Relatively new Sufferlandrian here, coming from a background of casual weightlifting and jogging (poorly). I do a modest amount of commuting on my bicycle, but prior to March, I probably clocked in a two-hour ride maybe twice per year. I started doing some brief sessions on a BikeErg and decided to give Sufferfest a try. While it was a little bit hard to not overshoot targets (the resistance increase was pretty steep after 70 rpm), I was hooked.
I did my first FF in March and had results that seemed pretty spot on relative to my “strengths” as a runner - short sustained efforts (for a few minutes) were okay, everything else was a wash.
I upgraded to a smart bike, and ERG mode made a huge difference for hitting training targets without having to overthink things (though starting on the new bike with Violator prior to working an overnight shift may not have been the best choice). I continued jogging, but generally stuck to slower efforts only after sessions on the bike.
Since FF, I’ve run an AC/NM block and an FTP block. Rides have felt progressively easier, especially toward the latter weeks of the FTP block. While I was a little wary of going back to FF so soon, I decided to run HM. While the set-up wasn’t perfect for the heart rate measurement (two back-to-back shifts with little sleep), the audio accompaniment was - shuffling my playlist got me starting the ramp with Under Pressure and finishing with Another One Bites the Dust (possibly too on the nose).
If this is what can happen with just eight weeks of training - I for one, welcome my new Sufferlandrian overlords.