Zwift Insider

First Official Zwift Running Event

News
Running

Rory Duckworth

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November 23, 2017

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First Official Zwift Running Event

Zwift continues to new features for runners on a regular basis, and recently hosted its first ever group run event.

Looking to join a group run? These events are available at zwift.com/events along with cycling group rides and races. You can also access them in the Zwift app in the upper right corner.

On November 18th, 2017 Zwift had their official first group run. The event was called “Run in the Park 5K” using a portion of the Volcano Flat route. 14 runners attended with 2 spectating.

Here are some comment from runners in the attendance from the first group run:

Kevin Spence- “Clearly has huge potential and really enjoyed the first official group event. In much the same way as the cycling helps you to keep pushing due to a little bit of competition the running works in much the same way.”
Russ Crowder- “I use to run competitive when I was in my teens. Running for Jersey. Then I became hooked on cycling. I Would not of started running again if it was not for Zwift. I am now loving running again and in the real world too. Was on holiday in France this Summer and ran everyday. all because of the Zwift effect!!”
Jon Hancock- “That was great.”
Jesper Rosenlund Nielsen- “It was fun to run with others in an organised event – it gives you someone to chase. In my opinion it also really does make a difference to be starting from the start pen, waiting for the beeps, and then go off. Besides that it is always cool to try the new things in Zwift. I am sure that we will eventually see run events with hundreds of runners in them.”
Martin Beastall- “Running on Zwift has been really fun. I’ve been using Zwift for just over a year now as a cyclist, but joining as a runner has given me the enjoyment and real sense of community that early Zwift cyclists on Jarvis Island must have had. Participating in the first official run, accompanied by Jon Mayfield (who was touchingly humble in expressing his worries that everything would work as planned as the countdown clock neared zero), felt like the culmination of months of genuine enthusiast participation.”
Jon Hancock- “It was great to see Jon Mayfield joined us along with all the regulars. The beacon I was given as run leader was a nice touch that I wasn’t expecting. The event was run in the same spirit as always with the group sticking together until the sprint point when I think a few max HR’s were reached.”
Jon Mayfield- “Having that first big group together really let me see the first real glimpses of how this will all turn out. So much fun. The following Monday I told more coworkers than I’d like to admit about my valiant sprint finish (which I lost).” (Jon was in attendance running even with a cold but he had to be there to try the new feature. He’s uploaded run on Strava here. Jon is a runner himself, so the future of running on Zwift looks bright. )

The Zwift Running community gathers on Facebook in the Zwift Runners group, so be sure to follow that page for more information as running develops on Zwift. #StrideOn!

Skating Phenom Named Men’s Zwift Academy Winner

News

Ian Murray

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November 22, 2017

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Skating Phenom Named Men’s Zwift Academy Winner

On 21 November, Team Dimension Data and Zwift announced that former New Zealand in-line skating sensation Ollie Jones won a one-year contract with the team’s development squad, Dimension Data for Qhubeka. Jones joins last year’s women’s academy winner Leah Thorvilson as the second Zwifter-turned-pro. Unlike Thorvilson, Jones will not be thrown into the World Tour quite yet, but he did get the opportunity to ride with some of the squad’s biggest names during the Zwift Academy tryouts.

Jones leading the field during an in-line skating competition – Facebook

Jones says he was stunned:

“To say this is a dream come true is the understatement of the year. It’s a life-changing experience and I still can’t believe it’s happening.”

Despite being an under-23 cyclist, Jones has already had quite a bit of success as an elite athlete, having won multiple national titles in in-line skating and competed for New Zealand on age group national teams as a cyclist. Recently, he moved up to the elite level, racing for the domestic team Powernet, and has had some good successes. All the while, Jones has maintained his rigorous academic schedule, sitting for three exams during the week-long stage race.

Besides his strength in the peloton and his in-line skating dominance, Ollie is well-known for being a hard worker and tougher than the average competitor. During the height of his skating career, Jones is said to have trained or raced every day for two-and-a-half years. As a junior cyclist, he also completed the last 15 kilometers of a race with no saddle. According to New Zealand website Stuff, Jones was in the middle of the Rotorua to Taupo 100km race when his seat came loose on the rails. He simply took it off, stuffed it in his saddle, and rode on to complete the 100km course in under 2 hours and 30 minutes!

Jones in the Tour of the Southland – Facebook

Finding young raw talent isn’t easy, but Zwift’s global reach and data collection makes it easier. Dimension Data’s team principal Doug Ryder said, “Of course, there’s no substitute for the tactics, bike handling, and skills a rider need in real-world racing, but these finalists presented us with the raw materials we need to find the next generation of world class talent. This isn’t a marketing gimmick; many of our riders are passionate about riding Zwift and they’ve seen first-hand what a capable rider Ollie is. We’re super proud to have him on the team.”

Jones will now take his legendary work ethic to Lucca, Italy, to begin working with his new team. He has already commented publicly how much he enjoyed riding and training with his other Zwift Academy finalists, Sam Mobberley and Nick White, and the crop of Team Dimension Data riders who helped in making the final selection.

As it went with Leah, Ollie’s debut in the European pro peloton in the Spring will likely be met with some controversy, but the fact that he is riding with a development squad should reduce some of the pressure on the young rider.

