Like so many, I started Zwifting in 2020 thankful for the online community which allowed me to continue to ride in the virtual and safe world of Watopia. I am a weekend warrior who turned to Zwift as a weekday workout alternative and never thought I would be racing in the Zwift Racing League, much less a captain of one of Coalition’s Women’s Cat D teams!
My foray into racing started in January 2021 when my competitive nature kicked in, bored with solo and Zwift group rides. I joined a race team not knowing what to expect. I soon found a group of women who shared my competitiveness and my love of cycling, appreciated my humor, put up with my heavy breathing and occasional swearing up the climbs, and most of all accepted me as I was, even when I was in the back of the pack. They motivated me to keep climbing, to keep mashing those sprint gears, and to keep getting stronger. They became some of my best friends – friends who have welcomed me into their lives virtually and in real life (IRL).
In the beginning, although I knew I had to work to get stronger and faster, I was discouraged because I couldn’t stay with the pack. I started to get down on myself. “You work out all the time, why can’t you keep up?” I had to change my perspective. I had to find a way to make racing fun.
What I found was a peace in understanding what my body could do, how I wanted to train, and how I could encourage others to be their best wherever they were in their fitness journey. After three years of Zwifting, I am still a Cat D racer while others have “graduated” to Cat C. I found I was a sprinter and had no endurance – something I work on to this day – but I still can’t keep up with many of the other Cat D women as they blast out of the pen. While I continue to improve my endurance and climbing, I have learned to use my sprint legs strategically and as a “puncheur” to pass “rabbits” on short climbs and with my sprinter’s focus to “kick it” in the last third of the race to pass more “rabbits” on the way to the finish with my teammates in my ear pushing me forward.
No one is ever on their own during a race. My teammates and I share successes and challenges. Whether in the front or back of the race, we count on each other to rally to the finish… and there are always lots of laughs on the way!
Here are a few quotes from Coalition teammates that reflect how many of us feel going from Zero to ZRL:
“What motivates me are the people on the team, always supportive no matter my ability, always making me feel welcome and part of the team. What I have gained are really good friends from across the globe, whom I know have my back virtually and in real life.”
“At first, in 2001, I was crossing the finish line as the 2nd to last racer. This, and my teammates, compelled me to train harder and become a better racer. It took a bit of work, but I finished in the Top 10 of my division last year! I race with a group that’s extremely inclusive. My teammates celebrate achievements together and lift each other up regardless of the outcome.”
“It’s all about having fun and encouraging each other. It doesn’t matter how fast or how slow you are – as long as you try your best!”
We hope you will join us as we ride and race through Zwift’s worlds! Know this truth… every pedal stroke is a win!
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