Zwift, my journey, my weight and my fitness.

Weeksy that is excellent, keep up the good work. I think adopting a different approach to the 5-2 is the key here, eating sensibly on the 5 section i think is the key to your success so far. I see too many people eating rubbish on the 5 because they believe its the 2 thats important to be strict on. Cutting out the pastries and pizza can only do you good.

Blimey there are some proper athletes on here!

I've spending 8 weeks off the booze, cutting out crisps and chocolates completely, cutting back on dairy and finding what else i can do other than ride a static bike. But as I've been 12st7 there or thereabouts for 4 years, I'm not bothered about using training to lose weight. I just want to maintain fitness for when I can ride MTB again.

Did a calibration test. WAY too loose, thought it was slipping last night. Made a mark on the adjuster and inflated tyre to exactly 100psi. Watched a video which said check calibration once a month so stuck that in the diary.

Tidied up the shed (my old office in the garden).

[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4614/38904820954_111a23195f_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4614/38904820954_111a23195f_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/22gTnR5 ]Well that looks fun..[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexleigh/ ]Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr

Alex that is a nice tidy environment for zwifting although that fan needs to be about a million times bigger otherwise that place will end up as a steam room/sauna.

That's the only one I could find spare. I will get a bigger one. There are also two doors and two windows so I'll get those open tonight. As long as it's not raining. I'm hoping I can get to the iPad for the power-ups. Last night my sweaty fingers didn't work on the phone at all and the laptop might as well have been in space, it was so inaccessible!

Also dug out my bluetooth speaker which I stream spotify too. Need to find some motivational playlists...

you only need to hit the space bar for a power up...

Alex get one of these for your ipad ([url= https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F282687767999 ]Ipad stand[/url], i just clicked on the first one i saw so have a look and you might get it cheaper. You can then attach it to your desk and have it right in front of you, i have one and its great for hitting power ups.

That looks useful. I'll have a hunt around later. Ta.

Well done weeksy, sounds like you've been on a similar journey to me weight wise. I've not drunk alcohol or had any sugary snack in 10 days and am back on Zwift a 2 or 3 times a week, this time doing workouts instead of racing. Unfortunately I'm still 100.4kg, much higher than my 91kg last February and the 88kg at me lowest.

I had a lonely group ride this morning, then I realised that Zwift hadn't updated after the London extensions were added, I only saw 3 other in an hour.

Good luck in the quest C_D. Keep it up!

Well that was an unconventional one. Team Italy Gladiators Cat B (surprisingly hilly!), 5 seconds before the start my bike fell off the trainer, 20 seconds of fiddling left me standing on the the line on my own. Somewhat annoyed rather than pack it in I thought I'd give it a go so off I went. Maintained >300w for something like 20 mins picking off riders. Got myself into the second group eventually, had a rest, then went with a 4 man break, got dropped by the front 2 at the top of a hill leaving me with a Cat A to the finish, who I out-sprinted in the last 150m to finish 12th overrall. Good fun that, I might start from the back more often 🙂

*waves to fellow team STWer Phil Alcock who was also in that one.

Ha ha, you spanner, great result fella.

*waves to fellow team STWer Phil Alcock who was also in that one.

Brilliant dazh!

I am at the opposite end of the spectrum to some on here. Weight isn't the issue but power out is. I have decided to do some work to get stronger for a bit which will mainly involve hill work (tron bike here I come) and then later some faster efforts. My main issue in racing seems to be I don't have the strength to hold on to groups if the pace goes up even moderately especially in flat races.

Right first of two posts; this one is my first group ride experience, the second is list of noob questions! For context I never ride on the road any more. I've ridden in a group once. I've no interest in road riding and I don't understand how you're meant to behave.

Thoughts:

-it a brilliantly executed concept. I've no idea if the physics engine is good but it's the only time an hour on a turbo has ever been something that wasn't total purgatory.

- I got a bit confused about the beacon thing. I don't think I ever saw it. Ended up panicking a bit so found a group going a bit faster than I wanted to and stayed with them for about 50 minutes. That appears to be the lead group and I've no idea if we were ahead or behind the beacon. A few exasperated messages from the ride leader in the first 10 mins then nothing!

- I kept getting worried about being dropped as there was a 40 second gap to the next group. So I'd push really hard and the delay between the screen and the feedback to the trainer meant I kept shooting out the front. At which point I had no idea what to do.

