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 fairly standard week all round. I saw out the end of the Zwift Spring Training series, which I enjoyed and found sufficiently challenging. I did alright in Tuesday’s race. The rest of the week was outdoors and did absolutely nothing to help my increasingly sore right shoulder.
Here are this week’s rides:
- Tuesday – Zwift Crit Club Race: Stage 4 – Neokyo Crit Course (B) (Indoors / Zwift)
- Wednesday – Zwift Spring Training: Workout #6 Final Send (Indoors / Zwift)
- Thursday – Was It Worth It? (Outdoors)
- Saturday – Ridiculous Dull Ache (Outdoors)
- Sunday – Teleportation Anaerobics (Outdoors)
It’s been another nice week, weather-wise, and that has made it harder and harder to stay indoors. When I spend all morning at the PC in a hot room, the last thing that thrills me is the idea of spending another 45 minutes staring at the screen, sweating on the bike.
Which is a shame, really, as going outdoors is doing me no favours. It’s not the activity so much as the road surface. The constant jarring, pot holes, sunken chunks of the road, and whatever else that sends jolts right through my arms, constantly.
As such I’m in a whole lot of pain. It might seem a little like I’m making it up. Or moaning for nothing. It can’t be that bad, right? I mean… I can type.
But yeah, it’s really not a pleasant experience. I’m in genuine discomfort.
So why do I keep going out?
Well, it eases off. It tricks me. And I convince myself a ride won’t do any harm.
But every time I have paid the price. The ride might last 45 minutes, but the ache lasts the following 24 hours, if not more. The worst part is, I genuinely don’t know how to solve this. It’s not going. If anything, it’s getting worse. How do I even describe this to a doctor? There’s nothing to see, no marks or bruises. But by God is it painful.
One good thing this week was the result in the Zwift Crit Club Race 4 event. Just 5 seconds behind first place, so still with the front bunch after the whole event. I guess the flat courses suit me the best.
And as I said at the start, I enjoyed all of the Zwift Spring Training workout series. I’m sad to see that one finish. I wish Zwift would run these structured group workout series every month, like they do with the races. Clearly there is the interest, and surely it can’t take that much effort now? They have all the infrastructure in place.
Hopefully that does become “a thing”.
Beyond that, the outdoor rides were really nothing special.
What I am now looking forwards to is the week ahead as a deliberate and enforced rest week.
I need it. Not just for the shoulder, but generally.
It will be interesting to see how the shoulder heals, as I will be away from the computer entirely – another deliberate choice. No compromises.
At the time of writing I have done one event for this week – the final race in the Zwift Crit Club series. I didn’t want to miss that. I still have that write up to do, so wish me luck.