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Race 3R Endurance Academy Update

Tim Perkin
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7
Race 3R Endurance Academy Update

Race 3R Endurance Academy Update

In September, I highlighted that Team 3R were hosting an endurance academy with the target of undertaking a 12-hour and 24-hour ride (details can be read here).

Since then, the event has developed real momentum. In both the Saturday rides I joined there were over 100 riders taking part, so I thought it would be worth sharing more details about the event as it continues to build a following.

The Event and Schedule

The 12h Challenge is scheduled for 15th January 2022, whilst the 24 Hour Challenge is set a month later for 26th February 2022.

The weekly Saturday Endurance training ride is scheduled at 8:00 AM CEST and the Race3R Endurance Team are going to be tackling all the major long routes So if you are looking to undertake the Ultra Challenge, improve your base fitness, or simply collect those more difficult route badges such as the PRL Full, this is the team to join.

A complete ride schedule can be viewed below, giving you the opportunity to see what routes they are tackling and when so you can plan accordingly:

DateRoute(Guest) LeadDetails
06/11/2021Four HorsemanMitja Kovacic89,3 Km/2112hm
13/11/2021Tempus FugitChris Hopkins
20/11/2021Tempus Fugit Marko Baloh
27/11/2021Uber PretzelCatherine Allen128,3 Km/2335hm
04/12/2021PRL FullRob Keunen173Km/2290Hm
11/12/2021Crit City interval ride
18/12/2021Tempus Fugit
25/12/2021Duchy Estate Interval ride
01/01/2022“Chain Chomper” Interval ride
08/01/2022Tempus Fugit
15/01/2022Tempus Fugit 12h Challenge / Race day
22/01/2022100km Interval + Endurance
29/01/2022100km Interval + Endurance
05/02/202280km Interval + Endurance
12/02/202260km Interval + Endurance
19/02/202240km Interval + Endurance
26/02/2022Tempus Fugit 24h Challenge / Race day

Guest Leaders

The Race3R Team have lined up guests to lead the rides, ensuring the long rides are kept interesting.  On 23rd October Kate Spicer, an Ultra Endurance cyclist from Australia, led a group of 150 riders on 3 laps of Watopia Waistband.

Kate is not a pro cyclist, nor does she want to be one, but she rides over 1000km a week, and in the summer, she does that also, outside!  Kate led her first-ever ride with the team and did an excellent job.

Romaric Eloud, a Zwift legend from France who is a true ultra-endurance athlete and holds the current Zwift 24h record of 1028 KM without any stops, led the group the previous week and is scheduled to make a return appearance.

On 20th November, Marko Baloh is scheduled to lead the event.  He is an ultra-endurance pro rider, and is the current 24-hour Road World Champion.

Hints and Tips

With all these endurance experts on hand and with each ride lasting in excess of 3 hours, there is lots of time to discuss cycling and the challenges of riding for such extended periods of time. During these rides a list of tips have been collated to help with such an undertaking. Here they are:

  • Eat/drink what your body, when put under physical stress, can manage and also what you actually like, as it gives you something to look forward to
  • Eat/drink what you know, don’t experiment on “the day”
  • Eating during an ultra-event is a nice thing, it is something to take the mind off any potential struggles, therefore make food which is good, but you also like
  • Drink enough water. Sports drinks are good, but water it vital.
  • You will need to drink a lot, 0.5-1 litre per hour
  • Alongside energy bars, fruit is good but also a sandwich.  Think pasta for dinner.
  • Count calories, so you don’t under/over fuel
  • Stand every 20/30 minutes during ultra-riding
  • Core exercises are important to strengthen your neck and back
  • TT bars can help to change position, making it more comfortable
  • Change clothing and socks every 4/6 hours to prevent issues
  • Switch your shoes every 4-6 hours
  • Distractions are vital to help pass the time, such as listening to podcasts, music, or using Discord to chat with others doing the challenge.

The History of the Event

Rob Keunen, who is organising this Ultra Endurance Academy, is doing so to highlight the power of cycling.  He found himself undertaking long rides to help him through a very tough period in his life.  As Rob explained:

“In August 2019 we became parents for the second time, with a daughter called Feline.

During pregnancy we found out that Feline would be born with ‘Schisis’ , that’s a physical a split in the jaw/lip/teeth. It’s nothing strange, but would mean that we were up for a lot of surgery/hospital visits until she would be 16 years old.  

Schisis also brings some feeding issues when babies are born, they can’t suck milk out of a bottle, so we also knew the first months would be harder than normal.

All of that was true, Feline had issues, with feeding, sleeping, putting weight on, but Doctors concluded it was due to Schisis.  Surgery was planned when Feline was 6 months old.  Doctors believed that after that it would be better since with a closed lip she would be able to suck milk from a bottle. 

After the successful surgery Feline would not wake up, she stayed in a coma, and nobody knew why. We saw an increasing number of Doctors and Professors around her bed in the Children’s Intensive Care Unit, trying to understand what was happening.

3 days after the surgery a Neuro Professor and Feline´s team of Doctors and Nurses told us that Feline would not wake up anymore.  The sad fact was that she was already brain dead. She had been diagnosed with a very rare disease called ´Leigh´s syndrome’. This is a very rare metabolic disease that is not treatable.  There is no cure.

Basically there is a fault in the DNA, so that the energy in cells that are used for living, eating, moving, thinking, drinking, is not being refilled with new energy during a night’s sleep. This disease has different grades, light grade means light physical and mental issues, medium means heavy physical and mental issues, and then the grade that Feline had, always ends after a few months, in death. The brain cells will die, which happened with her during surgery.  She could not breathe anymore on her own, that function of the brain was dead. 

Our world collapsed.

After the funeral, I was feeling drained and was diagnosed by the Doctor with having a physical burnout.  That was in May 2020 and it took until December 2020 until I could return to work full time.  

In December, I joined a group 3R Endurance ride, which I liked. I started helping sweeping, and was asked if I would like to join the 3R Endurance team in January 2021. Which I did. 

On February the 6th, exactly 1 year after Feline died, I did my first lead for 3R, I asked to lead on that day, and they gave me the chance, so I choose PRL FULL as my first lead ride.  I wanted to make it extra special. That was a great ride, and I will never forget it.

