Noodling on Zwift

March 20, 2018 |   |  Comment  |  Uncategorized

I’m trying some experiments to change my approach to a few things, and one of those got me onto the turbo this morning for a little over an hour, noodling around “London” in a Zwift workout – London and Leith Hill and Richmond Park (deer! and being chased by Roger Rabbit) via the magic spacewarps that exist in Zwift.

It’s the first time I’ve tried out Leith Hill/Richmond Park – I usually stick to the flat bits of London because I’ve been using TrainerRoad workouts in conjunction with Zwift, and I want points … more on that in a minute.

Zwift and TrainerRoad works well as a combination – I prefer the TR workouts/plans, not least because TR acknowledges that not everyone has a couple of hours at a time for a workout, which Zwift’s workouts assume (at least, I can’t find a Zwift plan with weekday rides all under 1.5 hrs or so). TR has low volume training plans for those of us with chaotic diaries, which tend towards a hour twice in the week plus 1.5 hrs at the weekend. That is a decidedly more achievable fit. Read more

General musing

February 10, 2018 |   |  Comment  |  training, winter

The hip, it hurteth. Again. This is unamusing, but most likely the result of not quite enough exercise and so on (too much work, not enough energy and so on and so on). Circling back around to “what can I do that I actually will do”? Read more

Achievement unlocked

January 29, 2018 |   |  Comment  |  training, winter

Finally managed to drag myself out of sleep (or at least off the sofa) and onto the turbo – 30 minutes done, via Jon’s Short Mix on Strava. I wasn’t really intending to do a workout; I had decided I would noodle about on Strava for 30 minutes, just to get my system started on the idea of morning workouts again. But, bah, plans. I logged on to find a 30 minute event about to start, in the ‘E’ category (aka, stick within a specific % of FTP and you all ride together no matter what your watts are), so I joined. Why not? Read more

Food for thought (and other cliches)

January 10, 2018 |   |  Comment  |  food, training

Not feeling great – and have been feeling lousy for a couple of days. It doesn’t seem to be the viral crud going around, to any great degree. I’m wondering whether it’s related to an increase in exercise whilst still restricting calories. Read more

Winter kit check

January 7, 2018 |   |  Comment  |  bicycles, clothing, Just riding, winter

48km at zero C was a useful test of the winter kit that I bought in the sales, in the hope that it would get me outside. Not sure if it was the kit so much as the responsibility of being second leader on a club run that got me out, but the kit got tested either way. Read more

What next?

August 5, 2017 |   |  Comment  |  Just riding

Immediately next … once I got past the biomechanical issues, back out with some club members for a 50 mile ride to test out a route (it passed). Club 100 mile ride tomorrow. Ride Across Britain in about 5 weeks.

Read more

LEL DNF

July 31, 2017 |   |  Comment  |  Uncategorized

Things learnt:

  • Stuff happens. In this case, a medical issue I had no control over and which would probably have caused me significant injury if I had continued. Sometimes you just have to call it.
  • Carry food. Even if the controls are supposed to be able to feed you, things do not always go accordingly to plan (two controls have run out of their planned food already – and that's before anyone gets there southbound)
  • Test everything completely. I did the first stage from a routesheet because the gps file somehow didn't make it onto my account – I suspect it got deleted by mistake when I updated another file.
  • Don't try and fix a valve problem on a tube, just replace the tube immediately – although that second tube also went flat overnight, damnit
  • Don't forget your buff. A door frequently opening into a well-lit corridor does not help sleep
  • Market Rasen station has a track crossing to get from one platform to the other. I didn't think those existed in the UK any more!