Each week I try to review and reflect on my previous week on the bike. This allows me to see how my fitness and ability is progressing on a wider timescale than day to day. For previous weekly reviews please click here.
Two races and one hard workout. Not the longest week on the bike by far, but a taxing one. Throw in a crazy long work day and I came out of this one exhausted.
However, more of the same awaits in the week ahead. Thankfully minus the need to head in to the office.
Here are this week’s rides:
- Tuesday – Zwift Academy 2023 – Workout #5: Long | Steady State
- Thursday – Best of 2023: Stage 1 – Sand and Sequoias (B)
- Saturday – Zwift Academy 2023 – Race #1: Rolling Highlands
The prospect of doing two races in a week wasn’t fun.
But I got through it.
The harder of the two, somewhat unexpectedly, was the Zwift Academy Race #1. I’m not sure if it’s because the field size was four times larger than what I’m used too, or whether it was because I was already feeling tired before I even set off, but I found that one a struggle.
That’s not to say that the Sand and Sequoias race was easy by any means. But I did manage a really strong finish to that one.
And Workout #5…
Oh man.
Two repeats of 30 minutes at, ideally, 90% of FTP. That one was hard work.
The only saving grace there is I was off on Tuesday, my first day off work in a long while. Having the full day to myself, to do whatever I wanted, I opted to get that workout done and dusted as soon as possible.
Which thrashed me for the rest of the day!
Still, I felt I had earned my fish and chips for tea that night.
I’m a little dubious as to what Workout #6 will entail. At 101 TSS, it’s the third most challenging of the six available workouts. The harder part will be finding the 82 minutes required to see it through.
With that in mind, the likely itinary this week is going to be two races midweek, followed by the workout on Saturday. I think Sunday is the final day for the Zwift Academy 2023, though I suspect I’m just out of the running for the pro contract.
Anyway, that’s the plan. Then next week it’s FTP test time.
Does the fun ever stop?