I loaded the Century Plan (Intermediate) to start July 27. I had held out some small hopes for the fall running but that's not gonna happen, is it? Is Spring 2021 event gonna happen at this rate? Anyway, I think that we can forget the FakeHalfMarathon but I do want to have some amount of running leading into the November OutSeason. OK, to be honest, I'm of two minds about it -- part of me is all I worked hard to get back to running and the other part is maybe your body wants you to not run for a bit. Ultimately, though I would like to both bike and run.
Some unstructured weekend rides sound awesome. I have been thinking of taking my Cx bike to Uwharrie and checking out the forest roads there. I understand that they may be more MTB-friendly than Cx/Gravel friendly but I won't know without trying it out, right? There are a RideWithGPS route that I can borrow... Anyway, some unstructured time on the bike would allow for things like this.
In other news, NC State University is now talking about 4-foot distancing is fine in classrooms (I get it, they lecture halls have chairs that are bolted to the floor, if you skip a chair, there are 4 feet between students) and UNC Chapel Hill is talking about 3-foot distancing for classrooms. NC State and all of the UNC schools are under the UNC System and most decisions seem to be made at the system level. It's weird. I think that I can keep on working from home for the next few months to see how this plays out. I work for NC State but support cooperative extension in the counties. Last week, I had the -- ummm --- opportunity to attend virtual 4-H camp as part of my job ;-)
I hear you on the two minds situation! I think the good news is that we don’t have to force anything. If today feels like a good day to run, then you should go for it. If you’re getting some pushback, you can stop. There’s nothing saying that you “have to” do any of it.
And I absolutely love the idea of your two wheel adventures. I am already jealous, so clearly you must be doing something right there! 😂
The way things are looking right now I’m not sure we’re going to have Races for the foreseeable future. There’s just too much diversity of compliance and so little we know about the virus itself that it hard it makes thinking concretely about anything very hard. What we are seeing right now across the country certainly does not bode well for the future.
Hopefully you can work from home as long as you’re comfortable. That will allow you to not have to deal with all the questionss regarding work and your personal health.
So I guess that we've landed on adding volume and making some weekends rides be unstructured and adding some running to the century plan and keeping some amount of base run mileage. Does that sound right? It looks like I'll need to be able to handle 20 miles or so at the beginning of the OutSeason.
Regarding 2021 racing, I know that you don't have a crystal ball. I think that the BWR Asheville cancellation had more effect on me that I would have thought. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I thought that was a possibility and having it gone brought things home to me (again). I guess the good news is that I should have a good sense of where things stand by the end of the NOS and can make some intelligent decisions about what comes next.
Super exciting news -- I ordered a new fan for my Zwift setup 😄 It's a Lasko Max Performance Pivoting Utility Fan.
P.S. I tried to reach out to my teammates about adding the run to the century plan but they said, "coordinate with @Coach Patrick" so I'm back here ;-)
@Janyne Kizer - I'm not gonna lie, I am super jealous of your fan. That thing looks legit. Plus it's black. It would only be better if it was red. 🤣
I hope it brings you many happy Zwift Miles.
I'm glad you were able to talk a little bit about your disappointment around the race. Yes, this is a real challenge for many of us. There are a few exceptions to those who are completely ambivalent towards their season. It's not a bad thing, but it is something to be aware of in terms of your mental focus. You might need a little bit of downtime away from the structure and stuff, so your vacation couldn't happen in a better place.
We are in agreement about your focus for this year, and since your teammates were not so helpful, I have gone ahead and modified your training plan to add the run through the end of August/the first week of September. Check it out and let me know what you think!
I'm glad that I selected one of the four "approved" paths! haha! 😃
I'm in week 3 of the bike century plan and doing pretty well. My new FTP made things more challenging. Ha! Now I wonder what my FTP was before I had a power meter? Right now, my FTP is the highest it's been since I've had a power meter but I got the PM after doing tri for several years. I'm still not back to the average speed my cyclist-self was on these routes. Lot's of work to do!
As for running, I took the runs on my calendar and made them all "just run." I also moved my weekend run from the long ride day to the not so long ride day. I want to focus on my bike workouts for now and I think that will do it. I'm giving myself a lot of latitude on run pace right now -- just hitting Z2-TRP. I also kept the weekly hike that we used for cross training in the 5MH plan. I still kept one rest day per week. I'm kind of enjoying that.
