Is there anywhere I can read into my ride data to work out how tragically unfit I am and what to expect in 2 months if I do around 30 – 50 miles a week on zwift? I obviously know it depends if I’m doing intervals ect but I’m following their 6 week ftp plan and want a rough idea of where I’ll be going by the time it’s done. (being impatience and not waiting for actual results basically)

You’ll never know from just a single workout … you’ll need to track progress as time goes on. The chap who made the comment below in italics stated that from a starting point FTP in week 1, to doing a hard regular ride at the start of week 6, his FTP had been recalculated at +40. A decent improvement if you started at say around the 200 mark.

Regarding FTP:

My advice for doing the FTP Builder program would be to do a few rides with a high perceived effort in Zwift prior to starting the (FTP workout) program. Then each week on the optional 5th day of the program, do a regular ride in Zwift with a high perceived effort in order to retweak your improving FTP. This should allow for the program to adapt to your improvement and get progressively harder as the program progresses.

I would agree with that. I did an FTP test at the start, faffed around for a few days on the FTP builder and then did a KISS race for laugh, and my FTP jumped +15 upwards in just that time. ( I make quick early gains in fitness if I’ve not been on the bike for a long long time)

Impossible to estimate how you’ll respond to the training plan. Someone relatively untrained can make huge jumps just by riding regularly, whereas someone already well trained has to work much harder for a smaller gain.

And thats before factoring in like sleep, diet, genetics etc.

I know its not quite the answer you are looking for, but after a couple of years at it, you start to learn what works well for you, and which types of workout generate what type of improvement for different target areas.

Thanks guys – good actionable advice from fisha and a good reality check from andy! 😀

I used Zwift for about six months last winter and found my FTP increased quite a lot when I retested myself every four weeks or so, but the increases weren’t necessarily because I was getting that much fitter. I think your FTP is partly a mental thing as in knowing how far into the red you can push yourself, and for how long.
Once you’ve done a couple, you’ll figure out how hard to go out of the blocks and what pace you can sustain, plus whether you can ramp it up for the last couple of minutes to squeeze out another couple of watts.

This winter, I’ve done two FTP tests so far and the second one resulted in me losing 17 watts purely because I didn’t get the pace right (a little rusty, I guess). I’ll do another FTP test if I switch back to workouts but, thanks to this thread, I’ve discovered racing so will stick with that for a while.

Great evenings write up lads 🙂 Nice work all of you.

Today i’m planning on a rest day, i’ve ridden fairly hard since Sat every day, so the legs/body would appreciate the rest..

Although, it is Richmond today and i don’t often see that course layout, i think i’ve only ridden it once.

I miss Richmond. I used to have some great races on there back in the day. Those triple climbs add a great dimension to the longer races.
When they added the flat route, it made for some of the most brutal online Crits too!!

Results are up for the ZTR race, but I’m not showing up on the list. Judging by the other times and my Strava data, I would have potentially come in second 😥

KISS Results are up, wow that sprint finish was close!

http://www.zwiftpower.com/v2/race.php?id=2033#

8/17 Cat D. Happy with that for my second race as a time strapped Dad with a baby in the house. Interesting to see that the winner has nearly the same w/kg as me, my tactics just need to improve.

I’ve only used zwift half a dozen times or so, but way better than just turboing. I’m only using it for fairly constant-effort rides though – daren’t do a race yet, just in case I find myself in contention at the end ! (aye, right ! – though my w/kg would have me as a pretty decent C)

I can’t get to 700w sitting down even for a second or two and if I stand up it feels like I’m going to snap the back end off the bike as it’s so rigidly fixed (I definitely have had the trainer lift on one side and it has a VERY wide base). I genuinely think something’d snap if I did a sprint

Been in touch with the coplate geezer to see what he can do, or else it’s possibly a rock’n’roll dumb trainer for me

Interesting to see that the winner has nearly the same w/kg as me, my tactics just need to improve.

tactics are what makes Zwift so engaging for me vs. a normal turbo session. Very satisfying working my way along, drafting as much as possible, normally only break cover uphill or a quick burst of max power to get to the next group ahead on the flat!

Been in touch with the coplate geezer to see what he can do, or else it’s possibly a rock’n’roll dumb trainer for me

I have a rock ‘n’ roll, it’s great! They do a smart version now (plus an upgrade kit for older trainers), but it’s really expensive.

I have a road machine currently. There’s a thread on dcrainmaker’s site/blog about the KK “smart” trainers though and it seems they’ve been really shit. I guess they may sort them out but currently I’m oot (coplate would also let you change trainer in the future, I guess)

Yeah, been following the DCR thread, and kind of hoping that KK would a) sort their shit out and b) someone would massively discount the smart control unit! (maybe they’ll have to if no-one buys it!)

