Home Blog Page 458

How to: Snap and Share Killer Zwift Photos

Eric Schlange
-
0
How to: Snap and Share Killer Zwift Photos

How to: Snap and Share Killer Zwift Photos

I’ve worn many hats after 20+ years as a self-employed tech guy. One of my favorite hats has been photographer. I’ve shot portraits, products, weddings, food, landscapes… you get the idea.

Nowadays, though, most of my photos are taken with an iPhone out on the bike. These photos really only see the light of day on my Strava profile. Some are taken so I can remember that moment in time, while others are taken so I can share the experience with my Strava followers. I upload pics from my Zwift sessions for the same reasons.

Just like “real” photography, getting a good shot on Zwift isn’t as easy as pushing F10. You’ve got to pay attention to your lighting, angles, background, etc. It’s a more restricted environment, but one with plenty of possibilities. And while it may seem silly to some, pushing the limits of these possibilities is fun for many, including myself.

So here it is: your definitive guide to shooting and sharing good Zwift screenshots.

How to Shoot: the Basics

Taking the Shot

There are three ways to take a photo in Zwift:

  1. Your computer keyboard: press F10 to snap a shot.
  2. Zwift Companion app: scroll the action buttons at the bottom of the map screen until you see the camera (last button on the right).
  3. In-game action bar: in iOS/Android, just tap the screen to get this pop up. AppleTV uses the remote, and on a desktop computer, click the up arrow. This brings up an action bar that includes a camera button.

Photos are stored on the device which is running Zwift–that is, if you take a photo using Zwift Companion, it will be saved to the computer which is actually running the game.

On Windows, photos are stored under Photos/Zwift. Here’s what my folder looks like:

What’s Your Angle?

The first thing you can do to make your photos more interesting is to change camera angle. The default angle on Zwift is great for zwifting, but completely uninteresting for screenshots!

On a computer, just hit a number key to change it:

1: Default 6 o’clock view
2: Third person view
3: First person shooter perspective
4: To the side front-left of the rider
5: Rearview from the right of the rear wheel
6: Head on to the rider
7: Spectator view
8: Helicopter view
9: Bird’s eye view (PC/Mac only)
0: Drone View – use the arrow keys, +, and – keys to move and zoom camera (PC/Mac only)

On Zwift Companion or iOS/AppleTV/Android look for the eyeball button to click and change the camera angle. Here’s what each camera angle produces:

Light Up Your Life

Any photographer worth their screen cap will tell you lighting is always a top concern. Photography is just capturing light, after all. Zwift shots also require good lighting, but for most shots it basically comes down to the difference between your rider being in the shade (bad) or full light (good).

Here are two samples for you. Notice how the second picture of each pair is much more interesting, as the subject of the photo is well lit.

  • Runner is shaded, not good
  • Runner is lit, very nice
  • Rider is shaded, not good
  • Rider is lit, very nice

Of course, the lighting challenge on Zwift is that you can’t move lights around to get the look you want! And some courses like New York have a lot of foliage or buildings which create spotty shade.

If you’re really chasing a good shot, you may need to flip a u-turn or take multiple shots to get one where your avatar is lit the way you’d like. The good news is, you’re not having to pay for extra film!

Advanced Shooting Tips

What’s Your Point of View?

If you want a real pro Zwift pic, you’re going to be on a computer with a keyboard so you can hit 0 and move the camera yourself.

Tapping 0 puts you in “drone view” where you can use your four arrow keys to move the camera up, down, left and right. Additionally, hitting the – or + keys will zoom in and out.

Once you get comfortable with this setting it is very easy to use, and that’s good because the angle of your shot can make all the difference. I’m partial to low angles, taken from near street level. Here’s an example:

I’ve found in drone mode the camera doesn’t usually want to go low if you just hit the down arrow. But if you hit the up arrow first for a bit, THEN down, it will go lower than it would before! Give it a try.

Clean Is In

Unless you have a reason for displaying the various on-screen metrics, “clean” shots look much cooler. On computers, every shot you take is saved with a “clean” version and one with the HUD. Sorry, iOS/AppleTV/Android users: your pictures will always include the HUD elements.

