Zwift spins

Chris871

Refreshing to see I'm not the only one feeling this.. Zwift has really knocked the stuffing out of me the last few days too.
Two races & a long spin since Thursday probably a bit much.

dahat

CI race hungover & full gas likely meant you were properly dehydrated after it & maybe before it as well, lesson learned.

I raced Thursdsy/Saturday last week and only feel right today after being wiped for the weekend. If the same happens this week I'll revert to Tuesday / Saturday.

I think all the B racers should take this Saturday off, rest do ye the world of good!!!!

yop

Been zwifting since 2015 as a beta user, biggest mistake I see is treating Zwift like a dodgem car ride. We have been doing 3-4 hour Sunday spins now and lads coming into them with minimal breakfast, hydrating like a normal Sunday and barely eating as you aren't on the road.
Lessons I learnt were that you need to double the fluid intake, eat as much if not more as you seem to be sitting at the higher effort for most of the events and then as mentioned stretching and foam rolling is even more critical.
The muscles are even more dehydrated as u are in door and will be a heck of a low sorer.

Zwift can be marmite, but as long as u treat it as the gamification that it really is then its a fantastic training tool. But I can see the frustrations growing on the various CI pages there with sandbagging, W/KG, drop outs etc.

While I have had some and lost my nut during the races for various reasons over time I've mellowed

nilhg

CramCycle wrote: »

Its all very weird though, everything about Zwift seems to imply I should be a decent TTer or an A3/A4 hill climbing champ but reality is much different. I am still convinced part of my issue is my inability to move properly on a static bike. The bike doesn't move with you for a sprint or a hard effort which really throws me. I think this too is causing certain muscles to become tighter due to restricted range of motion. Although, as I realised the other morning, doing a race hungover is a terrible idea, although on paper it had little effect on my race, it had a major affect on my recovery.

You ever try a rocker plate? I've a very very basic one and it makes a hell of a difference, and I'd normally only be doing some very steady state climbs on BigRingVr



It's only an old press door with a bit of timber screwed down the middle, balancing on two lidl load bags, all sitting on a heavy duty cow mat.

The little bit of movement is easier on the body over an hour or so.

Ediit: Some much better examples to be found here

Daroxtar

I've been doing over double my usual mileage since the lock down. All Zwift for the first few weeks but getting out a good bit more now. The Zwift definitely improved my fitness but there's also a certain amount of fatigue there now. I was doing a hard training session on Tuesdays, TTT on Thursday and the CI race on Saturday with random spins scattered in between, all around an hour or so.
Since getting back out on the road there's obvious improvement in my 1 minute and 5 minute power, however my sleep patterns have been all over the place, resting HR slightly high and max HR well down on big sprints. I used to hit 180+and now barely go above 165. Time for a rest for a few days methinks.

Bambaata

Certainly sounds like you are tired. I'm trying to be more aware of this than I normally would. Ive 4 days of "racing" each week on zwift - Monday, Thursday, Friday (subject to change) and Saturdays! Ive a plan going right up to August but tweak it based on how body is feeling making sure that I do a recovery week with a minimum of 1 day off (if not 2) in that recovery week! Ive not had to drop a day that wasn't planned so far but keep an eye on HR, fatigue level on training peaks etc (as well as generally keeping an eye on how I'm feeling).

Its very very easy to get caught into doing lots of high intensity and threshold level work and suddenly head towards overtraining!

CramCycle

Daroxtar wrote: »

Since getting back out on the road there's obvious improvement in my 1 minute and 5 minute power, however my sleep patterns have been all over the place, resting HR slightly high and max HR well down on big sprints. I used to hit 180+and now barely go above 165. Time for a rest for a few days methinks.

same here, I just thought it was the lack of motion but I definitely can't hit the power/HR I would have for sprints, although mine would never have been terribly high, I could hold above average from a long way out which frustrated people as i would always go early.

Last year on a club league race in Corkagh I held over 180bpm for nearly an hour and still hit 200bpm for the sprint, on zwift, no matter what I do, I think the max has been 190.bpm. Although i hit far higher in a C race that I won, which had far fewer racers.