After that I started doing races too, and I upped my training to 8-10 hour a week, more structured, and harder, to improve my fitness.

In summer, I started thinking about the next challenge.  After the endurance leads and races I needed another challenge. Helping Mitja, a member of the Race3R Endurance Team, during his own 24h attempt got me thinking.  The idea of this 12/24h Challenge was born.

So in a direct way this challenge is born out of the tragedy that happened with my daughter Feline, and the fact that I experienced a major setback in health after that which I don’t want to happen again. So I do this for myself, and for my daughter.  She is my inspiration, and always in the back of my mind. 

I still have a lot of pain and grief, and some of it will never go away but cycling helps along with the support I receive from family and friends and the Race3R and Zwift Community.” 

Charity

Team 3R would like people to try and raise sponsorship for the charity World Bicycle Relief. World Bicycle Relief is an international, non-profit organisation that specializes in large-scale, comprehensive bicycle distribution programs to aid poverty relief in developing countries around the world.  A just giving page is here https://give.worldbicyclerelief.org/team/390235. 

Summing Up

I am grateful for Rob for organizing an event like the Endurance Academy, despite his devastating loss. It is a testament to the man for being able to find the motivation and strength not only to organize the event but to lead it.  Moreover, it’s nice to hear that cycling, Zwift, and the Race3R Team have been a source of support.  After what Rob has lived through, cycling 12 and 24 hours will be easy. I certainly will be there to support him and the rest of the team in their training and on the day.

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of November 6-7

Tim Perkin
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0
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of November 6-7

You may not want to go out this weekend, as there are some special events to try! They include teaming up for a ride with NBA legend Reggie Miller as he looks to set a new World Record for mass participation on Zwift.

Ride With Reggie

I previously reported in detail about this event. “Ride with Reggie” is designed to raise awareness and funding for diversity in cycling, with funds specifically being used to create cycling programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Simultaneously, the goal is to set a World Record for Zwift participation!

The event consists of 3 laps around the Richmond UCI course, totaling 49.2km, and is estimated to take 90 minutes.  There are currently over 2,300 scheduled to ride, so it will be fun.

Saturday, November 6 @ 3pm CET/2pm GMT/10am EDT/7am PDT
First event details and signup at zwift.com/events/view/2374952

Backpedal Hill Climb Series

I’ve had some good battles with riders from the Backpedal Team in the Zwift Racing League and so it’s nice to see them hosting some events too.  I am highlighting this particular event as it looks pretty fun!

It’s a short 5.3km sprint up one of the hills in London.  This first week it is a race up Fox Hill. The Backpedal Hill Climb Series schedule is:

  • Race 1: Fox Hill
  • Race 2: Hilly KOM
  • Race 3: Petit KOM
  • Race 4: Innsbruck KOM (halfway)

Saturday, November 6 @ 8:30am CET/7:30am GMT/3:30am EDT
First event details and signup at zwift.com/events/view/2394156

Le Col Training with Legends // Dame Sarah Storey, Fabian Cancellara

Le Col have slipped under our radar with their Le Col Training with Legends Series! Chris Opie (who I connected with when I reviewed their Training with Le Col sessions) has been actively involved in facilitating these. Over the weekend there are two offerings to try: the first session involves Dame Sarah Storey, whilst the second features Fabian Cancellara.

Dame Sarah Storey’s achievements include 17x gold medals, making Sarah the most decorated and successful British Paralympian of all time. Plus she’s earned 23 UCI World Championship titles among a staggering number of world records.

Fabian Cancellara has three Paris Roubaix and three Tour of Flanders wins.  He is one of the best classics riders of all time.  He has two Olympic gold medals, one silver, and is a 4x Time Trial World Champion.

Multiple dates and times, see custom ZwiftHacks link for complete list

3R LaGuardia Super Sprint Race

I highlighted the start of the weekend with a short, sharp hilly race so I thought it only fair to finish the weekend by highlighting a short, sharp flat race. 

This race is incredibly fast and should be tried at least once, just for the experience.  It’s so fast, it’s like time around you slows down.  All I can say is “watch for the splits” because once they go, they are gone and it’s race over. Have fun, but be ready!   

Sunday, November 7 @ 8:35pm CEST/7:35pm GMT/2:35pm EST/11:35am PST
Event details and signup at https://www.zwift.com/events/view/2390056

Your Thoughts

Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!

Welcome Back! Let’s Upgrade Your Pain Cave

Eric Schlange
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27
Welcome Back! Let’s Upgrade Your Pain Cave

Welcome Back! Let’s Upgrade Your Pain Cave

Many riders return to Zwift in earnest when the time changes and the weather turns nasty. That may mean unpacking the trainer, clearing a space in the garage or spare room, and installing all those Zwift updates you’ve missed over the summer months.

Once you’re up and riding, consider what you could do to upgrade your Zwift experience early in the indoor season, so you can enjoy those upgrades for the next few months. Here are the top 5 upgrades we recommend…

#1: Big Screen

The bigger your Zwift screen, the more immersive the gameplay. Sometimes we hear Zwifters say things like, “I just can’t get into it” or “It’s boring and doesn’t hold my attention.” Almost without fail, those Zwifters are squinting at a small screen like a laptop or iPad for their Zwift sessions.

Big-screen TVs are quite affordable today, even with Covid-related supply chain issues. For example, here’s an Amazon-recommended 55″ model for $379.99.

You’ll also need to buy an adaptor and/or cable to connect your Zwift device (laptop, iPad, phone) to the big screen. Here are a few tips:

  • iPad or iPhone: buy the Apple Lightning to HDMI Adaptor, which plugs into your iPad or iPhone. You’ll need a standard HDMI cable as well, which plugs into that adaptor and into your TV. One nice thing about the Apple Lightning to HDMI Adaptor is it lets you also plug in your standard USB charger, so you can charge your iPad or iPhone while Zwifting. Very important for those long sessions that would sap your battery otherwise!
  • Laptop: most laptops these days have an HDMI out. If you’ve got one of those, you’ll just need a standard HDMI cable to run your computer into your TV.