I may head up to WNC for a three-day weekend in a few weeks. That'll be a nice way to mix things up and get out of the heat -- well, less hot at least.
I saw my PT this week and is happy with my progress. I am still getting into "right stance" a bit between appointments but the basic takeaway was "keep doing what you are doing" and "see you in about four weeks."
Hey, that’s fantastic progress on the physical therapy! You’ve been really diligent about it, and I think combined with your more laid-back approach to running we will find some success. But more than anything else, I’m excited that you have some mojo here on the bike. I know you’ve done a lot of hard work, but part of me also feels like the variety of training you’ve done has been really beneficial too. Curious to hear your take on that.
enjoy those long rides and try to push appropriately. Off road = hard climbs but chill all else. road = sweet spot work when you want to work (85-90 % FTP) otherwise just cruise!!
~ Coach P
ps here is your monthly update for le records.
Rankings are as follows:
Swim Fitness vs Last Month: 1
Bike Fitness vs Last Month: 3
Run Fitness vs Last Month: 2
Body Comp vs Last Month: 2Next month's focus: Bike!
Happy Tuesday, @Coach Patrick! I wasn't quite sure what you were looking for regarding a possible Blue Ridge Gravel Camp. I put together some information but I'd be happy to do more. We have a condo in Fletcher sort of near the Asheville airport. It's too small to host a group, however, if you wanted to borrow it for recon, you are welcome to it.
Wash Creek to BRP (must have lights for BRP due to bridges within a mile or so in either direction) - This is Wash Creek over BRP and down Bent Creek. I don't really care for the Bent Creek side. I don't have good gearing for that! https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32805116?privacy_code=EnshdHLEhRnidwng
Alternatively, BRP from French Broad River to Wash Creek/Fletcher Creek
Notes:
I scouted DuPont State Forest for gravel because they have a race there (Dirt Diggler). I was like hell no! Maybe on a full on mountain bike. Others may disagree bit jeep/ATV torn up road is not my idea of a fun camp ride. Plus Cascade Lake is trafficy.
Watch the posted gravel routes, some are actually single track and sketchy single track at that. Also, some change from forest road to single track (Avery Creek is road and also sketchy single track).
Road Routes - Tons of road routes in the area for those who want to mix it up
Another option to consider is Floyd, VA. The Blue Ridge Parkway goes by the town and there’s a pretty decent winery in the area (if you have a Wegman’s you can find the wine there).I think that food and lodging would be a big issue there though. It’s a *very* small town on the “crooked road” music trail. Roanoke is too far to drive for camp, IMHO. @Dave Campbell may be a good contact if you want to pursue this.
@Janyne Kizer OMG this is awesome!!! 🎉 🙏 💥Thank you soooo much. I thought you were going to send me a link to look at something...I'll be in here for DAYS.
In the meantime I saw your check in post... I got your Check-In update, and have pasted it below. This is part of our monthly process to stay connected, so thanks for filling it out!
Let me know how you want to approach the Century to OS plan and goals. I am happy to connect with you here or on le phone...if phone, set it up here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
~ Patrick
Janyne Kizer s following the Century Plan (12 Weeks).i
Rankings are as follows:
- Swim Fitness vs Last Month: 1
- Bike Fitness vs Last Month: 3
- Run Fitness vs Last Month: 2
- Body Comp vs Last Month: 2
Next month's focus: Complete century bike plan
Extra help request: General Guidance and discussion of OutSeason
Just a quick check in. I am wrapping up the century bike plan this weekend.
I plan to do some Zwifting and increase my weekly run volume a bit for the two weeks until the NOS. I'll probably be on gravel on the weekends.
Because my run feels "fragile" to me now, I am thinking of doing the bike focused plan and see how the run holds up. Fingers crossed, right?
Are we using the 2020 OutSeason plan?
Right now, I have two rides on the books for Spring 2021 and the Chattanooga 70.3 in May. I plan to make the call on all of that in February and then load up the appropriate training plans.
@Janyne Kizer congratulations on the century ride. I'm always jealous when I get to see what other people are able to ride, and it looks like you picked some great terrain. Also kudos to you for putting in some big miles there on the bike to wrap of the year. That's always a nice addition to your overall fitness.