Sharing Your Shot(s)

Zwift Sharing Settings

By default Zwift takes some snapshots as you ride and uploads them to Strava. You can change this behavior through the Settings menu so it only uploads the photos you take (my preference), or never uploads photos.

Changing the Highlight Photo

Strava will choose the first picture you upload as your activity’s “highlight” photo. If you’d rather use a different shot (this is often the case), simply edit your activity, clicking the photo you want to highlight, and choose “Set as Highlight Photo”.

Your Tips Welcome

Got any other tips for Zwift photographers? Share them below!

Introducing ZwiftChallenge.com

Garry Twiss
-
0
Introducing ZwiftChallenge.com

Introducing ZwiftChallenge.com

Editor’s note: Garry Twiss is a long-time member of the first Zwift team I ever joined (Team TFC) so we’ve raced virtually together many times. When he messaged me about a new project for the Zwift community I knew he was onto something special.  As I see it, Garry’s ZwiftChallenge is a novel tool for our community, since it helps motivate each of us to push harder while exploring all the challenging routes Zwift has to offer. (I didn’t realize until I connected my Strava account to ZwiftChallenge there were several routes–the big ones–I still hadn’t completed on Watopia.)

I asked Garry to write up a post about the genesis of this project, and the details of how it works. Here’s what he had to say.

Its 7:23pm and I’ve got my eye on a Zwift session this evening, but the first hurdle to clear is the usual family routine of preparing school and work lunches, walk the dog and getting the kids to bed. There’s a race at 8pm, or a group ride at 8:15pm. I can make either, I just need to get the kids to bed and make my wife a coffee (for good measure!).

7:38pm, lunches made, the dog was walked before tea and my wife has everything under control and gives the green light for me to head to the Zwift cave! Bonus. It’s 7:50pm, so do I want to warm up for the race or wait for the group ride? Do I want an all-out hour effort or an easy spin with an optional mini race at the end? Truth is, after the usual hectic work/life balance I just want to get on and ride!

Zwift has made it so easy for those seeking fitness to be engaged in a workout while physically on our own usually in a cold garage or outbuilding. My non-cyclist friends just can’t understand how I get so enthusiastic about exercise, whilst my cycling friends can’t understand how I can go an entire year riding indoors (well, that is until they try it.) The biggest pull for many is the convenience that Zwift is ready when you’re ready. There’s no travel time to the local gym, there’s no weather to negotiate and there’s no class to be on time for. The work/life/fitness is balanced according to your schedule.

Despite the relative ease of the platform we all need a goal, something to point towards. A famous Yankees player once said “if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else” – Yogi Berra. Trouble is, not everyone is a competitive racer or aspiring professional athlete, so as much as we read the myriad of fitness articles that will give us more power in 12 weeks, or rapidly improve our recovery time with various supplements, for your average Zwifter do these really make much difference? Do I need to balance my ‘base period’ and ‘peak period’ and build a training plan with periodization? For me, probably not. But I want a challenge, a goal and something to achieve on my terms according to my schedule.

This is where the idea of ZwiftChallenge came from. I wanted to find all the toughest routes on Zwift that would naturally challenge me. There are now many indoor cyclists who have invested in smart trainers and additional accessories to further immerse themselves into the virtual worlds on Zwift. Being one of them, why do I want to reduce the trainer difficulty or turn it off so I don’t end up into the downward spiral of a workout in Erg mode? Listing all the challenges was eye opening when I realized I had only completed 4 out of the 15 routes. I had something new to do, a goal to aim at! On top of that, each course profile was going to test my ability and put my smart trainer to work.

So ZwiftChallenge was built to allow automatic tracking of that goal. Using Zwift Insider’s verified Strava segments I connected to Strava to track just those challenging routes and display them in the Palmares page, to show the achievements made so far and which courses are still left to complete (I have many!). Three Sisters is a particular favourite as the course profile provides an excellent workout with natural recovery periods built in. I also hadn’t realised just how many challenges there are on Zwift so it was a case of stick to what you know.

