Zwift isn’t just a fitness tool… it’s also an MMO: a massively multiplayer online game. But just how massive is it?
We know it has grown quickly. When there used to be just a few hundred riders online we now see two or three thousand. But that’s just a snapshot of users during a ride. How many people are signing on around the clock, and how long are they riding? The answers may surprise you!
I was reminded of just how popular Zwift has become when I took a peek at my recently-created Strava segment for the Alpe du Zwift climb yesterday. The segment had existed for only five days, yet it had already been ridden by nearly 20,000 people. This surprised me, since it’s not an easy ride. 20,000 people riding a new flat route would not surprise me. 20,000 riding a climb that takes most people more than an hour to complete? That’s surprising.
Here are a few more recently-disclosed stats (as of February 2018):
Rider Count: roughly half a million people have gone for a ride on Zwift
Locations: Zwift has participants from over 195 countries (that’s 2 more than officially recognized by the United Nations)
Total Distance: Zwifters rode over 125 million miles in 2017 (more than 5,000x around the Earth). In early 2018 we’ve been averaging approximately 1 million miles per day.
Running: over 6,200 Zwifters complete about 50,000 runs totalling over 225,000 miles (almost 10x around the Earth).
What about Alpe du Zwift? Well, as of yesterday morning it has been ridden over 33,000 times. Not bad for being released less than a week ago!
And here’s the exciting thing: this is just the beginning. Think of all the cyclists and runners you know who don’t use Zwift. Our community will continue to expand, and as that happens Zwift will continue to improve gameplay and expand options for users. More Zwifters also means more opportunity for third party groups like CVR to create big events with amazing prizes.
If you’ve been paying attention at all you already know Alpe Du Zwift was released last week… but it’s always a big deal when we get new roads, so we’re featuring the release video from Zwift.
Zwift Academy was one of the highlights of the early trainer season. How is Tanja Erath doing now that she’s actually starting her first year as a professional?
CVR held their big final in Los Angeles last weekend at the Olympic Velodrome. Zwift Insider’s Eric Schlange was there and put together this post about the final day. Here is the race broadcast.
While people are ending their season on Zwift, others are just getting started. Some newbies begin with so much excitement that it’s a pleasure to watch! Samuel Keene has just joined the Zwift community. Who else is cycling on their balcony?
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.
This week was about trying new nutrition and building up some volume. I also decided to pick up a bit of intensity, but that wasn’t necessarily part of the plan. Anyway, let’s get to the suffering. That’s why you’re here.
Let’s Make it Hurt, But with Taste
So, one of the best things about my wife is that she is an active participant in the crazy train that I call my athletic life. In that light, she has been talking about how to improve my nutrition to train better. Actually, she keeps saying that I am getting too skinny and wants to find more ways to push calories on me. Last week, we made our first set of Skratch Labs portables, the apple cinnamon rice squares, and they turned out ok. This week, though, we switched to the blueberry-chocolate ones. I love rice, blueberries, and chocolate, so I was looking forward to them. My goal was to get my stomach accustomed to them so I used them to fuel my long ride as well as using them as snacks in the afternoon.
Monday started off a bit frustrating with a few more Zwift crashes. Eventually, I got through my workout, but it was frustrating as all get out. I think the bug that was causing the crashes has been fixed, though, as I haven’t had any recent issues. At the end of the day, I headed down to the pool and met up with my Monday swim partner. He’s the 16-year old son of a coworker, and the kid can flat out swim for someone new to the sport. He’s pretty close to the same speed as I am, but he’s wearing boardshorts instead of jammers. It’s a good match-up, as we push each other. He has me at shorter distances, but I work him over once we get past 400 meters. Ah, old man endurance! You’ve gotta love it.