- Amusingly twice I couldn't close the gap to the bloke in front. Then I realised it was me 🙂

- When I was out the front I tried to keep the speed of the pack I'd been in, but within 30 seconds everyone came past me again.

- Once after a sprint - no idea about those - everyone disappeared. I was all on my own. Then they came back so I think that's a shed/internet glitch.

Conclusions:

- I'd be a danger to myself and others on the road 🙂

- I like the group ride format, I'd do that again. Not sure I want to race.

- An hour on a bike is hard work even in this cat. Mainly as I never do that on a MTB. It felt harder than I expected as after 10 mins I thought this is too easy. I wasn't thinking that at the end

- Got very warm, fan in the wrong place but feet got very cold

- No good at standing up, rocked the trailer alarmingly. This I think is because I'm a pedal masher not a spinner. My RPM (Guessed no sensor) is 80ish. Maybe I need to use lower gears

Anyway TLDR. Good fun, confusing, harder than I expected, I'll be back!

Right questions:

- how the heck do you give someone a thumbs up? In the group there was a rider who kept going out in front. I wanted to say thanks. But assume I need to do something on the keyboard (I have the mobile link on my iPad)?

- Are you supposed to get results? We finished and then I was back with everyone else in the game (non group ride) and nothing happened. Bit of an anticlimax. Found the stats in Zwiftpower

- What's going on with the map? Am I the big orange triangle? Where's the beacon?

- Why does the ride leader say 'add pack to your name?'

Confused of Herefordshire 🙂

When I was out the front I tried to keep the speed of the pack I'd been in, but within 30 seconds everyone came past me again.

That's because everyone goes faster. You go out the front, everyone puts the hammer down to catch up, you relax, they go steaming past, and repeat.

I like the group ride format, I'd do that again. Not sure I want to race.

Racing is just a group ride with no rules. The result being that it's much harder to keep up, and much more unpredictable. Depends on who's racing. Some races are fairly steady with short intense efforts, some are just balls-out go as hard as you can for as long as you can, some are pootling along til the last 2km then all hell breaks loose. It's all part of the fun, you never know what it'll be like in advance.

Useful info ta. I'll do some more groups to get a feel for it. I know if I race I'll be over-competitive. Keep having to remember this is ankle rehab! Still it sounds fun. Sort of 😉

Learned two useful things

- don't hit save ride when you've finished. Hit stop from the menu. If you do that you get to see lots of stats which then disappear for good!

- according to the FB pack group 'it was a good ride except for the egos who rode off the front'. In my defence I didn't know it was the front, I just wondered where the other 300 people were. Next time I'm hiding in the middle of the pack 🙂

how the heck do you give someone a thumbs up? In the group there was a rider who kept going out in front. I wanted to say thanks. But assume I need to do something on the keyboard (I have the mobile link on my iPad)?

If it’s the rider just in front click on them in the right hand panel, it’ll take you to fan view and a little thumb up icon appears next to their name, press it. The bottom left click back to me.

Hi folks. Been a lurker on this thread for ages but after swapping between Zwift, Bkool and Trainer Road I'm back on Zwift and have got a new pc tower on the way as the reason I stopped with zwift was that when numbers got over 2000 riders my ride was ruined by glitching. I've got Ethernet into garage and good ping and download speed so hopefully new pc will sort the glitching with a faster processor and graphics card. I'm looking at, in the future, upgrading my Taxc Vortex to an Elite Direto or similar. My question is, my vortex will go to 7% gradient and then as it gets steeper the effort stays the same but the speed drops. If I got a turbo which was able to simulate 14% would my power readings change or would I just find myself using lower gears for the same power but a with a more realistic feel of the hill. Interested in maybe doing a bit of online racing as I find I've become very one paced when I jump on and just ride about with no focus. There will be other questions no doubt when it comes to racing. Cheers

would I just find myself using lower gears for the same power but a with a more realistic feel of the hill

err, I think

Really struggling to comprehend this.. It's never worked like this or been this easy ! EVER.
Every time i jump on the scales it's showing a lower number... I even took a pic today but i won't subject you all to my feet !

