Time and time again we\u2019ve heard our users say they love watching their favorite TV shows while putting in time on the trainer. In honor of the new season of Game of Thrones returning to HBO this weekend, we decided to figure out just how fast TrainerRoad athletes can get while making their way through the upcoming \u2014 and previous \u2014 seasons of GOT.<\/p>\n
To do this, we looked at four training plans<\/a> catered to four different riders following low- or mid-volume plans. After crunching a few numbers and comparing these training plans with episode guides for GOT, here\u2019s what we found.<\/p>\n Believe it or not, the GOT pilot episode aired all the way back in April of 2011. Since that time, 50 episodes have aired on HBO. At about 60 minutes per episode, that\u2019s a grand total 50 hours of television. If you include the upcoming episodes in Season 6, it\u2019s a whopping 60 hours of GOT.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how far you can expect to get through each of the following training plans while you watch Game of Thrones, along with the type of fitness you can expect to gain after completing each phase and season.<\/p>\n This plan for road racers is designed for new or novice riders who have a few hours to train each week. As a road racer, you\u2019ll face long climbs, constant flurries of attacks and counterattacks, breakaways and more \u2014 all of which you\u2019ll train for with this plan. Overall, this plan will build sprint and anaerobic power while improving your threshold.<\/p>\n Phase<\/p>\n Base<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Sweet Spot Base Volume I\/II<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 45<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n 45<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n 1-4<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n At this point, you will have benefited from significant fitness gains and increases in FTP from threshold and VO2 max workouts, as well as improved form work and pedaling mechanics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phase<\/p>\n Build<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n General Build Low Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 35.5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n 15<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n 4-6<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n Reap the benefit from training towards VO2 max workouts that will have enhanced your aerobic capacity. You\u2019ll also have increased your training threshold to balance out VO2 max training during this low-volume training block.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phase<\/p>\n Specialty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Rolling Road Race Low Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 25.5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n While you won\u2019t get to this phase watching GOT, you can expect to focus on increasing sprint, anaerobic and VO2 max power while maintaining strength and endurance to succeed in your road race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After watching all six seasons of GOT with this plan, you will have made it about halfway through your Build Phase. At this point, you will have seen significant progress in your fitness. As the phase comes to an end, you\u2019ll be ready to compete in B-level races.<\/p>\n This plan is great for riders looking to move up from the sprint distance and grow their international-distance capabilities. You\u2019ll work through specialty blocks that incorporate efficient and effective training with the mid-volume schedule, devoting more hours per week to training than the low-volume plan.<\/p>\n Phase<\/p>\n Base<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Olympic Triathlon Base Mid Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 22<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n 22<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n 1-3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve become familiar blending swimming, running and cycling training, you\u2019ll have set a solid foundation of fitness to move forward toward more specific triathlon training.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phase<\/p>\n Build<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Triathlon Build Mid Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 22.5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n 22<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n 3-5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n After completing this phase, you\u2019ll benefit from an increased training threshold and more experience handling high doses of discomfort that you can expect closer to your event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phase<\/p>\n Specialty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Olympic Distance Triathlon Mid Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 29.5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n 16<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n 5-6<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n Working to squeeze as much as possible out of your last weeks of training, you\u2019ll have experienced high-capacity maintenance training for long periods of time alongside pacing practice to prevent you from burning out in your event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Given the lower number of hours in the Base Phase in this plan, you will have completed the majority of this training plan in six seasons of GOT. You will have effectively established a base level of fitness, grown that fitness and started specialized training to prepare for the race demands of an Olympic-Distance triathlon. With the first two phases completed, you should also be ready for B-level races as long as they don\u2019t interfere with preparation for your peak event.