Reviewing your ride, I couldn't help but notice that your average cadence was 83 RPMs. That's like me on my time trial bike erase Watts. Just curious to know if that's because you don't get rid of zeros on your recording unit, or if you typically grind things out at those RPMs. Forgive me if we've talked about this before, but low RPMs for women is an outlier.
I'm currently working on your plans, and hope to have a first draft done this week. So hold off on loading those up just yet.
As for the run, I say we basically stick to the consistency challenge you are executing right now. With that as our macro goals, there's no need to get greedy with Run work. This will mean dialing things back a little bit inside the other season plan but it's pretty easy to do.
Terms of a one goal, I think you've been bouncing around between 15 and 20 miles a week. It would be nice to have you around at 20 miles per week for the last six weeks of the year. Not a hard target, but an aspirational one. How does that sound?
Thanks for pointing out my cadence woes. It looks like my cadence dropped every hour. It started at 93 and then dropped all the way to 82 with an average of 87. Even if we through out the last interval during which I didn't care about the speed/power/cadence anymore, cadence still dropped to 84 and I know that I ideally it should be higher. That's definitely something to be aware of and continuing working on.
When I first got a cadence sensor (2015), my cadence was in the low 80s. I've been working on it since.
To be honest, I was more focused on the disappointing speed and trying to maintain Z2-ish power. I think that my brain has group ride speed in it and I've spent 2020 riding solo... It's a good think that I like riding my bike(s).
Run
Regarding run goals, I think that 20 mpw for the last six weeks is do-able. I do feel that the running every day thing has helped. I feel "bouncier." And hey, run cadence has been good at least 🙄
@Janyne Kizer - Maximizing your cadence is hard...we all have habits. There are several different ways to create a path to making this work.
One is prioritizing cadence on your data screen if that's possible. Putting it right at the top or making it one of the biggest numbers is helpful if your head unit allows that.
Another option is focusing on it during specific intervals. You can try to hit certain watts in the winner at your regular cadence or try to hit those watts at a slightly higher cadence and see which feels easier. At first blush, the higher cadence does yield a higher HR (change is hard!) but will get you the watts you want.
What is something that everyone struggles with moving from outdoor riding to indoor riding and vice versa. Your challenge will be defined a process through which we can make it sustainable. Perhaps we break up your intervals on the Endurance side to have five minute cadence increments were you roll through a progression of 85, 90, 95, 90, 85, etc.
I only emphasize this since I was a smaller person, torch is not the ideal option choice for a solution. I'm glad that you have made progress, let's make it a focus for the remainder of this year!
For my monthly check-in, I had two questions. I thought that I'd clarify a bit here since there is more space.
I've started the November OutSeason. If weather permits, I may try to go to WNC for a weekend or two. I'd like to ride my gravel bike. The forest roads are mostly up or down -- not a lot of flat-ish bits. I can easily do a 45 minute climb but then I'd have a break for the descent. Fair warning, I am a tentative descender on gravel. I am still learning how to read the lines and I'm still not sure what my bike can take. So -- if the ABP rides and have two hard sections with a break in the middle, that would be a possibility. Inquiring minds want to know.
Second question -- I'm still confused about the pacer bot
Thinking out load section: Thursday session can we swapped for a Pacer Bot or Steady Ride that is at your tempo Watts Per Kilogram. The Thursday workout says Zone 3 (146 - 155 watts) to Zone 4 (173 - 182 watts) (90% FTP) so 90% FTP. 182*.9=164. 162/60kg = 2.75wkg so I should ride with C, CoCo Cadence: 2.5–3.1 w/kg. Correct?
Bonus question: Seeking OutSeason Saturday ride suggestions on Zwift. I know that a lot of people suggest doing the Hang On Ride for the Saturday workout but it's not a good fit for me. Last year, I did the UK Zwifters ride on Saturdays but it looks like that ride is now defunct. Any suggestions for a D+/C- rider?
Nice squads announcement, btw.
P.S. I'm continuing to update the Basecamp Brevard document in case you want to pursue that. 😉
@Janyne Kizer - hey, great to hear from you. Let's see if I can get all these questions answered!
First, yes you should absolutely do that kind of work out outside. As long as the weather holds up yoNo problem!should be out there having a blast. A 45 minute tempo climb sounds insanely epic. How could that not make you stronger? Bonus if you have the chance to repeat it you could even compete against yourself in a way. I'm not worried about the descending part, there's no upside to go fast down the hill unless you're closing out the last bit of an interval. Remember at the end of the day I just care about the work, so if you get 2 x 45 minutes or something close approximation there of to your work out, that is perfect.
