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

[vbplease]

You need to look at category enforcement- compare your power versus the category limits. And not just 20 minute power. This was brought in to stop sandbagging. But it will be improved with results based system as well. It’s badly needed.

At the moment it still isn’t well tuned for riders with light weight and higher watts/kg.

Zwift used to enforce me into A grade races only, but I didn’t bother because they all amount to a 5 minute flat out blast off the start, then cruise around for rest of race and final 5 minute blast and sprint at the end. IE, they are all set up for the big sized sprinters.

Let’s see your power figures from the pause screen. At the moment, 250/70kg is B category power as they’ve told you.

Edit: I see you have posted the same on Zwift forum.

Ok, so there’s a chance I may be in the correct category, although as you describe the flat rides will likely be sprint-rest-sprint at the end, which will be a waste of time for me.. will have to give a hilly cat B race and see how I go.

[g-boaf]

Because most of the folk will be heavier than you and have big 5 minute power they'll try and destroy you for 5 minutes then have a bit of a rest then at the end they'll go flat out again for a short time. When you are dropped at the start you'll have no chance of getting back and you are gone.

These folk also tend to like the "tiny races" as they are called because they tend to suit these kinds of efforts.

Some of them also deliberately monitor their power to stay within the category limits. Results based categories will put an end to that quite well. Then you'll have the folk who really should be in B grade battling it out.

[Mr Purple]

The best group ride used to be the old Anquetil robopacer group at 4.2w/kg steady with the robopacer at 65kg weight.

This group used to always do Epic KOM and sometimes radio tower climb, but unfortunately the key people in charge of the robopacer decided that this was too hard so they made the A grade robot 78kg and gave it 315-345w power and always on the flattest routes to cater for the favoured customers of Zwift (ie, not the light weight folk).

That is spectacularly dumb. I used to find it easier to stick with the 65kg 4.2W/kg A grade pacer than the 'B' grade. One of my pet bugbears of online training platforms is that they massively disadvantage us lighter riders downhill. I used to get easily dropped on the B grade ride descents.

In a real world descent the speed of the descent is not just controlled solely by your weight and the slope as it is online. Lighter riders are often faster descenders because we get more practice, actually having ridden up the hill in the first place. Online it's just 'heavier rider wins'. Good luck getting into a decent aerodynamic position at 120kg mate!

Glad I don't do Zwift anymore. It seems even more toxic than before.

[g-boaf]

Morning ride cut short to about 47km due to heavy rainfall so I did Zwift rides as well, Big Flat 8 and Spriral into Volcano routes, both of them medium to longer length routes. Used the TT bike for both of those and rode them solo with no other people around.

I'm fairly exhausted now.

It's really different when you are riding alone with nobody else to draft from.

[Mr Purple]

It's really different when you are riding alone with nobody else to draft from.

I made the mistake of doing a 37km/650m ride on Fulgaz this morning due to the rain.

The problem was it was filmed by an American I know to be a strong rider, and he was in a strong group. Because there's no draft assistance in Fulgaz I had to absolutely hammer it to finish 10 minutes slower than them.

Didn't matter anyway because the 3 KOM segments I managed to beat them on ended up being held by dingbats averaging over 400W for an hour anyway. Amazing how many tour level pros there are on Fulgaz, despite having 1000km on Strava and a handful of KOMs, all virtual!

[warthog1]

On call and on a break.
50 km in the b grade pace group today.
Very boring but better than nothing.

[g-boaf]

On call and on a break.
50 km in the b grade pace group today.
Very boring but better than nothing.

Try some badge hunting for the routes you haven’t completed. It’s more enjoyable than the robot groups which are never on interesting courses.

I have a club on Zwift, but I only put up events randomly when I have time to be the beacon rider.

Occasionally I do the more difficult / longer routes (the Pretzel routes). I’d send you the link but wouldn’t help you because my times on Zwift are quite random. The timings wouldn’t match up I guess.

[warthog1]

Try some badge hunting for the routes you haven’t completed. It’s more enjoyable than the robot groups which are never on interesting courses.

I have a club on Zwift, but I only put up events randomly when I have time to be the beacon rider.

Occasionally I do the more difficult / longer routes (the Pretzel routes). I’d send you the link but wouldn’t help you because my times on Zwift are quite random. The timings wouldn’t match up I guess.

Thanks.
I was on a rest break which means they can still page you, so you can get interupted.
If we go all night I go on a fatigue break and sign off for 10 hours.
I might have a look then.
I have done most of the shorter courses already.

I expect you would be too fast for me to join the group unless you were going slow for you.
I am a 55yo never was.