Palmares page

The Palmares page was a big tick in the box, I liked what it was telling me and gave me something to work towards. The only downside to the bigger challenges is time. Something like the Mega Pretzel requires my whole afternoon or being able to start much earlier in the evening. So how can I repeat a challenge and be rewarded for my efforts? Where’s the motivation?

Another pull factor on Zwift that taps into our inner competitiveness are the timed segments in game where you can go for a PB or challenge the live leaderboard. The problem I face, however, is that I am your average athlete and end up in an average position on the leaderboard. Which is fine, it’s just not something I can use for motivation. So how can I create a leaderboard that puts everyone on an even footing?

ZwiftChallenge leaderboard (click for live leaderboard)

This is where the points system came from. Using points that are relative to your own effort, everyone has the chance to earn the same amount of points. On top of this, if you work hard and try to beat, or get within 5% of your best time (not someone else’s) on a given course, you are rewarded with bonus points. If you beat your previous best time you become the King or Queen of your own mountain, which is summarised in your athlete summary by the acronym KYM or QYM. Without delving into sports science of power numbers, stress scores and heart rate zones, the general rule is the more points you earn, the fitter and faster you become.

So now the motivation comes from completing all of the current 15 challenges on Zwift, gaining as many KYM’s or QYM’s as you can, and climbing the leaderboard through your own effort.

The 2018 leaderboard so far has seen some impressive entries, and we are still waiting for that rider who has completed all 15 challenges. But everyone has the chance to climb the leaderboard, just plan to ride those challenges and see your points and your fitness grow.

Feedback has been very positive, so whilst Zwifters continue to register their Zwift Challenge efforts, development is underway to create 12 annual game periods to see how many points you can generate in blocks of 4 to 5 weekly intervals and hopefully by spring, deliver you sportive ready for the outdoor (or even indoor) season.

Are you up for the challenge?

Watopia “That’s Amore” Run Route Details

Eric Schlange
-
0
Watopia “That’s Amore” Run Route Details

Watopia “That’s Amore” Run Route Details

Watopia’s “That’s Amore” is aptly named, since it is the only running route which takes you through the full Italian Villas section. Released in the September 30, 2018 update, this is a twisty route on mostly mixed-use roads.

You’ll begin by running northward through the start/finish and into the tunnel to downtown. Loop around onto the main road, which takes you over The Esses in a reverse direction. Cross JWB bridge and you’ll find yourself on the cobbles of the Italian Villas. Continue out of town past the waterfall and over the 360 bridge, then turn back onto the run path for a lap finish.

Route details:
Distance: 6.43km (4 miles)
Strava Segment

About gradient/elevation in Zwift Run: while gradient changes are visually apparent on Zwift roads, runners don’t feel any resistance or gradient changes when hitting inclines in game. This lets you set your treadmill to whatever gradient you prefer. The elevation numbers sent to Strava are then recorded from your treadmill, so if you run at 0% your run will show no elevation gain, while running at 3% will show a steady 3% gain throughout your effort.

Watopia “Jon’s Route” Run Route Details

Eric Schlange
-
0
Watopia “Jon’s Route” Run Route Details

Watopia “Jon’s Route” Run Route Details

“Jon’s Route” is named after the game’s creator/head developer Jon Mayfield, who is an avid runner himself. At 12.5km it is the longest run route available at the time of the September 30, 2018 update.

You’ll begin by running northward through the start/finish and into the tunnel to downtown. Hang a right onto the main road, then a left onto Ocean Blvd for a run through the underwater tunnels. Hit the docks and dirt of the fishing village, get over the 360 bridge and you’re on the dedicated run path. From there you’ll make your way onto the skyway, run along the beach, then return through the lap banner in the opposite direction you began.

Route details:
Distance: 12.53km (7.78 miles)
Strava Segment

About gradient/elevation in Zwift Run: while gradient changes are visually apparent on Zwift roads, runners don’t feel any resistance or gradient changes when hitting inclines in game. This lets you set your treadmill to whatever gradient you prefer. The elevation numbers sent to Strava are then recorded from your treadmill, so if you run at 0% your run will show no elevation gain, while running at 3% will show a steady 3% gain throughout your effort.

