The training thread: How was yours? (today/yesterday/etc)

[vbplease]

I just did alp de Zwift for the first time tonight.. 63mins40sec.. hopefully I sneak in under the hour next time. I thought I just missed one hour as I passed the last hairpin, but that last segment is about 1km long!?!?! Brutal

[Mr Purple]

I just did alp de Zwift for the first time tonight.. 63mins40sec.. hopefully I sneak in under the hour next time. I thought I just missed one hour as I passed the last hairpin, but that last segment is about 1km long!?!?! Brutal

Well done!

You're brave doing a climb like that indoors this time of year. I've been finding my power is ok until about 20 minutes in, then my heart rate just goes over 180 and stays there.

Way too hot and humid in my garage at least.

Agreed on the sprinting thing - big gear, mash the pedals, try to break the handlebars in half = power.

[g-boaf]

I just did alp de Zwift for the first time tonight.. 63mins40sec.. hopefully I sneak in under the hour next time. I thought I just missed one hour as I passed the last hairpin, but that last segment is about 1km long!?!?! Brutal

One other trick, don’t go too fast on the second sector or the first one for that matter. Go at comfortable pace for those. Otherwise you’ll struggle in the ones after it.

Ventop is good training as well because it is much more relentless- hence why a lot of Zwifters are scared of it. They will ride ADZ but mention Ventop and they run away.

I need to do a few more ADZs for this year to get up over 130 in total and to get myself up quickly to level 70.

[jasonc]

I need to do a few more ADZs for this year to get up over 130 in total and to get myself up quickly to level 70.

what's level 70 get you?
i'm lowly level 40

[g-boaf]

I need to do a few more ADZs for this year to get up over 130 in total and to get myself up quickly to level 70.

what's level 70 get you?
i'm lowly level 40

Just some level 70 kit. I think 72 gets you an Alpe du Zwift jersey unlock, but I don't agree with that - it should only be for people who have done say 50 or 100 ADZ laps.

I'm at level 66 at the moment.

[vbplease]

You're brave doing a climb like that indoors this time of year. I've been finding my power is ok until about 20 minutes in, then my heart rate just goes over 180 and stays there.

Way too hot and humid in my garage at least.

I've been getting one of my kids to grab an ice brick out of the freezer and I stuff that into the back of my bibs to rest on my back.. that helps a bit.. I'm thinking of making a 'hack' ice vest.. maybe an old shirt with a new pouch on the front and back to put an ice brick in each side.. may send that into GCN for their hack or bodge

[vbplease]

Ventop is good training as well because it is much more relentless- hence why a lot of Zwifters are scared of it. They will ride ADZ but mention Ventop and they run away.

I need to do a few more ADZs for this year to get up over 130 in total and to get myself up quickly to level 70.

If ADZ takes me 63mins, how long will Ventop take?

I just obtained the level 20 kit last night I'm very late in taking up Zwift.. I favoured Fulgaz to Zwift for quite a while, and may swing back to Fulgaz down the track.

[warthog1]

I am level 30 something. Couldn't care.
It is better than not riding but not by a whole lot imo.

Still no knuckleheaded drivers or path hogging pedestrians to deal with. So if you have to put up with more of that I can see it being far more attractive.

[Mr Purple]

I did Ventoux once at 223W back in 2020 - it took 1:23. My Alpe du Zwift PB is 44:07/278W for comparison.

Ventoux is an absolute drudge in Zwift. Very little scenery variation, minimal elevation variation and it just drags on. At least on ADZ you get the switchbacks and can keep your power consistent on each one.

If I were to give Ventoux another shot I'd do it on Fulgaz.

[vbplease]

I did Ventoux once at 223W back in 2020 - it took 1:23. My Alpe du Zwift PB is 44:07/278W for comparison.

Ventoux is an absolute drudge in Zwift. Very little scenery variation, minimal elevation variation and it just drags on. At least on ADZ you get the switchbacks and can keep your power consistent on each one.

If I were to give Ventoux another shot I'd do it on Fulgaz.

That's probably 2hrs for me to ride Ventop.. that's a miss from me, particularly if there's no scenery variation.

It's looking like a high probability of rain for 24-25 dec (in Bne).. I may have a crack riding the festive 500 on one of the bot rides to how long i last..

Anyone else logging the festive 500 indoors?

[Mr Purple]

Thought about doing it outdoors, but pretty happy if I've done my last indoor ride for the year!

I'm on holiday in Noosa next week so taking the gravel bike. Trail network for me, and presumably lots of mud.

[g-boaf]

Ventop is good training as well because it is much more relentless- hence why a lot of Zwifters are scared of it. They will ride ADZ but mention Ventop and they run away.