Looking forward to the three sisters on Saturday for CI though, I really think this will be my race to actually see where I stand in comparison to others.

Macy0161

nilhg wrote: »

You ever try a rocker plate? I've a very very basic one and it makes a hell of a difference, and I'd normally only be doing some very steady state climbs on BigRingVr

I built myself a rocker plate a couple of years ago. Fairly basic, compared to some you see, basically a hacked version of this - iirc I only brought the ply as I had other bits laying around. I ended up replacing the sponge with those semi circular balance pad things.

Seemed to make a difference for me - I go with even if it only makes a difference in your head, it still makes a difference!

dahat

CramCycle wrote: »

Looking forward to the three sisters on Saturday for CI though, I really think this will be my race to actually see where I stand in comparison to others.

I wish i could say the same, nearly cried when i looked at the route.

Crocked

CramCycle wrote: »

Looking forward to the three sisters on Saturday for CI though, I really think this will be my race to actually see where I stand in comparison to others.

dahat wrote: »

I wish i could say the same, nearly cried when i looked at the route.

Such a shame I'm on a rest week this week :pac:

Cram make sure you look at the route pre race and if you can pre ride some of it. If your doing a workout it's handy to select the race route. Finding the places where you can get a breather are crucial in Zwift. Use the descents, super tuck and hit the power 2 seconds before you hit the flat or an incline and you'll make up a lot of ground for no extra effort. Suffice to say don't be at the front pulling a group along either

lennymc

Three sisters....



I might sign up to this one....

dahat

Be grand sure Lenny.....be fun they tell me.

Young Coleman @ 50kg doing 5 watt/kg will be in his element.

I feel a crash diet coming on this week!!!!

lennymc

i wont tell you what power i would need to put out to be sitting at 5w/kg.....
It's going to be proper carnage.

dahat

In a sick way I'm looking forward to it, proper route studying needed I think.

There is a CI ride later on the route that I might do my session on to see what it's like.

Macy0161

I did a zwiftNL event on the route a couple of weeks ago (so a race that wasn't a race like all non-meet up zwift events!) - Radio Tower the worst bit. Quite tempted to be honest, might see if I do the Tour for All race this week and how that goes as I'm apparently Cat C!

dahat

Macy0161 wrote: »

I did a zwiftNL event on the route a couple of weeks ago (so a race that wasn't a race like all non-meet up zwift events!) - Radio Tower the worst bit. Quite tempted to be honest, might see if I do the Tour for All race this week and how that goes as I'm apparently Cat C!

Alot of Cat C would be suspect climbers I'd imagine so if you fancy yourself at hills I'd give it a lash.
A solid diet for the week will see you right as well.....

dahat

Just did a session on the route for Saturday.

There will be carnage early & the whole way through, proper lumpy race.

CramCycle

Crocked wrote: »

Such a shame I'm on a rest week this week :pac:

Cram make sure you look at the route pre race and if you can pre ride some of it. If your doing a workout it's handy to select the race route. Finding the places where you can get a breather are crucial in Zwift. Use the descents, super tuck and hit the power 2 seconds before you hit the flat or an incline and you'll make up a lot of ground for no extra effort. Suffice to say don't be at the front pulling a group along either

Just done the Danish league tonight which was the out and back route. Held up near the top 20 for the first half without too much struggle, alas at the climb I came back a bit and responded too late and ended up on the wrong side of a split. I did put in alot of hard efforts on the way up the main climbs and clawed back 20 spaces on dropped riders but could only get within a minute of the lead group and they made alot of ground on the descent. Used the descents well with the super tuck and only ended up 3 minutes down on the winner at the line. I also managed to accept my fate and when the group I was in had finally shelled a few riders I managed to treat it like a proper race and not do too much, enought to keep us away but not enough to kill myself. One guy went for the sprint a km out, not sure if I should have followed him or not but I held my ground and popped my sprint at 300m to go. Knocked out 900W and went from 67th to 60th crossing the line, the guy who broke away got 59th. A better attempt and happy out.