Jones signed up for the Men’s Zwift Academy with 9231 other cyclists. 1247 completed the Academy’s requirements. See detailed results from the inaugural Men’s Zwift Academy >

The Zwift community will be actively cheering for Ollie and keeping an eye open for the newest Zwift Academy winner on the roads of Watopia this winter. Ride On, Ollie!

Determining Your Strengths and Weaknesses (Watts up with Power)

Training & Nutrition

Taylor Thomas

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November 22, 2017

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Determining Your Strengths and Weaknesses (Watts up with Power)

The “Watts up with Power?” ride is likely the slowest group ride you’ll find on Zwift, because it focuses on learning the basics of power based training while riding together on Zwift. Each ride is streamed to Zwift LIVE by ODZ on Facebook, and focuses on teaching specific principles of power-based training. For viewers that are unable to attend live, the teaching is made available for all to review afterwards.

Here is the summary for November 22nd from presenter Taylor Thomas.

One of the primary reasons to train and race with a power meter is so you can better understand your relative strengths and weaknesses. Power data allows you to create a profile from which you can not only see where you’re at individually, but how you stack up against other riders. Through proper testing and data collection a rider’s power profile and resistance to fatigue can help to greatly inform their training prescription and racing strategy.

The Power Profile

While the profile can be useful in comparing a rider’s efforts against others, the primary purpose of the power profile is to gain insight into the relative strengths and weaknesses of individual riders and their physiological systems.

Comparing data within, and across, different racing categories is not the best way to profile a rider. An athlete’s abilities should be based on race day performance, and their physiological strengths. Comparing power output for riders in the same category does not provide the level of insight needed to make the best use of the power profile.

Using the power profile to critique and understand yourself is the most impactful way to utilize the available power data, not comparison with others. This approach enables you to train so you bolster weak areas and continue to build your strengths.

The target durations for the power profile are meant to represent key physiological areas in the body. 5 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minute and FTP serve to reflect neuromuscular power, anaerobic capacity, VO2Max, and lactate threshold respectively. These durations are not comprised solely of these systems, but do a good job of correlating the different physiological abilities involved.

Testing Protocol

Power to weight ratio (W/Kg) is a key metric in understanding both the power profile and where it is you’re strongest and weakest. W/Kg determines how strong of a rider you are at any discipline be it hill climbs, sprints, or time trials. Review your best powers for 5 second, 1 minute, 5 minute and FTP to determine where your W/Kg falls on the spectrum.

Once you have identified your best powers for each duration it’s important to understand how to apply them, and what they mean for you as a rider. You’ll see a pattern emerge that will highlight individual strengths and weaknesses. You can use these power profiles to inform your training, race selection and focus.

Know what your power profile says about you as a rider. Depending on what your W/Kg is for each category, you’ll be able to determine what classification of rider most closely matches your abilities. You may be an All-Rounder, Sprinter, Time Trialist, or Pursuiter.

It’s important to note that when analyzing the power profiles age is not taken into consideration. Both men and women’s performance begin to decline gradually after the age of 30. While this decline will most likely not impact how your strengths and weaknesses are presented in the profile, it is worth considering for both training prescription and race selection.

The Fatigue Profile

The power profile is great for highlighting gross strengths and weaknesses. However, what it doesn’t do is tell you exactly what type of effort you’re best suited for. The fatigue profile helps to pinpoint areas with greater precision to further inform your training.

Fatigue profiling further expands the key ranges identified in the power profile. This allows the rider to gain a better understand of specifically what duration effort they’re strongest. Understanding fatigue only further enables a greater level of individualization.

More tests will need to be done to complete the fatigue profile. One day you’ll test both neuromuscular power and anaerobic capacity. After 1-2 days of rest you’ll then test VO2Max and FTP. If you already have an accurate FTP, 60 and 90 minute powers you may only need to perform the VO2Max testing protocol on the second day.

After the data has been produced from the tests you can plot the numbers for key durations within each category. Looking for abnormalities and inverse relationships will allow for the fatigue profile to come into plain view and be utilized to its full potential.

Categories of Fatigue Resistance

If you’re in the “below average” or “well below average” category that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. What this says is that you’re better at the shorter durations within each category, and that your power falls away sharply as you move towards the end of the time range.

A rider with “average” fatigue resistance should expect to see a similar percentage of degradation through all of the durations within a category. This means that there are no huge spikes or large drop offs, but that power decreases at an acceptable rate.

If you’re charting “above average” or “well above average” fatigue resistance this means there is little to no drop off across the spectrum of powers. It also means that you may be producing the best power possible for the shorter durations. It’s worth noting that these riders may not be able to train other areas effectively given their strong propensity towards these specific strengths.

Power and fatigue profiling differ in that the power profile allows for comparison across durations that represent neuromuscular power, anaerobic capacity, VO2Max and lactate threshold. Fatigue profiling compares power within ranges of durations meant to reflect the same physiological areas. When used together they provide invaluable insight.

Meet Zwifter and state cat 3 road race champion Justin Wagner

Interviews

Eric Schlange

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November 21, 2017

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Meet Zwifter and state cat 3 road race champion Justin Wagner

Justin Wagner is a longtime Zwifter, a strong racer (indoors and out) and a regular Zwift group ride leader. I already knew Justin from his Watts Up with Power posts here on Zwift Insider, but when I heard he won this year’s Washington State Cat 3 Road Race championship I figured it was time for an interview.

