ZwiftHQ always has rolls out something fun for Halloween and April Fool’s Day. This year, Zwifters get to choose between two different masks: Frankenstein’s monster or a spooky witch.
To make your choice, go into the customize menu and choose between the two different helmets.
Zwift has also decorated London with jack-o’-lanterns.
Cycligent, the good folks behind the Cycligent Virtual Rankings and the CVR World Cup Series have proposed a draft set of rules to govern virtual racing. The document also proposes a governing body to “provide structure, consistency and fairness in bicycling competitions online.” It goes on to say:
While this proposal is made by Cycligent, the Governing Body should represent the broader community, not a single entity. Cycligent looks to fund, initiate, and maintain the Governing Body. The Governing Body will be initiated by inviting leaders of the community to be full voting members. The initial Governing Body shall revise the proposed rules, publish them for comments, and then finalize and publish The Initial Virtual Cycling Rules for Racing (The Rules).
Some in the Zwift community feel this detailed list of race rules is overkill (“It’s just a game,” they say). But I applaud Frank Garcia, head of Cycligent, for having the vision to put such a document together. As I’ve stated many times in the past, virtual racing is quite real, and as such, needs real rules. (In fact, I dislike the use of “IRL” (in real life) to designate outdoor rides, because I think indoor rides are quite real. The pain is real, the efforts are real, the emotions are real, the racing is real.)
And while virtual bike racing is still in its infancy, there will come a day in the not-too-distant future when a complete set of rules is needed in order for virtual racing to continue to grow. That set of rules will probably look a lot like what Cycligent is proposing.
Much like outdoor bike racing today, there will always be a place for simpler, “unsanctioned” virtual races: events with few or no prizes, few spectators, and limited rules. But as the scale and stakes of the race grow, rules must also be solidified.
Curious what Cycligent is proposing? See the current draft here >
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 September 27th from ride leader Taylor Thomas.
The end of race season is an important time for all athletes. It’s not only a time to rest and reset, but also a time to perform a critical post-season review. A detailed review of past season workouts and performances helps to inform the training approach for the upcoming season, and should be an integral part of every athlete’s planning.
Begin with a bird’s eye view of your past season performances to look for major trends. What did your CTL, TSB and ATL look like at key points in the season? Did you accomplish your goals from a fitness and racing perspective? Compare the quantitative and qualitative metrics to paint the entire picture.
The Performance Management Chart is a great place to start your overview. Looking for peaks in fitness and form and understanding how those metrics may have impacted key performances is a good jumping off point.
Analyze peak power numbers throughout the season. Are the peaks appropriate for the type of training and discipline you were preparing for? Overlay these numbers with the PMC chart to understand how it all fits together.
The Power Duration Curve in WKO4 allows for a detailed look at broad shifts in your power profile. Ensure that the durations that saw the most change aligned with your broad goals and race focus.
Use your general overview to pinpoint key performances. These could be peaks in fitness, form, breakthrough workouts or particular races. Use these time periods to go into further detail and look for insights.
Reviewing peak powers during a race, or particular date range, is helpful in understanding how your training may need to be adapted to fit the demands of specific events. Also, look to see if those peak numbers align with what you had hoped to accomplish during the race or time period.
Using the Time in Zones chart is a great way to quantify the effort or output. Comprehending what a race effort looks like from a physiological perspective helps to further inform your planning in the future.
The Power Distribution chart is also a valuable tool for race day analysis. Are there places where power distribution could have been more effective? Where do strengths and weaknesses lie? These are great questions to ask when looking at distribution charts.
Use core metrics such as CTL, TSB and ATL to inform your decisions. Map out what your goals are for the off season as well as the season to come. Understanding how these pieces fit together will make for a productive off season.
How much time will you be taking off? Do you need a mental and/or physical break? The answer is different for every athlete, but the transition period between seasons is the time to take a break if one is needed.
