Top 5 reasons to “Suffer”!

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Recently, a group of folks from all different cycling experience levels participated in a 9-day challenge called the Tour of Sufferlandria. 

This is a grand tour, similar to the likes of the Tour de France or Giro d’Italia, of a mythical nation called Sufferlandria. You are challenged to complete 9 days of indoor cycling to videos provided by the company “Sufferfest”, all to benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation and their work to improve the lives of those affected by Parkinson’s Disease. 

The tour itself is actually pretty entertaining and you can find yourself immersed in this mythical culture among thousands of other cyclists from all over the world who call themselves “Sufferlandrians.”  Each video is created with cycling-specific training goals for you while including music and humor to help ease the pain of the suffer you may feel during the challenge. So why in the heck would anyone ever join this tour you might ask? 

Here are the top 5 reasons I collected from various riders from last week’s challenge. Take a look to see if you might be up for the challenge next year.

1. Push the mind and body:
            - One of the greatest aspects of riding the Tour of Sufferlandria is to challenge yourself, no matter what level of a cyclist you are. Whether you are an experienced rider or have only been on a stationary gym bike a handful of times, the tour can help push your mental and physical limits in a positive way.

2. A chance to give back:
            - The Tour of Sufferlandria slogan states, “Ride the Tour. Suffer So Those Affected by Parkinson’s Don’t Have to.” I think this one speaks for itself. This year our Purenergy team “Just One More Hill” raised nearly $500 to donate to the Davis Phinney Foundation. SWEET!

3. For the comradery:
            - Whether you are an avid outdoor cyclist, an indoor cyclist, neither or both- there is something to be said for the benefits we receive from being around other people for a common purpose. You will find yourself laughing or maybe cursing at some point throughout the tour, but there will always be someone to laugh or curse alongside of you!

4. Try something new:
            - Maybe you are stuck in a workout or life rut. You are tired of the same old routine and have fallen off of your January workout train. Joining the tour will certainly get your muscles back in action and challenge your mind to a new level.

5. It’s freezing cold outside:
            - There is a TON of snow on the ground outside in Sheridan County right now. Most likely your outside time is limited to a hike or a short bike ride to get some fresh air and clear your mind but not long enough to get in solid training miles for an upcoming race. The tour of Sufferlandria allows you the chance to jumpstart your training program and to build endurance and strength that you wouldn’t otherwise be getting from outside training in the frigid cold of February.
And THANK YOU to all of the riders and supporters of this year’s Tour of Sufferlandria!

Amanda is a speech pathologist for the Sheridan County School District and has taught spin classes for 5 years. She loves bringing energy to her classes with a great playlist and tons of energy. When she is not in the gym, she can be found playing outdoors biking, running and skiing with her husband, dog, and friends!

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