You’ve achieved some incredible results on the road this race season, Justin, winning the Washington state Cat 3 Road Race title as well as the BARR (Best All Around Road Rider) competition. Can you summarize what those titles actually mean, and what sort of race results it took to get there?

Absolutely! The state Road Race title comes from the annual Road Race championship put on by the state governing body (WSBA), where they designate a particular race as the “State Championship Road Race” (there is also a State Championship Time Trial and Criterium). The winner of that race in each category is deemed the State Champion that year for the particular discipline. So I won the Category 3 race which gave me the title of 2017 WSBA Cat 3 Road Race Champion, and a cool jersey to show for it.

As far as the State BARR (Best All Around Road Rider) competition goes, this is a points-based competition across several events in the year, of all the 3 disciplines (TT, Crit, Road). You get points for each race based on your placing, and then the person who amasses the most points throughout the year is deemed the Best All Around Road Rider, which I won for Category 3 this year.

Every road race is a story in itself with a new cast of players, a different course, your own varying level of fitness, strategic decisions, mechanicals, and more. Can you tell me a good story from one of your races this year?

Wow, yeah, there are so many stories I could tell, and plenty of them end with me not doing as well as I had hoped. In fact a good way to improve is to keep trying and learn from mistake or failures. I’m sure every success story has many failure stories that lead up to it. That being said, I’d like to share the story from the this year’s Cat 3 State Championship road race.

It’s June 17th, 2017 and I find myself driving alone for 2 hours to Rochester, WA where the race was going to start. My wife and kids had graciously agreed to come to the Seattle area with me for the weekend (about a 5 hour drive from home), but they weren’t about to sit around and wait for a 90 mile road race to complete, and I don’t blame them!

All was going exactly how I planned it in my mind, and I was arriving with plenty of time to get a short warm up in. I pulled into the parking lot where I expected race staging to happen, and it was completely empty. My heart sank. What went wrong? Did I miss some pertinent info from the race organizers? Where is everybody!?! A whirlwind of thoughts raced through my head, and luckily the thought came to start driving the course and look for volunteers at the first controlled intersection so they could point me in the right direction. Phew, that worked! I got the details for where staging was happening, and drove as fast as I could to staging (without surpassing the speed on any posted speed limit sign, of course).

I finally arrived at staging and saw that the Pro/1/2 race was lining up to leave, which meant I had very little time to get ready, as Cat 3 started shortly after they did. After getting dressed faster than I ever had before I got to the start line, and still had some time before the race started, phew! I found a competitor that I’d met over the several races that year (since I didn’t have any teammates in the race) and asked him to take a look at me and tell me if I had forgotten anything important. Now clearly this was a risk, as he may have been motivated to not tell me something like “Hey, you don’t have any water bottles,” but fortunately he was a rather nice guy and graciously helped verify that I was ready to roll. I think he probably now regrets giving me that help… thanks Mark, I owe you!

For those of you interested in all the details of where breakaways happened, and how long they lasted, check out the FlyBy on Strava.

In the first 20 miles there were 2 solo breakaways, which didn’t stay away for very long, and the pack worked together nicely to bring back in. At a little over 40 miles into the race a particularly dangerous breakaway with several strong riders got away, and as soon as I saw what was going on, I went straight to the front to help in the chase. If that breakaway got any daylight, my chances of winning would be zero. There was a rather inexperienced rider who had a teammate in the break who was attempting to “disrupt” the chase at the front of the peloton, but his tactics were dangerous at best, and he almost caused several accidents. After some stern words to that rider (who later got penalized by the officials for his dangerous tactics) we were able to get the chase together in earnest and bring the break back.

So here we sat, just over 50 miles into a 90 mile long race, we were on a long and rather uninteresting part of the race course, and the pack seemed content to just roll at a fairly low speed, and chat it up. For awhile I was ok with this, as I needed some recovery from working to bring the last break back, however the pace was REALLY slow, and just about everyone in the pack was chatting it up with their neighbor. I knew that my strong suit was in really long endurance, and that it would play to my benefit to get the pack rolling at a faster speed so that not everybody would be getting recovery. So I went to the front and slowly pulled the pace up a few miles per hour, and after a pull I rolled off to let the next guy hold the pace. Nobody held the pace, and we went immediately back to the slow pace. So I tried again, but with a slightly different tactic, I accelerated quickly to the faster speed (it certainly wasn’t what I’d call an “attack”) to get a small gap between me and the pack, and force them to respond and go at the faster speed. [crickets] [crickets] [gap grows] [crickets].

I’m now just under 30 miles away from the finish line, I have a small gap on the field, and they don’t seem to care one bit that I’m off the front. Probably because they haven’t raced against me very often (I’m on the opposite side of the state from most of the pack), and they weren’t aware of what I was capable of. I was feeling good, and the gap was growing fast, so I decided to go all in, and see if I could make it stick. I settled into the “puppy dog paws” TT position, found a rhythm, then said to myself “They are going to regret this!” To my benefit the course was rather curvy at this section, so I got out of sight of the peloton rather quickly, however I know there were individuals in the pack watching the gap grow, and they started to get very nervous. From the Strava FlyBy we can see that there was essentially zero response from the pack until the gap was around 30 seconds, and it continued to grow as they started to get their act together, and it maxed at around 60 seconds.

