TrainerRoad - Rockhouse - 4/28

I was originally thinking of doing some hill training on Saturday, but it is a bit cool out (albeit sunny), and in the end I opted for the convenience of the trainer in the basement.  However, if I was going to skip out on one ass-kick session (hills), I'd have to make it up with another type - so I perused through the TrainerRoad workout list and found one - Rockhouse.  Aptly named, too.

It's description starts out saying 'This one's not for the feint of heart' - and then goes through the following formula that some sadistic bastard thought up:

• Cook your legs with a series of ten anaerobic sprints @ 125% FTP 
• 2 x 5 minute intervals right near FTP 
• Recook legs with 6 more anaerobic springs @ ~135% FTP  Immediately follow with 5 more minutes right near FTP 
• 12 minutes @ sweet spot intensity (~90% FTP) 
• 12 minutes @ FTP (at this point, two hours into the workout, ass starts to hurt in addition to the legs being sore - so thats fun) 
• 18 minutes @ sweet spot 
• Four more anaerobic sprints (30s) at the end, just to make sure the legs are well done.

In looking at the workout history for Rockhouse, most people don't finish it - so I knew I had my work cut out for me.  In anticipation, I queued up a couple Jason Statham movies on Netflix to watch during the session - nothing like one of his action movies to keep the intensity up.

My god - what a workout.  Normally on rides I have the opportunity to stand up for a few moments now and again to stretch the legs out, and can do so while coasting so I don't really lose momentum.  Not so on a trainer.  Normally on rides I can coast occasionally to give the leg muscles brief periods of rest.  Not so on a trainer.  In the end, this workout was just about two hours worth of time at threshold or higher heartrate.