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2019 Tour of Sufferlandria
Does anyone on the team do this anymore? I did this a few years ago and got a real big boost from it.
I love the Zwift camp that @Robert Sabo put together, but it just did not fit into my schedule.
The dates this year are February 2-10. You can download the app for a free trial period. Also, a lot of these Wkos are available for Zwift and TR if you search the Facebook groups or internet, although a few are new.
Anyway... I am planning on doing it.
Here is the link for link to the official website:
The course schedule
STAGE 1, SAT 2ND FEB: THE TOOL SHED + ELEMENTS OF STYLE (95 TSS + 43 TSS = 138 TSS)
STAGE 2, SUN 3RD FEB: TEAM SCREAM + HALF IS EASY (95 TSS + 43 TSS = 138 TSS)
STAGE 3, MON 4TH FEB: A VERY DARK PLACE (80 TSS)
STAGE 4, TUES 5TH FEB: SUF STRENGTH INTERMEDIATE LEVEL 1 SESSION A + G.O.A.T. (PRESENTED BY COL COLLECTIVE CYCLING TOURS) (48 TSS)
STAGE 5, WED 6TH FEB: CORE STRENGTHENERS I + THE OMNIUM (71 TSS)
STAGE 6, THURS 7TH FEB: POSITIVE SELF TALK + THIN AIR (87 TSS)
STAGE 7, FRI 8TH FEB: MINI BLENDER (72 TSS)
STAGE 8, SAT 9TH FEB: 14 VICE GRIPS (PRESENTED BY ALTRED) (82 TSS)
STAGE 9, SUN 10TH FEB: THERE IS NO TRY + DEFENDER (83 TSS + 81 TSS)
Here is the schedule
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Crickets.... OK.... I am a little surprised because there were so many on the team doing this a couple of years ago. Is it because you don't want to download the app? My plan is to subscribe for one month, If I like it, I keep it. If I do not, I cancel.
Another option I was thinking of, if you would rather use Zwift, TR or... ride outside 😮..... I could figure out the targeted TSS for each day and you could do whatever it took to make the TSS target for the day. That way, you could do a race, group ride or WKO in Zwift, a TR workout or ride your fatty all over the snow covered trails.
Also, the Sufferfest Tour asks for a donation to the the Phinney Foundation which supports research to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. My grandfather had this terrible disease, so I am also doing this with him in my mind.
Either way, I am doing this. I will post here as it gets closer. I would love to have some of you play along with me, so let me know if you are interested.
Hi @Brian Hagan I’ve done the TOS the last three years. I was debating this year given it’s my first OS and I wanted to follow that as close as possible. But I’m still undecided.
I’ve gotten good pops of bike fitness from it as well.
I've done this twice over the last 4 years and think I'll do it again this year. I'm going to be out of town this Sat - Sun, so getting Stage 2 in might result in a late nigh workout and crazy looks from my wife 😂
I really liked the after workout stretching / Yoga videos that you get with the membership.
I’m using TdS as a big bike week. I’ll turn down the heat and use 4–5 of the stages to put in the appropriate amount of FTP and VO2 work over the 9 day period. The new app allows you to set the intensity levels for each of 4 “zones,” so you can limit the “attack” levels. I’m in full control on a “dumb” trainer aayway ;-)
I love there is a GOAT workout. By looking at the names of the wkout, there is none of these I actually own. Back in the TR days, I was doing that tour and was so tired at th end! but was a fun challenge.
@Brian Hagan - @Stephanie Stevens does it!
maybe post a link to this thread in the Zwift PSA Groupme?
@Brian Hagan, yes, I am in! It will be my 6th, 7th or maybe more, year straight. I guess it is really the only streak that I have going for me.
I especially appreciate the benefit for the Davis Phinney foundation. A few years after I started doing the tour, one of my best friends was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Now, I ride for him and my mom who was recently diagnosed as well.