Work backwards from your goals using key metrics to determine when an appropriate start date for season specific training should begin. Be sure to allow for an appropriate base and build period before moving to race specificity.
Use an Annual Training Plan to establish goals for CTL, TSS and ramp rate. This approach will ensure you allow enough time to properly build and prepare for the season to come.
Now that you have an idea of what you’ve accomplished during the last season, and what the efforts looked like, you can begin to plan your upcoming season/training.
Don’t wait to develop your plan. Lay out the runway and understand what it looks like early on so you know what to expect and stay on track. Will it get you to your goals? Is it too aggressive/not enough? Have specific answers to these questions and use the data to guide your decisions.
Include your off season as well as transition and build-up in your plan. The only way to know if you’re going to be prepared is to factor in the entire approach. Seeing the runway in front of you allows for a comprehensive approach to off time, rest periods, and focused training.
Integrate race specificity 8-12 weeks out from your first A priority race. Make sure that you’ve incorporated an appropriate base and build period before starting. This should be easy to plan for once you’ve laid out the entire plan.
Zwift’s Mayan Jungle course expansion is only available to Zwifters at Level 10 or higher. This area was first one ever level-locked by Zwift, and it definitely motivates Zwift newbies to level up.
So what does it take to reach level 10? If you don’t understand how Zwift’s points system works, read Zwift Basics: points, levels and unlocks first. Based on that information, we see you’ll need 11,000 points (XP) to hit level 10.
So how do you get those points, and just how much work will it take? Here’s one way to do it, with the numbers broken down:
So there you have it. Just ride the Flat Route at 35km/hr for 16.6 hours, and you’re in. BOOM.
ZwiftHQ rolled out its latest update on 10/25, with the big news being the Mayan Jungle expansion. There were other small changes included as well… here are the details from ZwiftHQ, with some comments from myself:
See the full release notes from Jon Mayfield here >
Episode 36 of Zwiftcast has been released. Here’s the full episode description:
It’s out! The long awaited and eagerly expected extension to Watopia has just been released and Simon, Shane and Nathan are on hand to give their verdicts and discuss the community reaction.
There’s lots more as well in this edition of the Zwiftcast, with quick catch ups on ex-Academy winner Leah Thorvilson, Zwift HQ’s own world champion Mike McCarthy, the launch of a huge new race series from Zwift and this year’s Academy contest reaching its next stage.
Once they’ve dispensed with the Jungle Run – and that’s no small task – the Zwiftcasters move on to discuss the dawning of Zwift as a re-seller of trainers and the launch of Group Workouts – and what that last feature may say about Zwift’s future. Is the platform planning to go head to head with Peloton?
Simon pays a home visit to the world HQ of the fabled Aussie HDR ride and, finally – Simon decides to voice his views on a certain squirrel! Judging from the reaction of his fellow Zwiftcasters, Scottie looks safe! Hope you enjoy listening podcast fans.
Last night ZwiftHQ released the much-anticipated jungle ruins expansion, which brings 10km+ of new roads to Watopia in addition to three new routes. Here are a couple videos showing the new roads:
Although twisty, the new roads are quite simple in terms of elevation profile. You begin with a right-hand turn after crossing the bridge on the reverse Epic KOM, and this takes you over an alpine pass 2.8km (1.7 miles) long which steadily climbs approximately 22m (75′) then descends 41m (137′). This drops you into the jungle loop, which is 7.9km (4.9 miles) long. The first half of the loop is a descent of approximately 60m (196′), then the second half is the climb back out.
At the low point in the loop you’ll find the lap marker, which behaves in a similar fashion to the volcano route’s lap marker. Lap leader jerseys are awarded to whoever is on course with the fastest times in either direction.
The climb section is shorter than Box Hill, but longer than Watopia’s reverse KOM. The pitches are fairly steady, too. This will make for some very interesting race laps, with lighter riders excelling up the climbs, and heavier riders hammering the descents.
