The Open Pro: Starting All Over Again

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.

Taking a Break and Bouncing Back

If you want some insight into the physiology that allows a rider to compete in the pro peloton you could take a look at my first few training efforts after a 3 week off season break.  According to the textbooks I read in university a person is supposed to lose almost all acute aerobic adaptions during a rest period of 3 weeks or more. I wasn’t completely inactive in that time, doing some hiking, snowshoeing and even manual labor but certainly nothing you could call training. It was exactly what I needed after a 10-month racing season and always an integral step in my preparation for the next season’s rigors.

Still, I knew the first ride back would be rough and I was proven correct. I made some efforts on Box Hill and around the London city streets and I could barely hold 270w, down about 25-30% on my usual threshold here at altitude. An hour felt like a very long time. A few days later though, I came back and felt a little better, doing stretches at 290-300w up the Watopia climb. My riding continued to improve in rapid order.

After 2 weeks and maybe 20 hours of riding I was back to churning along at 320-340w at a tempo pace, which is fairly close to what I would aim for in season. Sharpening the blade at threshold and above will come later, but in a handful of sessions I was back to good form. In my experiences high-level aerobic athletes lose fitness just as fast or faster than the average age-grouper. The ability to bounce back quickly however reveals the advantages conferred by genetic luck and thousands of hours of epigenetic pressure in the form of past training.

New Opportunities, Same Old Hard Work

All of that is the Data Geek’s way of saying that my training for the 2018 season has begun in earnest even as the snow falls heavily here in Big White, British Columbia. It has been enjoyable and rewarding to get back to it and I have the motivation of proving myself on a new team next year, the Continental Pro team Elevate-KHS. After 2 formative years at Jelly Belly, I will have a lot of opportunities to take my results to the next level with Elevate I need to be ready to capture them.

Even with that fire lit under me, I don’t know how many trainer miles I could gut through without the aid of Zwift. Every year it gets a bit harder to clip in for 2-4 hours at a time indoors but the ever-evolving world of Zwift makes it easier to clear the hurdle.

My training usually starts with a good dose of Strength Endurance intervals, which feature low cadence efforts at high torque in the zone 3-4 effort range. They require that you keep your core solid and fully activated through the pedal stroke to keep the force coming and not get bogged down. Mentally and physically, it is a lot easier to key in on those elements going uphill on Watopia with my Kurt Kinetic Smart Control producing realistic resistance. The inertia is right, the mental stimulus is right and the results are better.

The same goes for performing early season mainstay high cadence form intervals on flats or down hills. The lower inertia forces you to stay on top of the gear and the feedback on screen, down to the avatar’s rapidly spinning legs, really helps me stay in tune with the effort.

Using Zwift Racing for Base Training

Finally, a lot of what you lose after an extended lay off from racing is the ability to subtly change pace throughout an effort and do so smoothly. That ability is a mix of cadence, neuromuscular response and lactate tolerance that is easy to miss riding steady state indoors or even on evenly paced solo training rides. Doing 1-3 Zwift races a week seems to be a good remedy for this stagnation.

It is not so much the big anaerobic efforts to follow attacks and hang with the pack up hills, but rather the constantly changing power demands of rolling along in the pack. I prefer the flatter races for this because I can avoid unnecessary full out efforts and get a good aerobic ride with lots of oscillation between 150 and 400w and the occasional sprint effort. I am not out to win (and I usually couldn’t anyway) but rather to get some time in across the different power zones without busting out strict intervals. Sometimes I still see red and make an ill fated dash for glory but mostly its fun, low stress and well-balanced training.

Heading South and Riding Some Real Miles

That’s it for now and that’s it for me on Zwift for a little while at least. My wife and I are headed south to Tucson for some warm weather miles and a nice vacation from winter. I have a lot of good cycling memories set in Tucson, dating back to my very first training camp as a Junior in 2009. I can’t wait to get back to cranking through the desert and going for broke in the Shootout group ride. It will be a nice reward after a lot of virtual hard yards cranked out on Zwift these past months, even if nobody gives me a fancy KOM jersey after my intervals on Mt. Lemmon.