[am50em]

Second fastest time (11s slower) on a 4k relatively flat segment that I use as a benchmark, and was 1km in before I decided to really push it and go for a fast time. So almost back to where I was at end of 2022 when I was at a peak in fitness. Estimated VO2max is lower but segment times are probably more indicative. The power curve keeps rising since the September reset (AF episode). Heart rate, HRV, sleep indicators are all good. 530km for January is ok given the weather and a few other interruptions.

[g-boaf]

Riding Four Horsemen route on Zwift. That is tough! On the descent of ADZ now. Then about 16km left of moderate descent and bit of jungle.

I got about 58min on ADZ, 27min on epic KOM, 10min on volcano.

And done. I’ll go die now.

[Mr Purple]

Had a bit of a weird spot in my schedule and couldn't do my usual Cootha Back today, so went out chasing a few short local KOMs.

It got pretty stupid. Bunch of new records in there - I think the telling point was it was the most ridiculous gap between average power (134W) and normalised power (287W) I've ever seen.

846W for 15 seconds, 598W for 60 seconds, and took 4/5 I aimed for. The last one (280m/14.9%/642W) just about killed me. It's amazing how long 52 seconds can feel when your heart rate's over 190.

Anyway, power figures that are useless except for that one thing! I'm not sure what's worse, when someone flags you for taking their KOM, or when someone congratulates you on your power to weight ratio for doing so. Now I feel bad.

[g-boaf]

No time to ride outside today, ended up doing Zwift when I got home, needed the Achterbahn route badge to get up to level 96. Ended up getting the KOM in both directions.

[g-boaf]

Did Alpe du Zwift in the morning - legs were wondering what the hell is going on with 6am riding that.

[g-boaf]

Followed up ADZ yesterday morning with ADZ in the evening as well - at 50 minutes.

And today just an evening Zwift ride with London PRL Half 70km and 1100m+ - basically four laps of Box Hill or whatever they call it then back on the London classic route to Buckingham Palace. Had the fastest London Loop time to start with then chopped about a minute off it and also second quickest time up Box Hill - was beaten by a very quick triathlete from the Royal Air Force who was very, very powerful. No getting near his time.

And then a lap of climb portal to jump up to Level 98. Only two more to go until I'm at the level limit.

[Mr Purple]

Finally nailed the 600W for 60 seconds today - 605W.

Unfortunately that's 9.9W/kg so now I have another target. And somehow still came second on the segment - it's stood for years and he had a 20km/hr tailwind.

[jasonc]

See my physio today. He's happy with me. I keep upping the running (almost back up to 5kms). I've now had 10 300km+ weeks in a row. The weight is slowly coming off. I've been on the bike every day for the last 40-odd days. Am going to have tomorrow off the bike. Most ill do tomorrow is a walk

Edit: all but 1 week have been over 1% elevation

[warthog1]

^^ Good work Jason

[g-boaf]

I rode this morning 65km - but had planned 120km. Rain stopped that. I ended up going on Zwift this afternoon and nailing level 100. Not quickly but at a steady pace.

Made up for the morning outdoor ride not going to plan.

[warthog1]

Had home stuff stopping me riding the last couple of days.
Back into it tomorrow after 3 days off.
Good work on the level 100 GB. I am on 36.

[jasonc]

Crazy well done on level 100. I'm on 46. I just want to be level 50 so I can get the fire socks

[g-boaf]

Cheers! I’m feeling the effects this morning.

Legs felt heavy as heck when I got out of bed.

I plan to ride outside today.

[g-boaf]

No chasing XP in Zwift anymore now I'm at Level 100.

Instead went on Alpe du Zwift today joined by a friend and did 46:05.84. I was trying stay at a steady pace for most of it but seeing the time near the last few sectors I figured I'd pick up the pace to see if I could stay in the low 46 minute bracket.

Heart rate was average 168bpm, max HR was 184bpm.

[g-boaf]

ADZ again today, a bit slower at 47:35.

I was faster than yesterday at the beginning but legs fatigued at the end I could see my holoreplay just gradually moving ahead, nothing else can be done about it.

Heart rate average was 166bpm and max 179bpm.

[g-boaf]

Back to Alpe du Zwift again.

Today I tried keeping cadence up at 85-95rpm and power was easier to keep higher.

Result 45:58 lap time. At the end 20 seconds with 189bpm. 5 minutes at 180bpm. Max 190bpm. That's one of my fastest times up there so far since the accident.

I lost time reporting a 10w/kg 40kg cheater at 135bpm…

[jasonc]

I did cote d'pyke on zwift this morning. That was nasty. Lots of 17%