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.
A slightly odd week this one, in that I was away with work on Wednesday and Thursday. However, Monday was May Day Bank Holiday so I was able to get in a decent length outdoor ride which sort of made up for the down time.
Overall, not a bad week really.
Here are this week’s rides:
- Monday – Fly Food (Outdoors)
- Tuesday – Zwift Spring Training: Workout #3 Hairpin Wizard (Indoors / Zwift)
- Friday – Zwift Crit Club Race: Stage 1 – Volcano Circuit CCW (B) (Indoors / Zwift)
- Saturday – It’s Coronation Day! (Outdoors)
- Sunday – Sleepy Sunday (Outdoors)
According to Garmin I’ve been going through a prolonged period of unproductive riding. At times it has felt that way. Tiredness, mainly.
But overall I wouldn’t say I’ve felt like every session has been unproductive. Rather most are either one of two riding styles: VO2 max rides, such as a races, or low intensity tempo sessions. There isn’t much variety beyond those two. Maybe that’s what’s making Garmin’s algorithms so unhappy with me.
I’m not anticipating changing this, though.
Racing will continue. Tempo rides will continue. Finding an hour to get in the FTP Builder endurance rides is a challenge for me right now. I don’t have spare hours in that regard. So I do what I can in the time I have, and if that makes me less productive for fitness gains, so be it.
I’m a little underwhelmed with the Zwift Spring Training series. So far the workouts haven’t felt like they’ve pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Pushed, yes, but not hard.
Perhaps it’s the shorter session length. However that is also a bonus, as it does mean they slot in nicely in my dinner breaks.
Can’t have everything, I suppose.
The racing has been good as usual, feeling like a solid workout. I enjoyed the 3 laps of the Volcano Circuit, even though tactically I fell short at the end. I’ll never stand a chance of winning these Zwift events until they tighten the category ranges, and that’s not even on the radar as far as I know. For now, they are just a fun, competitive workout.
Monday’s ride was probably the stand out for me. I challenged myself to climb the steepest route up Jeffrey Hill, and as tiring as it was, I managed to set a new PB. I know I could do better there for sure, but it’s nice to see the virtual reward on Strava after the fact.
As it stands, today is also a Bank Holiday but a far wetter one than last week. As such I’ve taken the usual Monday rest day today, with the plan being to be back on the bike tomorrow for Race Tuesday. Normal service resumes.
The plan is race tomorrow, workout Wednesday, then something lighter on Thursday. I’ll see what comes of the weekend, but no big plans. What I probably need more than anything is the lower intensity / endurance rides. Time on the bike, rather than hard efforts. Maybe then Garmin would be happy.