14st 13.8 was the number today. That's from 15st 10 on the 1st Jan. Even if we argue the 1st Jan was a heavy day for some reason, although i didn't go out the night before and had been to Swinley when i weighed myself. Then it's still astounding to me that i've reached what i thought was a 2 month target after only 10 days !

Good progress there Weeksy. Losing weight makes a massive difference. I lost quite a bit at the start of 2017 (mainly due to an tooth infection and subsequent extraction) and I was flying in the real world. Need to motivate myself to do it again but I CBA without the pain to keep me focussed.

Get in, weeksy ! By the time I'm riding again I won't see your skinny arse for dust

It's never worked like this or been this easy ! EVER

1. The 5 days will NOT be disaster day of eating pastries, cakes, crisps and Dominos
2. The 5 days will have a reduction in Carbs

Well yes, i get that and i get where its been going wrong in the past. There's been times it's been a minor struggle in my head, last night about 9pm was quite tough, Mon and Wed had been fasting days, so last night i was bloody starving "it's only a few hours, it will be worth it" was my mantra and it worked, i didn't fill my face etc.

Lunches are quite tough as they're usually bread/baguette based, i'm aware i can't realistically keep off the bread and carbs forever... But it seems to be working so i'll somehow struggle along and see where it takes me.
Tonight will have some bread, but going for home made Moroccan lamb burgers with sweet potato chips (roasted not fried) and some mushrooms for me, salad for the wife.

We've also bought the Tom Kerridge book, which arrived yesterday and we'll give some of these meals a whirl over the coming weeks.

It's interesting that i look back 10 days ago and it's just stupidity and laziness, my breakfast this morning was tasty enough, nothing wrong with natural yoghurt, banana and a bit of granola mixed together... Filled a hole. So whereas this time last week would have been 2 Belgian Buns, that's not really that much different in 'niceness' but obviously about double the calories, when you add in the 350cal granola square i'd usually have with my 7am coffee, well i'm then about 700cals better off today than i usually would be.

Back to the Zwifting, i'm wondering if the lower intensity Z2 stuff which is in the 'fat burning zone' is also having an effect.... Could it ? Maybe i guess. I'm finding it tough after 60 mins at the moment to push on, even at a lower pace, but that's all in my head, even though my legs are tired as i'm on 300km for Jan up to now, which is a decent enough distance i think. Sure it may affect my racing, but i think in the future i'll be able to recapture my form with the right sort of training and racing again..But if i can start looking for form with 90kg on the scales instead of close to 100kg, then i've got to be onto a winner surely. Obviously i'm a long way from 90kg currently being now just a smidgen under 95.... but i'm a lot closer than i was to 90 a few weeks ago.

Tomorrow, we go again, slow and steady lol. It's a bit dull... but i'll accept it... Alternative is, taking tomorrow off and then a long but steady ride on Sat on the 29er on roads.

The idea of 'fat burning ' rides is that you stop yourself going anaerobic which burns glycogen stored in your muscles. Most 'athletes' have enough glycogen for a couple of hours before things go bang (or bonk). Fat burning zone rides ( aerobic) supply muscles from your fat stores as at lower intensity the body can replenish the glycogen from said fat stores. In theory if you could stay aerobic and feed yourself steadily you could keep going and going.

Good work weeksy.

Tomorrow, we go again, slow and steady lol. It's a bit dull... but i'll accept it... Alternative is, taking tomorrow off and then a long but steady ride on Sat on the 29er on roads.

Banjo shop ride on Saturday 8am, or NRC 9am club run on Sunday (pace is relaxed). You're close to Didcot as well and I'm sure DPCC would be happy to have one more on their club run. Plenty of easy miles to be had in good company with a coffee [s]and cake[/s] stop 🙂

Weeksy, with respect, fat needs to be burned. Each lb of fat you lose requires a 2500-3500 calorie deficit. So the majority of your weight loss at the rate it has come off is from other sources- water and muscle glycogen. There literally hasn’t been time to burn 35,000 calories of fat.

The key is to know this, know the implications it will have on your performance and know that to make a real lasting difference, you’ll need to tough it out past the easy-get stage.

The most important thing is the shift in your mindset though which is what will carry you through 🙂 Keep up the good work!