JimmiesRustled

CramCycle wrote: »

Just done the Danish league tonight which was the out and back route. Held up near the top 20 for the first half without too much struggle, alas at the climb I came back a bit and responded too late and ended up on the wrong side of a split. I did put in alot of hard efforts on the way up the main climbs and clawed back 20 spaces on dropped riders but could only get within a minute of the lead group and they made alot of ground on the descent. Used the descents well with the super tuck and only ended up 3 minutes down on the winner at the line. I also managed to accept my fate and when the group I was in had finally shelled a few riders I managed to treat it like a proper race and not do too much, enought to keep us away but not enough to kill myself. One guy went for the sprint a km out, not sure if I should have followed him or not but I held my ground and popped my sprint at 300m to go. Knocked out 900W and went from 67th to 60th crossing the line, the guy who broke away got 59th. A better attempt and happy out.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. The A race was horrendous. I can see why the World Champ is Danish....

Macy0161

dahat wrote: »

Alot of Cat C would be suspect climbers I'd imagine so if you fancy yourself at hills I'd give it a lash.
A solid diet for the week will see you right as well.....

Thought I'd double check zwiftpower...
Delighted to see I actually came 2nd in cat c in one of the Flanders endurance series events I did a couple of weeks ago...
A bit shocked to discover they've upgraded me to cat b on the basis of the tour for all group rides I've done!?! Shouldn't have worn the hrm, should've treated them like actual group rides....

Weepsie

Macy0161 wrote: »

Thought I'd double check zwiftpower...
Delighted to see I actually came 2nd in cat c in one of the Flanders endurance series events I did a couple of weeks ago...
A bit shocked to discover they've upgraded me to cat b on the basis of the tour for all group rides I've done!?! Shouldn't have worn the hrm, should've treated them like actual group rides....

I was upgraded to B based on the one race i have done too. i completely hammered it now and completely emptied the tank so who knows where I actually am.

dahat

See ye both Saturday for the B race then lads!

Macy0161

dahat wrote: »

See ye both Saturday for the B race then lads!

Bike fixed and a 33km loop within 5km mapped out! Feck this zwift shíte all of a sudden

I haven't actually "raced", although the Flanders Endurance Series is a timed gran fondo. I think maybe trying to hang with the front groups on those Tour for All Group "Rides" is similar to the races? Certainly did the damage to my category rating...

dahat

Any good route to do a threshold efforts later?

I only discovered yesterday you can choose a route each time

martyc5674

dahat wrote: »

Any good route to do a threshold efforts later?

I only discovered yesterday you can choose a route each time

Alpe de Zwift or whatever its called- perfect for a threshold spin.

lennymc

you can create a workout and set intervals at whatever effort you want and use erg mode to control a smart trainer, then it doesnt really matter what route you take.

any of the long climbs are good for threshold tho, so i guess three sisters would be a good route, as would the pretzel if you have a few hours to. spare, as you get to do a lot of climbs twice, and have a nice level of fatigue going into the later ones...

dahat

martyc5674 wrote: »

Alpe de Zwift or whatever its called- perfect for a threshold spin.

Where do I find that? Is it called that or within another route?

brianomc

dahat wrote: »

Where do I find that? Is it called that or within another route?

Road To Sky is the quickest route there, 5km through the jungle before you hit AdZ.
Tour of Fire and Ice is next if you want a bit more of a warmup, 12km before the base of the mountain.
Anything else is a bit more effort.

https://zwifthub.com is a handy resource for seeing what a route looks like, and if you are a box-ticker (like me), you can mark the route as complete so you know what routes still remain that you can get double xp for.

martyc5674

dahat wrote: »

Where do I find that? Is it called that or within another route?

Watopia>Routes>Road to sky
That’s the best bang for buck- the other routes have flat bits and descents-Pah!!

dahat

Did Tour of fire & ice and got so far with prescribed efforts so kept going to finsh the climb.I've haven't a smart trainer so basically just dug in the whole way for 57 odd mins on it.

A nice evening on the trainer.