IWBMAT Tour

With the Search LA event off my agenda I was teed up for the final Global Suffering League event, the IWBMAT (I Will Beat My Ass Today) Tour, it’s a Sufferfest Knights only event that spans five days and has 9 ‘fest rides. It’s actually 10 if you include the FTP “Prologue”. The event started on the Wednesday so leading up that I took the Monday off and spent Tuesday test riding a new pair of shoes. I last rode a Sufferfest back in February and since then I have covered plenty of miles but very little of it at this volume of intensity and duration.

There is no letup in this event and even with the preceding weeks riding the CX Plan my legs were not ready for the back to back rides over multiple days; Here is how the week went down;

Wednesday; Power Station + Revolver. Power Station is climbing. 11 “walls” of varying duration and effort. This was the best ride of the week, it went downhill pretty fast after this! Revolver is Intervals 15 x 1 minute way above Threshold! It sucks! Total for the day; 1:50, 33 miles, TSS 125.

Thursday; The Long Scream + Downward Spiral. I prefaced the Long Scream with a 15 minute warm up as this is actually an add-on video and ramps from 0 – 60mph very quickly. Downward Spiral is 2 sets of descending intervals where the effort intensity ramps up and the rest interval match the duration. FUGLY! Held on ok to LS but lost the plot on DS. Best I can say is I crushed the rest intervals! 1:54, 35 miles, TSS 112.

Friday; The Best Thing in the World + The Wretched. So basically two 13:30 minute race simulations, followed by a 35:00 Tour de France stage featuring flats, three major climbs, three very short descents, a valley and a rolling run in to the finish. It was Wretched and so was I! All it takes is all you got...and I didn't have much! 1:47, 31 miles, TSS 103.

Saturday; ISLAGIATT, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time; I added a 15 minute warm up just to get the blood flowing! This was followed by four climbs between 8-20 mins long followed by a finish. It may have seemed like a good idea but it really wasn’t! Dialed it back to 90% just to hang on and still nearly blew up!  2:07, 39 miles, TSS 108.

Sunday; Blender + Half is Easy. Blender is a bit of everything; Long Threshold Intervals, VO2 Max Power Intervals and then more Threshold work! Half is Easy, isn’t! 2 x 20 15 second max out efforts. A this point it was all I could do just just get my legs spinning up to my FTP, not even close the required effort! As before I added a 15 minute warm up! 2:49, 46 Miles, TSS 119.

Stick a fork in me I was done! Swept up by the Broom Wago!

So for the week I was back over 200 miles and most of it was a super high intensity! Needless to say I am glad it’s over. The week certainly took its toll!

This comimg week I am finishing up the TrainerRoad CX plan, it’s a taper week and so fit’s in really nicely. I have my last CX race(s) of the season on Sunday and then I will be starting the TrainerRoad Sweet Spot base plan in advance of the Belgian Waffle Ride camp at the end of January and the 4 Days To Fitness over the new year;

As always onwards and upwards!