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I didn't ride 🙂
Off out for a curry tonight with the lads as i turn 46 tomorrow.
I sandbagged last night, got onto Zwift at 8:02.. joined a cat B STW'er and rode with them for 30 mins.
I kept powering off the front, but then feeling guilty in case I was influencing the race, so sat back in towards the back.
Turns out they couldn't see me anyway 😆
Gonna have a go at the SZR tonight as a C, sounds like there might be a few other STWers which is always good!
I raced in last night’s ZHR masters which was two laps of the London loop.
Stuck with a nice fast group until Box hill where I was dropped. Managed to catch up with them near the top but then had nothing left and got dropped again on the descent.
Managed to catch up with a rider on the descent and stayed with him all the way until the start of Box Hill again. I noticed that I kept leaping ahead of him while on the flat so had to reign it in a bit to stay with him and not make it a solo TT effort for the rest of the race.
He dropped me like a hot potato on the hill again (I found out later that he weighs 59Kg to my 84Kg so not surprised and is an A Cat). But I managed to again catch him on the descent (the only benefit of being fat!) and I stayed with him for the rest of the lap then at 250m went all out in the sprint and managed to beat him on the line.
Could hardly walk this morning so will do a light recovery ride tonight then perhaps give the KISS Europe a go tomorrow.
Great work hedley, its always a nice feeling to catch somebody who has dropped you but to then go on and beat them is double rewarding.
Thats a good call weeksy, enjoy the curry and have a good birthday.
**** me, forgot how brutal the finish was for the Richmond UCI course. Short, very steep climb, followed by sprint on the flat! Well pleased with my finish though, roared past a couple of people on the sprint. Was sick as soon as I crossed the line so know I couldn't have given it any more 🙂
you were going well Zilog, fast race, huge group again...took me a while to work out As Bs Cs etc all starting together...is that just normal for SZR?
Really enjoyed the rolling hills of Richmond, so much so that I ended up setting a new FTP in the first 20 minutes, something I'd never be able to do in a test ironically! It did mean a DQ on Zwiftpower but not too fussed...
Yeah it's a good course, just need to remember to leave a bit more in the tank for the last climb next time 😆
You were really flying, was with your group for a bit but couldn't hack the pace & had to drop back a bit! Need to work on my pacing I think. Always go out too hard and have to back off a bit half way through, normally able to recover a bit for a decent finish though!
I still have a lot to learn about racing.
Probably didn't go out hard enough at the start and got into a group towards the back of the field. Stayed with them until the hills when I managed to drop them all and I caught and passed another group on the hill as well. Then TT'd the first 5 or 6k of the second lap when I was caught by the group. Stayed with them until the hills when I dropped them all again but one guy. I was half a wheel behind him at the finish.
I did manage a 45sec pb improvement on the second lap and a kom and one other pb (broad st?) as well. Overall I was about 40 seconds faster than last time.
I feel like I am getting better but still a lot of work to do.
Happy birthday Weeksy!
Probably been said before but the start is everything in all the zwift races I’ve done. Bust a gut to get in that lead group and then let them drag you along.
Yeah agreed. It's interesting looking at the results that guys a couple of minutes ahead of me had similar numbers to me. Clearly they had a better start.
I have had an enforced lay off from riding since Sunday. My back just wasn't getting any better, which also meant I had to avoid this thread as I know reading about all races you will be doing would mean I would just have to take part.
I woke up this morning for the 1st time since Monday 16th and my back was ok and also noticed that there was an app update with the new map extension. So I might squeeze in a quick race this evening before I go out on my mtb.
New course!
The power of R&R, with just commuting/zwifting in Z1-2, look at the resting heart rate tumble!!
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I’ll be back to my normal 45 soon 😆
And a ride of the course.
Thanks for that link beej, looks a nice scenic route and quite hilly/lumpy.
Waiting to see what the weather brings in the next few hours before deciding if i'll Zwift it or a few hours outdoors on the lanes.
