Hi Folks,
This might be a bit of a weird question/analysis. I dislike VO2 max efforts, they are not my strength (about 116-118% of FTP). For example, between hammers 8 & 9 I might find myself gasping for air, a combination of Erg mode and being but too stubborn to quit. When I get to that finish point my HR is zone 5, and I am mentally annihilated, panicked would be more correct, with feelings of “suffocation anxiety”. For about 30 secs afterwards I have to distract myself and calm myself down… Same goes for completing the 5 min MAP test in full frontal. I would give anything to have hurting legs instead 
. Just curious what other people experience’s are?? I am cycling about 18 months / 10k outdoor km’s / Sufferfest user 10 months. Thanks you all, love the forum 
Yeah, that’s about right 
Fantastic 
…
Dizziness, shakes, nausea, faint, numb/electric feeling in the arms. Nice, isn’t it?
The anxiety kills me… First 30/45 seconds of recovery are worst, I’d take physical pain anyday
Hello, @Bry
It sounds about right! If you’d like to get more familiar with the feeling, the Minions at Flogging Station 13 are always eager to help.
Seriously, though, you’re pushing your body beyond what it can sustain for a long time, so the accumulation of metabolites and the effort will manifest themselves as you’ve described. The brain feels it can’t keep up with that pace, so it sends you as many Stop 
signals as it can, especially if you push through the first ones. That’s where the Mental Toughness Program can really make a difference.
As an extra consideration, how’s your cadence at the end of those efforts? Perhaps switching into a lower cadence at some point can help you move some of that fatigue into your legs instead of your cardiopulmonary system, as you’ve stated you’d prefer. 
Good luck, and keep up the good work.
An eloquent way of wording this 
The “suffocation” feeling I get during “The Trick” or other AC efforts… once I finish the effort like you @Bry I have to focus on “calming down” and controlling breathing for about 15 seconds. One time I took the bib straps off my shoulders as I felt it was stopping me breathing 
!!!
VO2/MAP efforts beyond beyond 3,5 mins and it starts to get tough, not as bad as above.
interesting youtube clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCrMWe8tRpc on increasing your ability to suffer. Connects with messages from the mental toughness series on “Mental Fail” vs " Anaerobic Fail"
TBH, I keep a bail out strategy for that last minute. I do the majority in a TT position and then if I feel I’m going to break I switch to holding the bullhorns. Similar to cycling up a hill and keeping the biggest ring on the cassette for emergencies.
+1 for the sounds-about-right voices in here.
And to add a little humble brag: I only threw up twice during my time with the sufferfest. …we truly are a weird bunch.
Keep up the good work. IWBMATTKYT.
Not that it helps but I’m the opposite - deep in to MAP and AC efforts is my happy place. I even look forward to the AC test at the end of Full Frontal (I say to myself during the 20 min test that I have to keep going or I can’t do the 1min). Don’t know why but I also recover from them quite quickly and don’t seem to suffer from the effects of acidosis. The thing that gets me is trying to maintain any kind of sustained effort for anything approaching a time period that can be called sustained! This is entirely reflected in my 4DP power profile (typically 1.35x FTP for MAP and 2.3x to 2.5x for AC). Physiology and psychology are strange things but it wouldn’t be “fun” if we were all the same.
I’m with you on that.
It’s almost like a boredom though. I’ve always been described as a being like a little puppy, when it comes to activity. I need something to chase… Give me horribly high wattages split with brief rests and a constant countdown to a change to watch and I am happy, but 20 minutes of spinning exactly the same power and cadence??? I think I feel tired because I’m bored…
Did my first run of Team Scream this weekend and that is my idea of perfection, just “Hit this target”, “Now this one”, “Now another”…
I like this idea 
Team scream is awesome 
Thanks @Joe
I find it helps to do a mini MAP effort before doing the real thing… A mini blow out as part of warm up
Only twice?! Kidding. I know that feeling, every time I complete the 1 min of FF. The first time I got to lovehate it I was running (wobbling) for the nearest safe place! Each time after that it’s been a close call! Yet I still go back for more… yes we are a weird bunch!!
Good idea actually … while all the efforts are a killer … its the first one that really shocks the system!!!
@JamesT wonders what you run for W/kg in those categories because we sound one in the same although I will admit I can go a lot deeper with an AC effort versus a full out MAP effort. Something with a steep incline that its 90 second or shorter is my very happy place.
@BykeRyder18 Interesting question especially with 4DP in the mix
For AC (The Trick, No Vid 6*45) I’m normally around 7-7,3 W/kg … Suffocating !!
MAP (AVDP, 9H) around 4,5 - 4,9 w/kg … Deeply uncomfortable 
@Joe WOW! 
I can pull a trick or two and go pretty deep but I don’t know if I can go that dark yet. I guess I’ll have to wait and see after my next training block and then FF of course. Although how much percentage are you above your FTP with those specialties because it sounds like to me you would be a fantastic breakaway specialist.
I got to within 25 seconds of completing 9 hammers today.
My LTHR is 158. My HR was at 173 and trying to go up. I felt I couldn’t breathe quick enough. I wanted to hang on but my cadence started to drop. I was amazed I’d made it that far. I started by simply aiming to get to hammer 8. Then when I just made that. I thought try and complete 8. Then I thought just do the first minute of 9. Then the same for the second minute. I started the third minute in trouble and over 170 bpm. I hung on until my mind quit. I hit the erg death grip so just stopped. Took about 30 seconds to see anything and then start to recover. Dropped the percentage down to get spinning the legs and did the recovery.
So yeah. Feeling bloody awful is about right!!