#2: Strong Fan

Beginning Zwifters inevitably underestimate their cooling needs. We’ve written about this already: it’s a well-documented truth that indoor riders need significant cooling in order to perform at their best.

Sweating a lot doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting in your best training session – it may just mean you’re overheated. Make sure your body is cooled enough that you can put maximum effort into your rides without overheating and having your body’s internal “governors” kick in.

Here are three recommended fans, moving from a tightly-focused air column on the left to a less focused blast of air on the right.

Stanley Blower

Blower-style fans move a lot of air in a focused column.

Vornado 9″ Air Circulator

The Vornado is the smallest of our picks, but it packs a punch.

Lasko 20″ fan with remote

If you want to move a lot of air over a larger surface area (like your body), this is a good choice. Bonus: it has a remote, and is wall-mountable so you can move it out of the way.

Want the very best? Check out Wahoo’s Kickr Headwind. It blows a very tight column of air right where you need it, and wind speed can be automatically modulated based on your virtual speed (to simulate a headwind) or heart rate (to cool you when you need it most). It can also be controlled easily from your phone.

#3: Direct Drive Trainer

Wahoo KICKR

Look, we get it. We all did it. When we first discovered Zwift, we weren’t convinced that we would enjoy it, so we bought the cheapest smart trainer we could find.

But when our second indoor season spun up, we bought a direct drive trainer. And we never looked back.

Direct drive trainers are more accurate than their wheel-on cousins, and they provide a much more realistic road feel as well. Trust us: once you try one, you’ll never want to go wheel on again.

Not sure which trainer to get? You’re in luck. Unlike last year (when retailers couldn’t keep trainers in stock), all the good trainers are available online this season. And we’ve put together short lists of the very best direct-drive trainers:

#4: Training Table

If you’re still using a music stand, hatrack, or some tacked-together contraption to hold your laptop, towels, food, or other necessities – maybe it’s time to level up.

Wahoo was the first to make a true indoor cycling desk, but there are competitors selling similar knockoffs for half the price, including the RAD Desk and Conquer Desk. You might also consider the more budget-friendly KOM Cycling Desk (which is admittedly a bit smaller and less stable than the Wahoo-style designs).

Look for something adjustable and stable, with plenty of space for essentials like your keyboard, laptop, remotes, phone, towel, etc. You won’t regret it!

#5: WiFi Power Strip

WiFi-connected “smart” power strips make it easy to control the power to various devices from a simple app on your phone or via Alexa or Google Home voice commands. They are super convenient, plus they protect your sensitive devices from damaging power surges. And they’re cheap nowadays – here’s a $30 unit that Amazon recommends.

Plug your trainer and fan in so you can easily turn them on and off when desired. Most smart strips include USB ports so you can easily charge your phone, earbuds, or other devices as well.

Questions or Comments?

Got other recommendations? Questions or comments about what we recommend? Post below!

How the (Team) Race Was Won: The Slimmest of Margins – ZRL Week 6 (Tour of Tewit Well)

Eric Schlange
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15
How the (Team) Race Was Won: The Slimmest of Margins – ZRL Week 6 (Tour of Tewit Well)

How the (Team) Race Was Won: The Slimmest of Margins – ZRL Week 6 (Tour of Tewit Well)

This week’s Zwift Racing League event was, for me, the toughest of the season so far. Held across four laps of Yorkshire’s ever-pitchy Tour of Tewit Well, I knew from past experience that the route doesn’t suit me. This wouldn’t be a race where I went on the offense. It would be a race of survival.

Here’s how it all unfolded from my point of view, racing with the DIRT Roosters in Division B3 of the EMEA W zone.

The Warmup

My typical pre-race ritual was executed as usual. Beet juice (liquid dirt) a couple of hours before the race, then three pieces of caffeine gum (100mg of go-go juice per piece!) an hour before, and PR lotion on the legs before kitting up.

The only problem was, I neglected to look at the Companion app and hence forgot that the race was an hour later than usual due to European times changing a week before California time. So I got to sit at my desk fully kitted and lotioned up, working on Zwift Insider posts for an hour.

Then it was time to awaken the legs and heart by spinning with the C. Cadence groupies. 45 minutes or so with a few sprints to get the heart rate up and I was ready to go.

I went with the Tron bike for this race, as I knew the climbs would be my battle today. (They always are.)

The Start: All In

69 B riders jumped out of Yorkshire pens, but it was clear nobody was attacking yet. We all knew that 60 seconds up the road the KOM began, and this would result in the biggest selection of the race.

My mind was made up – I would go all-in to stay with the front group on this initial climb. If I was somehow able to do that, it was possible that the group would settle down and I could hang in until the finish.

But that was a lot of maybes.

The initial slope of the KOM is steep – it’s best to hammer and keep your speed up. Then it settles down for a bit, as does the effort. Then the road turns slightly right, ramps up, and the real work begins. Can you keep those steady high watts?

And just when you think you’re nearing the end, the strong riders pick up the pace even more to sprint for the line and intermediate points. Gah! I made the mistake of poorly shifting and standing in the final seconds, and that small power drop slid me from 7th to 10th.

(Despite that misstep I still set a Strava PR on the climb – 2:06, with an average wattage of 443.)

Over the top I found myself in a small pack of riders just a few seconds behind the small pack in front. Thanks to some anvils and supertucks, we caught the front group at the bottom of the descent. A sigh of relief – I was in the front group!

Catching the front pack after the first KOM

But this was Yorkshire, so there was no time to rest. You descend only to hammer another climb. Hammer, descend, hammer descend. Over and over again.

On top of that, there were 3 Roosters in the front group (Antoine, Clem, and myself) but 4 of our rivals, the Vikings. We were already on the back foot in terms of numbers.

Penny Pot Lane was the next climb, but it wasn’t bad (relatively speaking). A bit steep at the start, then just hold the power and hang in with the group. Then we had a welcome descent to the steepest climb on the route: Pot Bank. I had a feather saved, and a strategy already figured out: deploy the feather as the road turns left and ramps up steeply, hitting the wattage hard for ~30 seconds up the steepest section. I knew with the road pitching up to 17% that I had to put out big watts if I wanted to avoid my 83kg grinding to a halt.