As it stands if I’m spending that kind of money I’d rather spend the extra & get a Tacx Neo which has a lot more features (and apparently a limited kind of side-to-side action)

8/17 Cat D. Happy with that for my second race as a time strapped Dad with a baby in the house. Interesting to see that the winner has nearly the same w/kg as me, my tactics just need to improve.

It sounds like I’m in a very similar situation, time strapped dad on his second race 🙂

12/17 here, as the “Fatigue Rating” on the right shows, I lost 18% of my power in the second half. It looks like you zoomed past at the 20ish minute mark, never to be seen again.

http://labs.strava.com/flyby/viewer/#801655230?c=rtytwzrh&z=F&t=1OK5tx&a=vknIL7REyC_hOsgv

Hey Toasty – Yes I saw that on the flyby, you were a constant distance ahead of me before you dropped off. The same happened to be at about 3/4 where a couple of riders zoomed past me as my power dropped for a while. Managed to lift if for the last 5km but it was tough.
I’m not sure whether to trust zpower much but down really want to spend on a power meter, I did a real ride with someone at the weekend who is a Cat C on Zwift and I was a little bit stronger than him in real life.
I’ve done a hilly race and a rolling race now, if any think I struggled more on the flat that the incentive the hill gets despite a low w/kg. Will be interesting to try a flat race next time, and also not in Watopia where each of my 5 Zsift sessions have been.

Ahh, I’m using a Tacx Vortex, like quite a few others in here. I don’t worry too much about it’s accuracy, as long as it’s roughly the same every time so I can see an increase.

I tailed off to walking speed right at the end due to confusion about the finish, due to the distance not changing I thought it was the green marker at 17.1m. I’ll know for next time, I don’t think it cost me any positions to be fair 🙂

Yes the 17.1 marker was confusing, I saw total the 28.9 distance so carried on as I had someone only 3s behind, there was no mark at the finish so I did another few KM at race pace to be sure, was then to tired to warm down.
I’m really enjoying it so far and it fits well with the family

@alexxx

1, does anyone elses tacx flow make weird creaky noises at very very low speed? I only noticed when calibrating it when it failed a couple of times and I noticed the noise … finally got it calibrated and riding normally was fine

Mine does, the last couple of seconds as the wheel is spinning down to a stop, it makes a weird creaking sound. I’m using a Continental Turbo Trainer tyre and it’s hard to work out whether it’s the bearings creaking or some sort of squeaking rubber sound against the plastic roller.

However, mine’s also making weird creaking noises when I’m out of the saddle, or even just when my technique goes a bit wobbly and I start moving from side to side on the bike when putting power in – I’m not sure whether it’s normal or not, I’m keeping an eye on it as the trainer’s only a couple of weeks old. In the meantime, it’s encouraging me to develop my inner Tony Martin and keep the core strong and stable when I’m pedalling, keeping the pedalling smooth!

However, mine’s also making weird creaking noises when I’m out of the saddle, or even just when my technique goes a bit wobbly and I start moving from side to side on the bike when putting power in – I’m not sure whether it’s normal or not, I’m keeping an eye on it as the trainer’s only a couple of weeks old.

That’s exactly the same as mine, also a couple of weeks old. I took the bike off the stand and checked everything was tight which helped for a few minutes but then it came back. Trying to just ignore it now.

Mine used to squeak with every pedal stroke on my Conti GP 4000 tyre, regardless of tension it seemed to slip. I swapped to a proper Tacx training tyre after 1 day and it’s been silent, no more unexpected slipping.

A couple of rooms away there’s generally a baby sleeping, it definitely seems to be pretty quiet. Tacx Vortex trainer.

1hr 25 this afternoon, longest I’ve done. Would have been linger but I was getting bored so sprinted a few climbs, well, sprinted in my world, not most of yours.

Big news is, weight now down to 15st 3 from 16st 8 just 10 weeks ago

Good work Weeksy!

FYI:I weighed myself before and after a Zwift session last week and I dropped 1.5kg of sweat!

It’s the trainer creaking in my case I can replicate it by spinning the metal contact wheel of the trainer slowly with the bike off – it feels like something is clicking in the plastic / electronics end… can’t be healthy!

I’m going to ride it and swap it before the warrantee is out!

I have no doubt I’m showing a bit light as I’ve just had a session but I’d guess only a tiny bit. I have until next Friday to hit my target on a 14 on the left side, if that means a 3 hour sweat fest on the Friday I’ll still take it!

Excellent work mate

Anybody ever stopped at the edge of the road and failed to get going again?