Watopia “Chili Pepper” Run Route Details

Eric Schlange
-
0
Watopia “Chili Pepper” Run Route Details

Watopia “Chili Pepper” Run Route Details

Watopia’s “Chili Pepper” run route was introduced in the September 30, 2018 update. Most of this route is on mixed-use tarmac, so watch out for bikes!

You’ll begin by running northward through the start/finish and into the tunnel to downtown. Loop onto the main road and head over the tube bridge into the volcano, then take the land bridge to the Italian Villas and past the waterfall. From there it’s a short distance over the 360 bridge and back into Run Valley for your finish.

Route details:
Distance: 7.95km (4.94 miles)
Strava Segment

About gradient/elevation in Zwift Run: while gradient changes are visually apparent on Zwift roads, runners don’t feel any resistance or gradient changes when hitting inclines in game. This lets you set your treadmill to whatever gradient you prefer. The elevation numbers sent to Strava are then recorded from your treadmill, so if you run at 0% your run will show no elevation gain, while running at 3% will show a steady 3% gain throughout your effort.

Watopia “5k Loop” Run Route Details

Eric Schlange
-
0
Watopia “5k Loop” Run Route Details

Watopia “5k Loop” Run Route Details

Watopia’s “5k Loop” run route essentially covers all of the “run only” path introduced in the September 30, 2018 update. At 5km in length this course is just right for single or multi-lap efforts, and the twists and turns keep it visually interesting.

You’ll begin by running northward through the start/finish and through the tunnel into downtown. Make your way onto the beach, past the statues, and over the ocean skyway. Finish off by making your way back into Run Valley to the start/finish. Then head off for another lap if you’ve got the legs!

Route details:
Distance: 5km (3.1 miles)
Strava Segment

About gradient/elevation in Zwift Run: while gradient changes are visually apparent on Zwift roads, runners don’t feel any resistance or gradient changes when hitting inclines in game. This lets you set your treadmill to whatever gradient you prefer. The elevation numbers sent to Strava are then recorded from your treadmill, so if you run at 0% your run will show no elevation gain, while running at 3% will show a steady 3% gain throughout your effort.

Watopia “11.1 Ocean Blvd” Run Route Details

Eric Schlange
-
0
Watopia “11.1 Ocean Blvd” Run Route Details

Watopia “11.1 Ocean Blvd” Run Route Details

Watopia’s “11.1 Ocean Blvd” run route was named with a nod to Zwift headquarters, which is located on Ocean Blvd in Long Beach, California. Introduced in the September 30, 2018 update, this is the second-longest run route on Zwift at the time of its release.

Unlike the other run routes, this one begins with you running southward through the start/finish. You’ll find yourself on mixed-use roads quickly, progressing over the 360 bridge and onto the docks and dirt roads of the fishing village. Continue on through the underwater tunnels of Ocean Blvd, then you can finally hop onto the dedicated running path which takes you along the beachfront, over the water, and eventually into Run Valley to finish off your lap.

Route details:
Distance: 11.15km (6.93 miles)
Strava Segment

About gradient/elevation in Zwift Run: while gradient changes are visually apparent on Zwift roads, runners don’t feel any resistance or gradient changes when hitting inclines in game. This lets you set your treadmill to whatever gradient you prefer. The elevation numbers sent to Strava are then recorded from your treadmill, so if you run at 0% your run will show no elevation gain, while running at 3% will show a steady 3% gain throughout your effort.

Coming Off of the Couch

Ian Murray
-
0
Coming Off of the Couch

Coming Off of the Couch

Officially Back in the Game

After a couple of weeks of relatively easy training due to injury, I am back in the game. I wouldn’t classify my fitness as 100 percent yet, but it is coming back. I really think that my “meat-eating” sessions during my commute to work have helped. My forced recovery time did do some good for the brain, though, and I feel that I’m ready to jump into the next part of my season…Cyclocross! Look, there just aren’t winter triathlons here in the DC area, so I’ve got to do something. Besides, the mounting and dismounting for the obstacles and hill climbs plays to my strengths. The cold… not so much.