The strategy worked well – I found myself on the front of our pack of 16, in fact! Which is not a place I generally find myself. Especially on climbs! So I eased up and let the group catch so I could sit in with slightly less effort up the slacker portion of the Pot Bank Climb.

I was stoked that I had survived the three main climbs of the route. But I could also feel that those climbs had taken their toll on my legs. I couldn’t do this for three more laps. Would the pace ease up?

There was one final climb on Otley Road. I have to say, of the four climbs on the loop, this is the one I underestimated. It was longer and steeper than I realized. This wasn’t a “three climbs and a bit” loop. It was a 4-climber. And it hurt!

An anvil powerup dropped into my pocket at the start/finish line, and I activated it as soon as the road tilted downward since I knew it lastest for 30 seconds and I didn’t want it active on the flat (or worse, uphill) roads coming up.

Dropped

On the second KOM I once again came over the top in a chase group that was just a few seconds behind the front pack. But our smaller pack of 7 strung-out riders couldn’t reel in the front pack of 9 so easily this time. We pushed hard up the next climb (Penny Pot Lane) and 3 riders bridged up to the front group.

But I wasn’t one of the three. I gave up the chase, choosing instead to recover and join up with riders behind. With more than 2.5 laps left, working hard by myself was a bad idea.

Waving goodbye to the front pack

Around this time I also noticed my heartrate wasn’t showing on screen. Uh oh! I knew it had been showing when I first started the race. Eventually I had the presence of mind to pair my TICKR with my Wahoo Bolt computer, so I had some heartrate visible and recording in case WTRL needed evidence that it was working. (As it turned out, it wasn’t an issue, since it was functioning for part of the race.)

Things weren’t looking good for the Roosters. Clem and I had both been dropped from the front group, with only team captain Antoine surviving. And the Vikings still had 3 riders in the front pack!

Just after the Pot Bank Climb I was swallowed by a pack of ~12 riders which included teammate Clem as well as one Viking. This was the chase group. We had a front pack of 9 that would lose a few riders as the race went on. And it would be our goal to catch those riders and hopefully bump our finishing positions up a bit.

Lap 3 was uneventful enough. Hammer the climbs, rest on the descents. As much as we wanted to take it easy, we could see riders dropping from the front group, and we wanted to catch them.

A slew of anvils to start the final lap

On Discord we could hear that Antoine was still holding his own in the front group. (He was riding like a man possessed after last week’s race where he fell off the front pack because he was distracted by his phone.)

Teammates Dejan, Ally, and Brett were somewhere behind, all fighting their own battles. But we all knew that every point matters, so we were working to set ourselves up for the best finish possible after grabbing as many intermediate points as we could in that first lap.

Dropped Again

Up Pot Bank I again found myself in the front of the group, just long enough to recon what was going on up the road. I was in 10th in the front of my chase group. Two riders were dropped from the front group, including one Viking – but our group wouldn’t be able to catch them unless they totally blew up.

In the spirit of grabbing every point possible, I was crunching numbers in my sugar-starved brain. I knew 10th place got more points than 11-15th. Could I finish in the front of this group? If not, I at least needed to finish better than 16th.

But just as I was thinking all this, three riders attacked on the final stretch of the Pot Bank Climb. One TBR rider and two Stages riders (although one didn’t have his team name in his profile – bad form, sir.) I couldn’t grab their wheels. Curses. That was 10th place riding away! Seven riders left in my group, representing places 14-20th.

My finishing pack, with four riders just up the road

The Finish

Then on the final climb (Otley Road), the two BBR riders in my group attacked hard. I had to go to the dark side to catch. Absolute suffering. I only grabbed on because Monica was jumping up and down and yelling, “Go! Go! Go! You’re catching them! Almost there!”

A short recovery on the descent, and we braced ourselves for the final sprint to the line. Who would finish in those coveted 14th-15th slots, getting 1 more point than the rest? We turned a sharp left, one rider began sprinting, and we all went for it. I gave it all I had, and somehow beat the pack to the line, finishing 14th.

See my ride on Zwift.com >
See my activity on Strava >
See race results on ZwiftPower >

Watch Full Race Recording

Team Result

The Roosters were uncharacteristically quiet on Discord as the race finished. We had all given our best efforts, but with Vikings outnumbering us 3 to 1 in the front pack, we didn’t hold out much hope for a win.

But once again, we were surprised. When the results were posted they showed us winning by one point. The slimmest of margins.

Especially big kudos to team captain Antoine, who redeemed himself this week with a 5th place finish in a very select front group. And to Clem, who grabbed big intermediate points.

Takeaways

This race, more than any other I’ve done in ZRL, underscored how these events are team efforts. We like to focus on the strongest riders, the front group, the ones who make it over the line first. But in today’s race, literally every single point mattered. Luckily for us, the Vikings only had 5 riders finish… otherwise, the win would have been theirs.

Could I have raced it any better? The only spot I see where I could have improved is when the group of 4 attacked on the end of Pot Bank on the final lap. If I had followed that attack, I may have been able to get 3 extra finishing points, if I was also able to outsprint the pack for the win.

But hindsight is 20/20. Every bike race is full of judgment calls where you have to quickly decide if an attack is worth following or not. In this case, I didn’t make the right call. Fair play to the four who got away!

Lastly: I just want to say I still hate racing Yorkshire. It’s essentially VO2 repeats, which aren’t my strong point anyway. And it’s just a suffer-filled painfest. Every. Time.

Your Thoughts

Did you race this week’s murderous course? How did it go for you and your team? Share below!

Zwift Running League Season 3 Announced, Starting November 12 2021

Eric Schlange
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1
Zwift Running League Season 3 Announced, Starting November 12 2021

Our friends at WTRL have just announced season 3 of Zwift Running League which lasts 6 weeks and starts on Friday, November 12, 2021. Here are the details…

Event Types Explained

The Zwift Running League is a team-based running event.  There are two types of events that alternate each week:

  • Points Race: based on the Cross Country format, this is a simple race where the higher you finish, the lower the points you earn.  For example, finish 1st, you get one point.  Your team’s top 3 finishers earn points, and the winning team is the one with the lowest points.  To participate, you’ll need 3-4 runners. Distances for this race vary between 4.4km and 9km.
  • Relay Race: this race requires 3 runners. Everyone waits in the pen at the start, runner 1 starts and runs 2km, once they have completed their distance, runner 2 goes, then finally runner 3. You can’t start your leg until your teammate has finished their leg and any false starts will result in a 20-second penalty. The team’s overall time is calculated when the final runner crosses the finish line. The key to this race is communicating with your team member once you have completed your 2km distance. This can be done in various ways such as using Discord or simply messaging them to say “Start”.