I followed up a good swim on Monday with a long swim on Tuesday morning, 3 x 1K descending. I was a bit brutalized after the swim, and the subsequent workout in the gym at lunch made sure that sensation remained. On Wednesday, I decided to channel my inner Lionel Sanders. If you haven’t seen it, he’s got a great video of him doing 6 x 1K at around 3 minutes per 1K. I didn’t go that crazy. I did 4 x 1K on 200m walking rest, descending from 3:15 to 3:09. I tell you, I felt great after that workout. I might have been able to do one more, but I was already well over my TSS target for the day. SkillZ and DrillZ later that day helped flush the crap out of the legs, and I set out to drown myself the next morning, doing 16 x 100m in the pool. Not my fastest splits, but I was pretty much hammered poo at the end of it.
Friday was another doozy. The plan called for 7-8 miles in 60 minutes. Nice and easy. Well, let’s just say that my brain didn’t let that happen. No, I had some work anger to deal with, so I let loose the demons. Ok, I didn’t go all out, but I did finish up with nine miles in just over an hour, including a first mile at 8:30/mile pace. So, I definitely put in some work. I’m glad I did that, though, because I definitely did not have any desire to start the next day’s ride with legs that resembled anything close to fresh. No, I thought it much better to be a bit wrecked before starting a 120K ride… in the heat… and the humidity… on a 6-mile out-and-back course. Yeah, you read that right. Saturday morning consisted of 75.8 miles with most of it on a course that went one way for 3 miles, a 180-degree turn, and 3 miles back. I felt like I was swimming. Holy crap was I bored. I should have brought an audio book or music. Instead, I just had my Wahoo Element Bolt chirping at me at the end of every interval. The ride went well, though. I wasn’t hammering it particularly hard, just trying to find race pace and practice nutrition. The worst part was the wind. It was quite literally a crosswind the entire time. At least I only had three miles with it on a side.
I closed out the week with a nice little run of ten miles and change. It was insanely hot and humid out, so I did a little over seven outside and finished up on the treadmill. Had I known I was so close on the TSS, I would have run the extra two-tenths of a mile to end it at 11 miles. Oh well, it was still a good week.
Planned TSS – 911; Completed TSS – 909
Yay! It’s Recovery Week
Normally, I can’t stand a recovery week. I usually dread them. I need this one. Work has been anything but helpful with stress management, and I am tired. I only wish I could schedule in more naps. Outside of Monday’s Endurance Lab ride and Thursday’s swim, it’s a pretty relaxing week. I will ride the ODZ Cat & Mouse race on Saturday to inject a little fun, but I don’t plan on lighting up the race by any stretch. Planned TSS – 640
We’re plowing through the weeks, and ITU World Championships continue to close in on us. Plane tickets are bought, uniforms will be purchased soon, and lodging has been reserved. The only thing I don’t know at this point is when I will leave Santo Domingo, as I will be in the middle of moving when we go to the race. That should be fun. Ok, off to enjoy a relaxed week!
Sunday morning, March 25, 2018: Monica and I arrive at the Stubhub VELO Sports Center for the second and final day of CVR World Cup racing. Yesterday’s qualifying heats have placed each of the 40 riders into their brackets, and now it’s down to this: meeting up in person to race in a virtual world for real money. And it’s no small amount of cash–over $72,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to today’s racers, with everyone winning a prize of at least $1,276.17! When was the last time you took part in a race with payouts like that?
In the first stage Ikebe quickly rides away from the field, showing that same smile-inducing form he displayed yesterday. Ikebe is here all the way from Japan, and despite his constant smile he’s not messing around! (His trainer is feeling the effort, though, as Ikebe rocks back and forth and taps out a tempo that forces the other riders to suffer.) Ambroisine tries to catch Ikebe before the finish, but Ikebe stays away. Stage podium: Ikebe, Ambroisine, Norris.
The pack stays together on the second stage until they hit the big reverse hilly KOM and Davis attacks in a big way. Goldenberg, Stefanov and Gros get dropped. Levick gets dropped on the second lap’s climb, and Ikebe goes off the front with a pack of five chasing. They can’t catch Ikebe though, who finishes first with a pack of five sprinting for places behind him. Stage podium: Ikebe, Pikelney, Ambroisine.
