Each week Zwift sends me an email summarising my activity for the week. For previous weekly reviews click here.
The biggest ride of this week didn’t take place on Zwift, for once.
And also a first, this week consisted of two rides on RGT Cycling. These being Borrego Springs and Passo dello Stelvio.
The other interesting ride of the week was completing the Sweet Spot Training (Short) on Zwift’s Yorkshire map. This was a good workout. Better for me, I feel than the FTP Builder rides.
On this subject, whilst I completed two FTP Builder rides this week, I have decided that the only benefit I am gaining from these rides is the low effort / long distance aspect of them. I have therefore prioritised them as recovery rides.
With that in mind, I was going to do the next workout in the FTP Builder schedule this afternoon / evening, but decided not too.
Why?
Well, yesterday I did a proper climb. None of this over in 5 minutes carry on I’ve been tricking myself into thinking is enough.
No.
Passo dello Stelvio was full on. I’d place is in equivalence to Zwift’s Alpe Du Zwift.
As such, my legs are feeling the work today. And on the last segment of that ride I did something a little stupid and spun far too fast, hurting my knee in the process. Fortunately I’ve not felt any pain today, but still, am aware that I likely should take a rest day today.
There are two aspects of this week that have given me the most to think about.
Nerves
On Friday day time, whilst at work, I decided I was going to do a proper workout. None of this easy peasy FTP builder nonsense. An hour (or so) of hard work.
I’d done this last week with The Wringer and found value in it. Much more so than the equivalent amount of time spent in an easier workout.
However, knowing I was going home to do this workout certainly had me feeling nervous. Sitting in the car, on the motorway driving home, I have to say I had second thoughts about whether or not I’d be able to complete the full activity.
As it was, it was a decent workout but not as difficult as I’d built up in my head.
I’ve certainly found that I’ve been guilty (maybe not the right word) of this on other rides recently.
I’m not sure why I feel this way. Anxiety of hard work?
One to think on some more.
Disappointment
The other aspect that has come up both this week and last is one of disappointment.
I’m frankly disappointed in that graph above.
The last major progress I made seems to be around May this year.
How have I not progressed further?
Part of me thinks it’s because the earlier rides were all, pretty much, FTP tests.
I’d go on the bike for 20-30 minutes, do a free ride, blast out as hard as I could, and then jump off.
Then I transitioned into longer rides. Different stuff. More structured workouts. Longer group rides. That sort of thing. Has this had a major impact on my graph? It’s one way to justify it. But the other way is just that I’ve hit a plataeu.
Comparable Times
Perhaps the best example of this is the two rides that are most similar:
Passo dello Stelvio vs Alpe Du Zwift.
The graph doesn’t make this too clear but here are the numbers:
- Alpe Du Zwift – 26th May 2019 – 175w weighted avg / 166.5w avg
- Passo dello Stelvio – 27 October 2019 – 179w weighted avg / 165.5w avg
Frankly I’m gutted about this. 4w weighted improvement in 5 months of regular riding? 1w loss average over the two rides? Is this for real?
What’s happened here? I’m not expecting answers… I’m just baffled.
It seems I can’t pull similar data from Strava anymore. My Alpe Du Zwift ride no longer contains detailed segments. I do track this on my Leaderboards page though:
If anything I feel fitter now than back then. How can my performances be, for all intents and purposes, the same?
This is what’s led to the conclusion that the FTP Builder workouts are doing, essentially, sod all for me. I need to push myself much harder.
Week Ahead
This coming week will consist of at least one harder workout, and at a proper climb. Probably Alpe Du Zwift, and all things being well, that will happen on Sunday morning.
I’ve not selected the harder workout just yet. That’s one for the days ahead.
On the positive side I am glad I completed that climb. I feel like I worked hard last week. I just wish the graph reflected it.