With three climbs remaining in the race, I knew I had to conserve somewhat on the flats, so that I could go deep on the climbs, and minimize my loss to the pack on the climbs. This strategy worked, and although I did lose a little bit of time on the first two climbs, I was able to extend the lead again when nobody in the pack wanted to drive the pace between the climbs.

With about 10 miles to go in the race, a competitor well known for his strong TT ability (David VanBolt) decided that enough was enough, and he had to try and bridge up to me solo. He managed to close the gap to me down to 20 seconds at the top of the final climb, but most importantly, he wasn’t working with the pack (to my benefit) and the rest of the pack started to get smaller and smaller as they worked to try to bring us both back.

I was homefree! No more climbs remaining, and I had 5 miles from the top of the final climb to the finish, and a decent portion of that was a non-technical descent. I couldn’t help but look back a few times to see how big the gap was, and luckily I couldn’t see anyone very clearly (probably because I was cross-eyed from the long solo TT effort). The finish line came into sight, I knew I had the victory! I sat up, let out a victory yelp, and raised my hands as I crossed the finish line. Second place came in about 30 seconds later, and the pack was about 10 seconds behind him.

Now I found myself 2 hours away from my family, and hungry. After getting fed, filling up on gas, and driving back to meet up with my family, the kids were already asleep, and I’d have to wait till the next day to tell them all about it.

Accomplishing big dreams and goals usually costs you something, and for me this cost (other than hundreds of hours of training) was that I didn’t get to be with my kids that day. At least they felt somewhat a part of the journey since they got to travel to Seattle and see their grandparents, but I’m definitely aware that every big race I decide to do takes a toll on the family, and I’m so very thankful to my wife for supporting me in this adventure.

Striking the ideal bike/family balance can be a challenge for sure. You put in lots of hours on your bike this year–your Strava for 2017 shows ~280 miles per week. But you’ve got a real job, a wife and kids… how do you do it?

How do I do it? One pedal stroke after the other. Ok, sarcasm aside, it’s simple I wake up early and train while my family is still asleep. Zwift enables that early morning training, as it’s typically very cold that early and dark making riding outside less enjoyable and dangerous at times. Then on weekends my wife and I find the right balance of when I should ride longer in the mornings, or when I spend time with the family instead. Without the support of my wife it definitely wouldn’t happen. She has sacrificed many hours of potential evening Netflix binging with me, so that I can get to sleep early to wake up at 4am.

You’re a key part of TeamODZ on Zwift. How has being a part of this “virtual” team helped you as a cyclist?

The key benefits that I get from being a part of TeamODZ are camaraderie and motivation to train when I otherwise might not. I’m sure that any “virtual” team can provide such a benefit, but clearly I’m biased in thinking that TeamODZ is particularly awesome in this regard.

So what do I mean exactly by camaraderie and motivation to train? I mean friends who are there for you to support you when you are having struggles, as well as being there to humble you when you are getting obnoxiously proud (not that I’ve ever fallen into this category…but I have a “friend” who has). They cheer for you when you are happy, even if they have no idea why you are happy, but they know that cheering will continue to motivate you to push on. I mean friends who do a workout “alongside” you virtually, and give you the motivation to press on, just because you know that they haven’t given up on the workout yet. I’m a very social person and I always want to interact with people when I’m training, so Zwift and TeamODZ have made it possible for me to feel part of something “bigger” and stay motivated when I can’t get outside to train.

You broadcast live while leading some TeamODZ rides on Zwift. What are the details of those rides, in case folks want to join you for a spin?

On Wednesday’s at 6:30am Pacific I lead the “Watts up with Power?” ride where we have a very chill spin, and a live presentation on Zwift LIVE by ODZ talking about the basics of training with power, and anyone is welcome to attend and ask any questions they have. Look for the ride in the Zwift Event list. We bring in guest coaches and get a good variety of viewpoints on the show. Previous episodes are archived to the TeamODZ YouTube Channel, and to The Endurance Lab Podcast for those who couldn’t watch live. Just look for WUWP on those channels.

On Thursdays I lead the Wagner’s Wagon endurance ride, where we make the monotonous yet highly beneficial task of zone 2 endurance riding enjoyable. The ride is scheduled at 3 hours long and people come and go as their schedules and workout routines permit. We call it the wagon because people can come and “draft” my steady pace… and that alliterates well with Wagner. I stream that ride on my Mixer channel. Since people come and go throughout the entire 3 hours of this ride, it’s not listed in the Zwift Event list, as those events only allow for up to 30 minutes of late start ability. I’ve requested they extend that period, but am still waiting…patiently…

I’d like to hear more about your origin story. When did you become a “serious” cyclist, and what drove that decision?

In 2012 I started commuting to work (4 miles each way) as I was 255 lbs and needed to lose weight. I borrowed my dad’s MTB, but stopped shortly after because buying a house and getting injured in basketball got in the way. In 2014 I bought a hybrid bike for my birthday and started commuting again, this time from the home we had recently purchased, which was a whopping 4 miles from work. From there I picked a 62 mile event as a target to train for, which then led to training for a 100 mile ride the month after, then a 200 mile event the following summer, and then I started racing in early 2015. I won my first 2 races (cat 4-5 mixed fields) in late 2015. I guess I’d have to say that I became a “serious” cyclist when I entered my first race. What drove that decision? I’m competitive.