We have a pack of nine together for most of the final stage, which gets whittled down to seven near the end when Ikebe jumps off the front for a long break. Racer Alison Kubota and I are standing next to Frank Levick as he nears the end of the race with the pack, and Alison asks him, “Do you have a good sprint?” He shakes his head no. With only a few hundred yards left to go, Alison and I both tell him, “Frank–you’ve got to go now! Surprise them with a long break, give it everything you’ve got!” Frank goes… and wins the pack sprint with us yelling in his ears! Stage podium: Ikebe, Levick, Norris.
Men’s Performance Final Results and Payouts:
Sadao Ikebe ($1,374.41)
Greg Ambroisine ($1,369.86)
Tim Norris ($1,293.52)
Motti Pikelny ($1,297.31)
Frank Levick ($1,327.24)
Mike Davis ($1,303.23)
CJ Tully ($1,295.21)
Bill Gros ($1,269.20)
Stefan Stefanov ($1,268.19)
Ryan Goldenberg ($1,276.17)
Watch the entire race broadcast:
Mike Davis
Hunter Allen interviewing Frank after his incredible stage 3 finish
In the first stage Fortier (who wins the “Best Women’s Pain Face” award) quickly climbs away from the field. Gabel chases and keeps the gap close, but is disappointed at the end because she had more to give (she thought the race ended at the top of the KOM, not at the castle!) Stage podium: Fortier, Gabel, McMurtry.
After the first lap on the second stage a pack of eight is in the lead, with York and Rice off the back. Everyone knows the reverse KOM is where it’s going to break apart, and that’s what happens: Fortier goes off the front with Gabel, Rod and McKenzie chasing. The pack can’t catch Fortier, though, who takes first again. Stage podium: Fortier, Rod, McKenzie.
We have a pack of nine together for most of the final stage, despite Fortier putting in some attacks hoping to shrink the final field. Conway jumps early but can’t hold it, then Rod flies through the group with a strong sprint that wins the day. Stage podium: Rod, McKenzie, Fortier.
Women’s Performance Final Results and Payouts:
Catherine Fortier ($1,374.80)
Julie McKenzie ($1,338.06)
Ingelin Rod ($1,315.59)
Holly Gabel ($1,343.32)
Lauren McMurtry ($1,305.22)
Cheryl Muldoon ($1,381.21)
Mila Allinson ($1,371.19)
Laura Conway ($1,286.17)
Liz Rice ($1,285.15)
Jessica York ($1,308.13)
Team Vixen’s Cheryl Muldoon wins the grit award for this race, riding with massive bruising in her upper right leg that made even walking very difficult. She tells me, “If this was any other race I would just skip it.”
Watch the entire race broadcast:
Velocity Vixens were out in force!
Women’s Performance podium
Women’s Performance podium
Women’s Performance podium
Holly Gabel
Holly Gabel
Holly Gabel
Ingelin Rod
Laura Conway
Race fuel
Jessica York
Lauren McMurtry
Liz Rice
Catherine Fortier
Mila Allinson
Mila Allinson
Julie McKenzie didn’t want anyone nearby after her finishing sprint!
In the first stage ITU World Champ Lionel Sanders simply rides away from the field–and nobody is surprised. Lionel is a TT machine, so the hill climb stage is his to lose. The question is, can he get on the podium in stages 2 or 3? Stage podium: Sanders, Gardiner, Zimmerman.
The second stage sees several non-CVR racers involved in the event, which is an annoyance. Zwift needs to allow for “private” events! The attacks hit on the first KOM, and Drujon is off the back, deciding to rest for the final stage. Little, Bay and Arber get popped off the back as well, so a lead group of six heads into the second lap. Sanders throws down major attacks to get away knowing he won’t win a pack sprint, but the experienced riders are marking him and holding his wheel. A pack of five contests the finishing sprint, and Zwift veteran Schumm takes it. Stage podium: Schumm, Netzer, Zimmerman.
