Zwift Chat

[bobinski]

That's how it was for me. I reckon it took me 18 months to get used to cycling my short commute each day (5 miles each way). Recently though I've been using it as a Z1 'recovery' ride and doing my intensity stuff on the turbo. I've got a couple of weeks left on my current SF plan and then I'll look to shifting a bit more 'real' riding outdoors.

I'll be interested if the plan has made any noticeable improvement. On a few occasions I have had to back off from it as I felt as if I was overdoing it. As Graeme Obree said, if you're unsure if you're properly recovered, then you're not.

Hence I've not been doing the TdZ (although I'm planning on fitting in stage 4 as that's more my sort of stage ). But I'll be back in the league after my plan finishes as I do miss all the 'fun'.

Pete, what are your 4dp numbers? You gonna do another test at the end of the TP?

 

[<Tommy>]

Zone 2 till Monday

😄

 

[bridgy]

soooo.... Anyone racing tomorrow? Or should I assume that for the rest of the month you’re all just strictly riding zone 2, while having whey protein and multi vitamins simultaneously fed through an intravenous drip! 😄

Seriously though. If anyone finds a race they fancy let me know and I’ll try joining 👍

It looks like I'll now have to take my son to football training on Thursday nights as well as Monday and Wednesdays, so I'll usually only be able to race on Tuesdays from now on (during the football season)

 

[<Tommy>]

I am , long race at 6-30pm or the short at 6-10 depending on interest here. Not that I will see you much after the start 😁

Ha! You never know. Although I think I’ll probably be doing a different race tonight.

 

[CXRAndy]

The Bolognese pasta TT. How many times is it round. Thats the one with the hooking killer hill, isnt it?

 

[peterob]

Pete, what are your 4dp numbers? You gonna do another test at the end of the TP?

Here’s my figures from my initial 4dp test.

Yes - I’ll be doing an after 4dp test. It’s currently planned for Monday week, after the final week ‘tapering’.

Did you get a noticeable difference in results Bob after your first plan?

 

[<Tommy>]

I’ll be very interested to see your results too Pete. How long was the training block?

All jokes (and zone 2 related piss taking) aside. I do find all the different approaches quite intriguing. It’s a bit like one of those weight loss shows where they send people off with different dieting plans to see which one is the most effective.

 

[Norry1]

I’ll be very interested to see your results too Pete. How long was the training block?

All jokes (and zone 2 related piss taking) aside. I do find all the different approaches quite intriguing. It’s a bit like one of those weight loss shows where they send people off with different dieting plans to see which one is the most effective.

It may be a bit more complicated than that Many training plans will actually reduce your short term "peaks" in search of medium and longer term gains. It all depends what you are looking for.

 

[bridgy]

The Bolognese pasta TT. How many times is it round. Thats the one with the hooking killer hill, isnt it?

That's the one! It's two laps, but it's not a circular route so this means you do the full course which is 6km flat followed by the 2km nasty hill - 8km total; then turn around, go back down the hill and all the way back to the start; and then turn around again and do the course again, finishing at the top of your second climb of the hill. So the full ride is 24km.

 

[Norry1]

Anyone else watching the Tour Down Under? Nice to have bike racing back on TV

 

[bobinski]

It may be a bit more complicated than that Many training plans will actually reduce your short term "peaks" in search of medium and longer term gains. It all depends what you are looking for.

This, kind of.
My coach reviewed my numbers and said I should be at 4w/k and thing holding me back wasn’t legs( makes sense given performance with the thing that cannot be mentioned) but Vo2max. If I can improve that then legs will follow- hopefully. Personally I think 4w/k is bonkers. In meantime my plan drives vo2 improvement so a real mix of efforts designed to tax effort and recovery.

 

[peterob]

I’ll be very interested to see your results too Pete. How long was the training block?

All jokes (and zone 2 related piss taking) aside. I do find all the different approaches quite intriguing. It’s a bit like one of those weight loss shows where they send people off with different dieting plans to see which one is the most effective.

It has been a 12-week block Tommy. I've not really followed a plan before - the hardest part has been trying to fit it around 'life' (work, chores, family etc) as well as being sensible and not doing too much.

What I haven't been able to do is fit in the long steady rides (I rarely get a chance at weekends to get a long ride in). I've been doing a weekly 'everything' outdoor ride to try and cram in the adaptations that I'm missing. This is a 1-1.5 hr ride (carb-fasted) where I warm up, ride up a hill at the biggest gear possible without falling off (build leg strength and deplete glycogen stores) and then ride the rest of the time at easy Z2, apart from the last 10 mins where I ride hard with super-high cadence. Whether this is doing me any good, I suppose time will tell.

I am looking forward to the lighter evenings and building up the endurance, ready for the summer, as well as doing some more CC races

 

[bridgy]

It may be a bit more complicated than that Many training plans will actually reduce your short term "peaks" in search of medium and longer term gains. It all depends what you are looking for.

It is complicated, because @Milzy recently raised the issue of "junk miles"! When does a Zone 2 or "recovery ride" become "junk Miles"? Hard to say I guess unless you're following a personalised structured training plan

 

[<Tommy>]

It is complicated, because @Milzy recently raised the issue of "junk miles"! When does a Zone 2 or "recovery ride" become "junk Miles"? Hard to say I guess unless you're following a personalised structured training plan

I find that term difficult sometimes too. I assume it means any miles you do that aren’t based around a specific training plan, or perceived by others to be sub optimal. But for me I enjoy riding my bike above any calculation of what is optimal. I’m not sure what value professional trainers put on that.

 

[<Tommy>]

It has been a 12-week block Tommy. I've not really followed a plan before - the hardest part has been trying to fit it around 'life' (work, chores, family etc) as well as being sensible and not doing too much.

What I haven't been able to do is fit in the long steady rides (I rarely get a chance at weekends to get a long ride in). I've been doing a weekly 'everything' outdoor ride to try and cram in the adaptations that I'm missing. This is a 1-1.5 hr ride (carb-fasted) where I warm up, ride up a hill at the biggest gear possible without falling off (build leg strength and deplete glycogen stores) and then ride the rest of the time at easy Z2, apart from the last 10 mins where I ride hard with super-high cadence. Whether this is doing me any good, I suppose time will tell.

I am looking forward to the lighter evenings and building up the endurance, ready for the summer, as well as doing some more CC races

Fair play mate 12 weeks is a long block. I did 8 (I think) once, and I also found the regid nature of set routine hard to maintain around family, friends and work. are you going to re join the races once you’re done with it?