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[Closed] STW Zwift Autumn Race Series 1

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Gets on for 20% doesn’t it?

With an s bend and a near stop at the bottom if there's oncoming traffic. Though neither is likely to bother you in zwift the sudden kick does.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 2:23 pm
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@nixie I'm 38! My HR seems to sit at around 175-185 for these races, and up to 195 in a sprint. Poor thing.

Next week's course looks like it will be really hard. Hopefully the lurgy has left us all by then.

Not to be presumptuous ... but is there a plan for a second series?


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 3:09 pm
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I'm only a year older. Only time I see those numbers is when the HR monitor glitches 😄. Strange how different people are.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 3:57 pm
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Jeepers, no wonder, you're all youngsters !!!!

Poor Crust and Phil, both in their mid 60s !!!


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:13 pm
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@nixie I’m 38! My HR seems to sit at around 175-185 for these races, and up to 195 in a sprint. Poor thing.

I'm 55 - highest I've seen in at least the last 5 years is 172 and anything over 155 is me trying bloody hard. My resting rate is quie low though, not sure how the 2 relate. Does any of us have a low RR AND a high max ?


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:14 pm
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low RR AND a high max ?

My resting is about 48, low enough that the GP always has to dig through notes when I go, max is about 185-190.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:19 pm
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resting 45-47, Max 184


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:20 pm
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Resting HR of low 40's and a max of 197 ish, I'm 46, The only correlation I know of is that fitter peoples max hr decreases with age more slowly than less fit people and low resting hr tends to indicate that you are fitter.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:20 pm
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Scooba - yes I am planning a second series running the first week of November for 6 weeks into December. The aim is to incorporate some of the learning from this series.

Currently my thoughts are to have:

- Bonus points for 3 fastest sprint times on courses which have a sprint segment.

- Individual time trial with start time based on the handicap and on tt bikes.

- A new mix of different courses (maybe even something flat for weeksy!)


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:33 pm
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– (maybe even something flat for weeksy!)

I gather Venn top would suit nicely.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:38 pm
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**** me - you young people !

I run from about 48ish to 172ish (at 55yr, as said)
What happens to your power vs HR up near the top end there ? Do you get much more out than you can at 170?
I think of mine as "fairly" progressive vs power up to about 165 but that'd mean I'd have to be smashing out really big numbers (for me) to drive my heart to nearly 200 (obvz it'd also kill me, but, you know)
I used to play footy with a lad who could get way, way over 200 - we were 17-18 at the time. He was really fit, "great engine midfielder" type and we used to have to do HR and recovery during circuit seesions. Used to scare the shit out of the guy running the sessions, possibly for good reason


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:45 pm
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robbo that's great news.

weeksy has a specific suggestion for a suitable flat course I believe...

Another possibility to add to your list is making a custom course by moving the finish line a long way from its usual location. I've seen "big foot hills" used as a 35km course which means a summit finish on top of the volcano, for example.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:50 pm
 DrP
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Resting HR about 42... Max HR I THINK 192. But that’s good going!
I normally get to 186ish most strong rides.

Start to feel it above 178.
Can cruise at 150-170 all day long...

(When well, obvs....)

DrP. 37 and a half.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:51 pm
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I like the idea of a summit finish on the volcano - good suggestion savoyad. The volcano seems to wind up as a climb with the spiral and then the ramp at the end.

My resting HR is about 50 and peaks at about 185 on a ramp test. Last weeks race got it up to 190 but I think it was a spurious reading as I didnt do much last week to justify that HR! I am 36 and 363 days!


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 5:58 pm
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HR is indeed a funny thing, probably I mistake hr to equal effort, when I see the stats at the end of a race I mistakenly used to think a much lower average hr then mine must mean they haven’t put as much effort in. More likely they didn’t need to do or may have a lower max.

Yesterday’s race had me reaching 184 peak, Averaged 174bpm which is down to the hilly nature and amount of effort I had to put in to keep with the group. only a short sprint finish, If you have a long contested sprint I can hit low 190s, not comfortable there though.