The entire pack of ten elite racers stays together for the full final stage, with Sanders again throwing down multiple attacks in a desperate attempt to get away. And once again non-CVR racers are involved in the event–this time possibly effecting the race outcome as “T. Teipen (Atlanta)” jumps early in the sprint and Drujon mistakenly chases him then has to softpedal when he realizes his mistake. I’m standing next to Adam Zimmerman as we head into the final sprint, and I yell myself hoarse as USA Zwift Champ Zimmerman throws down an incredibly strong sprint to take first and the overall win. Stage podium: Zimmerman, Drujon, Bay.
Men’s Performance Final Results and Payouts:
Adam Zimmerman ($7,750.09)
Lionel Sanders ($2,706.03)
Casey Schumm ($1,754.22)
Dan Netzer ($1,608.02)
Soren Bay ($1,533.42)
Matthew Gardiner ($1,698.44)
Mathieu Drujon ($1,607.91)
Eric Sorenson ($1,473.88)
Kim Little ($1,558.85)
Gavin Arber ($1,499.82)
Watch the entire race broadcast:
Men’s Elite Podium
Men’s Elite Podium
CVR organizer Frank Garcia with the Men’s Elite podium
In the first stage Behring shows her superior watts/kilogram, just putting out enough effort to stay ahead and win. Padouvas, who had made it into the Elite race despite being a Performance pick, puts in a mighty effort with the encouragement of a large crowd around her but eventually overcooks it. She’ll come back and race well though! Stage podium: Behring, Meisels, Real.
On the second stage, the first KOM sees Jansen, Meisels, and Pothier dropped from the pack. (I’m just happy to see Pothier able to race decently after yesterday’s massive effort.) The pack stays together until the second lap’s KOM, where Conabeare attacks and Kubota gets dropped. The pack of six contests the sprint finish, with Conabeare putting in a massive sprint to take it. Behring is a stronger rider in terms of pure w/kg, but this is going to come down to race ability and teamwork. Stage podium: Conabeare, York, Behring.
For the final stage of the day, a pack of nine stays together for the entire flat stage. Once more Conabeare takes the sprint with a massive jump off the front, taking the stage and the overall win. Well done, Team Velocity Vixens. Stage podium: Conabeare, York, Meisels.
Women’s Performance Final Results and Payouts:
Carey Conabeare ($7,801.83)
Claudia Behring ($2,645.61)
Beth York ($1,687.15)
Esther Meisels ($1,930.77)
Jennifer Real ($1,530.07)
Emily Joyner ($1,467.52)
Alison Kubota ($1,590.48)
Athena Padouvas ($1,505.45)
Katie Pothier ($1,484.42)
Inge Jansen ($1,453.38)
Watch the entire race broadcast:
Women’s Elite Podium
Women’s Elite Podium
Women’s Elite Podium
Velocity Vixen teammates Conabear and York congratulate each other
My cycleFANTASY team got second place overall, winning me $220. Well work, team!
These Are Real People
This was our first time attending a CVR event, and Monica and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was fun to talk with riders from around the world and hear their stories. On top of that, my mind was expanded as I spoke at length with some key race organizers, discussing what the future looks like for CVR and Zwift racing.
Our favorite part, though, was standing near the riders as they raced, cheering them on and (in some cases) giving them a little guidance when their glycogen-depleted brains weren’t quite working right. It felt like we were really able to be a part of it all, and even help out in some small way.
The Future of eSports
Zwift has caused a stir in the eSports world, due in no small part to CVR’s pioneering efforts. I say “Well done” to Frank Garcia and his team, and I do hope CVR and Zwift can work together to further develop this side of the Zwift world.
