The bike trainer…we all hate to use it. But for people like me who have a full time job as well as a family, it is a necessary evil. Then the Sufferfest comes in to make the trainer a dark place to be… a very dark place (but in a good way).
I was lucky (not so sure about that) to get an advanced copy of the newest production from The Sufferfest, A Very Dark Place. If you don’t know what The Sufferfest is, you need to educate yourself ASAP. They are a series of videos that you can use while riding your bike trainer. What I love about them is that they make your time on a trainer worthwhile. The music is awesome, the cycling video is inspiring, and the attitude makes you want to beat your ass! (IWBMATTKYT, I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow, their theme) If you have to use the trainer, it might as well be fun (but don’t tell them I said that) and focused.
So last night I downloaded the workout, set up my new bike on the trainer, and went to bed knowing that in the morning I was in for a world of hurt.
The work out consisted of a warm up, followed by a couple of sprints, and then a trip to some dark places…very dark places… The main set was 4:00 min on with a 3:00 min recovery. Each 4:00 effort was structured a little different so you were always on your toes. There was a lot of changing cadence and resistance, sprints and attacks thrown in, and some climbing both in and out of the saddle. The rest periods almost made you forget the dark places you had just been; scenic rides with blue skies and fluffy white clouds…
Overall it was awesome (in a painful, I want to cry out for mommy kind of way)! The music that is used always rocks! The commentary eggs me on to beat my ass way more than I would if I was just spinning away. It was a very effective use of 50+ minutes on the trainer. I highly recommend this video as well as any of the other ones (Downward Spiral is one of my favs).