What I am Training?

Now that I am back to training, I have a dual focus. I am racing cyclocross this year and I have a 5K on 12 October. So, in addition to getting my running form back, I also have to concentrate on speed. Adding in the threshold work to prep for cyclocross, and it looks like I have a multiple personality disorder going on in my training. Actually, it’s not that bad. I have been following, for the most part, the Endurance Lab Ability Lab to get my legs back in to shape, but my inability to swim or run hard has really been the limiting factor.

As I mentioned earlier, I play a game during my morning commute. I call it “meat-eating,” but it would be better understood as “predator-prey.” You see, I ride on a bike path to work, and there is one section that runs for about 7 miles that is full of commuters. In the early morning hours, I can see their tail lights and headlights flashing away in front of me. All it takes is for me to sense that I might be closing in on a rider in front of me, and my primordial urges take over. I view that rider as food or prey. Depending on whether I ate enough the night prior, I sometimes tell myself that overtaking the rider ahead of me will satiate my hunger. I know. I get it. I’m a bit off, but it helps motivate me. The other day, I was able to roll at 165 beats per minute on my single-speed bike and cover the 15K in about 32 minutes, including stopping at traffic lights and for an ID inspection at the entry gate to work. I had a good time that day, so I guess I can’t complain.

Besides my daily VO2 sessions, I am really focused on developing my aerobic engine again, spending much of my running time in a lower heart rate zone. Being that I do have a 5K race coming up, though, I have started doing some speed work in preparation. It hasn’t gone all that well, but it’s not horrible. I was able to do 6 400-meter efforts in under 80 seconds pretty easily, so I’m not too far off. I’m not anywhere near where I would like to be, but I’m not at a pedestrian pace. So, I’m at least starting from an ok place. Due to the vegetation and the buildings along my favorite run routes, I continue to rely on the power data from my Stryd footpod. Over the winter, I plan to play with it quite a bit more, so I plan to deliver more data testing to you on the efficacy of training with power on the run.

SkillZ and DrillZ Ride

Now that I have settle in to my new place, we got the SkillZ and DrillZ Ride rolling. On week one, we focused on just staying together as a group. Zwift, and IRL rides, can be very tough if you struggle to hold the wheel in front of you. During week 1, we practiced working on simply holding the wheel in front of you and how to pull through. During week 2, we covered how to use the draft to recover and benefit. One of the things I have seen both on Zwift and in real life riding is the under-utilization of the draft to allow the legs to recover. For example, when returning to the group after being dropped or bridging from one group to the other, riders should take advantage of the draft to get their legs back under them unless they plan to immediately go over the top to attack the recently caught group. Too often, riders in Zwift accidentally put themselves on the front of the group that they caught because they do not understand how to use the draft to their advantage.

In week 3 we built on the the concepts of the previous two weeks and focused on attacking the bunch. In this instance, the goal was to show the difficulty in breaking away from the group and how the effects of group aerodynamics on Zwift can play into the chase. During the class we had riders launch individual attacks and then settle into a pace that was at or slightly less than that of the chase group. As the riders settled in after the short attack, the group was easily able to pull the rider back due to sheer number. Now, in a real life situation, the riders would have to take turns to pull the group back, but the concept remains the same. A group can move faster on Zwift than an individual if it bunches up fairly tightly. During the first iteration, rides were capped during their attack to show how quickly a five to eight-second gap can be pulled back by a large bunch. During the second iteration, riders were not capped during their ten-second attack, and some were able to gain a significant advantage over the bunch.

The goal of the drills was to show two things. First, the draft effect of the group is very powerful. One rider cannot stay away without a significant power advantage. Second, it is very difficult to break the grasp of the bunch, and it is even more so if the rider attacks from a position in the back of the bunch instead of the front. We had a great showing, and the group size really helped show how the group dynamics play into the decision of how and when a rider should attack. For those who didn’t get to participate in the ride, you can check out the replay below:

The key takeaways were that an attack has to be done at a significantly harder effort than that of the group, and an attacker has to be in a good position to attack. Otherwise the rider will have to expend a significant amount of energy moving through the group and creating a gap.