Winter is coming… and already here for many of us. What are you doing in the next few months to prepare for the 2018 racing season?

This winter I’ll be doing structured training in The Endurance Lab to prepare for the 2018 racing season, where I’ll be competing as a Cat 2. The Endurance Lab is a community based training program where a group of individuals participate in the same base training plan so they can share the experience of the training plan together, while at the same time having access to several certified coaches who put the plans together and answer questions as the lab progresses.

The next lab starts in early December 2017, and if you want to participate in it, watch the TeamODZ Facebook Group for more details.

Can you share some of your key 2018 goals with us?

Being that I just recently upgraded to Cat 2, I’m sure there is a big learning curve ahead, so at this point my goals are rather simple: Don’t die, race hard, have fun.

Zwifting my way to the Boston Marathon (Part 1)

Paul Cooke

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November 21, 2017

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Zwifting my way to the Boston Marathon (Part 1)

In the interests of full disclosure, I must start by admitting something: I’m not a cyclist. Nobody wants to read a blogger who is clearly talking out of his or her hat (or helmet) so I think it’s better that I ‘fess up from the get-go.

I didn’t start Zwifting from a cycling, or even triathlon-based training perspective. I’m actually… a runner. One of the worst kind, as Dean Martin once said.

My Reluctant Arrival on Zwift

Zwift, and our now sweat-splattered digital rollers, first became a fixture in our house for the benefit of my wife’s triathlon training. She was very keen to get me into cycling for the ‘cross-training’ benefits, but I couldn’t/wouldn’t find time for it around either running or resting. Last winter had been my highest mileage period ever (hitting a 90 mile peak week) and I knew that once training kicked in again there would be no place for them. Why start something you know you can’t finish?

My epiphany, as it were, came in the form of a nasty little injury to my left calf, where it joins/becomes tendon. I ran a long, hilly race, started cramping from miles 18-20, persevered like a good running cliché, and obviously damaged the calf. In retrospect, at least it was just the one.

That was June 17th. Fast forward two months on, after continuing to run and train on it (…like a good running cliché) and I aggravated it even more on a speed session, where I continued to limp my laps on it (like a good… well, I think you get the point).

Complete rest was accompanied by the inevitable physio appointment. Light work and gentle strengthening exercises were prescribed. Cycling was suggested as an option, along with rowing. Heating and icing were recommended. I went straight to the cycling and fired up a Zwift subscription.

This wasn’t without perils. My haughty runner’s attitude towards cycling meant I naturally did too much too soon, with 30 minute sweat-inducing sessions followed immediately by the rehab exercises. Sure enough, the following days, the calf would be worse again. I persevered for a week before knocking it on the head and going to back to square one.

Ice. Heat. Repeat.

Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Bike

At first progress was intangible. Too minute to detect, until after a few weeks of rest, ice, and heat I finally reached a point where my first step out of bed wasn’t done with the kind of delicate footwork more often seen on a jewel thief in an alarmed environment (like a blonde Catherine Zeta-Jones, only shorter and less good looking. And male.)

Then the Zwifting began in earnest. See, there was one other problem around this injury which was becoming more and more pressing with each passing day. I have a very important marathon date in 2018. It literally will be fulfilling a dream.

I’m running the Boston Marathon.

Since I got fairly ‘alright’ at running, the aim was always to qualify for the London Marathon (I’m UK based, it’s the big one for us). But then once that was achieved I knew Boston had to be my other target. While it may not be the biggest, that requirement of a qualification time makes it exceptionally prestigious.

The application period occurred while I was in my second phase of complete inactivity, icing, heating, hoping. Once I was accepted, the pressure was really on. I wanted to get a good 22-24 week training period in before I toe the start line and I needed to get the legs, heart and lungs working again (as well as lose some weight!) However by this point the fear of continuing to aggravate the calf was pretty strong. So Zwift became the driving force behind my rehabilitation. I started out just cycling 30 minutes every other day.

That was late September. At the end of the month I began throwing in tiny runs, starting with a mile and building half a mile at a time, but always with a Zwift session in the intervening days.

Early Signs of Progress

Again, in the interests of honesty, I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy Zwifting at first. I had no idea whether the cycling was going to significantly aid me, so it felt like a token gesture, a means to an end. Despite my consistency, I kept telling my wife that once I was running regularly again, I was probably going to have to ditch the cycling.

Two things have changed. The more committed I got to the experience of cycling on Zwift, the more I got out of it. My first group ride was great, so completely different being a part of something as opposed to just cycling aimlessly around. It helped me complete my (then) longest ride. There was also a midweek race in October, where I placed middle of the field but got DQ’ed because my FTP had improved to the point where I performed in the category above the one I considered myself in. That was a genuine shock! So with that bonus of appearing to improve, I started the 6 week FTP builder training program, which has completely changed my workouts. Having that structure, those goals to attain, and the feeling of improving my fitness is exactly what I needed.

The other thing which has changed quicker than expected is my overall fitness. Now this is a hard one to gauge because you’re only as good as your last performance. When you’re just training you can only speculate as to how you compare to your mates, to yourself, to last year, to spring, etc. It’s hard to know what to expect when the training is in its early stages and you don’t have any real data.

