Getting started with The Hurt Box, It's all about the bike... or is it? - by Mark Gill

As I start my first Hurt Box ride, an “easy” ride from Kingston Town Hall down to Frankston and back, I notice a few things. Firstly, nobody calls the man I knew to this point as David, by his real name. It’s all “Steggles” or “Coach”. Secondly, there’s a real mix of people in this group; men, women, some young, some, well, less young. Thirdly, where’s all the lightweight bikes and carbon wheels that a riding group with a reputation of building strong riders should have? My fourth, and most potent realisation, comes about 20 minutes into the ride when I look down at my head unit and see my average heart rate is in the mid 160s. “WTF am I doing here?” and, “I’m going to explode any second” were the thoughts than ran through my oxygen starved brain. Steggles sees the struggle (I think he knew it was coming) and sends Nugget and Longy back to protect me from the strong westerly blowing in from the bay and give me some respite. 10 minutes of help and I’m starting to feel less like vomiting, but still in hurt zone. I titled that ride on Strava “Boys amongst Men”.

Post-ride I’m notified by my new Training Peaks account that I’ve got 2 shiny gold medals. Unfortunately, peak heart rate records aren’t the kind of achievements you want to get on a steady, endurance ride.

“Cardio running hot” was the accompanying message from Steggles who can dive into my rider stats and provide feedback. That was 4 months ago….

Fruit salad

Over the past 2-3 years I’d started to ride more and more, taking it a little more serious in gradual steps. First a hybrid, commuter bike to ride to and from work. Then my first roadie so I could keep up with some mates that did the Brighton to Mordi loop a few times a week. I sought out other group rides so I always had an option to ride even when mates couldn’t. I joined SKCC, rode with the group from a local shop, tried a couple of North Road Rides (too fast, too chaotic for an untrained, inexperienced MAMIL). I rode longer on weekends, 60-80kms with the odd century ride when time allowed. I’d found groups that I felt comfortable with and could ride at a level that I could hold but still be tested by stronger riders. Rides typically started at chatting pace where everyone could catch-up about the week gone by, the latest bike tech, and how their legs were feeling today. Then there’d be a lift in pace as the stronger riders got to the front, then a dash up a hill, then a refuel stop, some rolling turns, a couple of sprints and finish with mandatory coffee. I loved riding, had ridden a few gran fondos and I finished that year with a significant purchase of a new n+1 (the accepted formula for the optimum number of bikes to own where n = the number you own right now). An $8,000 weapon, disc brakes, di2 shifting, 35mm carbon rims, all fitted within a millimetre of precision to my body shape. I loved the bike, my weekly routine and knew that it would get me fitter if I kept it up

Then why wasn’t it?

“They’re like fruit salad, those rides have a bit of everything and they’ll only build you so far” was the first lesson Steggles taught me. What he meant is that I was spending time across all of the power zones in one ride. I now know why all this riding wasn’t making me fitter.

It’s not about smashing yourself to pieces

Over the past 4 months I’ve followed the weekly training plan that Steggles puts together pretty closely. The odd cold, work trip, or “I’m just feeling tired” day have been the only reasons to keep me off the bike. Some days are on the indoor trainer, most days are out on the road, with the group, or solo, if needed. 250-350kms a week, 10-13 hours.

There’s a clarity of purpose to each of my rides now. It could be to build endurance, do 3, 5, 10, 20, 30 minute efforts, learn some new technical skills, recovery from a good training block, or even just to go for a ride with friends. Quick tip, don’t let yourself become a prisoner to your training, you’ll start to resent it. Still ride with mates and don’t worry about the power numbers.

I think that my first Hurt Box ride was the hardest ride I’ve done. Steggles has helped to build my base progressively, the big efforts still hurt as they should, but there’s a stronger foundation that supports them. Recovery between intervals and workouts is quicker. I now understand the relationship between power and heart rate. Terms like cardio drift, threshold, watts per kilo, have become part of the vernacular, and not the high level understanding that you can get from YouTube videos. It’s a far deeper understanding that means I can apply myself across a bigger range of circumstances. 4 by 5 minute efforts today? Sure, I know what power to push there. 3-4 hours endurance? I got this. An all out effort up the Devil’s Elbows in the Dandenongs? No worries. More on that in a minute.

I’ve gone from feeling like the hack at the back when I joined The Hurt Box, to a more confident, capable, conditioned rider. I’ve lost 5-6 kgs and my threshold level is up by at least 30%. I’ve made new friends, discovered new roads (riding in Bright was a highlight), started to enjoy rather than fear climbs, and feel like I might just be able to get around the Three Peaks challenge next March. Despite thinking “I’m not a racer”, I’m going to do my first crit race before Christmas. I know with Steggles guidance I’ll be just fine.

Back to the Devil’s Elbows; A 6km, 20-ish minute climb at a consistent 5-6% gradient. Steggles told me to ride it at just above threshold and see how I was feeling after 10 minutes, if good, keep going. If I still felt ok at the turn into One Tree Hill (about 600m from the top), then lift a little more. “If the power’s not there then it’s not there” was his parting wisdom before I set off.

After 5-10 mins and knowing my power numbers I was surprised to see my average sitting 30 watts above threshold and my heart rate still hovering at a reasonable 165. I felt good so I kept that pace up thinking that I’ll start to suffer any minute. Another 3 mins goes by, still feeling ok. Another 3, still ok. Once through the turn into One Tree Hill I push the power down for the last few hundred metres and over the top I go.

It wasn’t until coffee (and a magnificent bowl of porridge) and I’d downloaded my ride that I saw what I’d achieved today, some more of those Training Peaks gold medals. This time, it was the good ones.

All of these numbers have risen over the past few months, proof that this training works. The joy of my achievement was only dampened when I got the “new threshold detected” notification. That would mean that training was about to get harder.

🔛🔛🐓

As much as I love my bike, I now wish I’d turned to The Hurt Box earlier. n=n is the right formula for the optimum number of bikes to own. If the return on investment you’re looking for is conditioning, fitness and skills then leave your next bike upgrade to another time and give David, sorry, Steggles a call. As for me, I’ll finish with Steggles’ feedback from that Devil’s Elbow’s effort. You’ll have to ask coach about the chickens.