Zwift, my journey, my weight and my fitness.

Just race and have fun, then seethe when some obvious cheat beats you, then gloat when you beat some random Norwegian in the final sprint ...................that's what Zwift is.

Whereas training and FTP building is just dull.

Dull until you start beating people who used to beat you. It doesn't need to be every ride- just once a week would help.

How about starting the sprint for the last 250m at 5km to go 🙂

He said it was a good read but I'm not sure he actually did

Reading it and doing it are different. I can psychologically prepare myself to Zwift race each and every night, hanging in, pushing the front, positioning etc. However, asking me to do 300w for 2 mins, then 80w, then 310w, sorry, I'm not into that.

Well yes Piemonster- that will do it but who's going to risk the inevitable minus CVR points that follow 😆

As I say all the time, race or don't race however you like- it really doesn't worry me but there's little excuse for being baffled at lack of progress.

The only silly part about it the way I see it- is that you are flogging yourself into the ground for no improvement whereas for the same weekly hours and calories, you could encourage your body to progress and ultimately burn even more calories in the same time frame!

But only if you continue to train, not if you bail through boredom.

If this time next year, I'm the exact same power, 3-5kg less and still enjoying the battles in C, then I'm 100% happy with that. I don't need to be better.

But one hour out of six each week is not much of a commitment if it starts showing results is it??

If you do it creatively, it won't even feel like training. One lap on, one lap off on the Volcano Circuit for a few laps for example. With a ten minute warm up and cool down, Boom- there's an hour gone.

Balls. Missed the start of the KISS race by about ten seconds. Crappy updates. Doing the WBR at 20.55 instead.

But you won't be lighter- as your body gets used to the effort, it becomes more efficient so you'll need to eat less and less.

Or get fitter- increase your metabolism and muscle mass and burn more calories for less effort 😉

But one hour out of six each week is not much of a commitment if it starts showing results is it??

If you do it creatively, it won't even feel like training. One lap on, one lap off on the Volcano Circuit for a few laps for example. With a ten minute warm up and cool down, Boom- there's an hour gone.

I could manage once a week yes

[img] [/img]

😆

I unhooked the racing bike from the turbo trainer today, it was weird!!

Normal service will resume, I'm thinking KISS tomorrow evening!

Oi Bond!! Put your spoon away 😆
You know I'm right though- you're Zwift racing to maintain fitness, not expecting gains other than those from racing smarter.

******

One last post to make the point and then I'm done 🙂

Mr Blobby went out today and burned 800calories per hour on a Z2 ride.

Weeksy- your last RACE plus warm up was 50minutes and still only burned the same amount!!!!

Power = calories. Producing more power for less effort is the very definition of cycling fitness.

The body is crafty- it adapts. If you want to move past the efficiency gain ceiling then you need to get fitter and that basically means raising your ftp.

So train, don't train, race or don't race but be aware of the limitations of what you're doing 🙂

I am being a hypocrite as I Zwift raced myself into a hole a couple of years ago but I've also gone from D Cat to the top of B since..,,,

Winner, winner chicken dinner...

Nice win there Jam bo, another gold for the STW trophy cabinet.

Not sure about those results. There was quite a bunch sprint for the finish, but only 3 of us showing on the same or similar time.

Still, a gold cup is a gold cup....

Top work sir 🙂 Congratulations 🙂

meh. rechecked zwiftpower this morning and half the field was unlinked. probably still top 5 in C's but shame not see the proper results as it was a good race & sprint finish with quite a group.

Oooo. Quite tempted by KISS at 8 as I've never raced Greater London Flat and it's my favourite training route.

crosshair - Member
Oooo. Quite tempted by KISS at 8 as I've never raced Greater London Flat and it's my favourite training route.

Tempting as i was looking for an event for today, but nothing is jumping out at me..

Although that one is a bit on the long distance side of things for me... Not sure i can cope... Course is fairly appropriate for me though i guess.

Endurance ride on tired legs followed by a few recovery days then a race and a long ride at the weekend or straight into some recovery days.

Quite glad to have that tired feeling back, work being done

Did my usual MGCC race this morning and was in pretty good form. It was 2 laps of London loop so have to pace yourself for double box hill. I was in the lead group from start to finish and talking to the ride leader over discord the guys i was with are very good riders. Both box hills were pretty full on, first climb done in 7:27 and second lap pretty similar so quite a hot pace. It was a 4 way sprint for the line and i just got pipped by a bike length so ended up 2nd in Cat B and actually 5th in the entire race. I felt fine after the race like i still had some in the tank which makes a nice change.

5th overall.... Damn... Good going. Got to be happy with that.

Not as great as it sounds weeksy, turns out there were only 3 cat A riders!

Mr Blobby went out today and burned 800calories per hour on a Z2 ride.