Yesterday did my first race ZTR D cat – felt surprisingly good but laptop battery got critical 5km from end and I had a bit of W/kg to play with so I got off, plugged in and tried to carry on but despite sustained persistent efforts my zwift alter ego wouldn’t get going again. No connections were dropped and everything was as it should be.
Milldy annoying as I averaged 2.501 w/kg according to starva and there was a bunch of d cats 20 secs behind and a few jokers over 1.30 up the road(clearly way over D cat) but the racing was really addictive. Got in some nice groups nice some excellent wheel sucking.

That is great weight loss weeksy.

Lowered your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, certain types of cancer.

Plus motivated a lot of people to try something they never would have considered – the dreaded turbo.

TOTY award contender surely.

The BP factor is an important one for me, I’ve always struggled with it, even at my peak of fitness. Doctors have struggled to work it out as its been borderline high, but a HR of 43.
Once I hit 14 something I’m then at my best weight in 4-5 years. Once I hit 14st 7 then I’ll be at my lowest in my grown life. I spent a chunk of my 30s up near and eventually over 20st.

Its not me who needs the plaudits, its Crosshair. I was a massive cynic and not only did he inspire me hugely and also gave me a chunk of the kit to do zwift.

You’ll be believing in Santa next 😀

Good skills on the weight! I’m having an R+R week so mines going up 🙁

Wow nice work @weeksy (&crosshair)

Cat B by summer?

Have you set an ultimate target weight/goal?

Me? No chance of cat B mate, none at all. Road stuff isn’t my preference, its dirt I enjoy and once the weather allows I’ll be out in dirt more. My goals lie more in xc racing than roadie stuff

My ultimate goal weight was 15st 0. That was what I thought as my right maintainable weight. But now as we reach that goal a hell of a lot quicker than I thought possible, I sit and think 14st 7 by June trip, but then I think hmmm, could make 14st 0. Once I get to 15, its all a bonus.

I think once your body is used to shedding weight, eating less and exercising more the weight just continues to drop off. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hit 14st by then at your current rate.

For me my ultimate aim was 75kg, I was eating healthy – little but very often. Once my body had got used to that I made it to 65kg before people started commenting I looked ill/ghostly. I then decided that I felt/looked the healthiest at 68-70kg. It’s all a happy medium.

Ah I was going to say Hillingdon winter series 17/18? 😆

Gorrick.

Is Zwift Power down for anyone else?

zwift was struggling this evening. crashed several times trying to get on and everyone kept dissapearing. I had to manually upload the .fit file from my activities folder.

first time on the richmond course and i’m not a big fan.

weight now down to 15st 3 from 16st 8 just 10 weeks ago

Nice one!

Was debating rest day today, but it seems my slightly easier pace yesterday has paid off, as well as it being almost 90 mins of riding, my legs are not as destroyed as you’d expect 🙂 Of course this can all change about 2 mins into a ride and you find you have nothing at all.

I’ll take a slightly early lunch-break today though and jump on the 11.05 KISS Americas C race. I wasn’t initially going to, but it’s now got 25 riders in C so i may find someone to play with near the back of the pack with a bit of luck, It’s 2 laps of London Loop, which i’m pretty sure means twice up Box Hill, which i’ve really struggled with physically and mentally previously. I go off too hard, try to hang with the faster guys as i’ve held with them on the flat, i then pay the price massively… So today i need to hold 2.5w/kg on Box as i know i can maintain it down the back side and onto lap 2.

Well, i hope so anyway 🙂

weight now down to 15st 3 from 16st 8 just 10 weeks ago

Crazy weight loss, really well done! Are you allowing yourself to eat vaguely normally and burning it though the exercise? Just curious as it’s normally how I end up going. The fitter I get, the further/harder I ride, the more calories I can burn. Stuff like My Fitness Pal just falls apart when you’ve got an extra 1500 or so from exercise.

I did the 50km Specialized challenge last night, on the Richmond map. I’ll do the other 2 maps over the next week or so. I obviously need a £6000 road bike to sit in my turbo trainer.

Edit: Oh and the Richmond map seemed super boring, very good for spinning while watching a film though!

Toasty,
I’m using the 5-2 So 600 cal days max on the 2, then whatever on the 5. This morning for example i had pancakes and syrup for brekkie, so i’m not holding back on the 5 days. I rarely drink though if that helps. I don’t use MFP or any other calorie app, i just enjoy the 5 days but don’t sit there stuffing my face.
I have to admit, i’m less likely to grab a large hazlenut latte though that i would have previously.. But cake/dessert/everything else is fair game.

I’ve done a nice easy 30 mins warm up now pre-race, just wanted to tick over some calories really as Mrs Weeksy is WFH so i’m pretty much banned to the garage while i’m WFH.

Oof, very well done sticking to that with the hefty exercise! Sounds like you’ve found a good routine given your progress in races and weight loss.

I know when I first lost a chunk of weight I found it quite empowering, knowing it was something you can do again if you ever need to.