Three new routes have been added, all utilizing the new jungle ruin roads:
This is definitely Zwift’s most detailed and scenic set of roads to date. The landscape varies from an expansive river gorge to tight jungle roads and tunnels, while road surfaces vary from dirt to mining tunnels to a vertigo-inducing rope bridge. Along the way there’s plenty of eye candy including waterfalls, mysterious ruins and new forms of wildlife (toucans, fireflies, and a sloth).
While the jungle loop section is almost entirely dirt, ZwiftHQ made the smart call of reducing the amount of dust kicked up by riders, so visibility isn’t as impaired as it was previously. And riding through the mist of waterfalls almost makes you a feel a little cooler. Almost.
In an unexpected move, ZwiftHQ is restricting access to these new roads. You must be at level 10 or higher (learn more about Zwift levels). Zwift’s Jon Mayfield explains:
While we understand this may annoy some at first glance, we believe (and hope!) this will give Zwifters even more incentive to hop on their trainers or treadmills and crank out some miles with something so big to chase after. If the idea still bugs you, don’t worry – we made it an easily attainable level so the reward is not too far away.
There is a blocked off section of new road off to the right while descending the alpine pass on the way to the loop. What does ZwiftHQ plan for this section? We’ll just have to wait to find out…
Jon Mayfield has posted a teaser Strava ride, giving us a glimpse into the next Watopia expansion.
The new route begins with a turn off the backside of the Epic KOM. Titled the “Road to Ruins,” the extension is 13.4km (8.3) miles long, with a fair amount of elevation change (147m, or 482′).
For the first time ever, it appears Zwift HQ has made their own Strava segments of the new roads prior to their release, which I think is an excellent idea. Road to Ruins – Full covers all the new roads, while Road to Ruins – Just the Loop covers… just the loop.
The new roads will be at least partially dirt, and have a “Mayan ruins” theme, judging by a teaser image (below) send out in a recent community email from Zwift HQ.
The Women’s Endurance Lab is a women-focused group coaching program offered in Zwift. It is being launched by Coach Theia Friestedt and TeamODZ with the goal of helping riders achieve higher levels of fitness by focusing on three pillars of training: endurance, strength and VO2. Participants will have access to several coaches to guide them and answer questions, while being part of a supportive community.
The Lab is open to all women in Zwift. It starts on October 23, 2017 and runs for four weeks. During this time, participants will also have access to educational presentations to help better understand how training can increase their fitness.
Here are the details of The Women’s Endurance Lab by TeamODZ:
The cost is 40USD for the 4 weeks.
For more information, please go to: www.facebook.com/volyoomfit
Episode 35 of Zwiftcast has been released. Here’s the full episode description:
The Zwiftcasters are back to discuss a busy period for new developments on the platform. With Simon and Shane in Melbourne and Nathan in the States, the first subject to come under the Zwiftcast gaze is Zwift’s new look. It’s safe to say Shane isn’t keen! Two Zwift executives tell the trio what the thinking behind the change is.
Pete Donohue, an Australian Zwifter, has an inspirational story about how Zwift, in his own words, “saved his life” and why that means ge remains very much attached to the old logo – in more ways than one!
Next up is the big KISS/Zwift E Crit final which took place in Melbourne. Simon and Shane, who were both there, vote the ambitious event a success and they join Nathan to discuss if this could mean Zwift really throwing its weight behind virtual racing.
The Ten Commandments of Zwift is just a bit of fun – as the Zwiftcast, with a little help from its friends, comes up with ten thoughts about etiquette when riding in the virtual world. The commandments are NOT chiselled in stone!
The boys speculate about what the new Watopia extension might contain and there’s a tiny bit of news about Zwift possibly arriving on Apple TV soon.
Is social shaming the way to defeat cheats in Zwift racing – or could a code of conduct be a better way? The Zwiftcasters add their thoughts to this contentious area.
It’s a packed podcast – available both in audio and on video on the Zwiftcast Channel on YouTube. We hope you enjoy it however you watch or listen.
