Suffer Score

SUFFER SCORE

One of the better metrics that Strava (premium) produces is "Suffer Score".  I briefly described what Suffer Score was in a previous post, but I found a better description/explanation below (from Strava):

Rosie

September 06, 2011 10:24

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Strava Suffer Score

The Strava Suffer Score is an analysis of your heart rate data and is available on Strava as a Premium feature. By tracking your heart rate through the ride or run, and its level relative to your maximum heart rate, we attach a value to show exactly how hard you worked. The more time you spend going full gas and the longer you ride, the higher the score. Compare your Suffer Score with friends and pros, see if you can do a truly epic ride and motivate yourself to push that extra bit harder! The Suffer Score was inspired by the concept of TRIMP (TRaining IMPulse) developed by Dr. Eric Banister.

By default, we determine your heart rate zones by estimating your max heart rate based on your age. While this works for a large number of athletes, it may not work for you. For those athletes who know their specific heart rate zones we allow you to customize them to fit your specific physiology.Enter your Max HR in your Profile Settings to get the most Accurate Suffer score.  You can also Customize your Heart Rate zones in your Profile Settings by selecting Custom HR zones and sliding the zone endpoints along the scale:

Suffer Score Values

Activities with a Suffer Score of 100 to 150 will be classified as "tough;" those with a Suffer Score of 151 to 250 are "Extreme;" and those with a suffer Suffer Score above 250 are "Epic."

Points in the Red

Points in the Red is the portion of your Suffer Score that you earned in your Zone 4 and Zone 5 heart rate zones. Points in the Red shows you the intensity of your workout — if your Suffer Score and Points in the Red are the same, you were hammering the entire time!