3 months after I restarted w/SUF… I have a really cool success story to share … but first, thank you to everyone on here. You all rock!
Second, if you’re new, welcome. You might be clicking and sifting through the message boards right now, looking for answers, solutions, or systems you can implement, I want to offer you a simple system.
Every 3 hours you suffer, you’re going to drop a pound of fat. It’s all math after that, I’ll show my work in a sec…
If life has set you back, it’s okay, everyone of us here wants you to find a spark of inspiration w/SUF. We didn’t know when we first joined how much inspiration would be imbedded in not just workouts, but the SUF community.
Just start where you are today. Get on the trainer, and ride. Okay, get chamois cream, and then get on your trainer and ride. Test, then try a plan, if you like it … stay with it; if not delete that plan and try a new one, but just keep riding.
Then test again, maybe monthly at the beginning especially when your fitness gains (big at the start) show the intensity 3 weeks in isn’t getting your HR up enough. Oh it’s totally okay once you gets new 4DP numbers to knock that intensity down to 70% or 65% if your HR is pegged, while you adjust. But keeping riding. You totally got this.
Adapt and adjust so it stays fun. Maybe try some yoga. I bet I’m not the only one who wanted to send Abi Carver a thank you note for all she has done to make yoga accessible and cyclist-focused. Btw, all of us have fallen over trying to execute some of those poses.
If you haven’t previewed them yet, the strength routines are sneaky good. Who knew a water bottle could be such a great strength training tool? Not me. On some of them, I have to hit pause, and catch my breath, but we all catch up eventually (Pro tip: print out the routines, insert in plastic paper protector and leave on the floor like a band’s set list). I’m overcoming some arthritic knee issues, and that helps me keep up.
See we’re all a little broken, but we’re all here to get stronger, and cheer each other along the way. So cheers to your SUF progress, we know you’ll make. The Mental Toughness Program is solid (killer narrator) and really helps you focus on what you’ve decided you want to accomplish. Not there yet? That’s okay too.
As Scott Adams points out in his book How to Fail at Everything and Still Win Big, deciding is much more powerful than wishing or wanting. You decided, you joined, and now here researching; learning so you can create your own system, that works for you.
Just ride. Your fitness will improve, your watts/kg will go up, you will feel better and then racing goals and other big fitness dreams suddenly seem more attainable. You can address them on your schedule. That’s the beauty of this app and community. No matter what, keep riding and soon you’ll be more confident, and who knows, you’ll want to start googling is Mike Cotty really human?
Okay enough rah-rah let me show the work for my math equation…
03/01/21: 244.8 Fat Lbs 101.3
5/31/21: 214.2 Fat Lbs 64.7
The math part? 106 hours 55 minutes of SUF cycling over 13 weeks.
36.6 Fat lbs lost / 107 hr of trainer cycling = .336 Fat loss each SUF hour
3 SUF hours = 1 lb Fat loss
In 13 weeks my biggest week 12:08 smallest 5:39
I decided by 12/1/2021 I will be at that optimal racing weight range for my height 5’11" (165-175lbs), and SUF will be the system to get me there.
The rest of everything is taking care of itself.
3/01/21 First ride in months “Primers”
- 3/02/21 4DP 160/196/297/897
- 3/27/21 4DP 208/253/341/921
- 4/27/21 4DP 223/290/350/876
- 5/31/21 4DP 238/296/370/786
So just keep riding, your weight, your FTP, the math will all take care of itself.
Just ride. Knowing that SUF Math adds up!
Cheers!
B