As more riders participate and sponsors join in, the opportunity for exciting races with large payouts will continue to grow. Larger prizes means more and more participation from top riders: how long will it be until we see world tour pros at Zwift race finals? It’s coming, but not overnight: Zwift and its community must work together to build the technology and audience first.
A Few More Photos
The tech crew did an incredible job!
It takes a lot of human and tech firepower to pull something like this off.
Jesper Anker
Race fuel
Vixen teammates
CVR Founder Frank Garcia
UCI World & National track record holder Ethan J. Boyes stopped by and chatted
How The Alpe Du Zwift Was Made (Zwiftcast Special)
Zwifters love new roads more than anything else – so it’s perhaps understandable that occasionally there’s frustration that the development team can’t churn out new tarmac faster.
A new Zwiftcast video provides some insight into why new features like the massive climb of the Alpe du Zwift don’t get out the door of the Long Beach HQ quicker.
“Painstaking doesn’t quite describe it,” says Simon Schofield of the Zwiftcast, after he was given a behind-the-curtain look at the making of the new route.
“For example – every single ‘prop’ which is a piece of scenery like a fence post and rails, or a bush, or a tree, is hand drawn on 3D modelling software, Maya. Then it’s painted and textured in Photoshop, then it’s placed carefully, at the right size and in the right proportions and at the right angles, into the scenery.
“And there are literally thousands of these props,” says Schofield. “And if the road has to be changed for some reason, then it’s back to the drawing board for the props associated with the changed stretch.”
But there’s more. Because Zwift runs on everything from iPhones to gaming rigs, the developers have to use special tools to deliver the best possible experience across a variety of machines with different capabilities.
“I was shown the Level of Detail mode,” says Schofield. “The entire landscape is colour coded to show how much detail the software needs to draw to keep all users happy. It’s mind-blowingly complicated.”
The Wireframe Mode is another tool the devs use to keep things optimised. This shows how dense the polygons (building blocks of objects in video games) are, and whether that density is too much, not enough or just right – for the whole range of machines Zwift runs on.
Finally, the level of detail in the game is something that Zwifters may not notice – but they would if it was wrong, says Schofield. “I was shown a zoom-in to a small window on one building. As well as the life-like, or at least Zwift-like, texturing of the wood and glass, the artists had drawn a reflection of a building opposite on to the glass.
“You’d never notice it riding past – but it contributes to the immersiveness of the game.”
The whole experience was a real eye-opener, says Schofield. You can see how all the tools and techniques work in the Zwiftcast Special: How The Alpe Du Zwift Was Made.
And if you watch the video to the end there are a couple of fascinating insights into the things that DIDN’T make it into the Alpe… maybe they will one day.
The Real-Life Finale of the “Flanders Race De Ronde”
As the dark winter days were getting behind us and we welcomed the first rays of spring sunshine it was time to conclude the “Flanders race De Ronde” Zwift racing series with a grand finale. The concept was simple: during the winter months, we held a weekly race. Each race you could gather points. At the end of the winter, the top 10 of each category were invited to contest the finale.
The finale took place in the Cycling Power Ghent training center in Belgium, where we had access to 10 full-blown Zwift stations: Kickr or CycleOps smart trainer on a trainer mat, big screen on a tripod and a fan. All trainers were calibrated, and everybody had to go up on the scales to check their body weight. Time to discover if those online virtual winter wattages match what you produce in real life.
Race 1: The Epic KOM
The first race of the day was food for the climbers. We started at the pier, and had to climb the epic KOM. The finish of the race was around 900 metres behind the epic KOM banner, meaning you still had to conquer the first 13% gradient section of the climb to the radio tower. A nasty surprise for those who thought the finish was at the banner!
Race 2: Two Laps of Watopia Flat Reverse
Second race of the day was a flat race where the sprinters could make up for the time losses of the climb. There were bonus seconds for the first 3 finishers (20″, 10″ and 5″ seconds). As the events were open for everyone (Zwift has no private events), it meant you not only had to race against your fellow finalists, but also against ‘outsiders’ with fresh legs.
