Hi all
I may not be a typical Trainerroad user as I don’t cycle outside. I live in London - the weather and the traffic is bad!
I’ve been using Zwift regularly for a couple of years and have an FTP just below 4.0 w/kg which is as high as it’s ever been. However, my sprint and bursting ability is low by comparison, so i’ve done a short power build and rolling road race specialty combination to work on that as Zwift races seem to focus on those skills.
I’m now thinking about my next Trainerroad plan and not sure what to go with. I don’t have a specific target event to work towards and don’t really want to drop all VO2 max work for 12 weeks while I work through a base plan when I will still be doing races on Zwift.
Any thoughts from people in a similar indoor only environment would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance
How many races per week are you doing? It sounds like you may still be getting plenty of VO2 Max work in the races and starting from base may not hinder you like you think.
You say you’ve been on Zwift a couple years. What’s your riding history prior to that? Continuing to build base may be just what you need anyway for the best long-term results if you don’t already have many years under your belt.
When I was racing on Zwift, I used it to focus on upcoming outdoor races, so I’d intentionally fall off someone’s wheel so I was forced to hit it hard more often to replicate MTB a bit better. I’m thinking I may go back to Zwift for a bit as I get closer to some races this spring because I felt like getting that race intensity prior to actual races was very helpful.
Ride on!
Thanks - triathlon for 10 years plus before Zwift. Racing once a week on Zwift. Appreciate the input
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Sweet Spot Base Low and Mid Volume 2 (the second 6 weeks of the 12 week plan) both include plenty of VO2 Max work. The SSB L/M Vol 1 lacks it.
If you are intending to “reset” in effort to make a new season, this return to Base is a worthwhile thing. Make sure to look at the long game and not just the immediate impact.
Many thanks. Probably a good idea to do the full reset as you say. Cheers
Most Zwift races are short and less punchy than road races/crits. The key to doing well is having a big 1 and 5 min power, and a strong sprint. And generally, even though Zwift works on W/kg, it favours raw power. This seems to hold true for even the climbs.
At 4w/kg you’ll be at the top end of B, maybe A. I’m more confident that there’s less “cheating” in A.
Zwift “season” is mostly over the winter and is well under way. If you want to focus on Zwift racing, I’d suggest making summer your traditional “winter” and do your base work then. To make the most of the remaining Zwift season this year, I’d suggest lots of top end stuff.
This is an interesting article
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Great! Maybe with a solid base period I can get over the threshold into A’s and then work on the short power. Appreciate your help
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