South Molton Struggle star- line. I’ve buried myself sensibly off the front row…
Photo Credit – Jo Bradley

What I do know is, I ran my running club’s tough, multi-terrain 7.8 mile race (the South Molton Struggle) off the back of only one run over 5 miles between then and early August, and placed 3rd. I was even 20 seconds quicker than last year.

The following weekend I ran a 10 mile race, another distance milestone since August, in 1:00:55. That’s my second quickest 10 mile race to date, although I must add flat 10 milers aren’t very common around here. Fully fit I know I could have been under the hour mark, but it was much better than I anticipated, as I had a 1:02-1:04 time in mind.

My legs really suffered throughout the next week, it was a bit of a shock to them. Not enough to stop me cycling and running, but it certainly necessitated a resurgence in heating and icing (and an ice bath, ouch). What Zwifting had boosted was my cardiovascular ability, beyond where I had got to in terms of my running strength (if that makes sense.) I pushed my leg muscles to their absolute max, because the Zwifting had boosted my ability to handle the intensity I was running at. Y’know, VO2 max ‘n’ stuff.

Bideford 10 Miler. Author in yellow shoes. Some find egg-yolk yellow as a shoe colour utterly repulsive. I don’t listen to the haters. Wife included.
Photo Credit: Hooligan’s Dad Photography

Moving Forward (Difficult on Rollers)

As you may imagine, I’m now having a full rethink about my training! I’ve got 4 ½ months until Boston and I’ve resolved to keep Zwifting as much as possible, even when the running mileage starts to crank up. I think this could be an exceptionally interesting period of time and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Zwifting boosts my running and in turn if my running boosts my Zwifting.

The current plan is to run every day, for at least 30 minutes, to rebuild that leg strength. Meanwhile, I’m 2 days away from completing the 6 week FTP builder, so I’d really like to be wrapped up with that by December 9th and then try a few races. I shall hopefully be reporting back on my findings!

Wahoo Kickr ERG Mode: Does Gear Selection Matter?

Shane Miller

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November 20, 2017

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Wahoo Kickr ERG Mode: Does Gear Selection Matter?

If you’re on a Kickr direct drive smart trainer and have been using smaller gears in ERG mode because it is quieter, you might be missing the mark in your training sessions.

While there are lot of guides out there telling you that gear selection in ERG mode doesn’t matter, it’s not that easy. Especially when it comes to the Wahoo Kickr and the 12.5Lbs/5.6Kg flywheel.

This video explains the differences using the same power and same cadence with different gearing on the Wahoo Kickr.

The take-away: make sure you’re training in the right gear which replicates the exact kind of training you’re targeting.

Zwift Launched on Apple TV

Eric Schlange

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November 19, 2017

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Zwift Launched on Apple TV

After several months of beta testing, Zwift is now available for Apple’s tvOS!

Lowering the Barriers to Entry

With the new Apple TV 4k retailing for $179, this is now the most affordable platform for Zwifters seeking an experience of decent visual quality. Zwift is a graphics-intensive game which runs beautifully on gaming PCs but rather poorly on older, low-budget laptop and desktops. And while it runs decently on iPhone and iPad, running those devices into a big-screen TV returns acceptable but unimpressive results.

Thanks to today’s release, new Zwifters can now purchase an affordable Apple TV 4k, a decent smart trainer, and be off and riding with a quality Zwifting experience.

Gameplay Quality

While Zwift will run on the previous version of Apple TV (the 4th generation), your experience will be much better on the new Apple TV 4k which boasts greater graphic detail, sharper user interface elements, and higher framerates.

Here are a few quotes from game master Jon Mayfield, pulled from the Zwift iOS & tvOS group:

I think there’s a huge perceptible difference between the two. ATV4k will run smooth the entire time and runs at full 1080P, with a 4k user interface layered on top. It also supports glowing things (think Tron bike wheels) and has room for us to make the graphics even better.

Older Apple TV is an old iPhone 6 blown up to full screen. Gonna look pretty rough.

ATV4 can barely cope with a few riders on the screen. Every day as the worlds get more populated, the number of average riders on screen goes up, and the frame rate goes down. While I can say Zwift is more optimized than ever for packs of riders, I don’t think the optimizations are keeping up with the increasing numbers of riders.

The new ATV 4k runs at about twice the average framerate of the older Apple TV 4, and it does it at a much higher resolution too. It seems to keep up just fine so far.

Finally! Zwift in the Apple TV app store!

Bluetooth Device Limit

Apple TV only allows the connection of the Apple TV remote (needed for navigating apps) plus two additional Bluetooth devices. This means if you have separate Bluetooth sensors for your smart trainer, cadence, and heart rate, you will need to pair one or more of your Bluetooth devices to your phone via the Zwift Companion app, which will make them available on Apple TV.

The two device limit will be a non-issue to many Zwifters, since a smart trainer counts as only one device. Many smart trainers (such as the Tacx Neo, Elite Drivo, and Tacx Vortex Smart) broadcast power and cadence. This means you can get your controllable trainer connection plus power and cadence and a Bluetooth heart rate monitor all within the two device limit.

Need to Connect ANT+?

Need to connect ANT+ only devices such as a power meter or heart rate monitor? Use an ANT+ bridge such as 4iiii’s Viiiiva HR monitor (highly recommended, read the review) or NPE’s CABLE.

