Just finished A Week With Ian Boswell. For those that miss the Speed Demon plan you may want to check this one out - there is a lot of work in the speed category and I found the plan had a lot of intensity. I had just finished my race season and had fresh 4DP numbers and decided to put this plan on the schedule to get the badge.
I really enjoyed the plan. The 1st day is a mix of yoga and body weight exercises. It is a longer routine than the shorter 15 minute yoga videos. I definitely found it useful and will repeat it.
Second day was a high torque workout - similar to G.O.A.T. However there were six instead of eight intervals and the intervals were twice as long and the power was sub-threshold rather than at threshold. Again - a very good video and I will definitely repeat it.
Third day was another interval workout - a quick AC sprint for 15 seconds, 4 minutes of sub-threshold and then another 15 sec sprint. This was somewhat similar to The Bat but switching MAP efforts for AC.
After a rest day which I really needed there was a longer gravel ride - The Creemee Ride - which doesn’t really have a comparable video elsewhere in the library. It is sort of like the profile in The Hunted or ISLAGIATT but more focused on sprints versus climbing. This was a tough ride - I finished but not without pulling out some mental toughness tricks along the way.
The final workout is Spikes. It seems similar to Cash Register or Fight Club but the sprints are more evenly spaced at 2 minute intervals during several 10 minute sub-threshold blocks. Again, a solid workout.
Interspersed between the intervals in each video Ian takes the viewer to different places around his town - cooking in his kitchen, visiting the ice cream stand, cutting trees and stacking wood.
A few weeks ago I raced in the Vermont50 and so the gravel roads that Ian rides during the videos looked familiar and the scenery is great. There is no music in the videos and there were a few times I wished that there was some. However Ian also provides a lot of helpful teaching and coaching during the hard efforts which I found valuable.
I’m very interested in these and after my Map Plan ends I’m gonna do The Week with Neal Henderson. Hopefully there might be a few more added before the year ends. Sarah Sturm would be a good one, I know Ian Boswell has had her on his podcast show so I’m sure there’d be plenty of riders willing to help out with this.
Great review, thank you @JSampson . If I’m honest I had considered, without any due research whatsoever, these A Week With… weeks to be more like easier distraction type rides so it’s great to hear otherwise.
I’m pleased it worked for you. I’ll be looking properly now.
@leebo I was definitely surprised as well. My legs are feeling it today. I also repeated Ian’s yoga/strength video this morning as I like the longer format for a weekend morning. All of his workout profiles would easily fit within the legacy Sufferfest content. The key differences are that you are just seeing Ian (and his riding buddies in the Creemee video) - not the racing footage that is normally in the Sufferfest videos. Also during the breaks you are visiting different places around his farm and local town. There is also no music which I missed at first but quickly forgot about it.
Next up is a Week with Neal Henderson - I suspect it will be another tough week.
I did the Creamee ride yesterday since I was not able to do a longer ride outside. It was realistic, informative, and intense. Thank you for the review of the other days!
I’m with you, Sir John. I loved these rides. They were like spending a week with a relative, who happens to be a pro rider, in Vermont. Better yet, that relative is happy to take you out on the road, put you through some workouts, and dispense lots and lots of great advice.
Before the Week went up, I didn’t even know who Ian Boswell was, beyond “That guy with a podcast.” Now, I’m rooting for him to win everything. And I want a cremee.
I’ve just finished the Cremee ride and added a Tub of Ben&Jerrys to my next shopping order … a cracking workout but this may be counter productive in the long run!