12:15 on Volcano flat is likely to be the one if i Zwift it.
Looks nice! Interesting that you need >level 10 to access too.
Can't see that being a problem for most of the Zwift addicts on here 🙂
I'm about 2km off level 24. 40,000m on Everest challenge. I've a target of Level 25 + Tron bike for the end of the year.
"Zwift? Yeah, finished it."
Can we all just quit then and get fat and slow again ?
Beej - i had the same goal as you but i dont think i am going to manage it. I am start of level 23 and 69% complete on Everest challenge. Anyone have any idea how much climbing is done on Watopia mountain so i can figure out how many times i have to climb it to complete everest.
I've hit level 25 now, but no idea on the everesting, i'd expect i'm a long way away though.
Watopia mountain from the normal start, including the extra bit at the top is about 650m. The Mountains loop is about 750m.
The post level 25 thing is a running joke now on Zwift Riders 😀
Joe did a great job at smashing out the Everest challenge- he probably cost himself 500 miles by riding up the mountain so much 😆
Can't see that being a problem for most of the Zwift addicts on here
Don't think you even need to be an addict. I'm not far off level 8 in less than one month.
Watopia mountain from the normal start, including the extra bit at the top is about 650m. The Mountains loop is about 750m.
I rode the mountain loop before breakfast today. Zwift is telling me I did 686m ascent. And I'm assuming on one of the loops I do the other way round 692m for the loop.
You're right, my vague guess from memory was a bit high.
Looks a decent price https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/accessories/?utm_source=gb-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=outletmtb2017-cw43-2-10/26/2017&category=T230#open=&id=63198 (Tacx Flux), kinda waiting to see if the new BKool one gets discounted though...
I only realised the other day that I’d left the challenge on California, probably completed that challenge 11/12 months ago? 😆
Oh for the love of all that's Holy, that was tough in the end.
3 laps Volcano flat, but that way round isn't as flat as i'd like !
Early split as usual and i was in the bunch which was 7th - 21st in C. I say comfortably and pulled the hills pretty well for 2 laps.
Over the start line on lap 3, i went pop on the climb up, it's 4% which does hurt me and although i held on to the top, over the crest and down towards the Volcano proper i had nothing.... minor split, that was closed by 2 others, who i should have tried to follow, well, i say should have... .i DID try to follow but nope... that left me 11.5km to go and alone.. 1min + to the guys behind and losing group in front.
Solo effort saw me finish 12th overall in C... Where that puts me after any DQs, we'll see.
Not my finest ride, but far from my worst.
Happy Birthday lol.
The 11 people above you weeksy are all showing an i next to them so you might just do well if they get dq’d.
I have just witnessed the biggest/longest watt bomb i have ever seen. I was bored so watched a rider in a race who i have ridden with before who i am sure is A cat but now seems to always race B. Anyway as per usual he was riding with the front group of A’s and it looked quite a good race on watopia hilly. They were on the last lap and had just gone through the sprint banner and heading to the big climb and the rollers, group split a little as they sprinted up. One rider got dropped by about 7 secs at the top of the climb (guy i was watching was still in the lead group), he then rolled down the hill to the start of the rollers. It was at this point (i guess 1 or 2km to go) he smashed out a sprint at a minimum of 8w/kg and lit it up orange and continued to do this without getting any lower wattage and passed the group and continued this ALL the way to the line. Thats nearly 2km at over 8w/kg, no idea if he won as he left the guy i was watching for dead, it was incredible, so much so i am doubting it.
The figures are garbage for some reason, Strava has me at 238w average, the ZP app has me at over 300 ! LOL.... It's all a bit bonkers.
I think on this occasion they let results stand and as far as i know they don't usually end up on CVR. It was more just to try and get back into the pain rather than worrying about it. 40 mins and then fading tells me i'm not quite 'there' yet, but i'm a bit happier than last week.
The watt bomb guy in previous post did win the race but was dq’d for lack of hrm! Now having dropped a 2km watt bomb i think i would be shouting and swearing a lot once i found out it was for nothing.
