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.

200W in Z2…..
I wish!

240 😮 😀

I can do 242 in Z2 nowadays too 🙂

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

Just as well, cos you use 142 of them catching the wind like a sail 😛

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 😆

I did pop a caffeine gel. Those berry ones are tasty!! Thanks again 😀

Nah, we started at 20.03

well done all who raced – at least for getting off yer arses & riding ( 😳 )

WaH for me tomorrow so my luch break will be a race I think

CH – you saying that the power-ups last for 60 seconds ? (I’d have guessed at 20-30)

No, the aero is about 30 but I wanted to have it for the last bit of uphill before the roundabout.

I had 7 seconds lead by the time it ran out….

…and just looking, I covered that 1/2 mile a bit quicker than 1 minute anyhow lol

Ah, I see – wouldn’t you be better off having the aero on a flat bit where you’re travelling at a higher speed (or isn’t that how it works) ?

(and)

can you still draft somebody who’s got an aero going ?

Possibly, I just figured that getting the jump and the surprise was more important. Yep you get epic draft! Leap frogging someone else using a PU is great tactics 🙂

Good power, that – I do a workout now & then that asks for about 600w for 30 seconds and that’s HARD for me, especially the last couple (and that’s with 150w recovery in-between)

1 min PB is 660 but not at the end of a race 😆

At my weight, the Thruxton Crits usually need 550w or so for the last 1 minute for me to be anywhere close to the top ten.

Just because I’m still buzzing on caffeine gel, here’s Thruxton for comparison. Uphill to the line so a little slower but actually VERY similar.

I can’t belive you used a caffeine gel st 8pm, you nutter!

Little disappointed in my place, I could have given more.. not following my own advice here 😆

Well, 19.30 to be fair 😆 I was half asleep so needed a kick!

Just for the banter, that’s an 18% improvement in finishing spot since my last KISS B race on 21st September. I’d say that was structured training for the win, no? 😀 😆