Do you know what I love? Options. I love that getting and staying healthy doesn't have to be confined to the same exercises day after day after day. There are SO many ways to add activity to life. Who says that walking/jogging on the treadmill or a specific workout video is the ONLY way to get fit? People who don't mind being bored, that's who. I like to mix things up to avoid boredom at all costs because for me, boredom is shortly followed by inactivity. Trying new things helps me to stay motivated and have fun!
Training for triathlons has given me the opportunity to mix things up and rediscover my love of biking. I love getting outside, feeling the wind across my face, pedaling hard and going fast! Well, fast in relation to my running speed anyway. When biking, I feel like I'm really "getting somewhere". My favorite part of riding is getting outside of the city on my sweet ride and enjoying the views of the mountains and farmland. With the beautiful views, the crisp clean air and lack of stop lights, it just plain feels good. The only downside? I live in Idaho and outside is not always an option. The darn snow, ice and crazy wind for 4 - 6 months of the year tends to damper my training spirits a bit.
My husband, a dedicated triathlete, is always helping me research ways to stay on track with training during the winter months. A friend of his recently recommended we try the Sufferfest training videos for cyclists and runners. We decided to download a couple to try out before investing in the whole package of 20 videos ($199.99). Who wants to shell out that kind of cash if you don't even know if you like them, right? These videos are downloads that can be played on most PCs and mobile devices. We hooked our laptop up to our big screen so we could get the full effect. The individual videos range from $5.99 to $14.99. So far we've tried Elements of Style and The Long Scream ($9.99 ea). And just so you know, this is NOT a sponsored post. This is just something new I've tried and I thought I'd share my experience with you.
What I Liked
- They are cheeky and a little cheesy. The backstory of the Sufferlandria being temporarily occupied by Couchlandria, told Star Wars style, cracks me up. Not a bad way to start a workout.
- The videos are filmed onsite not in a studio. You actually follow a course out in the country with all the beautiful views and ups and downs of the road. Although watching a tv, our screen is fairly large and I found myself trying to lean on the curves.
- It's a group ride with elite riders. This is important because I want to follow the form and style of the best, but unfortunately I can't keep up with the best in real life!
- The video tells you just what to do to get the most of the workout. Reminding you in a voice over of good body mechanics, what's coming up next and what kind of effort you should be working.
- There's LOADS of information on the bottom of the screen to let you know the cadenance, wattage, and effort levels you should be shooting for. If you have the right fancy spancy wireless gadgets you can even see what you are actually doing in relation! I don't so I had to guess, but it was still good!
- 20 minutes went by and I didn't even notice. Let me repeat myself, 20 minutes on the TRAINER and I didn't notice?! That's worth a lump of gold right there.
- The music didn't make me want to poke my eyes out. This was a HUGE win for me.
What I Didn't Like
Nothing so far. Other than the fact that I'm inside and on a bike trainer, there's really not much to complain about.
What I'm Looking Forward To
I'd really like to try out the brick workout videos for triathlete training. It looks like you ride on your bike trainer then the video has you practice your transition to running, changing shoes and hopping on the treadmill then you follow the running instructions. It sounds like having a coach right there with you to keep you motivated and moving forward. THIS is something I think would be great when the weather just won't cooperate but you don't want to be left in the dust come racing season.
Have any of you heard of Sufferfest or videos like this? What was your experience? Do you have any other recommendations? Please share in the comments below!
