seemed like more suffering than the ToS could possibly dish out... I arrived in Sufferlandria on the eve of the Tour.

Now riding with such intensity as required by the Tour (and GVA's Minions) is not how most coaches would recommend spending your "off-season".  But it is a genuinely inspired event!  The overall quality, brilliant editing and completely entertaining Sufferfest videos make 2 hour trainer sessions fly by.  In fact they leave you wanting more!  "Can I have another one Sir?"  Well, in fact yes you can... It's called "Extra Shot".  The workouts are pro caliber and designed to get the most out of you.

Kudo's also go out to TrainerRoad.  They have developed a program that allows you to train in a structured fashion using either virtual power, heart rate or actual power if your fortunate enough to own a true power meter.  I'm not... but the important thing to note here is that absolute power is not as important as the consistency and repeatability of results.  And Trainer Road delivers on that... for the whopping sum of $10.00 US per month.  You can't beat it... although the same can't be said for the Minions who WILL beat you with a stick as soon as they see you drop a watt or two during the next interval.  And let's not forget the lava pool at the top of Mt. Sufferlandria where it's rumored the occasional dropped rider has "mysteriously" disappeared.

Crying, groveling, stem chewing and sore muscles aside... the results form the Tour have been tangible, measurable and worth it.  The supporting screen shots below should give some clue as to the intensity of and benefit to be gained from riding the ToS.

Finally... "Shut up legs!" Yes it was worth it.  Now if I could just pass my Sufferlandrian citizenship test :-)