Banjo shop ride on Saturday 8am, or NRC 9am club run on Sunday (pace is relaxed). You're close to Didcot as well and I'm sure DPCC would be happy to have one more on their club run. Plenty of easy miles to be had in good company with a coffee and cake stop

That would mean using the Isaac on the road ! i don't do the Isaac on the road... i hate road bikes lol.

with respect, fat needs to be burned

I lost 7-8kg really just by cutting out the shite from my diet (by whicj I mean chocs and cake; I still eat the same meals). Took 3 months or so but still fast and there was some noticeable drop very early on. Calorie restriction is the fast way to weight loss - if not done "dangerously" and if followed by sensible maintenance, we have a winning combo

Definitely a B now. Maybe an A by the end of next week ;0)

tomlevell - Member
Definitely a B now. Maybe an A by the end of next week ;0)

LOL me ? Nah, still not. I've been racing underweight arguably. Last year i got down to 93kg, when the weight snuck up, i moved it to 95kg, but never moved it up from there fully, so i've been racing at 99kg real, 95-96kg Virtual. So now i'm sitting at 94-95 i'm only just where i should be.
If.... and it's a big IF.. i can get down to 90kg, i think i'll be a happy B. I should then be able to hold the odd wheel that i'd normally have lost out on by a little bit... Well, that's the hope anyway.

But i'm not going Zwift racing until i see where this current plan takes me. Slow and steady, trying to increase the time a bit on the bike as well... When the weight sticks for 2-3 weeks i'll consider that a plateau and re-consider the options.

Does anyone else find they're much slower on zwift than real life? On the new Surrey hills loop I'm quite a bit slower up bits than in real life even allowing for winter chubsterness.

so i've been racing at 99kg real, 95-96kg Virtual

Doper! Reported to ZADA 😉

Doper! Reported to ZADA

I mean, I only estimated my height. Reckon four foot six is about right though, given how very light I am

Having met you I think that's fair enough 🙂

Seems quite a few riders only estimate their gender too 😉

Does anyone else find they're much slower on zwift than real life? On the new Surrey hills loop I'm quite a bit slower up bits than in real life even allowing for winter chubsterness.

No, but there are so many variables on Zwift, that it wouldn't be surprising. Apart from motivation, which is a fairly big one, trainer power outputs can be off even when calibrated, weights get 'mis-entered', you're dependent on Zwift's algorithms for accuracy, there are no tailwinds (oddly all my best outdoor times come when there is a massive tailwind, no idea why...) Do you ride in groups outside and benefit from drafting?

How accurate are the Zwift hills compared to the real thing? I'm up north, but I rode up Box Hill once without really knowing it was a climb, whereas on Zwift it does actually seem to go uphill.

I find I'm always faster in my head than I am either on Zwift or in reality :-/

The climbs are pretty accurate tbh, well as much they can be. Non smart trainer so I'm just going to presume I'm actually putting out about twice as much power as it thinks 😀

I rode up Box Hill once without really knowing it was a climb

8)

It was a long time ago - I was younger and fitter and had just done the Fred... these days it'd probably reduce me to a crawl. It's not exactly the Hardknott though is it 😉

Well I came stone cold last in D but I did lose the group when my phone decided to drop Bluetooth 🙁

I pushed on and finished though and wasn’t that far behind considering a drop out?

https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=36730

My zwift journey has progressed to zwift spectator. Dad has signed up, so spent the evening trundling along on my dumb trainer watching him smash out a mighty 2.5W/kg

Just did the tour of zwift which was a bit of a mistake to be honest. I was in C and can normally hold the front group until at least the first climb but they were gone by the first corner, then it was just a backwards slide to a might 270th-ish out of 750. On the results board that flashed up at the end, the no1 C averaged 4.7 W/kg....

They were no groups forming, it was just a long procession and once the B, C and D’s got mixed up it was impossible to work out what was going on, especially as everyone was in the same jersey.

So my ipad is toast, what ANT dongles are people using so i can use my gaming pc instead.

I did TDZ in B tonight, my first go at moving up. I havent had a day off the bike since the 2nd Jan and I could definitely feel it. On the warm up strip I thought about quitting then I pushed on thinking I'll get to the end of lap one before I z2 ot to the finish. Ended up finishing in the top 130th out of around 400 and put another 5w on my ftp score.
Ftp seems to be climbing every time I do a race but it is early days of following any structure but tomorrow is most definitely a day off