Weeksy - i have noticed some strange readings of late but i just assumed i had become awesome overnight which i thought was more likely. What do the various time columns in ZP represent?
Weeksy - we were in the same race, but I didn't see you now that the leader boards only show the Cat you are in. I enjoyed the race, but almost no-one was getting dropped from the group. In the old days (summer time) the groups used to whittle down to the point where you at least felt you might have a slim chance in the final sprint.
Ah, so we were mate yes... Our group got whittled down over the course of the 3 laps, we'd lost 7-8 out the back by the time i bailed on the group and went solo. But certainly Zwift is easier to hang in than it used to be at times, although that seems to be more 'them' than it is for me LOL.
Long way behind you though.... Well done sir.
Eemy - that has been happening of late, i guess you now have the northern hemisphere riders now coming indoors after summer racing so there is a lot more fast riders in the cats. Dont worry quite a few of them will drop off due to mince pie addiction, may be thats just me.
Gave the new loop a quick spin. It's alright! Probably great on Ultra setting or on a set of never to be released VR goggles.
I have, literally once, gone for a spin around Watopia looking at the scenery but I'm not sure how much it really matters??
More of interest to me is the length of the circuit/hill for training purposes and I'm not sure this adds a lot?
Actually, my favourite route of all at the moment is the Greater London Flat course, I really like the variety of that with some really notable landmarks to take your mind off of things.
The scenery looks good on the new loop, Zwift must be hiring games scenery designers to get that level of detail, almost expecting to get chased by Indiana Jones in some places.
Since retiring I have stuck to doing a race or ride at 9 ish in the morning, usually WBR or the occasional Hump Day Ride. This morning I was busy so decided to try the evening KISS race, the first time since last winter, 4 laps of the reverse hilly course. With memories of being dropped at the start of KISS races I lined up very warm and ready for a big sprint against some top zwift riders. Somehow I stayed near the front from the start all the way until about a quarter of the way up the big climb, a small gap opened in front of me, I could maintain the distance but not close it and away went 20 to 30 riders. I settled in with 3 others for the rest of the race, I think we were all quite similar in pace and worked well together but they got me in the sprint. Zwiftpower shows I was 32nd out of 91 A starters, no idea how many CVR points I will get or lose for that.
PMSL! Watch the first five mins of this and see Simon Russell showing you how NOT to hang with the lead group. He just wasn't paying attention!!
I’m not a fan of London course, it sometimes feels like commuting into work 😆
Happy Birthday weeksy!
I'm jumping on the KISS RT POETS ride at 15:30
50km at what will hopefully be an OK pace, although with no ride leader, who knows. Will be about 200w for me i rekon as plpanning on not going bonkers just in case i've got a ride tomorrow outdoors. I do listen to CH and Nath sometimes, so after racing yesterday, i'm going easier today.
How did you get on Weeksy? Just saw on the BBC site that Anthony Joshua is 18st 2lbs, so I reckon we could both get up the hills quicker than him on Zwift.
Bit weird as there was no defined pace or power, so you sort of found your own place in the world, we had about 12-15 riders for 50% and then just 3 of us with a random too
I ended up doing 50 min and weirdly did 241w average, in my race the day before I did 238w. I didn't have HR monitor on as it was in the wash, but I was working less hard than when I race I felt. So I'm not sure what that tells us. Should I go less hard in races so I have more left later on? Or will I lose more ground than I can ever make up?
Was arguably harder than I'd planned, but my mate has bailed on tomorrow outdoors so I can have a short/easy day.
I'd say Weeksy the difference is that you were more relaxed on the 50k ride. The body can do amazing things if you don't put it under mental pressure.
Top marathon runners are a great example of this. They all look like they are out for a Sunday stroll for most of the race.
I did the 2.5-2 7 social ride which ended up being nearer 2.9 to 3 for me. I was spat out the back just after halfway.