Off Season "Suffering"

 This fall is the busiest I've been in years.  It seems like every week that passes, there is more and more to do.  It's a good thing it's the off season and I haven't really solidified any races or set any solid goals at this point. Likely, it won't be until the first of the year before I start finalizing my 2013 schedule and setting specific goals.   And that's a long ways away yet.

Early in the workout.

However, one thing I will be working on throughout this off-season is getting better on the bike. To that end,  I made an investment last month in three videos from the Sufferfest.  If you are unfamiliar with the Sufferfest, it is a series of videos that are designed to be used with your trainer (kind of a poor man's computrainer, I suppose). I plan on using these throughout the winter to work on improving my bicycling fitness.  Last year, some knee issues, coupled with more time spent Marathon training,  resulted in low amounts of time on the bike,  so this year, I plan on getting more time on the trainer.   
The Sufferfest seems to be a good way to do just that.

The Warm-up footage is from a San Diego Velodrome

 I bought three of the videos: The Downward Spiral, Angels, and The Long Scream.  The videos are downloads, and after a fair amount of struggle, I was able to successfully burn each of them onto a DVD.  And although I've only tried them a couple of times (and only completed The Downward Spiral in its entirety), I have to say that they do offer an impressive workout.  Last week, I had Maya snap a few pictures as I rode.

The name "Sufferfest" seems appropriate (I'm not laughing)

The Downward Spiral is an interval workout and gets its name from the two sets of descending intervals that you complete (2:00 minutes to start, descending by 15 seconds each time with an equal recovery in between).  Prior to the start of the intervals, you warm up to videos of a Mountain Bike Descent, and what looks to be a small criterium race.  For the intervals, the video switches to footage from  the Paris-Roubaix race.  It then toggles back and forth between between the two with the Crit race being used for the recovery portion after each  interval.  The interval set is repeated with some alternate race footage (I can't remember from what) for the second set.  As a cool-down, there is a short movie of some stunt biking in Europe (kind of hipster urban bike stuff, but still pretty impressive.

I think what sets these videos apart however is the Music.  Although none of it has really been familiar to me, it definitely goes well with the video footage.  And even though, I've ridden portions of the Downward Spiral a few times,  I continue to enjoy the music.  I think there are something like 10 videos to date,with more promised to be on the way.  So after I tire of the three that I have, I may look at adding a few more. 

The Sufferfest Motto- "I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow"