Coached Bike Training: Getting Started

Last year (2018) was my fourth year of what I would call “serious cycling.” And like many 3-5 year cyclists, I found myself searching for motivation in my training.

In my first few years of riding the gains were steady and noticeable, with Strava PRs popping regularly and a steadily-increasing ability to hang with stronger local riders. But around the middle of my third season and into my fourth I didn’t see the same gains.

This is to be expected, of course: I had reached the point in my training where doing what I had always done wasn’t going to be good enough. The problem was, I wasn’t sure what to do next.

My training wasn’t helped by me deciding to set aside outdoor crit racing last year. It just wasn’t worth it for me: the 4 hours of driving, the entry fees, and most of all knowing that eventually some idiot was going to crash and take me out with him. I decided the bulk of my racing would be done on Zwift, with perhaps an occasional outdoor road race thrown in.

New Year, Who Dis?

I came into 2019 with that backstory, but I didn’t want to coast through another year of riding. I wanted to see real gains, to achieve new things, and to perform better in whatever races I was doing.

On top of this, I discovered some losses I needed target: specifically my body fat. I hadn’t measured body fat percentage for a year or more, but when I did so in January 2019 I was surprised to see I was moving toward what I would call “skinny fat.” My body fat had been between 12-15% a year earlier, and even though I hadn’t gained weight it was now at 18-18.5%. How did that happen?

I’ll tell you how: I’m stronger than ever, but through many hours of cycling my body has become remarkably efficient at processing and using energy. I simply don’t need the calories I used to need, but my diet hasn’t changed to reflect this new truth.

So I decided in early January that I would find a coach who could help me progress in my cycling fitness while also advising me on diet/nutrition concerns.

Meet Shayne Gaffney

Shayne is the head coach at GC Coaching, LLC. He holds a bachelors degree in Health Science in Professional Development and Advanced Patient Care, is a licensed physical therapy assistant in Massachusetts, a USA Cycling Level 1 (expert level) certified Coach, a USA Cycling Power Based Training certified Coach, and a Precision Nutrition Level 1 certified Coach… among other things.

He’s also created workout content for Zwift HQ , including the “Build Me Up” Flexible Training Plan and more training plans/workouts soon to come.

I had been communicating with Shayne Gaffney on various Zwift/coaching related topics for over a year, and I had always been impressed with his ability to articulate concepts. He seemed like a detail-oriented guy, plus I knew he was very familiar with Zwift and had a strong knowledge of nutrition. It seemed like a natural fit, so I reached out to Shayne and before I knew it we were on a “new client” call and getting ready for my first training block.

Setting Goals

In my initial talks with Shayne we discussed goals. I explained what I was shooting for:

• Lose some body fat–get back to the 12-15% range
• Perform better in competitive rides on Zwift and outdoors (including our local Tuesday Night worlds)
• Be in peak shape for a fondo I have planned in Girona in June
• Regularly see data that shows me getting stronger (I like numbers)

After agreeing on a coaching plan and start date Shayne took a look at my training history and came back with this (I’ve added my comments):

Hey Eric – Just looking over your data for the past year and wanted to share some interesting things with you.

1. Too much Zone 1 / 2 training time for being slightly time-crunched. Like we spoke on the phone, ideally for aerobic capacity increases on a time-crunch, you should be maximizing time in Z4/5.
   This wasn’t particularly surprising to me–I had been doing a lot of Z2 fasted riding on Zwift in the last few months. I knew it wasn’t doing much for my fitness, but I enjoyed riding and figured it was probably burning fat nicely.
2. Your CTL (fitness) has been in a plateau since November… 
   I hadn’t changed much up since November, that’s for sure. Riding almost exclusively on Zwift, a couple of races per week, a long ride on Saturday, and fairly easy efforts apart from that.
3. Anaerobic POWER is your biggest weakness currently. Capacity is the size of the engine, versus power is the amount of energy it can deliver in a set time frame. Your anaerobic capacity is decent, but your ability to hold that power for >30 seconds is not. Something we’ll work on indoors for sure.
   I definitely struggle with responding to repeated attacks in races and holding high power for 1-2 minutes. My ZwiftPower ratings for 1-minute power confirm this as my weakest area. So I’m excited about working to improve here!
4. Your sprint is excellent which shows a well developed creatine-phosphate system (0-15 seconds) #sprintapalooza. However, as 1 of the 3 metabolic systems becomes stronger, the other 2 tend to become weaker. So, we may have to sacrifice a bit of that sprint to improve your anaerobic and aerobic capacities.
   I’ve always had a strong sprint, so this didn’t surprise me either. My problem is hanging with the front group until the final sprint!

Here are some images Shayne sent over after his initial review of my data:

Given those findings, Shayne summarized our training goals:

In a nutshell, we need to cut out the ‘junk’ miles at Z1 and increase the time spent at Z4/5 (SST / VO2 Max), as well as increase your ability to sustain your anaerobic metabolic system production. However, you’ll still have some fun and ‘loose’ rides in the DIRT rides + weekends.

So that’s the plan. As I write this I’ve already completed my first 4-week training block, and the gains we’re seeing are solid so I’m excited.

Coming Next

Over the coming months, I’ll be posting updates on my progress, with another post coming in the next week or two now that I’ve wrapped up my first training block. Follow those posts to learn about the workouts and nutritional advice coach Shayne has been giving me to help me reach my goals.

Along the way you and I will both learn a whole lot about training and nutrition–it’s all such fascinating science, and while I’ve known the basics for quite a while there is nothing like digging in and doing it yourself.

Recommended Reading

Looking to learn more about the art and science of training as a cyclist in today’s time-crunched, power meter driven world? Here are three highly recommended books (support this site by purchasing through these links):

Chime In

Got questions, comments, or inspiration for me? Post below!

The Peak Form Project 3: Working Hard and Hoping

To the outside observer it might seem that if someone actually has the will, desire and the requisite pinch of insanity to take on a 1200km bike race, that should be sufficient to earn an entry. How could an event of such grueling proportions afford to turn away participants? How many people could actually be beating down the door to toe the line in Paris for the longest ride anyone has ever heard of? The answers are surprising and show the true stature of the Paris Brest Paris. The Brevet is only run every four years and entries come at a premium demand. Due to logistics, there are limited fields in each “time-goal-group” meaning that a rider may be forced to ride for an 84-hour cutoff instead of the base 90-hour cutoff if slots fill up.

A prospective rider like Peak Form athlete Connie Swinson must deal with the anxious and uncertain entry process while still undertaking full-on preparation and completing the 200, 300, 400 and 600km qualifying events. The nature of the process meant that even as we put in week after week of hard training and knocked off events we weren’t even sure if PBP would even happen for Connie or if she might be fighting a much harder battle with the time limit. It is a true testament to Connie’s work ethic that she kept putting in the hard yards despite this uncertainty. We would just have to wait and see how the pre-registration numbers played out on the Feb 24th selection date.

Continued Progress

Watching the wattage increase workout after workout and the average speeds of long rides creep up, I gained confidence that Connie could do the job in Paris even if she had only 84 hours to do it. Since Connie’s successful outing at her 200km qualifier we began to shift from fundamental strength and cadence work to a more tempo/sweetspot-themed block of training.

The general focus in this period is to push Connie’s aerobic capacity and FTP up “from below” with lots of zone 2 and 3 work. This type of work is going to be a centerpiece all the way until the event in August because it is very specific to the PBP goal. Connie will need to be able to ride steady and strong between 50-80% of her FTP on the hilly parcours (uphill efforts are somewhat exaggerated on a recumbent) without breaking down or depleting glycogen too rapidly. This block is meant to be the jump-start to a long adaptation process to raise Connie’s “all day pace.”

In this period I aimed to include many different styles of Z3-centered session while still including some peak power and variation as mentioned in the last article. For an older athlete especially, doing sprints and accelerations is key to preserve a well-rounded power profile through the aging process.

Connie seems to be thriving on this type of work both physically and mentally. Pushing it to the limit once in awhile in training with a workout goal in mind can be a rush and gives you an opportunity to build toughness and resilience. Connie may not be doing any sprinting in PBP but she can sure use those two qualities in a large supply.

What I’ve Learned: Recumbent Riders are Cyclists Like the Rest of Us

I am truly blown away by the progress Connie and I have made so far in terms of all-around fitness–no hyperbole required. The main takeaway so far is that riding a recumbent is an aerobic endurance sport just like all road cycling is. Connie uses different muscle firing patterns in her riding position but the adaptations are the same. This is a big relief to me as a coach and gives me some assurance that my usual methods will work for recumbent riders like Connie with some small tweaks. The Peak Form Coaching Recumbent Performance Division is open for business!

Another One Bites the Dust

As we began to scratch the surface on this newest training phase we met our biggest challenge yet: the 300km qualifier. Connie had only covered this distance once before and it represented a big step up from the 200km event mentally. The result was a resounding success. Connie conquered the course in personal record time and finished strong. Analyzing the file, she spent much of the effort at 28-29km/h, which is a full 4kmh faster than her base pace for long rides when we started in January. That kind of moving speed affords a comfortable margin for rest stops and mishaps in an event like PBP and is a sign that things are moving in the right direction.

We Are In!

After a little recovery block it is already time for the 400km this weekend, which is uncharted territory for Connie (and me!). From the 400km onwards, the events will stretch beyond the daylight hours and bring on the challenges of night riding. We have done some planning and for this and continued to refine pacing and nutrition plans for more hours in the saddle and thousands more calories burnt. I think the progression is there and we are right on track for another PR.

As we made final preparations, we got the news we wanted and Connie received a spot in the 90-hour group for Paris-Brest-Paris. All she needs to do now is complete the 400 and 600km qualifiers and show up in Paris in the form of her life. It isn’t quite a dream come true yet, but it means we have the puzzle pieces we need to put the dream together and make it a reality.

What is Off-Season? (Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast #1)

Note: this is the first episode of a new podcast from Zwift focused on trisports.

Joining Matt and Jordan is Linsey Corbin who will lend her expert knowledge on the topic of how to do off-season right. Matt, Jordan, and Linsey tackle the tough topic of knowing when to shut it off and give your body rest, but actually resting and not just posting about #offseason on social media.

About the Podcast:

The Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast is hosted by former pro triathletes Matt Lieto and Jordan Rapp, lending their in-depth knowledge of the multisport to the Zwift Tri audience.

Dear Zwift: I Need More Carrots!

I like to set goals. Then I like to crush them.

Does this resonate with anyone else? I know I’m not alone in this–that little shot of dopamine received every time we achieve something is a powerful thing.

Cycling is a wonderful sport for goal-setters because a variety of metrics are easily tracked. When I came back to cycling after an 18-year hiatus I quickly discovered Strava, and it changed everything. Now I could have what I already loved about cycling (fitness, friends, exploration) while tracking my progress against myself and other riders.

Likewise, my first season on Zwift was full of goals and achievements. I quick leveled up with my 150-mile weeks, finishing off the California, Italy, and Everest challenges. I didn’t unlock the Tron bike for a year, but by then I had unlocked just about everything: all the achievement badges, challenges, and levels in the game.

As of today there are two cycling badges I haven’t yet received:

• On Fire (Complete 25 Laps of the Volcano Circuit)
• Masochist (Climb Alpe du Zwift 25 times)

I had forgotten they even existed until I went looking as I researched this post. These were added without much fanfare after I had completed all the other badges, so I never gave them much thought. But now I’m figuring out how to get them done, too!

Current Carrots

Let’s talk for a moment about the carrots Zwift has already placed in the game. If you’ve been around Zwift for a while it’s easy to forget all the little badges and other achievements from your first season or two, but they are worth mentioning because there’s a lot that’s right about them.

Here’s a list of the various carrots Zwift currently dangles in front of us:

• XP: perhaps the most fundamental of carrots, XP still drives me to put in a few more pedal strokes and get that last little distance XP hit before I end my ride. Learn how XP works >
• Levels: driven by XP, that progress bar atop your screen is a good longer-term motivator. I’m at 46, and I rather dread the day I hit level 50 and it stops moving.
• Badges: a variety of achievements for everything from riding 10 miles to ascending the Alpe 25 times (click Menu>Badges to see yours)
• Missions: these temporary challenges typically last 2-4 weeks, with only one (and sometimes none) available at any given time. Example: the 10,000 Calorie Mission was available in January 2018.
• Challenges: Tour of Italy, Climb Mt. Everest, and Ride California (click Menu in game to choose one)
• Alpe du Zwift spinner: I’ve been to the top 6 times in the past week, and landed on the helmet every. single. time. I want those Meilensteins!
• Random Drawings: lots of events (like the ASSOS Speed Club series) enter you into a random drawing for real-world stuff if you finish.
• Kit unlocks for events: some virtual Zwift kits are unlocked by participating in just one event, while other unlocks require completion of multiple stages.
• In-Game Goals: Zwifters can set distance and time goals for their week and/or month via the Companion app.
• Zwift Academy: the annual Zwift academy events bring riders together to work out and compete. Finishing the Academy earns you an icon next to your name, as well as a virtual kit and (sometimes) other goodies. Of course, top riders get to move onto the semi-finals, etc.
• Virtual Store: this is coming soon, but will certainly provide added incentive to accumulate virtual currency to buy bikes, wheels, etc in game. I can’t wait!

All of these carrots help motivate new Zwifters to use the platform in a variety of ways, and that’s smart.

