This one has taken it out of me, pretty much as expected. My standard ride length is anything up to an hour. Anything over that and usually I notice a drop off in pace.
But I knew this one was going to be a long ride. 70km, pretty much. With 700m of climb. I think it’s 5 climbs in total:
It’s definitely the most challenging ride I’ve done this year, no doubt about that. Not the hardest ride I’ve ever done though. But honestly, with how tired I currently feel, not too far off.
I set out with the idea of keeping ~200w on the flats (a tempo pace – 3.0w/kg), and then aiming to hit ~230w / 3.4w/kg on the climbs.
For the most part I did alright on this. On the early part of the ride, at least. Things kinda fell apart on this front after about 1h 15m.
One of the hardest aspects of this ride was the mental challenge of seeing a high remaining distance even though I’d been riding for 40+ minutes. I remember looking up and thinking: alright, I’m getting pretty tired now, and I looked at the on-screen display and saw that I hadn’t even hit the half way mark on the route, nor done even 3/5ths of the climbing. Sad times.
What I would say I paced this one fairly well.
Whilst my game plan didn’t hold up exactly, I nevertheless was never in any real doubt of completing the ride at a “good enough” pace for my own standards.
The only time I got concerned was with 10km to go and I felt my right calf forming that horrific cramp ball that infrequently gets me on the more challenging rides. The last time I got this, I think, was on the descent down from the Epic KOM on the Tour de Zwift Stage 6. Good that we get to do that again next week in Stage 3 of the Tour of Watopia 🙄
Even with the fun elements of this ride – changing into the Dinosaurs, switching to the Trike for the descent of the Volcano KOM – it wasn’t enough to alleviate the general willing for the ride to be over and done with. Soaking with sweat, and smelling worse, it wasn’t a pleasant experience towards the end.
What I will say is I am glad I have done it.
Stage 3 definitely looks harder, no doubt about it. But this one was a challenge in itself, and one I am glad to have ticked off. It’s another route badge I would never have done without being “forced”.
And it’s good to do something different. Like I say, my typical rides are sub one hour, usually high intensity stuff. So this was a nice variation. But it’s not my preferred riding style, not indoors anyway.
I’m going to say, with some confidence, that even though my midweek rides were all fairly short this week, I am done for cycling for the week with this one. I need a rest. Fortunately I imagine I will sleep like a baby tonight, out like a light the second my head hits the pillow. I am that tired.