Steph
@Stephanie Stevens Cool deal! I believe I have done it twice. I did it once when they were friends with Trainer Road and once when the app first came out.
I am going to test the app tonight. I may take the Full Frontal 4DP fitness test, just to see what it shows.
I typically sign up and then end up missing a workout or two. I like the event but have had some tech issues with the App in past years getting it to recognize my powermeter. If teammates are doing it, then I am game to give it another try. I am a sucker for peer pressure and I do have last year's poster on the wall of the pain cave...
It lines up with test week in the JOS so that could work too.
Looking forward to another JOS Bike Beat-Down. My bike CTL indicates that I need to stay in the peleton during the early stages... the minions will be disappointed. But I will suffer in glory over the final few stages.
@Ralph Moore - Good to know you are a sucker for pear pressure!
@John Culberson - Awesome! I am going to try at 100%, but I may dial it down. I will focus on completing the wkos rather than crushing.
@Derrek Sanks - She has got to be used to this by now 😂
@Jeff Phillips - Check with @Coach Patrick in le coach forums
I used the new app for the first time last night. I was a little disappointed with how may trainer power varied so much while in erg mode. Do any of you use the app with a kickr and get a smoother power level. Tagging @Gabe Peterson because I know he uses the app.
I think I will start Friday evening and try to stay ahead a little bit. It technically starts at 05:00 EST on Friday. Also, not sure about Sunday as I have the Team Cruise and Crush ride in Zwift. It will be big bike weekends for me the next 2 weekends.
@Brian Hagan - You're so right! Saturday morning/Stage 1 will be a 2-fer-one. Since I need to make up a couple Tour de Zwift Stages, I'll have Zwift running in the background on one laptop, while grinding out ToF on another laptop. Yeah, I like to finish what I start. LOL.
This will be my first time using a smart trainer (Kickr Core) with the app (Windows version).
@Derrek Sanks i will do the same just so I can earn points and advance to higher levels :)
I’m fully committed to Sufferlandria... been planning this for a while. With some short runs and swims, I’ll be pushing deep into new CTL territory by the final stages regardless. 36hr shift at work on Fri-Sat, will try to survive Stage 1 Sat pm to maintain some flexibility
@Brian Hagan I'm in for ToS. Just signed up.
I haven't used the Sufferfest app since getting my KICKR, what problems were you experiencing in your earlier posts?
I'm hoping the app allows for resistance mode -- wouldn't that be better for some of the shorter, more intense bursts? I'm afraid the KICKR would be out of sync on some of those shorter efforts.
@Jeff Phillips - Not a problem ,just not as smooth. I think I read one time that its better if you connect via bluetooth, so I may try that.
If you want to put the plan into your training peaks plan for free, use this link
I loaded it into TP and it shows Bike CTL will go from 27 (today) to 40 on 10-Feb.
We will see....
16 hours and 10 minutes until we can officially start!
https://us.v-cdn.net/6029573/uploads/022/VLTH90FMY1PZ.pngOK... It has started officially started. I am going to get Day one done tonight. I'd like to stay a little ahead, because I will do the Team Cruise and Crush ride on Sunday. I will put TSS targets on the schedule above if you'd like to substitute with Zwift race / wko / TR outdoor ride etc....
Also, post how your rides go in here.
@Brian Hagan good luck tonight! I did Full Frontal this morning to make sure my zones are correct for the workouts. I really don't like that 60 min :)
I'm doing this ToS on my tri bike -- historically I've done my road bike, but I want to work on my ability to drive power on my TT bike.
5-sec efforts were easy (887 watts), but it's the first time I'd been in level mode on my new KICKR and I had trouble getting on top of the gear so I grinding a little bit. The 5 min effort hurt, as it should, 292 watts, but I maintained a good steady power output and certainly couldn't increase effort at the end. The 20 min effort hurt too, 232 watts (3.0 watts per kilo for me). The last 1 min effort really hurt, 371 watts.
