Weekly Review January 4th – 10th 2021

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. 

This really feels like the first proper week of 2021, as last week I was off work and so could cycle on my own schedule, rather than having to fit it in around paid work. Even so, things started well enough with five rides, pretty much resuming the same pattern as I was following in 2020 – three mid week rides, and two at the weekend.

This week’s rides were as follows:

• Sunday – First Outdoor Ride of 2021 (Outdoors)
• Saturday – Tour De Zwift 2021 – Stage 2: Longer Ride (Indoors / Zwift)
• Thursday – Taking It Easy Ride (Indoors / Zwift)
• Wednesday – Tour De Zwift 2021 – Stage 1: Standard Ride (Indoors / Zwift)
• Tuesday – Tour De Zwift 2021 – Stage 1: Longer Ride (Indoors / Zwift)

The two big things for the week were the start of the Tour de Zwift 2021, and getting outdoors for the first time this year. Not bad for the opening week of January.

I’d love to say I’m switched on and have everything thoroughly planned. That is sadly not the case for most of my non-work related activities. My cycling is largely unstructured – a kind of take it as it comes, do what I feel like on the day approach.

As such I’d completely forgotten I’d signed up to the Tour de Zwift in the dying days of 2020. So, on Tuesday, I was casually glancing through the Zwift Companion App when I spotted the latest update had added in the TdZ section to the home screen, and thought “oh yeah, I’ve joined that, I wonder when it starts”. Lo-and-behold, it started on the Monday, so I immediately had a ride available for Tuesday.

Good stuff, not having to think about it, etc. But bam, right into something fairly full on. I guess, after Xmas, I really needed this. Sweating out the chocolate, beer, and general turkey based indulgences. Move your fat ass, Chris! And move I did. I don’t remember the last time I did a ride quite as intensive as that Tuesday ride.

Somewhat sadistically, I put myself through the medium sized TdZ 2021 group ride on the Wednesday as well. I was feeling that one within 2km of starting, and was grateful the ride was ~15 minutes shorter in length.

Still, a solid way to kick off the week with over a thousand calories burned over the two rides. I gave myself an easier ride on Thursday, and Friday is my standard rest day.

On Saturday, yet again, my ride choice was all but dictated to me by the next stage of the TdZ starting up. So I completed two laps of Richmond, which – thankfully – were not as intensive (imo) as the Stage 1 longer ride.

I was going to do another of the Stage 2 rides on Sunday (probably the Innsbruck KOM) but had the desire to get outdoors if I at all could. Late in the afternoon, with the prospect of either a nice and warm indoor session on the turbo, or a winter thermals outdoor ride, I opted to go out.

Honestly, even in the melting ice and growing twilight, the allure of the outdoors is greater to me than being indoors. This isn’t a reflection on Zwift or other indoor software. It’s to do with this national lock down, and as of yesterday afternoon, not even having left the house yet in 2021. At least, as far as I can remember. It’s kinda like home prison, and allegedly this is going to remain until mid May. 5 months of lock down, woo hoo.

I’m happy with the week. It was more intensive than the previous week for sure, with more distance covered, more calories burned, and the workouts feeling like they are pushing me back in the right direction after a two month slump.

I’ll have, I’m guessing, at least two TdZ rides this forthcoming week. One of these is the Innsbruck KOM, and I’m remaining blissfully unaware of what lies ahead in Stage 3. Hopefully – and this is a bit fingers crossed – I will get out again next Sunday. It all depends on the conditions. Rain, and wet roads I can handle. Black ice, snow, or sleet, and it’s a no go.

So no goals, as such, for the week ahead. Just keep at it, and keep doing what I’m doing, and I’ll be happy enough.