Resting heart rate lowest checked in the morning is 43/44bpm sat around the house for a while normally 48/50.

A few ideas/suggestions to chuck into the ring for the next series.

Downtown dolphin, fast short punchy laps, normally 8 laps.

Richmond full, the climbs towards the back end provide some breakaway opportunities.

Watopia figure 8 nice and varied.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 6:09 pm
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I don't appear to gain much by going over 165-7bpm. Tend to use that when I really need to dig deep and keep the effort up. What it does do is push me into the sickness zone and I need to be sure I'm going to be able to breathe and calm down afterwards. Resting HR is low 40s I think.

Volcano after party is a nice route. Seaside sprint is another nice one, especially if your scoring primes. How about out and back again or the classic mountain 8?

There is a another route which goes out over the sequoias, then jungle, back the other way over the sequoias and finally desert flat. Might be a bit long though.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 6:10 pm
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Sand and seqitious is very good. Nice recovery periods and some hills in the last third to stir up the field.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 6:12 pm
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I know it doesn’t matter but I sort of wish I knew (esp Robbo – I assumed he was S Robinson, who destroyed me up out of the gravel but seems not as that rider didn’t change bikes)

S Robinson is me. Yep I know the name bears no correlation - just a nickname from school that stuck.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 6:32 pm
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BTW - echo everyone elses comments. Kudos to Robbo for organising a great race series. Every one I enter I go it into thinking, "I'll just take this at my own pace, see how it pans out"... and within seconds I am trying to keep up with people scorching off at a crazy pace with my HR bumping off the limiter. Would never work this hard if I was just training on my own.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 6:35 pm
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Regarding heart rate, 47 here but had a low minimum and maximum for years. 45ish-170ish currently. Can't remember what the max the HRM recorded last night, 160 ish?
Not sure the numbers mean that much except the recovery rate.
Did a 5k indoor row the other day at an average of 64bpm. It was a slow one (25ish mins) but it looks on paper like I used an outboard.

In april after I thought I may have had Covid I saw over 200 on a couple rides. Not seen anything that high before or since.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 6:42 pm
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@crazyharry. I was worried for a good while yesterday that you were going to real me back in.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 8:00 pm
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Only issue with the next series is that the ZTRL/Zwift series is running on Tuesdays as well. Don't know how many people might get pulled in to that?

Other thought is whether there is some potential to get a proper race set up in Zwift, maybe lean on the STW linkage. Could do categories but with the same start time, that would give you access to the race only routes as well, all starting in pens so don't have to worry about neutralised starts/different finish lines.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 8:31 pm
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I seem to have a hereditary low heart rate, as my Dad and his brother all have the same. I'm 40, currently floating around resting of 42-45 and maxing out mid 160 maybe might squeeze 170.

As a young runner in my late teens BITD,my resting rate was nearer 37 and I maxxed at maybe 200 at the end of a middle distance race. It used to make giving blood a right PITA as it didn't flow fast enough.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 8:36 pm
 J-R
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resting 45-47, Max 184

Pretty much the same for me as Weeksy, at age 61.

Apparently my dad had a low heart rate but was very unfit - so must be hereditary.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 8:56 pm
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@nixie - God knows I tried :D. Put everything into that climb out the Jungle in the hope that you'd crack, but in the end I think it was me that blew-up. You took 30s out of me between the bridge and the finish.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 8:57 pm
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I considered the series that is being launched but it isn’t particularly inclusive. Only 6 riders per week for the scratch race and the normal ttt still goes ahead on a Thursday anyway for those of us who like to suffer.

I think the strength of this series is being able to chat about it before and after on here as it adds the extra touch to the race as your competitors have a personality and you see them as real people rather than another avatar on the screen which is what normal Zwift races are more like.

I have contacted Zwift about making it more formal but not heard anything and don’t hold my breath.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 9:14 pm
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Completely agree with your comments Robbo, the interaction and banter is what makes me want to come back for more pain!