Need Custom Workouts?

Since you can’t copy and paste custom workout files into Apple TV’s file storage, the only way to get custom works into Zwift for Apple TV is to place those workouts in your paired Training Peaks account. Each day’s workout will automatically sync to your Zwift account and be available for you in Apple TV.

Here’s a quick Zwift for Apple TV intro video from Shane Miller:

Have you tried Zwift for Apple TV yet? Chime in with your thoughts below!

The Open Pro: An Inside Look at High Level Training on Zwift

Training & Nutrition

Jordan Cheyne

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November 19, 2017

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The Open Pro: An Inside Look at High Level Training on Zwift

Editor’s note: Jordan Cheyne’s “The Open Pro” series details his experiences with high-level Zwift training as a rider in the pro Continental ranks. You can read his past posts here.

It All Began on Jarvis

For me, the Zwift experience clicked right away. The interplay between the bright orange and blue performance metrics and the avatar in the center of the screen captivated me immediately. The usual mental strain of my rigorous, decade-long indoor cycling habit quickly abated. I found myself immersed in the tropical splendor of Jarvis rather than the various screens of the Garmin on my stem. I started telling all my friends and coaching clients and looked forward to crushing intervals and virtual KOMs whenever I could. Soon though, spring came and it was time to hit the road as an aspiring professional cyclist at races from California to Arkansas to Northern Quebec. I folded up my trainer and forgot about the virtual cycling world for a while.

Prep for 2016 with Jelly Belly

Eventually the snow was flying again and I hopped on my new Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll and returned to Zwift to prepare for the 2016 season. I had signed my first professional contract with the Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis team and Zwift had taken a giant leap forward. On a meager Neo Pro salary I couldn’t afford to join the bulk of my professional comrades in warmer climates so I began to use the new routes on Watopia and Richmond to clock the needed winter miles. I plugged my coach’s workouts into the new Workout mode and cranked out endless 4×30 minute Tempo blocks, 6×10 minute Lactate Threshold reps, and 20 second big gear sprints. I even rode a couple centuries on the island, every km on my own reveling in the immediate performance feedback on my screen.

I arrived at my first professional training camp having ridden outside perhaps a half a dozen times in three months but I was in the best early season form of my career. I landed on the podium in several of our low-key early season races and earned my spot on the roster for big time events like the Amgen Tour of California. The team finished the year on a tremendous high, becoming the first American team to win the GC at the Tour of Utah when Lachlan Morton stormed to victory. Zwift helped me build the robust foundation to be a part of that.

More than a Winter Distraction

In 2017 Zwift has continued to evolve and I have begun using it as more than just a foul weather motivation machine. It is one thing to come into the season with a sharpened power profile but coming off the trainer always leaves a gap in race preparation. In professional cycling the changes in speed and power throughout a race are constant, ranging from a single hard gap-closing pedal stroke to several minutes at 55-65kmh spinning out the 11 cog. Trainer workouts don’t replicate that the way outdoor group rides and training races can, so I was excited to enter the burgeoning racing scene on Zwift.

It took some figuring out and I was dropped from the A group more than I want to admit but eventually I found the racing to be a great stimulus. In my first big race of the season I used a combination of strong time trial and an uncharacteristically aggressive crit performance to take second overall at the San Dimas Stage Race.

Tour of San Dimas (photo credit Cycling Tips)

Altitude Training On a Budget

My Zwift riding didn’t end in March this season either, as it had in previous years. When it was time to train for high altitude races like the Tour of Gila and Utah, I was able to stay close to home rather than spending time and money to acclimate at a faraway altitude training camp. Big White Ski Resort sits at 6000+ ft and was only a short drive from my home in Kelowna. Despite late season snow and the small selection of training routes at elevation I was able to train high using Zwift for my key workouts. Instead of riding up and down the mountain over and over I could dial in my intensity and inflict just the right amount of hypoxic torture to adapt.

Garage Heat Training

Finally, this seasons my racing calendar stretched into November at the Tour of Hainan in China. We had a cold and wet fall in BC and I had to prepare for a race in 100-degree heat and stifling humidity. I turned one last time to Zwift and spent several sweaty days riding in the garage with the heat maxed out and all of my 2XU cold weather gear on. Those rides were interminably uncomfortable by nature and I couldn’t have lasted more than 15 minutes if I didn’t have the Volcano loop to distract me. I had my doubts about the efficacy of that approach but ended up with one of the standout rides of the race. I raced off the front on the sweltering 230km second stage and I was caught solo only 700m from the line by the charging peloton. I went through 12 bottles in the last 50km of that effort, but I never overheated even as my breakaway companions cramped, cracked and dropped away.

At Tour of Hainan (photo credit Tour of Hainan)

Gaining Traction Among Pros

Zwift is gradually gaining a lot of traction with the eternally reluctant pro cycling community. The platform can bridge physiological and practical gaps in the arduous pro racing calendar and riders are starting to harness that. I am no longer the only guy on my team who suffers through intervals on the way to Watopia’s radio tower. I have also shared Zwift and some of the training techniques I have discovered with the athletes I coach at my Peak Form Coaching business.

