Zwift Chat

[BurningLegs]

It’s a great course for racing , great sprint at the end @BurningLegs and @Norry1 , we were all working well in that group.

You were very strong - I think the strongest in our group on the road this evening!

At one point you were pulling the group after the descent (think it was the final one) and were putting pressure on Martin and I

 

[steverob]

I think I took the first prime -- JB backed off when it was clear he wasn't going to take it. Afterwards, I was happy to go as slow as JB wanted in the hopes that Joffey and Steve might be able to catch up.

Unfortunately the first climb & sprint took too much out of me and I wasn't able to stick with JB on the second climb -- maybe, just maybe if I hadn't gotten into a sticky draft I could have kept pace on the 2nd time up and competed for the prime, but probably not.

I was able to latch onto another rider (possibly Simone) and catch back up to the lead pack, but the whole pack smoked me the 3rd ascent and I waited for y'all on the other side. I was somewhat concerned about the rider about 30s behind, so I was trying to keep us well ahead before the final climb. At one point the other rider passed Steve, but Steve managed to get ahead again and I was able to tow him a bit near the end. I'm not entirely sure how the points are distributed, but given I've only done 3 races, I felt it was likely better for you and Steve to get any additional points, so I didn't try to compete for the final prime or finish.

ZwiftPower has you taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th places at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th sprints respectively!

I did a PR up the climb on the first lap but still managed to lose the group and ended up in no-man's land for the next two laps, fast enough to hold off 6th place (out of ZwiftPower finishers), but not fast enough to catch anyone ahead of me. Joffey and JLaw eased up and let me catch them towards the end of the 3rd lap, which was ideal cause by then I was almost completely out of power.

As JLaw said above, we had a constant 30 second gap for most of that lap on the next rider back, but he started to charge as we approached the climb. However I completely missed that and only finally noticed once he'd got it down to 2 seconds! Shouted to the others to "GO!" over Discord as I didn't want him catching them as well and they were able to fly off down the road thankfully. He eventually overtook me in the last 50m of the climb, but made the mistake of freewheeling down - I carried on pedalling and slingshotted past him at the little bump halfway down and was able to put enough of a gap into him so he couldn't draft. JLaw then waited at the sprint point and basically towed me to the finish!

 

[Whorty]

Fairly consistent with my climbing tonight, and set a 2nd fastest time up the little lump. Interesting race with many of the big riders promoted to B cat and no obvious sandbaggers.

 

[Whorty]

I try to do one race, one workout, and one outdoor ride per week. Workout is usually a sweet spot or over/under session. I don’t feel like I need to do any high intensity or steady state stuff in a workout because I get the high intensity stuff from racing and steady state when rising outside.
Not doing a structured programme at the moment though.

You've moved on some over the past year or so Posting some cracking numbers

 

[Marino.g]

Enjoyed that although result wasn’t the best personally. Still new to all this though so happier with my tactics. App wouldn’t let me respond @Marino.g but I got your message and tactics worked, we blew 4 DBR riders away on the last leg snapper and I held them off to the line. Great performance from you and all the CC riders across A-D.

Cheers Tim I’m not sure if that was by luck or judgement.
The start in C group was explosive as usual and I latched on briefly but knew it was fruitless.
I cycled on my own for a period and waited for the group behind.
Can’t remember when but we caught up with @Ketty and one other and I guess he let us catch up.
The group ended up with at least 3 dbr riders and I pm’d @Ketty before the last climb that I would try and break away and go for it to the finish line and he would follow the dbr riders and take them on the sprint home.
I got caught with a mile to go by two dbr riders but they slowed up which allowed me to take them on again the finish.
Fair play to @Ketty he also managed to sprint past one of them as well so all in all it went thought of to plan I guess.

 

[Whorty]

Well done all teams , don’t know what’s wrong with me but I seam to be going backwards

You seem to be posting good average numbers - you averaged 2.9 w/kg over the ride, same as Michael and similar to me at 3.0 w/kg. Maybe your 'punchy' numbers when attacks happen? Maybe getting caught in sticky draft at the wrong time, and losing wheels? Don't know, but it could be worth taping your race and see where things go wrong for you.

 

[Joffey]

ZwiftPower has you taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th places at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th sprints respectively!

I did a PR up the climb on the first lap but still managed to lose the group and ended up in no-man's land for the next two laps, fast enough to hold off 6th place (out of ZwiftPower finishers), but not fast enough to catch anyone ahead of me. Joffey and JLaw eased up and let me catch them towards the end of the 3rd lap, which was ideal cause by then I was almost completely out of power.

As JLaw said above, we had a constant 30 second gap for most of that lap on the next rider back, but he started to charge as we approached the climb. However I completely missed that and only finally noticed once he'd got it down to 2 seconds! Shouted to the others to "GO!" over Discord as I didn't want him catching them as well and they were able to fly off down the road thankfully. He eventually overtook me in the last 50m of the climb, but made the mistake of freewheeling down - I carried on pedalling and slingshotted past him at the little bump halfway down and was able to put enough of a gap into him so he couldn't draft. JLaw then waited at the sprint point and basically towed me to the finish!

