THIN AIR
2 LENGTH 60 minutes TYPE Climbing WHAT IT S ABOUT A brutal 40 minute climb FEATURED FOOTAGE Broadcast footage from the 2016 Giro d Italia FEATURED RIDERS Vincenzo The Shark of Messina Nibali, Esteban Chavito Chavez, Steven Kruijswijk, Ilnur Zakarin, Alejandro Valverde, Darwin Atapuma and many more!
3 STRUCTURE 10:45 Warm Up 4:15 Battle for Misery Prize 0:40 Recovery 40:00 The MOUNTAIN 3:00 Cool-Down THRESHOLD
4 EFFORT SCALE All Sufferfest videos work off perceived effort. We use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is lying on the couch and 10 is a flat out sprint. This table has more detail on each effort level so you can describe effectively to your class: 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 TO 02 Flat out sprint. Something you could only hold for 5-15 seconds. Nearly a sprint, but could be held for 15 seconds to 1 minute. Very uncomfortable, with very high heart rate and breathing. Speaking isn t possible, but effort can be maintained for 3 to 8 minutes. A base effort, this is just slightly below what s called a rider s threshold. Threshold is a strong, uncomfortable effort where speaking isn t pleasant but where the effort could be held for up to an hour certainly no more. A steady effort that requires some concentration, but where speaking is easy(ish). Moderate effort that requires little concentration Extremely easy range with little to no effort on the pedals. 01 Couch, beer, pizza.
5 MAIN STORY Your members have struggled up the eight minute slopes of Angels. They ve clawed their way through the chaotic peaks and troughs of The Wretched. Now comes their greatest challenge: emerging victorious at the summit of a 40 (!) minute climb. VICTORY won t come easy, though - not only do your members have an ambitious peloton to deal with, but rumour has it that The Shark - the most feared cyclist in the world - is also in the hunt for GLORY. POINTS TO NOTE 40 minutes is an eternity when pushing out a sustained effort on the bike. Make sure your members get engaged with the story and get them focused on winning the Misery Prize and then beating the Shark up to the summit. They MUST beat The Shark! Focus on the villain to inspire your heroes. The Misery Prize is geared towards revving up the legs and lungs for the surges, attacks and changes in tempo featured on the climb - it should sting a bit, but make sure your members have enough in the tank for the big climb. The bulk of the climb is at threshold or just above and just below. Make sure you explain the Suffer Scale / power and heart rate zones well for RPE 6 through 9. The footage has been carefully pared with the efforts. When a rider surges it will be pared by a SURGE. When the riders get out of the saddle, so too will your members. Let them get lost in the footage, the music, and the growing sense of doom. Fireball is a great climber. Hold onto him and he could be your ticket to victory. Let him go and you ll just get swallowed up by the pack and spat out the back. The Shark - make sure you CRUSH HIM!
6 THIN AIR Sect ion Elapsed Time Duration RPE RPM Instructor Cues Start 0:00:00 2m 24s 2 0:01:40 2 Today is all about going for glory - or blowing up into a million pieces in the trying. Bringing your riders to their limit and beyond will be your challenge today. Get them focused on riding smart and riding on the edge. There is a slight tweak to the graphical cues: now, the upcoming cadence and effort level will be indicated in the opaque panel above the cue. Don t worry though, we ll give you advance warning for critical cadence and effort level changes. Warm Up 0:02:24 3m 2 Thin Air features numerous surges and standing cues throughout the climb so please make sure your riders understand the concept of the SURGE. You can demonstrate the technique, if you wish, of rapidly increasing your cadence by 10 and your effort level by 1. Depending on your style you may want to let the workout unfold without giving advance warning to your riders. This will keep them on their toes. Let's Go 0:05:24 1m 16s 4 Let the battle for the Misery Prize begin. NO ONE wants that prize more than your riders! Cover The Attacks 0:06:40 32s 6 100 Sit In 0:07:12 2m 35s 3 Use these early stages to warm up and wake up the legs and lungs for the floggings ahead. False Flat 0:09:47 1m 55s 4 80 Short Climb 0:11:42 31s 6 70 Steep little ramp. Get ready for a low cadence at a moderate effort. Take It Easy 0:12:13 59s 2 85 Whoa! 0:13:12 20s 7 100 Let the fireworks begin. The next four minutes are punctuated with short, sharp efforts. Stay alert, Sufferlandrians! Tempo 0:13:32 30s 4 Hit It 0:14:02 20s 7.5 100 Tempo 0:14:22 30s 4 Drop Them! 0:14:52 20s 8 100 Let Them Work 0:15:12 27s 4 Attack! 