About this Series

In this blog series I want to share my racing and training experiences with you throughout my third professional season as I look to turn my 2017 podium places into wins and take the next step in my career. I also want to share indoor training tips and advice I have learned in my thousands of kilometers on the roads of Watopia.

It should be a great year ahead and I can’t wait to get started again for 2018. Until then, Ride On!

Dunnigan Hills RR: My Second Ride (and First Race) with PR Lotion

Eric Schlange

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November 17, 2017

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Dunnigan Hills RR: My Second Ride (and First Race) with PR Lotion

A week after my first ride with Topical Edge’s Performance & Recovery (PR) Lotion, I arrived in Dunnigan, CA for my first road race of the year, the Dunnigan Hills Road Race. (I had raced several crits already, but this would be my first and only road race for 2017 thanks to cancelled races and conflicting schedules.)

Last Year’s Race

I had ridden this same race this last year, during my first season of true road racing, and finished 10th as a Cat 5. Last year’s race was super tough for me: the pace was fast, and I began to cramp up at mile 25 of 45. I got dropped from the front group with about 5 miles to go, and came in solo with a finishing time (1 course lap) of 1:53:32. (See the ride on Strava)

My wife snapped this pic as we waited for lunch after the 2016 race. I was DONE.

This Year’s Race

This year I was a Cat 4, which meant we would ride two laps of the same course (so 90 miles). (See the ride on Strava) Field size was roughly the same as last year’s race, but we turned in lap times of 1:51:21 and 1:52:36 (both faster than last year’s single lap race!)

Note: if you compare my power numbers between the two years, you’ll notice the first year’s is ~30 watts higher. These power numbers are from two different power meters, though, so I would take them with a grain of salt.

This time around, I applied PR Lotion in my truck just before kitting up. The first 85 miles of the race were easy–much easier than last year’s single lap. I had no problem hanging with the front pack, and in fact went off the front with ~5 miles left to catch and attack a solo break. One other rider joined me, and while we did reel in the break, the rest of the pack also reeled us in after I began cramping and my breakaway partner slowed. I must say, it felt good to have enough left to attack at the end!

My big mistake was in the last 500 meters of the race. We had a pack of 20+ riders heading into an uphill finish with a center line rule, and I was positioned a few riders back from the front of the pack. When a strong rider took off to gap everyone for the finish, I was boxed in and could not respond quickly. I fought my way to an 8th place finish, but just positioning myself better would have given me a shot at the podium. Lesson learned.

Speaking of Lessons Learned…

Managing your hydration is a challenge in long amateur races. This time around, I felt the urge to “go” about 20 miles in. It wasn’t a strong urge, but between what I perceived to be a fairly easy race effort on my part, a full bladder, and brain depleted of glycogen I didn’t drink nearly as much water as I should have. In fact, I only drank 1.5 bottles during the nearly 4 hour race in August heat!

I didn’t realize how much of a mistake this was until I got back to the parking lot and started changing out of my kit. That’s when my vision blurred, dizziness set in, and I made my way to the nearest gas station for lots of cold liquids. I would nurse a headache and nausea the rest of the day.

The PR Lotion Effect

Once my brain started working again I drove home and thought through the race. Did PR Lotion make a difference? I felt it absolutely had. My legs never burned until the finishing sprint and in fact, when cramping set in during my break with 5 miles to go I was surprised because I felt I hadn’t worked enough for cramping to be a problem!

So this was another lesson I needed to learn: since PR Lotion decreases acidity, you feel less burning and your heart rate is slightly reduced. If like me much of your rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is based on heartrate and the burning in your legs, your RPE for any given hard effort will be lower with PR Lotion. But your body is still doing the work. You still need hydration and fuel, and those muscles will still cramp up if pushed beyond their limits.

Where to Buy PR Lotion

Buy PR Lotion here. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and shipping is free on orders over $75.

The Endurance Lab Coaches’ Corner 2

Training & Nutrition

The Endurance Lab

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November 17, 2017

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The Endurance Lab Coaches’ Corner 2

In this episode:

What is really causing your cramps
The importance of rest and recovery
High cadence and how much you need it in your life

First Official Zwift Running Event

Skating Phenom Named Men’s Zwift Academy Winner

Determining Your Strengths and Weaknesses (Watts up with Power)

The Power Profile

Testing Protocol

The Fatigue Profile

Categories of Fatigue Resistance

Meet Zwifter and state cat 3 road race champion Justin Wagner

Zwifting my way to the Boston Marathon (Part 1)

My Reluctant Arrival on Zwift

Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Bike

Early Signs of Progress

Moving Forward (Difficult on Rollers)

Wahoo Kickr ERG Mode: Does Gear Selection Matter?

Zwift Launched on Apple TV

Lowering the Barriers to Entry

Gameplay Quality

Bluetooth Device Limit

Need to Connect ANT+?

Need Custom Workouts?

The Open Pro: An Inside Look at High Level Training on Zwift

It All Began on Jarvis

Prep for 2016 with Jelly Belly

More than a Winter Distraction

Altitude Training On a Budget

Garage Heat Training

Gaining Traction Among Pros

About this Series

Dunnigan Hills RR: My Second Ride (and First Race) with PR Lotion

Last Year’s Race

This Year’s Race

Speaking of Lessons Learned…

The PR Lotion Effect

Where to Buy PR Lotion

The Endurance Lab Coaches’ Corner 2

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