I’ve been wanting to do a write-up on my Knighthood attempt experiences, but I keep running out of steam halfway thru each time and then when I try to start up again, I feel like writing it completely different. So, I think this is attempt number 5? 6? Maybe I need 10 to get it right…
I know I’m getting myself sidetracked on the backstory, so I’ll try to skip as much as possible.
When I first signed up and looked thru the training plans I thought, there’s no way I’m ever going to even consider trying to this Knights of SUF thingie, and then put it out of my mine. But, after completing my 100k ride in September and 100 mile ride in October, and then joining the forums, it didn’t take much encouragement to make me realize I was already prepared for my attempt, and then it suddenly became absolutely imperative for me to accomplish it immediately.
I never had to think about what fundraiser I was going to do with my attempt. My dad is my cycling inspiration. I have a long post about it in the “Why You Suffer” thread. I’m riding his titanium dream bike that he bought for himself when he retired and gave to me when his disease got so bad he could no longer ride. And then he decided to buy me the smart trainer I now have, as well. So, it was a no-brainer to do a fundraiser the Cure PSP foundation, even if it wasn’t going to benefit him directly.
Getting back to my KOS attempt, The first thing I did was make a large spreadsheet. Every KOS workout and it’s duration, IF, TSS, and workout type.
After that I eliminated the ones I didn’t like as much or that I felt were going to be too difficult (The Shovel was the first to go). I had a limited amount of spouse support time to distract the kids, so I likely couldn’t do any over an hour in length - or just 1 at max.
Then I eliminated ones that had names that weren’t as optimistic sounding “A Very Dark Place” and “ISLAGIATT” (which I considered keeping, anyway, but it got cut out on length, too).
I needed to keep in at least a couple classic videos in, so I left in The Wretched.
I find the sustained efforts easier, so at first I had a lot of endurance and climbing videos in, but then realized I would die a thousand deaths if every video consisted of 40 minutes sustained efforts. So, I made sure I had a good mix and then moved them around to make sure I had plenty of recovery time. I put The Trick in at number 7 so I could get in some decent recovery (HA!) before the start of my final push. I also made sure I didn’t have videos with long, sustained efforts in them back-to-back. Or at least I thought I did…
I planned to do them all at 80% on erg mode and then adjust them down at some point if I felt I needed to.
I did the KOS training plan as my prep. The long 5 workout day in week 2 helps guide some small adjustments to my list (I removed GOAT and replaced it with The Omnium at #9). And then I was ready.
This was my final list with estimated timing.
I was up at 3am and had a big plate of waffles and maple syrup with a shot of coffee and OJ. I mixed 4 liters of Gatorade endurance and at least another 4 liters of water and had 3 pouches of a natural energy power - with workouts 1 and 5, and then possible another one later if I felt I needed it. I had some snacks laid out next to me which I knew the exact carb content of. Fruit leathers (individually wrapped) (11g), granola bars (17g), Stinger energy gels (24g), and a bag of peanut butter M&M’s (16g). Gatorade was 22g per 500ml (based on how i mixed it), and my energy drink had 5g.
Every hour I made sure I consumed between 60-70g of total carbs. I also made sure I drank between 500-1000ml of fluids every hour. 500ml was Gatorade. Then I would drink as much water and/or water-energy drink mix that my body felt it needed.
I had my laptop set up on a tray in front of my bike with all the workouts pre-downloaded. I had a big fan. I was wearing my Davis Phinney 7-Eleven jersey (matching the one I bought for my dad) and my USC gaiter as a sweatband. I was ready to go.
My first video was The Bat. I love this one. The MTP incorporated into it is perfect and put me in the right frame of mind for the rest of the day. I did this one on 85% with the plan to then switch to 80% for the rest of the day. This video went perfect. But, then I started to have issues…
In between videos I started having sensor connection issues starting with the switch from videos 2 to 3.
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My Wahoo cadence sensor wasn’t always reconnecting when I would start a new video. And when it did, it wouldn’t let me use it measure my cadence. I would have to remove it and reconnected it to make it work. And even tho, sometimes I would have to wait until 5-10 minutes into a video before the icon would appear to let me use it. This happened in between almost every video for the rest of the day. It was maddening.
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My Wahoo TICKR hr sensor wouldn’t register my HR when trying to start Angels at video #3. After using the bathroom and filling up my water bottle and putting it in the fridge, I started Angels and the sensor wasn’t registering at all. I unsnapped and re-snapped it and even then it wasn’t coming up as an option. I had to unsnap it, take it off for a minute, then put it back on before it finally reconnected. And then I had problems with the strap getting twisted. Once I finally started Angels and go 5-10 minutes into it, I began to worry that I had take more than 10 minutes in between videos. For almost the entire Angels video I worried about it.
After I finished Angels and started Butter, I opened the SUF app on my phone and started checking the time stamps on my workouts. The time stamps only show the minutes, so I wasn’t sure what my rest time was between workouts 2 and 3. It might have been 9 minutes, but it could have been 11. So, I began looking thru the app to find 2 more workouts to add onto the end to make sure that if my first 2 workouts didn’t count, I could at least get 10 full workouts back-to-back by doing 12 (12-10=2). I actually ended up riding the first 3 intervals in Butter at 80% sitting straight up, both hands on my phone, while looking thru the videos on the app on my phone and making my “what if” plans. Before I knew it, I was already halfway through Butter and almost finished with 4 workouts.