I couldn’t hear anything on Discord but saw he was about 50 secs back, then 30 then all of a sudden he was 2 seconds behind you. At this point I thought ‘bollocks’ and took off, with Simone grabbing 2nd I didn’t want to lose anymore points.

The next time I looked you had overtaken him again so all was right in the end

 

[CXRAndy]

Well done all teams , don’t know what’s wrong with me but I seam to be going backwards

Chris, we all have peaks and troughs of fitness. Don't try and sweat it, do something different and enjoy what you're doing. Im in the the same boat to you, losing last years form. I have become more sanguine and just taking what comes along. At our age, it doesn't always have to be about every increasing performance, more stabilizing the losses

 

[Whorty]

GOLD GOLD GOLD

 

[JuhaL]

Chris, we all have peaks and troughs of fitness. Don't try and sweat it, do something different and enjoy what you're doing. Im in the the same boat to you, losing last years form. I have become more sanguine and just taking what comes along. At our age, it doesn't always have to be about every increasing performance, more stabilizing the losses

I am too often too critical for myself. I would like to be much more better shape what i am now but i should be a grateful for this as well. Hard to admit myself of aging. It would be fun to compete of good positions in competitions but it's not just possible for everyone, sometimes it hard to swallow but like i said good to be what i can. Many times it gives me hope when i see that guys at my age can push to good effort like you all in here

 

[<Tommy>]

I am too often too critical for myself. I would like to be much more better shape what i am now but i should be a grateful for this as well. Hard to admit myself of aging. It would be fun to compete of good positions in competitions but it's not just possible for everyone, sometimes it hard to swallow but like i said good to be what i can. Many times it gives me hope when i see that guys at my age can push to good effort like you all in here

I think the healthiest way to approach it (for me anyway) is just trying to improve yourself rather than comparing yourself to other people too much. It sounds incredibly corny but it’s about being the best you can be. Realistically there’s always going to be people faster and slower. But it’s the progress that’s more satisfying than being faster than someone you’ll probably never meet. And then the competition helps push you on and motivate you.

 

[Freelanderuk]

Chris, we all have peaks and troughs of fitness. Don't try and sweat it, do something different and enjoy what you're doing. Im in the the same boat to you, losing last years form. I have become more sanguine and just taking what comes along. At our age, it doesn't always have to be about every increasing performance, more stabilizing the losses

I think I am just being a bit hard on myself as the wife says ,I have to remember we’re I have come from and how long I have been doing this and that I am no spring chicken anymore at 58 in a few months

Cheers for the wize words guys

 

[<Tommy>]

I think I called the race right really. One painful gym bleep test! Not much of a story to bore you all with really so you can be grateful for that! 😄. I survived the first three bleeps in the front group of about 18 riders. Hit the hill for the fourth time and my legs just said bollocks to that! Dumped out the back. Then it was just a limp to the line. 1.6 miles to be precise. I know that because I looked up and saw alongo group was only about 40 seconds behind on the clock at that point. I saw 1.6 to go and thought “ah shite...” But I found a bit and got over the line without being run over by the mob! Strong work on the front there andy. You’ll be pleased to hear you made that last mile much more unpleasant for me than I was hoping for 😄👍

 

[mjd1988]

You seem to be posting good average numbers - you averaged 2.9 w/kg over the ride, same as Michael and similar to me at 3.0 w/kg. Maybe your 'punchy' numbers when attacks happen? Maybe getting caught in sticky draft at the wrong time, and losing wheels? Don't know, but it could be worth taping your race and see where things go wrong for you.

This is very true, it would be a rare race that I have a better race average or even 20 min average than you. I usually have a better 1 min power and surge and rest a lot more whereas your effort seems to be more consistent - and in longer races or hillier races you would beat me, its just the nature of the courses in this series- today was one punchy climbs and the rest flat. I haven't been up the alp is ages and I know you'd trounce me.

Also with trainer calibration you never know exactly anyway, just as long as you enjoy it!

 

[JuhaL]

I think the healthiest way to approach it (for me anyway) is just trying to improve yourself rather than comparing yourself to other people too much. It sounds incredibly corny but it’s about being the best you can be. Realistically there’s always going to be people faster and slower. But it’s the progress that’s more satisfying than being faster than someone you’ll probably never meet. And then the competition helps push you on and motivate you.

Exactly, i couldn't say any better. For me this training is endless self-learning, i try to identify how my body react and try to do things better next time. For now i feel very satisfied if i am well recovered before next ride. For example the recovery time what Garmin Edge told i should take very seriously, it's pretty close of realism. I don't use that computer with Zwift but Strava relative effort gives me good direction for that.