Is this Competitive?

The event is competitive and caters to all abilities, since you only race people near your own abilities.

The way this is done is that you select what “City Class” you enter, based on your running speed.

 ClassAverage Minutes per MILE
based on 3.2 miles		 Average Minutes per KILOMETER
based on 5 kilometers
14:00 – 5:292:30 – 3:25
25:30 – 6:293:26 – 4:02
36:30 – 7:294:03 – 4:39
47:30 -8:444:40- 5:25
58:45- 10:005:26- 6:12

Teams will consist of 3 runners for Team Relay Races and 3 to 4 for the Points Races.  Once you established your Team’s ability, you select the relevant City event category to enter, meaning you are competing against teams of your own level.

The “City Class” you enter is dependent upon the ability of the runners in your team, based on their Class.  

CityTeam Make-up
Atlanta3 Runners x Class 1 (but can include other classes)
Helsinki1 Runner x Class 1 – 2/3 x Class 2, 3, 4, 5
Munich1 Runner x Class 2 – 2/3 x Class 3, 4, 5
Rome1 Runner x Class 3 – 2/3 x Class 4, 5
Sydney1 Runner x Class 4 – 2/3 x Class 5

Examples how this works:

  • If you had 3 quick runners that can average 4 to 5.30 minute miles, you enter Atlanta.
  • If your team consists of 1 quick runner of Class 1, but then 2 runners of Class 2, you enter Munich.

Winners

Both individual and team winners will be crowned:

  • Team Results and Leagues (collective/average time, points etc by CITY CLASS)
  • Individual Leagues & Results (times, points etc by AGE GROUP and CLASS)

Important Detail

The league that you join has a designated event time. If you do not compete in that designated event, you will not receive a result.

How to participate

You need to register your team at wtrl.racing/zwift-running-league/#registration

To race, you need to be connected to Zwift, and this can be done with a Smart treadmill.

If you don’t have a Smart treadmill, there are other solutions. You can attach the NPE Runn™ treadmill sensor to almost any treadmill that transmits the belt’s speed in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).  It is available in the Zwift Shop.

If you don’t have a treadmill and still want to participate, one way to do this is via attaching a stride sensor to one of your shoes and run outside, with your device.  The two most economically-priced options that work are:

Running outside with your device comes with risks, so we would advise against this option.  You have to physically check your phone (which must be actively running Zwift) while running, and it is quite challenging. Basically, a treadmill is the best way to participate.      

Got Questions?

Check out the WTRL Zwift Duathlon & Running Leagues Facebook group. You can post questions there, or inquire if you’re looking to join a team.

Wrapping It Up

With an ever-increasing number of running events appearing on Zwift, it may just be time to start shopping around for a treadmill if you don’t already have one! Just as Zwift cycling has enabled people to compete around the world, Zwift running is bringing people together to compete from all corners of the globe. If you’re a runner, join this league for the most competitive running experience available on Zwift!

Learn more at wtrl.racing/zwift-running-league/

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Amanda Coker Becomes First Woman in History to Break 500 miles in 24 hours

Eric Schlange
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12
Amanda Coker Becomes First Woman in History to Break 500 miles in 24 hours

Amanda Coker Becomes First Woman in History to Break 500 miles in 24 hours

Editor’s note: I first met Amanda Coker on Zwift when I happened to join Team Twenty24’s “Road to Tokyo” ride early one California morning. I joined because it was an easy pace and a nice fit for my schedule, but I’ve returned to the ride over and over again because it’s such a fun group – always positive and encouraging, with plenty of lighthearted banter thrown in. Rider leader Amanda Coker sets the tone for the group week in and week out.

When Amanda recently shared that she would be attempting to break the women’s world record for distance in a 24-hour open road ride, I knew she would do it. Why? Because she’s no stranger to endurance world records. She’s a legend, in fact.

Prior to this 24-hour attempt, Amanda was already a 6x Guinness Record Holder:

  • World Record Holder – 8,012 miles ridden in 30 days – 276 miles per day
  • World Record Holder – 86,573.2 miles ridden in a year – Fastest Woman
  • World Record Holder – 86,573.2 miles ridden in a year – Fastest Overall
  • World Record Holder – 100,000 miles ridden in 423 days – Fastest Woman
  • World Record Holder – 100,000 miles ridden in 423 days – Fastest Overall
  • World Record Holder – Florida 500 – 533 miles in 27:27 hours 

Amanda rides for the women’s pro team Twenty24, and has her own coaching business. She knows a thing or two about riding a bike, so I’ll let her tell you the story of her 24-hour attempt…

After months of planning, training, prep work, and research, my dream to be the first woman in history to break 500 miles in 24 hours came true! 

Before I go on I would just like to thank my amazing crew/officials, Donna (mom), Ricky (dad), Allan, Chris, Dan, Jason, and Sonya for being there for me for every single mile! It definitely takes a village to make breaking multiple world records a success, and I’ll forever be thankful for having each of them there to keep me rolling, and for catching me at the finish line. 

The course I selected (which was surveyed and verified to be used for my open road record attempt by the WUCA [World Ultra Cycling Association] records chairman), is 28.39 miles on an out and back open road. It was nice finding this strip of road, not only because it was close to my home/convenient location for my crew, but also for visibility (no sharp turns/blindspots), as well as a nice sized area on the right side of the white line to ride in. With that said, the notorious Florida winds (Florida hills) were ever so present, even through the night time the crosswinds were constant, regardless of the North/South direction. Thank goodness I was riding my new FELT IA, this bike was designed to take on crosswinds, which made it much more tolerable! 