And as everybody who has some experience with flat Zwift races knows, once you get dropped on the flat the time gaps can become quite large. As such, this race was a matter of giving it all to make sure you could stick with the pack, and keep your fingers crossed you would have some energy left in the tank to sprint at the end of the race.
Race 3: One Watopia Hilly TT Lap
A one lap race sounds easy… but not if you already did 2 races that day. And since you cannot draft with the TT bike, there was no hiding in the pack. If you were running on empty, you would lose a lot of time in this race.
We had a bit of bad luck with the TT. During this time slot there was also a Fondo event on Zwift, and the servers were clearly struggling with it. While everybody could do the race, we could not see the names kits of other riders during the race. That made it nearly impossible to see who around you was in the general classification, as you had no idea who was who.
Luckily it didn’t have much effect on the final results. Each of the category winners was clearly the strongest guy that day, and a well-deserved winner.
For everyone that ever has the chance to attend such a Zwift event, I can highly recommend it. Even for spectators it is great. For example seeing the A-category fight for the win is something unique. While the typical B and C races are won by riding at a high but relatively steady speed and hoping the rest would get dropped, the A’s really put in cruel attacks.
And if you have 10 A riders in a room, it means that each time somebody shifts and stands up to accelerate, all the others hear it and react immediately. Before you know it, the whole room is filled with the sound of smart trainers getting tortured and people dancing on the pedals with the occasional swearing. This can be seen in the video below, which was recorded at the end of the flat stage in the A category:
For the racers themselves, it also brings an extra dimension. If you can see the pain face and hear the breathing and suffering of the guys you are racing, you are really motivated to bring on the pain and ride that little bit harder. This resulted in some real FTP increases. Some only by 1 Watt but we also had people who managed a 20W increase.
Some photos of the event can be found in this Facebook album. We were lucky enough that one of the participants is also a professional photographer, and he has put a huge collection of high quality photos in a separate Facebook album.
Last but not least I want to thank Stephan Tytgadt, owner of the TS-Bikes bike shop, for finding the time to setting up this racing series, and organizing the finale. It was an amazing event, and I heard nothing but positive reactions from all the attendees. He even invited a professional barista and his coffee machine. What more can you wish for ?
But it’s also April 1st, and Zwift traditionally does something zany for April Fool’s Day. 2017 we had big heads, 2016 gave us the old-timey effect, and 2015 we rode big wheels on Jarvis. What about today?
Today we’re playing Paperboy… or at least, a very simplified Zwifty version of Atari’s 1985 classic. We’ve got lo-res bikes and targets to toss newspaper towards. Hit F2 to throw the paper. If you hit the target, you get 50XP. Here’s a video of me missing the target…
The Zwift Coaching Podcast features training tips from Matt Rowe, Greg Henderson (Coach Hendy) and Kev Poulton (Powerhouse Cycling). Listen to Episode #4 of The Zwift Coaching Podcast to find out how often you should measure your FTP and how Zwifters with sensitive stomachs can avoid the dreaded “disaster pants.”
Discussion points for this episode are:
Methods of testing, when to test and how often.
As a new user, how can the Zwift FTP test assist you with finding your FTP?
How should you approach your first FTP test and what should your pace be?
Learn about how setting your FTP will assist with your training in Zwift and how it can be used to benefit your rides and racing indoors.
Is there a difference between testing indoors and outdoors and are you likely to get the same results?
What are power zones – what do they mean in Zwift?
Week 15 – Planes, trains, and automobiles… ruin my week
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.
Like I said in the preview of this week, I had some work travel this week. It was only a short trip, though, three days and back home. I have figured out that I don’t like short trips. I much prefer trips that take me out of the office all week. When I got back to work, I found that all problems that could be delayed for a day or two until my return were. Of course, had I been out until Monday, the problems would have been resolved without me. Such is life. Being back in the office also gave plenty of opportunity for other things to go wrong.
