Good, you have to keep it high to avoid overcooking (except for those 60-70rpm parts 
)
This, to me, is part of the magic - having a workout that is a real challenge. I remember that feeling after ISLTA on the second day of my free trial (1st day was The Shovel), legs on fire, veins bulging, heart racing - truly overjoyed - finally a worthy opponent!
I like ISLTA. Good endurance workout that one.
Off topic ( 
) but that comment reminds me of TdF 2016 stage 11 and that Froomie has a pretty good sprint. Not Sagan good of course but then only his elbows are built for sprinting.
Getting back on topic (phew, cancel the )… the trouble I have with Hammer 5 is not the sprint but getting to the sprint! Hammer 6 with it’s low cadence parts is a better fit for me.
Interesting - I’ve no idea who’s in the video but I can tell you two do the songs… not sure what the sprint is in H5 - I just know I can’t hold that power for 3mins after what’s gone before for some reason.
My first time doing Nine Hammers was today, and I was feeling pretty rubbish that I just managed to hang in there until the very end (ok, my cadence during the recovery was lower than it should have been by 10-15) but now reading this i feel slightly better about it. Somehow there is comfort in knowing everyone one suffers during this.
In my case, it has been defeat last three times. When I’m though H7 I just dial it down to 95% or 90%. VO2 is my weakness, so this workout is my kryptonite.
Of course it’s too hard, which means its exactly right.
I managed to pass without a break the last 2 times which tells me it’s time to do the evil again.
Too soft - need hammers 10-12!
The honest truth is that Nine Hammers was a masterpiece when first released, and subsequently ruined by that tweak to Hammer #9.
What direction was it tweaked?
I think it’s like a rite of passage that you repeat from time to time - can be done if rested, in shape and have a good day (both mentally and physically). Since it’s not easy I feel great every time I make it through.
So to me it’s perfect the way it is - a legendary workout that can be done as a proof of your own capabilities whenever you feel the need for it (and a good flogging ;-)).
I’ll do it Saturday and let you know.
How is the 9th hammer?
When I finished it today it was the first time I was happy to be in lockdown - knowing group rides are cancelled tomorrow!
I think the 9th hammer was just right if I’m honest. I was coming off a rest a day so relatively fresh and when I limped into the the 9th hammer I was able to do the first two minutes as designed ramping up the cadence and then when I hit the third minute my mind went ‘go to 100 rpm’ and my body went, ‘don’t succumb to the smart trainer cadence spiral of death!’ Which almost happened! So I got to the end of it completely spent with an image of Mac and Neal rolling on the floor laughing uncontrollably realising the brilliance of the ‘take it to 100 rpm’ instruction in the last minute.
Time now for two of The Sufferfest’s secret weapons - Yoga ‘Recovery Booster’ and MTP ‘Relaxing to recover’.
It’s the “rest” between 8 and 9 that saps all your energy before the last push for 9.
I’m probably in a very small minority here. 9 Hammers always seems just right to me, and Hammer 9 while taxing isn’t impossible.
Just right for me. I’ve completed it more times than failed it, but every time I have completed it it’s been a case of having to give EVERYTHING I have, and that’s on a day where I’m feeling pretty good.
I think the same can be said of The Wretched.
I find the 8th one is the killer. I die half way through that one and then skip the second half. After that the 9th one is not so bad. So I suppose it’s the combination of the 8th and 9th that is the real test. I don’t mind taking the exam every so often, but I haven’t graduated yet.
The higher “recovery” between 8 and 9 sneaks up on me every time. I guess that’s why it’s called 9 Hammers and not 9 Donuts.
95% is maximum I have done