In accordance with WUCA rules, I had a follow vehicle keeping an eye on me all throughout the 24 hours, with flashing rear caution lights and signage. Very glad I had such great follow vehicle drivers because traffic flowed over 60mph on this strip of road! To ensure my record was up to par and within all WUCA rules I had several WUCA officials present, monitoring the entire attempt, verifying every mile/minute. 

My Felt IA, ready to go

Standing atop the hill at the Start/Finish line with my crew, giving everyone final high fives and hugs, I took my last deep breath and hit the start button on my Wahoo. At 8:15am, my 24 hour record attempt began. There’s an indescribable feeling pushing off the ground, clipping in, knowing the next 24 hours are going to be emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing. With numbers locked in my head, I was fully focused the entire time. The first twelve hours flew by so quickly, surpassing the 100K world record in 2:42:33, 100 mile record in 4:19:40, the 6 hour record with 138 miles, 300K record in 8:06:35, 200 mile record in 8:42:37, 300 mile record in 13:17:00, and the 12 hour record with 272 miles. I concentrated on settling into a smooth and steady rhythm, focusing on getting calories in early and keeping my caffeine levels even. During the day I had one headphone in listening to music, which is allowed within WUCA rules, and I could hear all the notification dings from my friends, family, teammates, athletes, sponsors, and followers. Even though I couldn’t see the messages it definitely helped boost my drive just hearing them! 

My crew kept me fueled efficiently, handing off bottles by running beside me at full-on sprint pace! Major kudos to them for turning into Olympic sprinters for the day. I personally like to use a liquid-only diet during any race, to get quick absorption and for any off chance I feel sick (which I never did), throwing up fluid is a lot less disgusting than solid food.

As the hours and miles ticked by, the sun set and it was time for 12 hours of darkness. Personally I like riding in the dark, especially during an ultra race. There’s just something unique about riding with only a light guiding your way, it makes you feel like you’re flying on the bike. 13 hours and 17 minutes in I surpassed the 300K world record, and less than a half an hour later surpassed the 300 mile world record. Having several records within the 24 hours to shoot for absolutely helped me stay focused.

After 342 miles, I figured it was about time to pull into the pit for a quick bathroom stop. Being out in the Wilderness Preserve, there were no bathrooms here, so I used a small camping shower tent and a portable potty bucket. A quick 8 minute stop and I was back on the bike. My crew were phenomenal in that short break; swapping out fresh bottles, checking tire pressure, checking portable chargers, helping me clean up and giving me supplies to reapply, not to mention my follow vehicle driver, crew member, and the official in the car getting a chance to take a quick stretch break! It was like a NASCAR pit stop, many cogs turning. 

Getting back on the bike with 9 hours left to go, it was all mental from that point on. Physically I felt good, typical muscle soreness, but that is expected with such distance and being in the same position for a long period of time. I never once felt the urge to quit, going into this 24 hour world record, I put a lot of time into the pain cave while training. I’m sure many of you at Flatwoods saw me after a ride looking completely drained! Personally I believe if you train harder than you expect to race, your performance will be even better than you planned. All about getting out of your comfort zone and pushing your limits! 

During the early morning hours, the deer were out all along the road, so my follow vehicle and I had to be on high alert. There was one particular stag that stood in the same spot on the course every time I came by, which became my indication I had 4 miles to the Start/Finish. As with my previous world records set riding at Flatwoods, I never get tired of “loops”. The consistency and lack of having to worry about multiple turns, different road conditions, stops, etc eliminates the extra mental focus that should be used to stay in tune with just riding. One of the best parts of doing a record on a “loop” is getting to ride by your crew, family, and friends often! Talk about a burst of energy that overcomes you, “inspiration may be contagious”, but there’s something powerful when your friends are jumping up and down dancing and cheering!

With less than three hours to go my front light was growing dim, so I made a quick pit stop to swap out lights. It was truly a NASCAR like roll through this time around, a speedy stop before I clipped back in and was off to close in on breaking the 500 mile barrier! Surpassing the 29 year old 24 hour record of 439 miles was a wonderful feeling, a lifetime since the record was set! Nearing the 500 mile barrier my excitement grew as every mile ticked closer. Getting ready to make history as the first woman to ever break 500 miles in 24 hours is a feeling I have difficulty explaining and still haven’t fully digested! The moment I rolled over 500 miles, my Dad was driving the follow vehicle, Chris was my Crew Chief in the passenger seat, and Dan was the official on duty in the back. That moment was so special, Chris got a video of me celebrating and with that exclamation of excitement and elation, I dumped all my adrenaline. It was quite the moment, the sun was rising, the air was cool, and I could hear my voice echo all across the road. 

The next 14 miles were merely about pedaling back to the Start/Finish line, emotions overflowing me, focused on adding what I could with the time left before the timer hit 24 hours. Coming up on the Start/Finish hill I could hear my crew and friends yelling and cheering. What a moment. I had enough time to go a few more miles past the start line. Holding my breath as I pressed the Save button on my Wahoo, it was official, the 24 hour barrier had been broken! Turning around I made it back up to where everyone was and I was so happy to have them grab me as I unclipped and fell into my Mom’s arms. My body was so tired that I couldn’t lift my leg over to dismount, so they had to remove my Felt seat post, and guide the bike away.

I knew I would cry, so the tears flowed as everyone surrounded me in a huge group hug. Everyone’s emotions were in full force, the teamwork to accomplish this feat was spectacular and to stand there holding onto everyone was the best moment of the day. This was the moment we all worked so hard for. WE DID IT! 

As of right now my 11 new world records are being certified by the WUCA records chairman and will soon become Guinness World Records. (Editor’s note: they’ve now been certified. See the official report.)

I would like to thank all of my sponsors, especially my Twenty24 Women’s Pro Cycling Team owner, Nicola Cranmer, for taking a chance on me in 2018 and adding me to your squad. Thanks to all of my teammates who cheered me all day and night! Looking forward to continuing to make you proud! Zwift, Felt Bicycles, Zipp, SRAM, Le Col, Limar, Speedplay, Wahoo, Arundel, Sock Guy, Kenda Tires, Camelbak, Oakley, AMP PR Lotion.

