In my effort to collect the Sufferfest badge, Kitchen Sink is quickly approaching in my diary.
Apart from the badge, I’m interested what’s the actual fitness benefit from a punishment like this (particularly given the usual Sufferfest focus on around one hour efforts for maximal gain)?
Whilst I can’t answer from a physical training point of view, which would be interesting to hear from more qualified members, I can at least give the mental benefit I got from Kitchen Sink.
Like you, I questioned why and did it to get the all Sufferfest badge. To my amazement not only did I complete it, but enjoyed it enormously and did it 3 times in 6 months. It also convinced me that a knighthood quest would be achievable, which it was this summer and I enjoyed that way more than I expected.
I guess I’ve learned that I’m capable of much more than I thought and I credit kitchen sink with pushing me.
Probably not the answer you were after but maybe it helps…
Hey there.
Like all things really - it’s balance. Sufferfest does focus on maximum gain in shorter timeframes for people/athletes who have a limited amount of time to train.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t space for longer efforts though (or shorter). For people who have the time to do longer efforts, longer ones are there for those who wish to.
Kitchen Sink specifically … there were a few mashups created in the (now distant) past as fun ways to do the tour of sufferlandria, and a few of them have ‘stuck’ as workouts in their own right.
So this wasn’t originally created to focus on one specific training outcome. It was created because it adds fun and variety to an event.
With all the workouts, of course do at one’s own pace … dial down bits of it as you go, dial up other bits, use it to focus on what you want to focus on that day maybe.
Have a good 3hrs in the bike …
You clearly belong here…
Destroying yourself for 3 hours was how we last celebrated The Sufferflandrian National Day in 2017. It was all good until the last 20 minutes or so when CRAAAAAAMPS!!! Fun times. Fuuuun Tiiiimes.
3 hours?? I guess I am lucky because mine came up as 2 hours and 60 minutes. No wonder I didn’t think it was all that bad! 
Still trying to figure out National Day. Care to elaborate, @Glen.Coutts?
What was it, when did it run, etc etc. For posterity.
It started in 2013 I think, well before I found myself on the shores of Sufferlandria in the latter half of 2015. And, the day it was celebrated varied from year to year. Challenges included 4 hours of suffering over 2 days, 3 vids in a row, ISLAGIATT and Angels back to back, and the last one, Kitchen Sink.
It was all part of Sufferlandria’s effort to lobby the UN for official recognition and fight the evil forces of Couchlandria. @GPLama celebrated it in 2014 with a “mass” Knighthood quest.
For me, it was 2 hours, 59 minutes, and thirty eight seconds.
Did I get cheated out of 22 seconds of suffering?
Some of us like long, endurance rides.
Compared to some road rides I have done, it was not my hardest ride.
Aaah, your edition must have suffered from the shorter Wahoo Intro. Don’t worry, the missing 22 seconds are cool down seconds. There’s always flogging station 15 if you’re concerned
Slacker!
Sometimes the gain in is your ability to cope, psychologically as much as physically, with the effort 
Sometimes a change is as good as a rest, or better because resting is strictly forbidden!!! 
Thanks everyone for replies! Understand it now, and glad this thread quickly descended into a motivational pep talk 
Can’t wait to do my three hours.
I was hoping that one of the coaches would reply. I’ve wondered about Kitchen Sink as well. What is the training benefit vs other long workouts? In any event, let us know how it goes. On some level, anything that keeps you engaged on the trainer for a long time is good. I try to do my long rides outside, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate. I used to watch football (American football) games and movies on the dumb trainer, but it got boring.
I too, looked at Kitchen Sink with a mixture of bemusement and incomprehension. But hell, it was definitely one of the best workouts I’ve ever done indoors. It’s dialed down just the right amount so you finish completely knackered in all respects, but you can actually finish. Mentally, you can see the various ‘pieces’ coming up, and you can tick them off, and move on to the next one. It’s very similar to long-distance Audax rides, where you’re focusing just on the next control point.
Just been back and checked: I actually put in a comment when saving the workout, which I never do unless it’s awesome. “Well, that was fun. Took a beating in Violater, but came back strong to nail the Downward Spiral. What a workout…”
And mine was only 2:59:37. I must have stopped the cooldown one second early. I’m heading to the flogging station forthwith…
It probably isn’t the best workout in that you could achieve more in less time by doing a more targeted workout. What it does give you though is the mental and physical challenge of repeatedly pushing yourself for 3 hours which. That may suit your event, but even if it doesn’t the mental and physical toughness gained will surely pay off for you somewhere.
Absolutely.
I’ve done a number of endurance events where the ability to actually finish is far more about your mental fortitude than your fitness.
I think it’s just another aspect of training.
Ahh yes, ISLAGIATT followed by Angels,. I remember that year, helpfully it was in summer too just to make it extra sweaty!
