Every 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 week consisted of 5 days exercise, two being outdoor rides and the other three being indoor sessions on the turbo trainer.
This week’s exercises was as follows:
- Tuesday – Virtual Tour de France – Open – Stage 1 Discovery Ride (Indoor / Zwift)
- Wednesday – GTA 5 Cycling – Alamo Sea (Indoor / GTA 5 Cycling)
- Thursday – Rain On Me (Outdoor)
- Saturday – Oakenclough Climb (Outdoor)
- Sunday – L’Etape du Tour Stage 2 – Open (Indoor / Zwift)
I had three new and interesting rides this week. One being my first time on GTA 5 Cycling, another on the new Zwift France map for the second stage of their L’Etape du Tour series, and the last being my climb up Oakenclough.
Somewhat unexpectedly, the Oakenclough climb was looked very favourably upon by the Garmin Edge 530. At the end of this one I got a minor bump in FTP, but overall I really didn’t feel like I pushed myself too hard at any point during this ride.
I must admit I find the end of workout summary that the Garmin produces to be something of a mystery.
When I expect a decent outcome, it usually tells me my training session was unproductive. Yet I can do a short session and barely turn the pedals, and it likes that. Maybe I need to read the manual. That’s most likely where I’ve gone wrong.
One the thing the Garmin loves to tell me is that I have a low aerobic shortage… or maybe it’s a low anaerobic shortage.
This kinda highlights one thing that I don’t tend to do, which is sprint workouts.
I can’t actually remember the last time I did a workout session that focused on short term thrashing of oneself. With that I mind, I guess at some point this forthcoming week, I need to do an anaerobic focused session. Sounds like a lot of fun :/
The Tour ride this week was interesting simply because I’ve been wanting and waiting for something new to reinvigorate my interest in Zwift, and this map delivered.
There’s still some new stuff to come from Zwift, with their third (and I believe, final) stage of their L’Etape du Tour series this forthcoming Sunday where we will be climbing Mont Ventoux. This looks to be a killer climb, at over 1.5x the distance of the Alpe du Zwift, with 1500m+ of climbing to enjoy.
With that in mind, I do definitely need to ensure I put in a slightly less intensive week. Last week had no recovery riding, which is unusual for me. Strava, too, is reporting I am suffering from fatigue. But then I just passed the magic 100 number on the fitness and freshness graph… what does that mean? I have no idea. But it’s the first time I’ve been over 100. Go me.
Lastly for the week, getting in a session – at last – on GTA 5 Cycling was really fun.
I mean, when you compare the game engine from GTA 5 to Zwift, it’s like night and day.
Rolling resistance, wind resistance, true physics, stunning visuals, a proper day and night cycle, random stuff happening all over the show, varied road surfaces that work with the Tacx, heart rate integration, follow routes or choose your own….
Honestly the list is long. Very, very long.
I guess if GTA 5 Cycling gets multiplayer mode, somehow, some way, it’s a serious contender.
I was really, really impressed.
More of that to come this week, too, along with a full review when I get time.
That about wraps it up this week.
Interestingly the power curve is showing me around 3.4w/kg on the 20 minute marker, and 3(ish) on the hour mark. I feel this is fair. However I don’t understand why we talk about FTP as being a measure for the hour then proudly announce our 20 minute figures. Seems so misleading.
I’d really like to get a longer outdoor ride in sometime soon, but I’m guessing with Mont Ventoux ahead on Sunday, that won’t be happening this week. Sad times. Soon the summer will be over…. has it even yet begun? The rain outside says: no.