I did notice the power output on the screen jumps a lot, so the Sufferfest app must not smooth as much as TR or Zwift.
I did have difficulty getting my KICKR connected to the app, took multiple times turning it on and off. And I was never able to get cadence to work (even had trouble getting my Quarq to register). Hopefully that does not stay the case in the upcoming days.
Stage 1 is done! I decided to do it this morning. It was brutal, a true suffer-fest. I had to take a couple extra recovery breaks.
I'm using the Windows App on my laptop, connecting via ANT+, using ERG mode. I had no issues connecting devices (after turning off Garmin Express) and power was very smooth as it should be in ERG (make sure power smoothing it turned on in Settings). Also, responsiveness to power changes on the short, high watt efforts was good...the same as TR.
Stage 2 will be Saturday morning.
Get called out to do this by a friend.
Registered. Bib created. Ready to get busy.
Yes, @Derrek Sanks looks smooth on Strava
I made my number
Got Stage 1 done this morning. I just did not get a FF test done prior to the start of the Tour, so I am going off my last test (not sure if that is good or bad yet).
About died on the last Hammer of The Tool Shed. Turned on an episode of Grey's Anatomy to help me get through Elements of Style (not my favorite workout, and I could not get my cadence to register this morning).
Hopefully I'll have time to troubleshoot the cadence issue.
I need this Tour for a jumpstart for me!
@Stephanie Stevens - Ya, I have been riding a lot since November but need this so I don't get creamed by the super heroes at the Moab Camp in 4 weeks. This will be a good jump start for me, too.
Stage 2 done. So, this time used ERG mode with power from my Garmin Vectors and like @Brian Hagan and @Jeff Phillips my power jumped around a lot. Yesterday, I used ERG with power from my Kickr. On Half as Easy, I switched to resistance mode to get instant responsiveness to power changes. I'm out of town until Sunday night...Stage 3 will be Monday.
I am at the later start times.
Stage 1 done! I rode Tool Shed at 85% and Style at 100%. Don't wanna flog myself too early in the tour. Holy water still flowed heavily.
PSA: No helpless avatars were harmed during the riding of this stage. :-)
Stages 1 to 4 are complete. I am going to try to stay a day ahead just in case. I have Team EN Cruise and Crush tomorrow, so I am not sure when I will do “A Very Dark Place”
@Derrek Sanks , yes, I think you can only get the really smooth intervals if you pair the smart trainer rather than a PM. I used my IPad today and everything was nice and smooth. There is a 5 second lag, but I just planned for it during Half is Easy 15” intervals.
Keep it up everyone!
Stage 1 done today. I did Full Frontal yesterday and expected the app to update the zones of my 4DP, unfortunately it did not. Every aspect was set to the zones from road bike, which made it all the more challenging to avoid the Sufferlandrian Wildebeests. But the work got done!
However, I had an absolute helluva time getting started this morning. I was not able to get the app to locate my KICKR either via Bluetooth or via ANT+. I tried on both my iPad and iPhone, no luck. Turned devices on and off, made sure Connect and other apps (TR and Zwift) were not active, took the Wahoo dongle and Apple lightning pin in and out, both before and after loading the app.
The app was able to locate my Quarq powermeter, but even then I had difficulty trying to get the video start. I would get a "Connection Error" even though the app showed the Quarq was connected. Then I was able to get them to connect, but twice the app dropped the power signal during the first 10 min of the workout. (So I've got some unaccounted for TSS today!)
After the workout I loaded up Zwift, KICKR connected instantly. I then loaded up TR, KICKR also connected instantly. I've written Sufferfest to see what they recommend, but I've routinely had trouble with this app.
@Brian Hagan @Derrek Sanks I know you all use different devices to connect. Have you ever experienced this? @John Stark I'm afraid to ask what device(s) you use since it appears you workout in the NASA control room :)