That’s exactly the point for me. I don’t even race, but do very long low intensity rides where mood alternates between lows and highs. Long SS intervals are the condensed lessons of “embrace the suck” 
It doesn’t really matter. At some point it’s going to get hard and stay there, and the fortitude you built when you wanted to quit that second 30 minute FTP interval but didn’t will matter.
Some people are born with more of that fortitude. Maybe that’s you. 
I am usually watching a movie or series while training. When the workout is difficult, I have a few different strategies. One is putting on a purely action movie where the dialogue or even missing a minute of attention don’t really matter. When I focus back in, things are still blowing up or getting shot at 
When I know I’m REALLY going to suffer, I go to a strategy where I use heavy/light music alternating so it’s super heavy during the on intervals and super chill during the recoveries.
In the scenario where you’re doing 10+ minute intervals with short 60 seconds rest, I would go action movie but be prepared to bail to blasting Slayer/Pantera/RATM.
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Watching TV should be doable for threshold and below and even for shorter vo2max intervals maybe your FTP is too high?
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If it’s sst or lower, I can watch something while I do it without seeing the interval screen. If it’s threshold intervals, I can use a split screen and watch something while keeping on eye on the duration. It’s challenging for me to ride blind while at threshold. If it’s above threshold, I just stare at the interval screen.
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To add to the “everyone is different” thing. I recently did a VO2 block (10 workouts over 14 days). And about halfway through I realized that the louder rap music I was playing during the intervals was no longer distracting in a good way but wasn’t distracting from the effort but was more like splitting my focus and was making the efforts just more taxing. Like the music was overclocking my brain and making the time move slower.
I found it was much easier to just put on go pro videos of bike races with just the ambient wind noise. It was a weird discovery but it made all the difference at the end of the block. So even if you think something is working for you, or if it’s just what you think you should be doing, try something else. You might be surprised that your assumptions weren’t correct.
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Just go for a ride instead.
That’s true. I ride with a guy who says he can’t understand how anyone is able to ride for 90 minutes on a trainer. Turns out, he’s so used to coasting in the group ride that he’s never had to pedal for more than 10 minutes at a time, hard or soft.
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For Sweet Spot and above workouts, I rely on music with a good beat. Spotify has a bunch of good playlists to choose from with the right amount of beats per minute. Whatever pumps you up.
For low and slow endurance work, I listen to more mellow tunes. Or just scroll social media (or this forum) on my phone. Or listen to a podcast. That’s one of the nice features of indoor training - you can take your hands off the bars for as long as you like.
If the interval feels especially agonizing, I’ll try a different position, or find a spot in the room to focus my vision. Or I’ll close my eyes and focus on the music. I play all the mental games that others have mentioned such as working through 1 minute blocks at a time, etc.
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I usually take a nap
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Have I answered this before? I dunno but my approach is to break down the intervals by time and then I count breaths coordinated with my pedal strokes…for some reason I do multiples of 30’s and sometimes I’ll do 45. I do this while either listening to music or watching a move/series on TV.
What I’ve figured out is that action movies and violent mini-series are easiest for me to watch and get engaged in during the more difficult workouts. For endurance type stuff I might find some nice cycling vids on youtube, or watch a comedy type flick on netflix or just kinda flip back and forth between IG, the forums, etc and let my monkey brain wander.
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Why is this so accurate. John Wick 1-3 is on Netflix and helped me get up to 4x25 @ 92% in my sweetspot progression. I have 3x35 coming up this weekend so might need to watch Taken or something.
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Smart tactically, but not so good for fitness.
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Yep. I’ve done all 3 John Wick movies and Taken 1+2 recently on the trainer (although I think they just left Netflix (or will soon)). Bonus: Famke Janssen.
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I agree with watching action movies, and switching subtitles on if there’s important dialogue to catch.
I also like rewatching movies that I know quite well but putting the directors commentary on as well, some interesting comments sometimes.
These ‘raw files’ videos are awesome for your intervals. always on the gas and can pretend you’re sitting in 
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Those are money - I mix these in too as they can be motivational - but I’ve also have been bored to bits during some of them. The BWR SD one is a go to though.
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Spot on for me. I’m quite sure the problem for me is the “psyche”. If I have zwift running I while during SS or Threshold work like these sessions it definately doesn’t feel as hard as if I was just looking into the graph 
But I’ll see today if looking at some youtube racing videos + loud music is enough for my 5x12 SS session today. Hope that will be enough.
And yes. ofc there’s also the “getting used to” part. However I have been riding semi structured on zwift for 5 years at least, so not completely new to this, only the platform.
Can people stop saying this person’s FTP is too high, people deal with things differently, mentally or physically, if we were all the same we’d all be pro cyclists. We’re not.
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I don’t want to start a debate about what is “good”, we all have different motivators and triggers, but I’ve never found bike racing TV to be a good distraction while riding. For the most part, it’s slow, there’s not much action, and the commentators drone on until the last lap or few km’s. The highlight reels can be extremely motivating for a short time, but eventually it becomes repetitive and I lose track of what’s happening, especially if I have music on instead of the commentating.
I do realize I’m in the minority here.
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