240 😮 😀

I can do 242 in Z2 nowadays too 🙂

[img] [/img]

Hmmm. Half tempted to try A's this evening. I wonder how CVR are calculating points now with staggered starts? Will I get more points for mid pack A than top 1/3rd B I wonder....

First guy I BC stalked is a Cat 2 with 7 points so perhaps B would be better after all 😆

Is there a way i can work out what my zones parameters are by using zwift? I am considering some structured training but not entirely sure how i calculate my zones.

Just enter your ftp and then in the workouts, your zones will be set.

Or enter your 20 min power in here:

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/20120925-Power-Calculator-0

I can do 242 in Z2 nowadays too

Fair point well made 🙂

Although hopefully Nath will confirm the sighting of bent elbows at Hillingdon yesterday 😀

Until nath does actually confirm that then you crosshair will still be called The Windmill. Thanks for the link will give that a try later, will it work out my possible HR zones?

Yes and power.

Yep, elbows were bent when we weren’t just cruising. Zwift drafting is often called unrealistic, but behind CH yesterday I was doing like 1/2 the watts as him to keep in his draft. Some of the numbers were mental!

I think KISS looking good tonight! It’s been a tough day at work and I’m on the train due to weather so up for venting some frustration out on the track 😆

I think the Zwift draft is unrealistic because nobody actually picks up the tab for being on the front 😆

The A bunch is usually 30mph and that took you 444w yesterday. When is anyone in a Zwift race cruising that high on the flat? It's usually 290-340 when I watch the stream.

Thanks to the obvious limitations of physics, I couldn't get anywhere near the benefit when following you 😆 Yet on Zwift, I can tuck in behind any old bean pole.

Crosshair - i went on that link and worked out my power zones easily enough but what figure needs to go in the FTHR box? Is that my max hr or my avg for the 20 minute ftp test?

Your 20minute HR mate. Not adjusted at all, just the average as is.

Yeah but I’m not exactly a fish when it comes to aeroness!

Some really good results there guys well done! (Sorry just been catching up on this incredibly fast moving thread!!)

Finished work way later than expected so cutting the KISS race fine - currently rushing to get home and sorted for it! See ya’ll out there!! (Hopefully)

Good luck Nath, hope you make it! I think it's got to be B's for me, I'm scared I'll get dropped in A's 😆

Zwift and my heart rate monitor were freaking out 5 mins prior to the race - annoying as I actually had 15 mins to do a proper warm up...

Anyway joined the line with 60s to go and the rest was history! No idea where I came but that was fun!! Heart rate back up to 201!! Always a good sign.

https://www.zwiftpower.com/race.php?id=14518

Must be a glitch in the matrix Nath...

I was in the same race but in the C's, lined up, warmed up, feeling good, as soon as the gun went everyone disappeared, no other riders showing at all...

Kept going hard for a lap thinking people will eventually reappear but nothing....

I had the opposite last night. Loads of people racing, barely any in the results.

That was eventful!! As I was warming up, everyone realised that the event module was missing!! Zwift were having server problems.

As the start time approached, Nath text me to say he was in! Nothing to lose (the B race was 3 minutes later) so I risked logging out and in. Yes! In with 90seconds to go!!

Without a proper warmup (I had resigned myself to not starting) the start was brutal!
First lap was tough just to hang with the group. I sagged the bunch by doing just enough to get to the front and then drifting back. Still, any time the road went up, the attacks came and it was painful. HR was in the 180's each time. 1 lap down and I was still in the lead bunch.

Lap two and things got worse and I just tried my best to lower my HR wherever possible and then get a run up for the little gradients. A few attacks went but it's so tough to outrun a group this fast.

Last lap then and things eased off as people looked at each other. Turning in away from the river with about 4 miles left, things hotted up but luckily I felt better all of a sudden! A couple of mins of subtle recovery had done the trick. Goal now was simple- cover EVERYTHING.

Sure enough, moves started and things strung out. With my sugar fuelled afterburners kicking in, I was holding my own and got the sense that people were fading. On one of the downhills, a really savage attack came so I burried myself to cover the move. HR was now in the 190's.
Music cranked up and legs flying, I realised people were drifting backwards. This was ace! I had used a Power Up each lap but was sat on an Aero so I bided my time. I knew at this speed, 0.5miles would be about 1 minute so I waited. HOLD!!!

With one DQ and a ZP guy away, I was in a small group. 3,2,1 launch and hold!!! Hitting the space bar, I drilled it but not too hard. All the intervals paid off- I knew exactly how to pace this. Sat on 500w or so I had a 7 second gap so just kept it where I was. Max was only 720 for the race.

Second place 8)

Nice one! Well done CH!

All that sugar helping? 8)

Pity ZPers aren’t DQ’d from B races too! Were you with the A’s then? We had a massive group this evening, very difficult to pull away, tried a couple of times 😆