CVR World Cup Training Helps Cyclists Get in Race-ready Shape

Cycligent Physical Esports, in conjunction with Hunter Allen and Peaks Coaching Group, have just launched CVR World Cup Training. The program’s goal is to help any cyclist get in better physical shape, even race-ready, in only 8 weeks.

The program fills a much-needed niche between two common training strategies which fall on opposite ends of the cost and effectiveness spectrums:

• Solution 1: Create and manage your own training program (free, but many riders see limited results because the lack the knowledge to develop an effective program)
• Solution 2: Hire a personal coach (expensive, but you get a custom-tailored program with regular personal checkups).

About the CVR Training Program

Any cyclist, no matter what their current fitness level, can sign up for the 8-week training program for $79. Each training is tailored for the cyclist according to their current cycling fitness level by legendary cycling coach Hunter Allen and his Peaks Coaching Group.

Training can be done outside, or inside through Zwift’s virtual cycling platform. At the end of 8 weeks, the cyclist is guaranteed to ride with more energy, increase their strength and power for short, anaerobic efforts, and extend endurance and stamina for long rides.

CVR World Cup Training includes:

• An 8 week training plan administered by live coaches who lead rides and answer your questions
• Workouts for Zwift or any fit file device (Garmin, etc)

Of course, training participants (and all Zwifters) have access to two other offerings from CVR: over $100,000 in prizes for the CVR World Cup Winter 2018 Season, and the opportunity to race in the CVR World Cup races (league begins January 2nd, 2018).

Training Camp Competition

CVR World Cup Training has an additional competitive component that makes the training extra attractive to cyclists who want to compete: all program participants will be ranked by how well you train (not how strong you are) within different power bands. Your ranking, and how it is computed, is shown to you at all times.

At the end of the season CVR will have a power band selection show where a power band is randomly selected. The top ten men and women from that power band will be invited to the CVR World Cup Training Camp (a four day, all expenses paid*, in-real-life training camp). Six men and women will be selected from the camp to race in the CVR World Cup race on March 25th, 2018 in Los Angeles where every competitor wins a minimum of $1,000.

* Food, lodging, world-class coaching and up to $1,000 in travel expenses

Webinar for Details

Want more info? Check out the 15 minute webinar with Hunter Allen >

About Cycligent Physical Esports

Cycligent Physical Esports is an event-based organization. Their high-impact, professional cycling events are being held in various locations all over the world. Cycligent Physical Esport’s goal is to propel the virtual cycling, esports movement, by creating top talent, as well as helping both amateur and professional cyclists improve their riding skills, in and out of the arena. Learn more at cvrworldcup.com.

Week 2 Training for ITU Worlds: Better But Still Getting There

Editor’s note: Ian Murray is using Zwift to train for the International Triathlon Union Long Course World Championships held in Odense/Fyn, Denmark July 2018. His weekly Zwift Insider series discusses the previous week’s training and the plan for the upcoming week.

I know, starting a training plan right before the holidays is a recipe for failure early on in the process.  I am well aware of this and have built the plan accordingly.  To be honest, I only started training this far out to keep myself occupied during some down days while the wife is traveling.  So, while it seems like I have built in a lot of training, I have no delusions that I will hit everything spot on in the first few weeks.

Week 2 Recap – Still Getting Around the Work Schedule

Unlike in the previous week, I had more control over my schedule.  Not complete control, mind you, but way more control than the previous week.  As it is early in the training block, I am still focused on strength and running, and really I am erring on the side of strength when it comes down to it.  The foundation needs to be strong this year, as the longer distance can break me down.

That being said, I also had a fitness test for work on Tuesday, so that limited my Monday training a little bit.  I still got in some work on Monday, 90 minutes of riding and a short strength workout, but I kept it fairly light.  Tuesday followed with the test, which consists of 2 minutes of push-ups, 2 minutes of sit-ups, and a 2-mile run.  I had a good day, doing 82 push-ups, 82 sit-ups, and running 11:03.  A little cool down jogging following the test and a short swim in the early evening capped off a great training day.