– Amanda Coker

New Records

Amanda’s World Record accomplishments on Friday, October 22nd, 2021:

  1. 100K – 2:42:33
  2. 100 Miles – 4:19:40
  3. 200K – 5:23:10
  4. 300K – 8:06:35
  5. 200 Miles – 8:42:37 
  6. 300 Miles – 13:17:00
  7. 500K – 13:45:30
  8. 500 Miles – 23:13:45
  9. 6 Hours – 138 miles
  10. 12 Hours – 272 miles
  11. 24 Hours – 512.52 miles

Maybe it’s time for her to target a Zwift 24-hour World Record?

Amanda’s Training on Zwift

Amanda Coker

I asked Amanda how Zwift helped her train for her successful 24-hour WR attempt. She said, “…on Zwift you have to keep a constant power output, unless when descending, which conditioned me to be used to pedaling for the entirety of all my workouts. Also, Erg mode on Zwift is unforgiving, always pushing you to exceed your comfort zones, which is what is needed when going for 24 hours! Zwift was my go-to on days here in Florida where the weather was horrible. I would have missed significant training days had it not been for Zwift!”

Join Amanda’s Weekly Zwift Ride – The Road To Tokyo

This Thursday Amanda will once again be leading the team’s ride at 6am Pacific, 9am Eastern. It’s 60 minutes at a casual 1.8-2.2 pace. Come ask Amanda questions!

Sign up at https://www.zwift.com/events/view/2382970

Advice For Zwift Academy Tri Workouts 5 and 6 With Dan Plews (Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast)

Eric Schlange
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0
Advice For Zwift Academy Tri Workouts 5 and 6 With Dan Plews (Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast)

In this episode, Matt Lieto and Dan Plews take a look at the third set of run and cycling workouts for the Zwift Academy Tri program and offer their advice on how to tackle them.

About the Podcast

The Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast is hosted by former pro triathlete Matt Lieto and Zwift Academy Tri mentor Sarah True. Both are passionate about lending their in-depth knowledge of the multisport to the Zwift Tri audience.

Just Announced: WEDU Wednesday with Lance Armstrong

Tim Perkin
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66
Just Announced: WEDU Wednesday with Lance Armstrong

Just Announced: WEDU Wednesday with Lance Armstrong

Here at Zwift Insider, we find out about events in all sorts of ways. There are the official Zwift channels, then there are the unofficial channels where we get emails, text messages, or see a tweet inviting us to an interesting event. And this morning, I got one such message that piqued my interest!

Lance Armstrong tweeted that he’ll be leading his first group ride on Zwift on Wednesday 3rd November at 5pm CET (9am PDT, noon EDT) and he will also be on Discord for the ride, so you can chat with him via voice.

See ZwiftHacks for event details and Discord link

This is a weekly ride, so if you miss the first one, there’s always next Wednesday.

Ride Details

The ride is called “WEDU Wednesday”. Here are the details:

Finish the ride and unlock the new in-game WEDŪ kit (below).

At the time of writing, there are already 663 people signed up, so it may get interesting on Discord…

Lance on Zwift

Armstrong is a newbie on Zwift, having ridden 133 of his 141 total all-time Zwift kilometers in the last 30 days.

He even tackled the Alpe – although he didn’t finish it. And he already has a number of followers. It’s nice to see that, by and large, the comments posted by the community are welcoming. 

I’ve reached out for an interview as I would be keen to hear what he has to say about Zwift and his introduction to the platform.

What is WEDU?

I’ll have to confess, I didn’t know what WEDU was. So I did my research and concluded that WEDU (a play on “we do”) does a lot of things from hosting events to producing podcasts and selling sporting attire. 

WEDU was founded by Lance Armstrong. The homepage says:

WEDŪ is a community of endurance athletes united around the belief that the true path forward is forged by breakthroughs of body and mind. We are creators of content that expands this intrepid life and fuels the human spirit.

Speed Tests: 4-Rider Drafting (TTT) with Pack Dynamics 3.0

Eric Schlange
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33
Speed Tests: 4-Rider Drafting (TTT) with Pack Dynamics 3.0

UPDATE: the test results below are now outdated, due to Zwift modifying their Pack Dynamics. See the latest version of these tests for accurate data.

Our original TTT speed test post from 2020 gave team time trial riders some very welcome guidance about how to most efficiently ride their races. Then last week, Zwift began rolling out “Pack Dynamics 3.0” (PD3) – an updated version of the code which controls how riders’ avatars interact with each other on Zwift’s virtual roads. This includes difficult-to-get-perfect issues like avoiding rider collisions, having realistic spacing between riders in a pack, and deciding how “sticky” the draft is.

PD3 is currently live throughout Watopia, London, and Makuri Islands worlds. So we figured it was time to revisit 2020’s TTT test on Tempus Fugit to determine if and how PD3 may change the game for TTT racers.

Test Goals

These follow-up tests set out to answer three questions:

  1. Has the benefit of drafting changed with PD3?
  2. Is it still possible to hold a single-file traditional TTT formation in PD3, where the stickiness of the draft has been reduced?
  3. Has anything changed which would affect the speed of a “churning” group?

Test Parameters and Methodology

All of the test riders were set to 183cm height, 75kg weight, and rode Zwift Carbon bikes with 32mm Zwift wheels.

Tests were done in Meetup-Only View on Watopia’s Tempus Fugit route because it’s the flattest on Zwift, and it has a timed section (Fuego Flats Reverse, 4.4 miles long) which could be used to precisely measure the speeds of each test formation.

All of the tests were done with four riders.

Tests and Results

Test 1: the Churn

For our first test, we put all riders at the same 300W power setting. This resulted in a churning group of riders where one rider would surge from being in the draft near the back to being in the wind at the front, then dropping back to do it all over again. This “washing machine effect” is what you see at the front of many Zwift races. Our question was – has PD3 resulted in a change in the speed of a churning pack?

  • All riders @ 300W
    Segment time 10:13.4
    Speed: 41.46 kph (25.76 mph)

Notes:

  • Segment time was 1.4s faster than our original test from 2020. So just slightly faster (it works out to 120 meters further over an hour).