What am I Racing?

Now that I am back to training a bit harder, I decided to get into some racing on Zwift. The cool thing is that I have a weird schedule right now. Some days, I am done by noon. Other days, I am done by 5:30 PM. Actually, none of that is correct. I am currently in an accelerated graduate degree program, so I am basically doing a Master’s degree in 12 months vice 2 years. That means my day often officially ends at about noon. Now, I am not done with “work,” as I have at least 100 pages of reading per night. But, it does allow me to jump into races that I would not normally be able to do. This last week, I did just that by entering the Team Italy Gladiator Race.

Since I have not been racing much, and I am coming off of injury, I decided to race in the B category. As much grief as one of my ODZ teammates has given me, I am glad that I raced in the B category. This was only my second return race on Zwift, and I wasn’t sure how much my injured hip flexor could take. My abrasive teammate, we’ll leave him anonymous and call him ShmAndy, had told me that I should just join the A category during the previous week’s Cat & Mouse. Oh boy, was he wrong (like usual). From the gun, the pace was hot. Four laps of Watopia hilly was definitely going to be a good test. On lap one, I gave everything I had to stay with the two strong A riders. Fortunately, there were only two A riders, and I think they may have made the strategic decision to only push hard enough to distance most of the B riders. They could have attacked me and the other few B riders who hung with them throughout lap 1, but they didn’t. On the climb up the hilly KOM on lap two, they let loose a little bit but held it around 6 watts per kg. I barely held the wheel and let them drag me around for the rest of the lap. On lap three, the two A riders dropped me like a bad habit, leaving me to survive the remainder of the race by myself. Personally, I thought that the attacks on the KOM of lap 3 were wildly selfish, but nobody asked me. Anyway, I was able to hold on for the B win and set a new baseline for FTP. It’s not anywhere near where it was eight weeks ago, but I’m happy to find a new starting point. As for the race itself, it was pretty straightforward. There was no ride leader, and the race started from the gun. There’s not much else to say about it, but the competition was pretty good. Watch the race recording below:

Well, that’s it for me the week. Next week, I’ll put up some video from my cyclocross race, so you can share in my misery. If you feel like joining us for the SkillZ and DrillZ Ride, join us at Wednesday at 6:30 PM EDT (east coast US). Until next time Ride On!

The Open Pro: The Ever Changing Off Season

Jordan Cheyne
-
0
The Open Pro: The Ever Changing Off Season

The Open Pro: The Ever Changing Off Season

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.

Looking Forward to a Change

It seems like every year I start thinking about the off-season a little later than the last. I never thought about it at all when I was a junior because cycling was so fresh and new that I wanted to keep training, racing and improving forever. When I started to race a more diverse, international and bicoastal schedule as a U23 things changed. I would start to grow weary sometime in June after the crescendo of Nationals and start counting down the training blocks and race days in front of me. As I became stronger and more at ease with the unpredictable ebbs and flows of a cycling season I would reserve that feeling for the last few weeks of training before the season finale and eventually for the last few days before the event itself.

I don’t desperately yearn for the end of the season. It is more an anticipation and a kind of curiosity for what lies beyond the season’s last finish line. I am almost always still motivated to do the training and excited to hunt results in the closing races but I naturally look forward to a change. The satisfaction of hard work, risk and reward in the season will be replaced by the contentment of relaxation and the freedom to live a nearly normal life full of rich food and outings not taking place on two skinny tires.

The final efforts of 2018 (photo credit Elevate/KHS)

The Ending is Different Every Time

Every Off Season is different and some years require a lot more rest than others. In 2016, I remember pulling out of my final event at the Tour of Alberta completely wrecked and depleted. It had been my first pro season with Jelly Belly and many hard yards in our winning effort at the Tour of Utah combined with a stomach virus brought me down with a thud. I don’t think I got off the couch for two weeks after that and my biggest autumn training efforts were at the driving range. I think I finally started to feel like an athlete again in November and training like one a full three months post season in December.