The rest of the week went fairly well.  On Wednesday I led the Endurance Lab group workout in the morning and the SkillZ and DrillZ Ride in the evening.  I was pleased with my long run of a little over 10 miles on Thursday and the strength session that followed.  Friday was a mixed bag of a day.  The strength work went very well, but my swim got cancelled in the afternoon due to work issues. Of course, all of this led up to a planned Zwift race on Saturday morning, one of the TeamODZ special events.

Despite some significant technical difficulties associated with the Friday night Zwift update, some of us still managed to get in the module and race.  It wasn’t my best 80-minute output by any stretch, but it was good for what I had done to my legs this week.  I ended up taking the sprint victory almost entirely due to good tactics.  My breakaway partner was at least equal strength, so I had to race smarter.  Here’s the video of the race (the sprint finish is at the 1:25 mark.)

[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcK2nEu9N0U[/embedyt]

And then there is Sunday.  You see, it’s the damndest thing those hard efforts.  Although the race was not very long, I did bury myself a little.  And, the race started later than I normally start my rides.  Why do I mention that?  Well, let’s just say that my normal feeding plan got thrown off on Saturday.  Yeah, I ate breakfast at 11:00 or so and then got busy with errands.  Before I knew it, it was 4:30 PM.  I had not eaten lunch, nor did I have my planned ice cream snack.  No, unfortunately my ice cream shop was out of the flavors I like.  I was pretty disappointed to be honest.

By the time I ate, two hours later, the damage had been done.  I could only put down so many calories, and it was not enough to catch up.  Thus, as I type this, I am not running as planned.  I am sitting in a cafe near my house waiting on some french toast, drinking a cappuccino.  I plan on doing my strength workout later, but I doubt I will get to the run.  That’s ok.  I am well over my targeted TSS for the week, as recommended by TrainingPeaks, so I am not going to sweat it

Week 3 Preview – Getting Ready for Santa

Week 3 will be a bit more of the same.  I will keep the strength work going and add a little more running.  I am not sure if the TeamODZ race will be rescheduled to this Saturday yet, but it looks like that will be the case.  Thus, I am planning on an easy Friday to be ready for Saturday.  To be fair, I have about 500 TSS going into the race, so I’ll have a good bit of training leading up to it.

As you can see, the week has started with green.  I hope that we keep the green going throughout the week.  Speaking of that, we’ll cover the green, yellow, red next week.  For anyone who wants to join in on some of the training, I’ll be riding leading a group workout on Wednesday mornings at 0515 EDT and running long on Thursday morning at around the same time.  Hope to see you out on course!

Exercise for Weight Loss

First, the Basics

Muscles are where fat is burned. Muscle is the engine. The goals here are two-fold.

First, we are doing Zwift indoor cycling as part of our effort to burn fat. Outdoor riding and especially hill climbs are wonderful for this goal. We need specific efforts in indoor cycling to target fat burning. We need gears and a cadence that will incorporate our strength.

The second goal is retaining and increasing muscle mass. Aerobic exercise by itself will not build the strength we want. Strength exercise like weight lifting prevents the body from stealing unused muscle tissue for energy, protein, and nutrients. Don’t confuse thin with fit. If weight loss is mostly muscle loss, losing fat becomes more difficult.

The body does not like to burn fat. It requires more energy to convert fat into usable fuel than it does to burn simple sugars. To encourage the process of using stored body fat for fuel, we want to exercise early in the morning before eating. Our body should be using fat while we sleep and, in a true sense, we are fasting for those eight to twelve hours. This process will continue by lifting weights, cycling, and jogging. As soon as you increase your cycling or running to a high aerobic effort, you start to burn more calories than your body can provide by converting fat into fuel.

Eating right before exercise will only tell your body to burn those calories instead of using stored fat. There is a totally different approach for athletes before an intense race. Morning workouts will raise your metabolism for up to eighteen hours. Having more muscle through strength training will keep your resting metabolic rate (RMR) higher too.

