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Tour of Sufferlandia

Ralph MooreRalph Moore
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So, I got this e-mail about the Tour of Sufferlandia.  I have followed as other team members have done this and I was actually considering it.  The question is how bad will it screw up my OS?  Anyone have history to share from previous years?

I probably shouldn't even consider it because I am getting over a hamstring strain but the bike doesn't seem to bother the hamstring and I do find the challenge appealing.

Comments

  • Jan SchorpionJan Schorpion

    I did ToS last year on my own, just for fun, months after the actual ToS was done. All the rides are on TR. I did it after my 2014 races were done and I was in between training plans and just needed a chance. The first 3 days I felt great. Then it gradually began getting harder and harder to get on the trainer again and getting dropped in a mountain stage and finishing second instead of first was pissing me off . Although I think there was 1 stage victory involved. I did not try any running, bit no way could I have ran towards the end of the week. FWIW, I did put up great TSS numbers for the week

  • rlh2000rlh2000
    From what I've gathered, it will NOT help your OS (more likely hurt due to recovery costs and negative influence on the run) and a big bike volume like that now really won't help at your A race down the road. That being said, seems like a fun challenge and one of those "cool things to do with your fitness." I'd say if you really want to to it and accept that it isn't giving you an advantage and possibly a disadvantage, go for it. Personally, I'm thinking about it depending on if I have my legs back under me from the January Volume Camp by that point (and I'll do it at a reduced FTP). I've kinda unintentionally been doing a bike focused OS due to prepping for the January Volume Camp, so I see it as something that would be cool to finish my OS out with. I then have two weeks of swim camp to recover.
  • ezellrhezellrh

    Folks, see THIS THREAD for last year's discussion (including some authoritative Coach R input) on this exact topic.

    No opinion this year as I am not planning on jumping in, but lots of good discussion was held last year. 

  • Ralph MooreRalph Moore
    So, Roy You did it last year, Right? Do you feel that it adversely affected your season?

    After reading all of the old threads and since I have a nagging injury that I can blame it on image, I am going to take a pass this year. Maybe next year for fun or sometime that does not interfere with the OS.
  • Sue ChapmanSue Chapman
    I did it last year as a "cool thing to do with your fitness" - Each day got a little harder and about day 5 backed off from 100% to 90% and was pretty shelled by the end of the tour. I had planned some light running but that went out the window after a few days. Pretty shredded for a week afterwards - so yes, definitely. It did cut into my OS with a 9 day tour and then a week of recovery. But, it was a great adventure and I'm going for it again this year. This is a non IM year for me so I'm being more relaxed about training/racing.
  • ezellrhezellrh
    Ralph, life/worked reared its head and changed my athletic plan last year so I did not do the TOS. I did it the previous year and my experienced matched Sue's, dropped running early and felt smoked for about a week. It's only one hour+ daily, but those workouts start to stack day after day and it's pretty hard by the end. YMMV.
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