Completely wrecked I needed a complete break in 2016

In 2017, I had a particularly cumbersome end of season. I raced Tour of Alberta through Labour Day, took a couple weeks of downtime and got married. After the festivities, I trained up for the 9-stage Tour of Hainan in China ending in early November. It was almost ski season here at home and I was still training for a race in a tropical climate. I ended up dosing the recovery and efforts correctly, taking good form into Asia and racing well there. Finally, I took a full month off as the ski lifts started moving here at Big White. My principle mode of training turned out to be high speed tobogganing down the slopes because I can’t trust myself on a pair of skis.

Racing into November in China 2017 (photo credit Jelly Belly)
Serious training with Knox

This year was a bit different. With the season ending somewhat prematurely in late August at the Colorado Classic, I barely thought about the Off Season at all. In fact, I found myself dwelling on the prospects of more racing in far away lands to get my fill for the year. Once those prospects faded and the reality of a six-month break from racing settled in, I felt more agitated than relieved. Still, I set about resting like it was a job and took a week off of any activity and about four weeks off of any purposeful riding. I hiked with Knox, our new Australian Labradoodle, mountain biked very poorly through the Okanagan’s expansive forests and ate and drank whatever I wanted. After those four weeks though, I was completely ready to go, topped up on both motivation and energy. This time it didn’t take long to fill up the tank at the pump even after many months of running the throttle wide open.

With my body and mind ready to go, I am starting to work with a new coach and starting early on my preparations for 2019. It is a moderate start with room for fun and experimentation with new training approaches. I am definitely ready to put some work in and it feels right to get going.

Pros and Amateurs Alike

This variation in end of season planning is restricted to my career as a professional. It is just as important to recognize the unique needs of the athletes I coach when their season’s goals are done and dusted. Usually the need for pure rest is less, with a lower training load and less racing-related stress accumulated. The muscles and nervous system usually bounce back in a couple weeks. The need for a mental break is often greater though. Finding time and willpower for structured training with a full time job and a family can be really depleting over the months. It can be harder to recognize the need for a mental break and harder to commit to some time away from the full-on Type-A athletic identity. To varying degrees, amateur athletes face the same irrational Off Season fears as professionals. We all want to do our best in this sport and it is an unnerving but necessary proposition to let specific fitness fade and let our edge grow dull.

Balance and Flexibility

I think the most important part to a happy Off Season, especially for my coaching clients is flexibility. Training can be fairly strenuous but doesn’t need to be strict. Racing in the form of cyclocross or a late season fondo can be a satisfying sufferfest but if they aren’t big goals we don’t need to dwell on the outcome of those events. We can continue to eat well for health and well being but if a pint of ice cream and a bottle of wine cry out, we should probably answer the call.

It is a learning process to listen to your body and mind in this period and truly do what refreshes you. Some days an extra hour of worry-free riding is the perfect off-season reward. Other days, when the legs are sore before you get out of bed and the Seahawks are playing, the couch is the ideal place to improve your performance in 2019.  It is all a balance just like every other part of endurance training. If we are mindful and do it right we will ease back into serious training at the right time with the reserves we need to push to a new level when it counts.

Can’t wait to get to work with these gents again in 2019 (photo credit Elevate-KHS)

 

The Triumphant Return to Watopia… or Something Like That

Ian Murray
-
0
The Triumphant Return to Watopia… or Something Like That

The Triumphant Return to Watopia… or Something Like That

“It’s been a while, I know. It’s not that I don’t love you anymore. It’s just that you’ve been so distant. Really, there has been something missing over the last few months that have prevented us from being together. I promise that things are different now. We won’t be apart again for a while.”

No, that is not a conversation that I had with my wife due to high training volume and work requirements. That was the conversation I had with Zwift a few weeks ago. Yes folks, I’m back connected to the real world of riding in a virtual world again. For those that followed my journey through the International Triathlon Union Long Course World Championships, I didn’t hang it up after the race. I simply had to finish my move, which meant waiting for my stuff to arrive. Anyway, we’ll get there in a moment.