I Thought the Travel Portion was Bad
After a good long run on Sunday, the 5:30 AM pickup to head to the airport came early. Being a bit of a pro at this travel leg, I am well aware what my food options would be, so I got up early to eat a good breakfast. I wanted to grab a light lunch at the airport in Miami before arriving in Key West, where I would get in a nice 60-minute run. Yeah, that didn’t happen. Well, the light lunch turned into a heavier lunch, and the quick flight to Key West turned into a flight there with a return to Miami, followed by an hour wait and a return flight to Key West. We weren’t able to land the first time due to weather. Nobody’s fault, but it screwed with my day. By the time we landed, I had just enough time to drop my bags and head to a meeting, followed by dinner with the group. We had a good time, and everybody agreed to call it an early night because most people were going to join me at the track the next morning. Not sure why they thought it was a good idea, but no complaints from me!
The next morning, we met in the hotel lobby at 5:20 AM and headed to the high school track for some 400 repeats. It’d been a while since I had the opportunity to hit a good track, and it was awesome. I ripped off 12 x 400 all in the mid-to-low 70-second area. The others did 8 x 400, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did. After meetings that day, we hopped back on an evening flight to Miami to grab a few hours of sleep. The next morning it was back at the travels, as we headed back home. I was a bit dehydrated and tired, as I had been kept up late Tuesday night and was obligated to have a few adult beverages, so my pre-SkillZ and DrillZ Ride workout was a flop. The ride turned out well, though, as the usual crew lifted my mood, which helped lift the legs. By the end of the ride, I was pumped for Thursday’s swim.
Here’s the thing: you guys should have picked up by now that I am rarely pumped for a swim. That should have served as a bit of foreshadowing. Thursday morning came, and I was ready to go, early even. Yeah, the car decided it wouldn’t start. Grrr! Dead battery. Had to jump on my bike to get to work; thus, my swim did not happen. The rest of the day was a disaster, resolving all of the problems that arose during my absence, so the entire day was a wash. Friday was a little bit better, although I had to endure three Zwift crashes while trying to complete my workout. Alas, the weekend arrived, and I was able to salvage a little bit of self-respect with a 200+ TSS Saturday ride day, a mix of indoor and outdoor, and a 17-mile run on Sunday, again a mix of indoor and outdoor.
It wasn’t the week I wanted, but it was the week I got. Zero swim time was not exactly helpful, but it happens. There’s always next week. Planned TSS – 871; Completed TSS – 667
Recentering Myself – Focusing on the Nutrition
Being that we’re only a few short months away from the race, it’s time to dial in the nutrition. Right now is the perfect time, in fact. Volume is high, and the race-pace efforts are coming fast and furious. Thus, it’s time to get at figuring out what will work with my stomach and what will help my legs keep moving quickly. This is the last big week before a recovery week, so I’ll have to work through a little down time and keep myself sane. Planned TSS – 911
Time continues to run. I am looking forward to the next few cycles of building my swim volume and ramping up some intensity. It’s going to be a busy next two months, so the focus will be on staying healthy and resting as much as possible. As the heat builds here in Santo Domingo, I’ll transition back into full indoor riding and running. In that vein, I hope to see you out on course during my training!
Zwift’s release of the massive Alpe du Zwift climb has been accompanied by two different climb-related challenges. Here are the details…
Spring Climbing Mission
Zwift’s latest update includes the Spring Climbing Mission. The mission is simply this: climb 10,000 feet by April 30th. No prizes, just increased fitness!
To join the mission, just click “Let’s do this” from the Join Rider screen in game.
Alpe Du Zwift Challenge
This Strava challenge runs from April 5-19. Climb 1036m (indoors or out!) within that time and be entered to win a Wahoo KICKR Climb.