Even as a veteran Zwifter I’m still motivated by some of these carrots today, including the virtual kit unlocks for events. It’s a bit silly, really: multi-stage tours are fun for me even though I’ll probably never wear the kits I get for completing them. I imagine the kit is framed and mounted in my imaginary man cave, finding its place among various other achievements only I care about.

More Carrot Ideas

Ideas for additional carrots have been talked about in Zwift forums for quite a while. Here’s my list of favorite ideas, most of which are not original to me:

• Challenges: I like the California, Italy, and Everest Challenges. It’s motivating to see your progress towards the goal at the end of every ride, and I like that you can be working towards these long-term challenges while doing other missions or achievements in game. The only bummer is that there aren’t more challenges! I’d like to see many more available, such as:
  • LeTour: ride the distance of the first Tour de France (2,428 km/1,509 miles) and unlock an old-school steel single speed La Française with toe clips–the bike Maurice Garin used to win the first TdF. You could do challenges for the Vuelta and Giro as well.
  • RAAM: complete the Race Across America distance (approximately 3,000 miles). Unlock a touring bike complete with panniers.
• Missions: The temporary nature of missions is what makes them special: if you don’t finish them in time, you miss out! I’d like to see a new mission every month. Why not? There’s always something a partner wants to advertise, a prize people could win in a random drawing, a fitting challenge for that particular time of year. You could even have multiple challenges each month, but only let people pick one at a time.
• Achievement Badges: lots of options here, from the mundane to the straight-up crazy.
  • KOM King: take 5 KOMs (on a course that’s actually open, no world hacking you big cheater!) Additional unlocks for 10, 25, etc.
  • Speedy Sprinter: take 5 sprint jerseys (on a course that’s actually open) Additional unlocks for 10, 25, etc.
  • Racehorse: complete 50, 100, 200, etc races
  • Workout Warrior: complete 50, 100, 200, etc group workouts
  • Levelheaded Leader: unlock some special piece of clothing by leading at least 10 group rides. Award additional pieces of kit for leading 50, 100, 200 group rides.
  • 25 Trips To the Radio Tower: this is my most-hated stretch of road in game, so any incentive to tackle it is good for me.
  • Around the World (riding 40,074 km/24,901 miles): obviously this would take a while, but why not set it up?
  • 1 Ride, 1 Pizza (burn a large pizza’s worth of calories in one ride): at 300 calories per slice and 12 slices in a large that 3600 calories
  • World Traveler: unlock this achievement by completing a century in every Zwift map. Lose the badge when a new map is released! Perhaps have two levels of achievement: metric and imperial.
  • Prestige System: decorate jerseys with numbers or something that gives the rider more prestige. Maybe just for riders over level 50?
  • Lemming: complete 10 group rides where you stayed within 15 seconds of the ride leader throughout the ride. Use this to train the “zinners” who like to go off the front of every group ride (you know who you are!)
  • Explorer: get a badge for completing every route (including reverse!) in a world. Different badge for each world, and when a new route is released… you lose the badge. Zwift would need to tell you the badge is lost, though, so you know you need to ride the new route.
  • Superfan: follow 500 other Zwifters
  • ZwiftFamous: get 500 followers
  • Good Student: finish one of the training plans
• Kit Unlocks: give us more events that unlock limited-edition kits, and make it easier for us to find these events with search filters. It’s nearly impossible to do right now! Here’s the thing with kit unlocks, though: they have to be visible. Make it a distinctive jersey or hat.
• More Body Accessories: let us unlock jewelry, tattoos, crazy hairstyles… you get the picture.
• Levels: why not have more levels? I don’t personally care about this much today, but once I’m at level 50 for a week I know I’ll be wishing for 51.
• Real stuff: this year’s Tour de Zwift did this for the first time I can remember. After I completed the tour I received an email invite to purchase a TdZ prize box with special water bottles, stickers, etc. I like this idea. Perhaps Zwift could have some exclusive merch available only for certain levels?

Carrot Concerns

I’m sure HQ has talked about additional carrots numerous times. Some of the concerns I can imagine them having as they discuss new carrots would be:

• Legal Liability: you don’t want to get sued for offering a badge that encourages people to do something dangerous. (This is why Strava doesn’t alert you when your downhill KOMs are stolen.)
• Too Many Achievements: you don’t want so many different achievements that it gets confusing for new Zwifters, or you’re hitting so many achievements that the unlocks are distracting or no longer feel special.
• Developer/Artist Time: obviously, creating these carrots takes time, and time is money. Zwift has to balance this with other priorities.

With those concerns in mind, I still think it’s time for some new carrots.

What About You?

Do carrots encourage you to push harder? What do you think of my carrot ideas, and what would you add to my list?