Test 2: Single File @300W

The second test had the lead rider holding 300W, with the other three riders in single file behind, holding the minimum wattage possible to stay in formation. This is what you would see in an outdoor team time trial:

  • Rider 1 @ 300W, Rider 2 @248W, Rider 3 @ 225W, Rider 4 @ 212W
    Segment time: 10:36.98
    Speed: 39.9 kph (24.79 mph)

Notes:

  • The “minimum wattages” stated for riders 2-4 on this test and other tests below should be considered approximations, as it is impossible to figure out the precise wattage required to hold formation due to Zwift’s dynamic physics engine and very small undulations in terrain, even on Fuego Flats.
  • Riders received power savings of 17%, 25%, and 29%. As expected, the further back you are, the bigger the draft effect. But what we did not expect was that the draft savings has decreased somewhat in PD3. Our 2020 test showed a saving so of 23%, 32%, and 34% for the same three riders.
  • In a TTT situation with all riders taking equal pulls on the front at these wattages, each rider would average 246W. This is an increase from our 2020 test which showed an average of 234W.
  • Test 2’s segment time was 23.6 seconds slower than Test 1’s, despite riders holding no higher than 300W in both tests. This may seem odd at first, but it’s a result of the “churn”, riders are speeding up while in the draft, then shooting ahead into the wind, only to be slowed and have another rider shoot past them. This little speed boost accounts for a significant time difference, as we see here!
  • Our 2020 test was 11.7 seconds slower, but with a lower overall average power. It’s hard to determine what exactly has changed between the pack dynamics of 2020 and PD3 to account for this time difference, but Zwift has said that the draft effect hasn’t changed. We do know that the stickiness of the draft has certainly changed, with PD3 being much less sticky. Perhaps the sticky draft actually let us stay on a wheel with a bit less power?
  • It’s worth noting here that we did a solo rider test at 300W steady, because we were curious if there was any advantage to the front rider if there were riders behind. There is not. Our solo rider turned in the same time as this 4-rider group.

Test 3: Single File @350W

This test is similar to Test 2, except we bumped up the front rider’s wattage to 350W to make sure the group would be faster than the churning pack in Test 1.

  • Rider 1 @ 350W, Rider 2 @297W, Rider 3 @ 270W, Rider 4 @ 241W
    Segment time: 10:02.73
    Speed: 42.15 kph (26.19 mph)

Notes:

  • 1.5 seconds slower than the 2020 test
  • Riders received power savings of 15%, 23%, and 31% (2nd, 3rd, and 4th rider respectively). Our test from 2020 showed a savings of 23%, 30%, and 33%.
  • In a TTT situation with all riders taking equal pulls on the front at these wattages, each rider would average 290W. This is, not surprisingly, a bit higher than 2020’s result of 275W. This is crucial to understand: that even with Zwift’s “speed churning” from test 1, the four riders in this test significantly beat test 1’s time by riding efficiently in single file formation at a lower average wattage.
  • That said, the difference between Test 1’s time and Test 3’s time is a bit smaller with PD3, even though the average power has increased by 15W for this test. So there’s definitely more power required to reach the same speeds in a single file TTT format with PD3.

Test 4: Single File @400W

This test was very similar to Tests 2 and 3, we just bumped the front rider up to 400W.

  • Rider 1 @ 400W, Rider 2 @323W, Rider 3 @ 297W, Rider 4 @ 283W
    Segment time: 9:33.93
    Speed: 44.28 kph (27.51 mph)

Notes:

  • 2 seconds slower than the 2020 test
  • Riders received power savings of 19%, 26%, and 29% (2nd, 3rd, and 4th rider respectively). Again, less savings than 2020, where we saw a savings of 23.5%, 31%, and 35%.
  • In a TTT situation with all riders taking equal pulls on the front at these wattages, each rider would average 326W. So just like Test 3, the average power is 15W higher than our 2020 test.

Test 5: Hybrid

For our final test we wanted to look at a strategy that many TTT teams use, wherein there is one designated rider in front, and the riders behind simply churn in the front rider’s draft. This reduces the hassle of trying to maintain single-file positioning, while receiving some of the benefits. But how does it impact efficiency?

  • Rider 1 @ 400W, Riders 2, 3, and 4 at @313W steady
    Segment time: 9:33.52
    Speed: 44.28 kph (27.51 mph)

Notes:

  • 2 seconds slower than the 2020 test
  • In a TTT situation with all riders taking equal pulls on the front, each rider would average 335W. So not as efficient as single-file riding (average wattage is 9W higher than the single file test). But a much easier formation to hold!

Conclusions

Let’s answer the three questions we stated at the top of the page:

Has the benefit of drafting changed with PD3?

While Zwift says the draft “shadow” put out behind riders hasn’t changed with PD3, something has made it less efficient to ride in a single-file TTT formation with PD3. Our guess is that the reduced stickiness of the draft makes it a bit more challenging to hold a wheel in PD3.

Is it still possible to hold a single-file traditional TTT formation in PD3, where the stickiness of the draft has been reduced?

It is possible. But it’s harder to do. PD3 feels like there’s almost no stickiness at all, so holding the wheel of another rider (whose power is also fluctuating, like yours) is even more challenging now than it was previously. TTT racers: consider yourselves warned.

Has anything changed which would affect the speed of a “churning” group?

With our test 1 time being only 1.4 seconds faster than the same 2020 test, clearly nothing has changed that significantly impacts the speed of a churning group.

Single File or Hybrid Formation?

While single file is still the most efficient TTT formation on Zwift (and IRL), it’s made much more difficult by the lack of draft stickiness in PD3.

We predict that more TTT teams will begin using a “looser” hybrid formation (1-2 lead riders with everyone else churning in the group behind) rather than single file in upcoming events. This is the logical result of the increased difficulty of maintaining a single file formation and the reduced advantages of doing so.

Your Comments

Got comments or questions? Share below!

2021 ZA Road Finalists Announced (World of Zwift #49)

Eric Schlange
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0
2021 ZA Road Finalists Announced (World of Zwift #49)

The latest episode of WoZ is out, covering all things great and beautiful in our favorite virtual world.

In this episode, host OJ Borg brings us:

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