I need to do a few more ADZs for this year to get up over 130 in total and to get myself up quickly to level 70.

If ADZ takes me 63mins, how long will Ventop take?

I just obtained the level 20 kit last night I'm very late in taking up Zwift.. I favoured Fulgaz to Zwift for quite a while, and may swing back to Fulgaz down the track.

I would say around 90 minutes. When I was at my best I was doing ADZ in low 45 minutes and Ventoux in 69 minutes. Ventoux has some steep 11%+ sections that run for a kilometre or so which then go back to 9-10% which isn't much of a rest. No hairpins to ease things off. It's only once you get nearer the end where it's flatter. Once it drops to 6-7% that feels flat, as it is in real life.

I got the level 67 Giro helmet yesterday.

[g-boaf]

I moved the pedals on my kickr bike to the 175mm setting. That seemed okay.

[am50em]

Another year done!
Started year with plans to do 10k kms, but diagnosed with SVT in early January so that didn't happen. Cardiac ablation in March meant training started again in April. Started to get back in shape but persistent atrial fibrillation episode at end of September required another hospital visit for cardioversion. Training resumed with little interruption from that but the new drug left me with low energy. Still training was going ok until another afib episode 20 December. Fortunately doubling dose of meds ( as advised by cardiologist) resolved that in a few hours.
So for the year 4875 km, 66k meters climbing.
VO2max estimate 46 at start of year, today 47.5.
Weight has dropped from 97 kg to 90 kg.
Cannot complain about that

Happy New Year!

[davehirst]

Well, after all that, you deserve a cracker of a year. Starting tomorrow

[am50em]

I hope so! Thanks

[jasonc]

Onwards and upwards am50em

[g-boaf]

77km outside this morning. Felt blah for most of the ride, but the steep hill which tops out at 14-16% I did 15km/h up that. No idea how that works out but anyhow.

This afternoon jumped on Zwift and got the badge for the Pretzel - 73.3km and 1362m+. Also got the level 73 unlock from that. I’m dead now.

The are two other Pretzel routes I haven’t done in Watopia but no way I’m doing those. Just not at all.

[Mr Purple]

Two weeks off doing some big mileage but flattish gravel riding and I swear I've lost my mojo on Cootha Back even further.

Did an 8:37/308W which as low power as I've seen in years this morning. With an average HR of 189 which is a fair bit higher than the usual 183 odd.

Given I've done essentially no threshold work the last few weeks that doesn't surprise me but a bit disappointing nonetheless. Suspicious I'm going to have to start working on my seated climbing and probably get a bike fit for an upgrade in the next few years - it can't be good to hitting 190+ climbing at age 42!

[jasonc]

i was in the house of mirrors this morning, well off the back of the group. i think the humidity this morning was up a bit and taking it out of me

[Mr Purple]

i was in the house of mirrors this morning, well off the back of the group. i think the humidity this morning was up a bit and taking it out of me

That's the thing that makes your fitness hard to judge. How much of it is being a bit off your threshold because of training patterns, and how much of it is because it's hot with 100% humidity and a headwind?

At least my middling time is still 5/301 for this year so it's probably all of us having an issue! Except for the Team Bridgelane rider who did a 7:03/471W. But he probably doesn't count.

[am50em]

For last few months I have been content do just do easy rides. Today decided to push it a bit. End up with 4th best time for my short (1hr) ride. FTP estimate went up 3W. VO2max estimate dropped by 1. Feeling good!

[g-boaf]

I’m using the climb portals in Zwift (the shorter Willunga hill) for repeats, mainly to level up quickly. I’m at level 78 at the moment.

Climb portal climbs (the short ones) are handy to use for intervals - just hammer up the climb then coast down when you turn around at the top.

And with 10 segments, you get 10 chances at 250XP bonus. 25 Climb Portal laps will get you +1000XP.

[jasonc]

I’m using the climb portals in Zwift (the shorter Willunga hill) for repeats, mainly to level up quickly. I’m at level 78 at the moment.

Climb portal climbs (the short ones) are handy to use for intervals - just hammer up the climb then coast down when you turn around at the top.

And with 10 segments, you get 10 chances at 250XP bonus. 25 Climb Portal laps will get you +1000XP.

i did the willinga hill climb last weekend to see what it was like. i might keep doing it on a saturday morning. not repeats though. i'm doing enough kms at the moment

[warthog1]

Might have a look if I get a chance on call.
Just droned along on some new routes yesterday doing pretend ks.
Still, there was no drivers to watch out for or pedestrians wandering aimlessly along blocking the entire path.
I am only at level 32 as I only do it when away at work. It seems to level up more quickly now though.
I went through 75% of a level in 60 something ks.