<\/p>\n This plan emulates the unrelenting nature of XC MTB riding and racing. You\u2019ll work through anaerobic, VO2 max and sweet spot intervals<\/a> \u2014 often with rapid transitions \u2014 to prepare for your main XC race. The low-volume nature of this plan is perfect for athletes with tight schedules who have fewer hours to devote to training each week.<\/p>\n Phase<\/p>\n Base<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Sweet Spot Base Low Volume I\/II<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 45<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n 45<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n 1-5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n Aside from the significant fitness gains and increases in FTP from threshold and VO2 max training, improvements in your form work and pedaling mechanics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phase<\/p>\n Build<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Short Power Build Low Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 35<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n 15<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n 5-6<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n After your Build Phase, you\u2019ll see Improvement in your aerobic threshold from VO2 max workouts with less emphasis in endurance work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phase<\/p>\n Specialty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Cross-Country Olympic Low Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 26<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n Although you won\u2019t complete this phase watching GOT, this Specialty block will prepare you for race day by maintaining your peak fitness and improving your form work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This plan focuses entirely on building a higher level of muscular endurance for hours at a time \u2014 similar to what you\u2019ll experience in a Century race. The workouts primarily focus on VO2 max and Sweet Spot efforts with occasional strength-endurance workouts to build sustained power needed to excel in long races like this. Unlike other plans we\u2019ve listed, this Century plan incorporates the Traditional Base approach<\/a>. That being said, this phase is primarily geared toward very elite athletes or those recovering from an injury who want to avoid high-intensity intervals.<\/p>\n Phase<\/p>\n Base<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Sweet Spot Base Low Volume I\/II\/III<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 88.5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n 60<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n 1-6<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n After a good amount of form work, pedaling drills, power sprints, force intervals and hill simulations, you will have established a solid base of fitness via this low-intensity approach.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phase<\/p>\n Build<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Sustained Power Build Mid Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 47<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n While you won\u2019t get past the Base Phase watching GOT, this block is all about emphasizing sustained power above all else. You\u2019ll focus on strength-endurance work, lactate-tolerance intervals and a healthy dose of maximum-VO2 max intervals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Phase<\/p>\n Specialty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan<\/p>\n Century Mid Volume<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plan Hours<\/p>\n 49<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Episodes<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Seasons<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Expected Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n Workouts include VO2max and Sweet Spot efforts with occasional Strength-Endurance workouts to build sustained power needed to excel in your event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Unique from other training plans, this one includes the Traditional Base Phase instead of Sweet Spot Base. As a result, all of your GOT time will be spent in the Base Phase. However, you\u2019ll still reap the benefits the Traditional Base approach provides by training for longer hours with lower intensity. Depending on how you feel at this point in your training, you should be ready to compete in C-level events.<\/p>\n Overall takeaway:<\/strong> Each training plan mentioned above consists of different amounts of training hours, so your GOT progress will differ depending on what type of event you\u2019re preparing for. However, you can still make significant training progress by completing just the first or second phases.<\/p>\n GOT is just one of the seemingly endless entertainment options you can use while you train. As we just noted, some training plans are significantly longer than the entire GOT series. When that\u2019s the case try incorporating other entertainment options to cover your remaining training hours each week. Other TV shows, movies, YouTube videos, music or educational podcasts \u2014 like the Ask a Cycling Coach<\/em><\/a> podcast \u2014 all make for great options to supplement your training. And here\u2019s another one for you: if you haven’t already, watch our cycling short film titled \u201cThe Chase\u201d<\/a> the next time you jump on the trainer. It just hit over 50,000 views on YouTube!<\/p>\n These are just a few examples of how you can incorporate your favorite forms of entertainment while using TrainerRoad<\/a>. Whether you\u2019re binge-watching your favorite Netflix shows or saving your Sunday workout for the new GOT episode, you\u2019re in charge of what you watch while you train.<\/p>\nGame of Thrones<\/h2>\n
\nRoad Racer<\/h2>\n
Olympic-Distance Triathlete<\/h2>\n
XC MTB<\/h2>\n
Century Rider<\/h2>\n
Other Entertainment Options Beyond Game of Thrones<\/h2>\n