0:15:39 22s 8 100 Descent 0:16:01 30s 4 100 Keep The Pace Up 0:16:31 20s 7.5 100 Prepare To Sprint 0:16:51 29s 4 Sprint! 0:17:20 13s 9 100 SEIZE THE MISERY!!! Back To The Pack 0:17:33 39s 2 The Mountain 0:18:12 1m 47s 7.5 80 Well, here it is and here you - and your riders - are. It starts pretty hard and then eases off just a bit before getting harder once again. As your riders are put under pressure, get them to focus on keeping their backs straight and their shoulders relaxed. These marginal improvements to their form will pay dividends when the Shark attacks. Go With Him! 0:19:59 54s 8 85 Surge 0:20:53 23s 9 95 A string of surges await your riders over the next four minutes. Remember, a surge is an increase in RPM by 10 and effort level by 1. End Surge 0:21:16 56s 8 85 All Together 0:22:12 49s 6 Getting Steeper! 0:23:01 18s 7 75 Surge 0:23:19 18s 8 85 End Surge 0:23:37 48s 7 75 Surge 0:24:25 7s 8 85 End Surge 0:24:32 43s 7 75 Surge 0:25:15 23s 8 85 Very Steep - Keep Tempo 0:25:38 1m 16s 6 60 A steep ramp leads to a low cadence and moderate effort for the next two minutes. Stand 0:26:54 22s 6 60 Sit 0:27:16 22s 6 60 Flat Section 0:27:38 49s 5 80 Surge 0:28:27 10s 6 More surges ahead! The Pressure Is On 0:28:37 49s 7 75 The good news? You re 1/4 of the way through the climb. The bad news? You re ONLY 1/4 of the way through the climb. Surge 0:29:28 19s 8 85 End Surge 0:29:47 37s 7 75 Stand 0:30:24 9s 7 75 Climbing out of the saddle is an art form. The key is to balance your weight over the centre of the bike and engage your powerful glutes. Sit 0:30:33 27s 7 75 Surge 0:31:00 16s 8 85 End Surge 0:31:16 1m 4s 7 75 Surge 0:32:20 19s 8 85 End Surge 0:32:39 18s 7 75 Stand 0:32:57 31s 7 75 Sit 0:33:28 18s 7 75 Bring The Agony! 0:33:46 49s 8 Stand 0:34:37 24s 8 Sit 0:35:01 1s 8 Let Them Work 0:35:02 39s 6 80 Stand 0:35:41 10s 6 80 Surge 0:35:51 6s 7 Sit 0:35:57 8s 7 End Surge 0:36:05 1m 8s 6 80 Don't Let Them Get Away 0:37:13 3s 7 70 Getting steeper. Follow Fireball here and stand when he stands, sit when he sits. Stand 0:37:16 30s 7 70 Sit 0:37:46 1m 10s 7 70 Stand 0:38:56 13s 7 70 About the halfway mark now. The pressure is mounting, your rivals can taste the blood in the water. Will you crumble or will you CRUSH THEM? Sit 0:39:09 26s 7 70 Stand 0:39:35 13s 7 70 Sit 0:39:48 14s 7 70 Stand 0:40:02 9s 7 70 Sit 0:40:11 20s 7 70 Stand 0:40:31 15s 7 70 Sit 0:40:46 30s 7 70 Power Stations 0:41:16 9s 8 80 BOMBS AWAY! The pressure goes up. Channel the visceral energy of the song through the pedals. Stand 0:41:25 16s 8 80 Sit 0:41:41 19s 8 80 Stand 0:42:00 12s 8 80 Sit 0:42:12 8s 8 80 Flat Bit 0:42:20 20s 8.5 Back Up! 0:42:40 58s 8 80 The strongest riders in the world are on your wheel! Dig deep and stay strong. Keep an eye on the shark, he s getting hungry. Surge 0:43:38 20s 9 Watch & Wait 0:43:58 2m 4s 7.5 A Truce...? 0:46:02 1m 5 80 Sweet, delicious... recovery. Milk this for all it s worth and get ready for the hostilities to resume shortly. The Hostilities Resume 0:47:02 28s 8 70 Stand 0:47:30 21s 8 70 Sit 0:47:51 27s 8 70 Surge 0:48:19 17s 9 80 Ready for some surges? End Surge 0:48:36 59s 8 70 3/4 of the way done! There s light at the end of the tunnel. Surge 0:49:35 9s 9 80 Easing Up? 0:49:44 46s 7 80 Surge 0:50:30 20s 8 End Surge 0:50:50 1m 12s 7 80 Is it just me or is the air getting real thin up here? The Speed Rises 0:52:02 22s 7.5 Stand 0:52:24 13s 7.5 Sit 0:52:37 26s 7.5 Get Up! Stand 0:53:03 28s 8 75 With the Shark in close proximity and the summit within view expect the attacks to come fast and furious. Sit Down! 0:53:31 1m 20s 7.5 Arrrgh! 0:54:51 2m 27s 8 75 GRIND IT OUT!!! Don t let the Shark get away. Sufferlandrians refuse to get dropped. Shark Attack! 0:57:19 33s 9 80 This is it... EVERYTHING! Sprint! 0:57:52 11s 10 Victory!!!!!! 0:58:03 2m 57s 2 You destroyed the Shark. Please enjoy this delicious bottle of Pure Sufferlandrian Holy Water... End 1:01:00 2
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