Life After ITU Worlds

About two months ago, I finished the nearly eight-month slog of training for ITU LC Worlds and took some time to enjoy being in Denmark after the race. Returning back to the US, though, wasn’t like returning home. You see, the wife and I packed up our things on 30 May in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and shipped them back to the US. In early June we flew to the Washington, DC, area to find a house and drop our huge amount of luggage before heading off to Quebec City, Canada, for a couple of weeks for language training. A week after we returned to DC, we took off for Denmark, finally getting back to our “home” in late July. Fortunately, I will be attending school for a year, so the work demands will be less, in theory, as I only have to concentrate on my studies. Class started about a week after we returned, and I had planned our shipment so that it would arrive before I started class. Actually, I had a very elaborate plan to finish off my season.

The Best-Laid Plans

My ambitious plan had me racing a sprint tri in late August, the Nations Escape Olympic distance tri in early September, the Army Ten Miler in early October, and a cyclocross series from mid-September through November. Additionally, school has some intramural sports, so I planned to run the 5K, play soccer, and play softball this fall. Oh yeah, I also had to do my course work. A packed schedule? Yes, but doable.

Like all good plans, it did not survive first contact. Our household goods did not arrive in early to mid-July as planned. The shipment did not arrive in early August, either. Nope. It got here in late August, so my poor wife had to deal with putting everything away while I was in class. Our car, which was originally scheduled to arrive in late July showed up in early September, which meant that I had no way to get to the first race on my list, the sprint tri. Had the car arrived on time, though, it wouldn’t have mattered. No, I learned a lesson about aging… the hard way.

A Lesson on Aging

On day one of soccer practice, we went through a little warm-up routine. Nothing big. Just some light stretching and movement. I felt pretty warm already, as I had just biked in the nine miles from home. Apparently, riding a bicycle, even at a moderate effort, doesn’t get the legs ready for kicking a ball. Five minutes into passing the ball back and forth, I tried to return a pass on a volley, rotating my hip up to the right to contact the bouncing ball. Right away, I felt a pop, and pain radiated down my right leg. I valiantly tried to jog it off, but it was to no avail. Race number two was now off of the calendar. That afternoon, I limped home on my bike. It was the most painful and torturous nine miles I have ever ridden. The wife immediately put me on the couch for the weekend, alternating between ice and stints in my Air Relax recovery boots. Every time I got off the couch, I got scolded.

Three weeks later, I am finally back to running after being diagnosed with a strained right hip flexor. Grr! Not what I wanted. I had to take some time off from hard efforts on the bike, but I had to keep riding to and from work, as our car had still not arrived. Ok, I could have taken the metro or bummed a ride, but I’m stubborn. I’m now getting back to training, except for swimming. It turns out that kicking and doing flip turns really draws on the hip flexor. Who knew?! Apparently, I did not, but I learned that lesson… a couple of times now. So, I’m giving it through the end of the month before picking that back up in preparation for next season.

What’s Next?

So, now that I have droned on about my last few weeks, where does that leave us? Well, my pain cave/Zwift station is fully set up now, which means the ODZ SkillZ and DrillZ Rides are back on the calendar. Woo hoo! I know that everyone has been jonesing for those. I will do a wrap-up Zwift Insider post each week summarizing what we cover, not unlike a CliffsNotes version of the class. Now that I am back to training, I’ll also review some of the different races out there in the Zwift community. The good thing about being in class is that my schedule has a fair amount of flexibility for when I can be on Zwift. Thus, I will get to try out some of the races that I normally wouldn’t be able to do because they fall in the middle of the day. And, of course, I will cover some aspects of my tri training and how I go about it using platforms like Zwift. Of note, this year will be a little different. We had to get rid of our treadmill because it wouldn’t fit in our tiny little townhouse, so most of my running will be outside. However, my gym does have wifi, so I will bring my iPad and get some Zwift running in once the weather starts to turn cold.

That’s going to be it from me for this post. Look for more to follow in the coming weeks. You can also always find me on Instagram @evil_elf_racing and the SkillZ and DrillZ Ride is on Facebook on the Zwift Live by TeamODZ channel as well as the Evil Elf Racing, TeamODZ, and Endurance Lab YouTube channels.

1...457458459...538Page 458 of 538