Sprinting and anaerobic efforts kick your body into burning its supply of muscle glycogen. On the other hand, long endurance training can cause muscle loss. Your body may break down muscle tissue in your arms, back or chest to provide protein, energy, and nutrients to your body. This is why we need to keep calories, nutrients, and protein at the proper levels while reducing fat intake. Marathon runners and many Ironman competitors are training on the edge of what is possible. The risk of long endurance exercise includes overtraining, being under nourished, and suffering muscle deterioration. They may look ultra lean, but often they suffer hormone deficiencies, iron depletion, and training injuries. Leave that to the pros.

Strength training the whole body raises muscle mass. Additionally, it raises hormone levels. With sprinters, the muscle cells in their arms, shoulders, and chest store more fuel (as in carb loading) and provide more energy when needed. This is why a sprinter who uses weight training for only the leg muscles will not become a world champion. But look at well known sprinter is Usain Bolt’s upper body muscle structure!

Weight training is necessary. You might only be able to go once a week and lift. If so, work your entire body. I prefer to go twice a week and do half my body each time. Best scenario is to do some type of weights daily, even just a few minutes with a pair of light dumbbells. Personal trainers are in the best position to access your needs. Always stick to good form, perfect form. Don’t compromise form in order to lift more weight. Do the down movement slowly, eccentric movement. It is the hardest to do in a gym with other people because most don’t set a good example.

Make a Schedule

The best scenario for power cycling is sixty minutes of low intensity exercise each and every day. A good level might also be something like 3 days of 45 minutes, 2 days of 20 minutes, and one day of 90 minutes, with one day open. The minimum amount of exercise is four sessions of 30 minutes each.

Make a Routine

After getting up early a few days in a row, you will want a day to sleep in. You can skip the bike, get up late, make some coffee. But then go for a walk outside or do 20 minutes of other exercise, such as the foundation exercise linked below. Don’t let yourself get lazy. That’s not an option.

If you wake up five minutes before your alarm goes off, that’s a bonus. It may seem hard to do all of this regularly. It will become much easier when it becomes an ingrained habit. Many sources say it takes three to five weeks of steady behavior before our body and mind reprograms. Until then, it may fight you from time to time. Expect a setback or two, a temporary weight gain, a lack of motivation, or some other diversion. It will get easier when your program becomes a habit, the normal routine.

Preparation will help your new routine. Before going to bed, lay out your clothing for the morning. Set up the coffee maker, pack your lunch for work. Take a minute and oil your chain. Check the tire pressure. Above all, make sure you get enough sleep, at least eight hours.

Drink Plenty of Water

Dehydration will not only hamper performance. It will hinder fat burning as well. I use filtered water with a splash of lime juice. I find I drink slightly more that way. Read a few more thoughts in the article Hydration for Zwifters.

Variety is the Spice

Keep it fresh. Change your weight routine without trying to add five pounds every workout. Find some new music on Pandora or YouTube. Enter a race, try a group ride, or do a different type of workout. Only did 3 of 6 sections? So what? Next time try to do 4. The improvement is more important than the success.

On the Bike

You might want to ride a straight 45 to 60 minutes every day in a gear that puts your cadence under 80 rpms. Intervals break up the monotony of long segments. Please, don’t use a huge gear that will make your knees ache. Everyone is different. (I am giving general directions but I am not a personal trainer.) All advice has to be tailored to your level of fitness and ability. It is safest to consult a professional that will help you individually.

Here is an example of a low cadence workout at whatsonzwift.com:

Note the effort is in the blue zone. This is a fairly easy ride. You might want to skip the yellow and red sections. Green is medium, yellow is a bit harder. Orange is hard and red is very hard. Remember, the high levels are burning very little fat. If you are gasping for air, then your body has to burn glycogen, sugars, and carbs.

Another example from whatsonzwift.com

Note this is a very long workout. It does use the blue and green zones well. Don’t forget, when you use a workout like this, you can skip ahead by hitting the tab button. Use it to shorten your warm-up or finish early.  I left the Zwift ad in there on purpose.

Core Training, Foundation Work, and Weight Training

I have found these videos to be of great benefit personally. There are many other programs and routines available. Check the source and their credentials. As stated everywhere: “Check with your Doctor especially regarding any health conditions you may have.”

I have been taught through the Colgan Institute and reflect a lot of that in my training, diet, and advice. I am always learning more on nutrition and diet.

MTSLA Workout playlist