My original plan was to do as many workouts at 80% and possibly drop down to 75% or even 70% for my last few videos, but then try to finish by doing Defender at 80 or 90% and go all out. However, while doing Angels and with the realization that I might need to do two more videos after Defender, I could no longer stick to that plan. So, I did Butter on 75% even tho I knew I was capable to continue at 80%. I knew I needed to save some energy for later.
Then, something happened during The Wretched 75% and The Trick. After doing Fight Club at 75% and feeling great, The Wretched was really hard. I did it at 75%, but even on 75% there was almost no recovery which I really needed after doing Fight Club. But, I knew I had The Trick coming up with a bunch of recovery time. I started The Trick at 80% on level mode for the 1 minute max intervals. Hit the 1 minute power targets in The Trick but rode all the recovery sections around 70-90w. Then I switched to level mode at 70% for the final tempo effort. However, somewhere in those two videos I started to get a pain in my left knee.
When I started Thin Air at #8 I could barely put pressure on the pedals at the start of the video and I was worried I was going to end up doing all the rest at 50% or worse. However, after about 10 minutes the knee pain eased and I was able get through it. The end of Thin Air is one of my favorites and when the last 3 minutes came up, I suddenly had all the energy in the world and felt awesome.
At #9 I did The Omnium I did at 65%, with plans to really hit Defender hard. My knee still hurt, but nothing I couldn’t handle and I was still hitting my 350w power targets and feeling great.
Finally I started Defender at #10. I wanted to smash the entire video at 80-85%, but with my knee pain, and two more “just-in-case” videos coming up, I couldn’t afford to really give it all to Defender. I did the first interval at 80%, the second at 75%, and then the last two at 70%.
It felt great to finish, but I didn’t have the emotional release I planned for or had expected, precisely because I felt I still had to do two more “just-in-case” and because of that I hadn’t given Defender everything I had.
My wife and kids came into the garage to congratulate me. It felt great, but not as climactic or excited as I had hoped (because internally I felt I still had to do those 2 more “just-in-case” videos and I wasn’t really done).
So, I started my 11th video - “Do As You’re Told”. The name felt appropriate. I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do, but I was going to do what I could. I put it on level mode for only the second time all day and dropped the intensity to 60%. I wasn’t going to shatter myself, yet.
My knee was not happy with me, but within a few minutes I was happily still hitting over 350w when needed without an issue. But…
I was now doing a video I hadn’t pre-planned, so I hadn’t downloaded it. I didn’t think I had time to download it and I wanted to get it done. I usually have no problems with my wi-fi in the garage. I almost never have to download my videos ahead of time. But… this time I did. Suddenly, the music stopped. Then the video paused. But at least the workout continued. Then someone opened the garage door and everything reconnected and the video started back up, but only for a few second. Then, 28 minutes into the workout, the worst happened. SUF crashed, but didn’t fully shut down. I didn’t want to force-stop the app in case it came back up and I could continue. But after a few minutes nothing had happened. I knew I had to reboot my computer and see if SUF had recovered my workout and maybe let me pick up where I left off. But… I had a windows update. And my laptop wouldn’t let me reboot without also doing the update. Soooo… I started the reboot and then my computer started updating. After at least 15 minutes my computer hadn’t finishing updating and I knew there was not point continuing.
So… I was done. Very anticlimactic. I had done 10 and a half videos. I wasn’t sure if it was going to count. I didn’t get that exciting finishing feeling. No rush. No adrenaline. No release. Ugh.
I took a shower and an Epsom Salt bath, then had a big dinner. But, everything just felt weird. And it’s taken me a few days to sort thru everything that has happened.
4 days later, I’m physically fine, except for my knee which is still tender to the touch. If I lean on it, it feels like a bad bruise. I haven’t been on the bike at all. Will probably wait until Saturday to even do a quick spin.
Mentally, I still feel in limbo. The app has already given me my Knight of SUF badge. I’m just waiting for some official confirmation and to get my name added to the list.
I’m proud of my effort. I worked hard. I did almost every workout at 75% or higher. I definitely suffered. But, mentally, I was strong, and I was never giving up. I did every workout on ERG mode except for the first half of The Trick (and my 11th video that didn’t get completed and didn’t count, anyway).
But what I’m most proud of, is my fundraising effort. I started my fundraiser with less than 2 weeks to go before my KOS attempt. Within 3 hours of starting my fundraiser I had surpassed my initial $500 goal. Within 5 hours I had already raised $1,000. I eventually raised over $2,200 which doesn’t include the donations that were made directly to the foundation and not thru my fundraiser. If anything, based on my own introverted personality, I am more proud of my fundraising effort than I am of my Knighthood effort.
I’ve had a few beers. Had some time to think. If for whatever reason my KOS attempt is invalidated because I possibly had a 10 minute 30 second break between videos 2 & 3, I know that I still completed the entire effort in the spirit of SUF, including doing that extra half a workout extra with plans to have done 12 workouts instead of 10. The suffering was glorious. GVa would be proud.
Fight On!