Seconds out, round 2.
It’s been a funny couple of days – having to ride super late in the evening as I’m on single parent duty again. Ideally I would ride during the middle of the day, but work has been busy and I’ve not managed to get in a lunch time ride.
The options being skipping the ride altogether, or riding late, I decided I’d go for the late show.
This does / did mean by the time I get on the bike I’m already mentally knackered, if not physically (I work at a computer all day, it’s not physically taxing).
So on Tuesday night I got on the bike once the kids had finally gone to sleep, and off I went.
When you attack in a race or surge over a short hill, an intense burn always follows. This workout ensures you’ll hit these types of efforts stronger, pushing through the burn and helping maintain a high pace without fading after each effort.
The anaerobic capacity (AC) effort at the start of this workout helps build up high lactate concentrations, essential for building FTP. The 1min rest that follows is enough to help recover adequately so you can complete the workout strong, but it doesn’t leave so much time that lactate concentrations will decrease. The workout is key when it comes to boosting your FTP and tackling longer segments with a higher level of fitness.
Coach’s Tip: Zwift Academy Road was developed with structure in mind. For best results, complete the workouts in order.
This training program was designed by Stephen Gallagher and Dan Fleeman from Dig Deep Coaching. Their complete coaching approach ensures every Zwift Academy athlete learns the building blocks for successful training.
Zwift Academy Road: Workout 6 | FTP Boost
Just after finishing my warm up, I got to the first 30 second “on” block, was maybe 15 seconds in and the PC just froze solid. Not sure what caused it. I don’t think it was a Zwift issue. All I know is I reached over to take a screenshot from the companion app, and that was that. Machine frozen.
As it was already 20:45 by this point, and given I couldn’t restart the ride but skip the warm up if I wanted to get the ride credit, I gave up. Bath time. My kit was still so dry that I simply took it all off, put it on the bike – draping the socks over the top tube, bib shorts and HRM strap over the handle bars… anything to make it easier to repeat the following evening.
And so yesterday night I managed to get back on and repeat it.
So it sucks riding late – which I had to do again, because when I finished it was late enough that the last thing I wanted to do was to make a blog post. Hence this one being late – but I will publish it on yesterday’s date to fake it.
All I wanted was my bath.
I honestly thought this one would be easier than it was.
Looking at the ride plan, it didn’t look too bad on paper. I’d kinda mucked up and thought the threshold blocks were inverted – so 100% FTP, then dropping to 95% FTP. But honestly, those bits weren’t so bad. Stepping up was only marginally harder, and I only truly felt it in the third interval.
No.
The hard part was those 30 second leg burners.
I thought with 30 seconds on (160% FTP), I would be fine with the 1 minute rest after. In fact, so cocky and confident was I, I was questioning why we even needed the 1 minute gap.
See, in my mind, I think to myself: that’s not how bike races work.
And I see this as bike race prep.
If I splurge to 160% FTP for 30 seconds in a race, I can’t then take my foot off the gas to the tune of 55% FTP for the following minute.
Or, I mean, I could, but any gains I’d made in the 30 seconds would be destroyed and then some in that lull.
Wouldn’t it be better to go hardcore – 160% right in to 100%, then drop off to 95%?
Of course it would. But could I actually do that? Ha. Probably not.
Well, not 3x, even with the 5 minute breather.
So all in all, this one was a solid workout.
It sucks I had to repeat it, and that does mean my stats on the week are way down.
I didn’t want to do 5 riding days in a row. I wanted to do 3 and 2, as in Tues-Thurs, then Sat / Sun. That doesn’t look likely now.
So that’s me done with the Zwift Academy 2021 workouts.
I’d definitely say this years set were easier than last. Nothing quite as brutal as 2019.
I have a recovery ride to do – might do that Saturday afternoon – and then the Finish Line ride. That sounds fun. Well, it’s a repeat of the Base Line, with the idea of being better.
Gotta get after it, I suppose.