I wouldn't get that on a normal zwift race.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 9:21 pm
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I seem to find that when I am in a higher state of fitness my HR for shorter intervals goes down, but sustained HR for longer max efforts goes up.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 9:22 pm
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(maybe even something flat for weeksy!)

Don't fall for this, Weeksy was doing fine last night chasing me up the first hill to the jungle, we were hitting well over 300w and I was pushing to try and lose him but he kept on my wheel.

He's fine with hills, just hustling us 😉


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 9:23 pm
 J-R
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your competitors have a personality and you see them as real people rather than another avatar on the screen

Yes, this is what I like too.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 9:29 pm
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Other thought is whether there is some potential to get a proper race set up in Zwift, maybe lean on the STW linkage.

No chance zwift will allow you to set up your own series, I've read they hardly let anyone do it. And even if they did it would be open to tons of randoms. The great thing about robbos series is most of the folk are actual forum members and you recognise them when riding in the groups

As for future series..A summit finish or 2 would be brilliant, mix things up a bit for sure.

As for the tt..As a one off we could may be just all enter one of the organised tt events. Whilst i appreciate others would be racing to, it would be far easier to organise and get the results, as otherwise if just a group ride folks will be waiting about at the start line with the clock ticking but not actually pedalling. I can see alot of scope for cock ups, sensors dropping out, people starting at wrong time etc etc


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 9:43 pm
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I'd like a few more forum names, even if just in brackets. Some are obvious but many are not.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 9:58 pm
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@crazyharry thought you were going for it. I was trying to keep steady and not go too hard, until those odd bits where you take a junction and can't see the rest of the field. For those short gaps I was pushing to try and open the gap again 😄. The longer a race gets normally the more consistent I get.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 10:03 pm
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Just to add to the HR discussion, I’m 41, resting usually about 48-52, max yesterday was 192, av 168. Always had a fairly high max. I managed to hit 196 in the run in a mini triathlon a couple of years ago (and felt a bit odd). In the previous race (volcano) my average was 173 - higher than usual, but I was still under weather with cold.

I agree a “race of truth” TT would be great - ideally on a lovely flat course in the desert!


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 10:31 pm
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A race of truth would be good. Definitely be good to join an open event for that though so we get proper TT behaviour.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 10:47 pm
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Just spotted I'm 2nd in the general classification! Looking forward to next week's route as my lack of outright power won't be such a disadvantage due to the hills

Conversely, a last round on a pan flat route will possibly be the end of me.


 
Posted : 23/09/2020 11:08 pm
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I’d like a few more forum names, even if just in brackets. Some are obvious but many are not.

My Zwift name is Declan Fee, just like my real name, my forum name is just my previous job LAN id, surname plus initial letter of first name, not very imaginative to be honest. Easily identified in races as the only one flying an Irish flag.

And to echo the praise from others, thanks Robbo for organising a great race series. Makes me look forward to the Tuesday evening opportunity to bury myself.


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 12:32 am
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Just to save me scrolling back through this thread. How many races will there be in the series and when will series 2 start?

Does everyone race together from the start to the finish and then the handicap is applied post race?


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 8:24 am
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i'll go with 6

yes.


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 8:36 am
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@r8jimbob88 There are 6 races in the series. Series 2 will start on Tuesday 3rd November.


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 8:46 am
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Looking forward to next week’s route

I'm guessing you've never raced on this route then?!!


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 9:43 am
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Just changed my zwift name to reflect my username here.


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 10:06 am
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@robbo1234biking can you amend my ftp to 262 from now on? Ta.


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 2:25 pm
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Looking forward to next week’s route

I’m guessing you’ve never raced on this route then?!!

Raced once, won once. Works for me :D. Its my prefered type of race route, proper hills but not for too long.


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 2:32 pm
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Not sure what it all means but I'll add to the record:

Age 56, RHR: 42, RecentMax: 183 (blame this event). Overnight: low 30s says my watch, 91kg


 
Posted : 24/09/2020 2:33 pm
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