Second, I think you've nailed the pacer by just right. Go out, and warm up for 10 or 15 minutes. Then restart Zwift and choose the pacer bot. Then your job is to hang onto the pacer bot. You have to pay attention to the terrain and making sure you stay on the effort so you don't get separated. You can also use your gears to make it harder on some sections to challenge yourself as needed. It sounds complicated, but I'll look at it as a great work out with an alternate strategy in terms of effort.
Third, the Moxie ride has different abilities you could slot in with if you don't mind all the "what's happening" banter...or you could do the EMU novice race (here) that has different categories, read the description that might suit you.
Four, yes please add to Brevard Doc. We are planning on a weekend at BWR in asheville and time on the other end of BRP in Front Royal but I think Brevard would be a great place to stay...thank you!
~ Coach P
ps ... more changes coming up behind the scenes might need your organizational input...please stay tuned!
Comments
Thanks for all of your help!
I loaded the Century Plan (Intermediate) to start July 27. I had held out some small hopes for the fall running but that's not gonna happen, is it? Is Spring 2021 event gonna happen at this rate? Anyway, I think that we can forget the FakeHalfMarathon but I do want to have some amount of running leading into the November OutSeason. OK, to be honest, I'm of two minds about it -- part of me is all I worked hard to get back to running and the other part is maybe your body wants you to not run for a bit. Ultimately, though I would like to both bike and run.
Some unstructured weekend rides sound awesome. I have been thinking of taking my Cx bike to Uwharrie and checking out the forest roads there. I understand that they may be more MTB-friendly than Cx/Gravel friendly but I won't know without trying it out, right? There are a RideWithGPS route that I can borrow... Anyway, some unstructured time on the bike would allow for things like this.
In other news, NC State University is now talking about 4-foot distancing is fine in classrooms (I get it, they lecture halls have chairs that are bolted to the floor, if you skip a chair, there are 4 feet between students) and UNC Chapel Hill is talking about 3-foot distancing for classrooms. NC State and all of the UNC schools are under the UNC System and most decisions seem to be made at the system level. It's weird. I think that I can keep on working from home for the next few months to see how this plays out. I work for NC State but support cooperative extension in the counties. Last week, I had the -- ummm --- opportunity to attend virtual 4-H camp as part of my job ;-)
I hear you on the two minds situation! I think the good news is that we don’t have to force anything. If today feels like a good day to run, then you should go for it. If you’re getting some pushback, you can stop. There’s nothing saying that you “have to” do any of it.
And I absolutely love the idea of your two wheel adventures. I am already jealous, so clearly you must be doing something right there! 😂
The way things are looking right now I’m not sure we’re going to have Races for the foreseeable future. There’s just too much diversity of compliance and so little we know about the virus itself that it hard it makes thinking concretely about anything very hard. What we are seeing right now across the country certainly does not bode well for the future.
Hopefully you can work from home as long as you’re comfortable. That will allow you to not have to deal with all the questionss regarding work and your personal health.
hope you had a great 4th!
~ Coach P
So I guess that we've landed on adding volume and making some weekends rides be unstructured and adding some running to the century plan and keeping some amount of base run mileage. Does that sound right? It looks like I'll need to be able to handle 20 miles or so at the beginning of the OutSeason.
Regarding 2021 racing, I know that you don't have a crystal ball. I think that the BWR Asheville cancellation had more effect on me that I would have thought. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I thought that was a possibility and having it gone brought things home to me (again). I guess the good news is that I should have a good sense of where things stand by the end of the NOS and can make some intelligent decisions about what comes next.
Super exciting news -- I ordered a new fan for my Zwift setup 😄 It's a Lasko Max Performance Pivoting Utility Fan.
P.S. I tried to reach out to my teammates about adding the run to the century plan but they said, "coordinate with @Coach Patrick" so I'm back here ;-)
@Janyne Kizer - I'm not gonna lie, I am super jealous of your fan. That thing looks legit. Plus it's black. It would only be better if it was red. 🤣
I hope it brings you many happy Zwift Miles.
I'm glad you were able to talk a little bit about your disappointment around the race. Yes, this is a real challenge for many of us. There are a few exceptions to those who are completely ambivalent towards their season. It's not a bad thing, but it is something to be aware of in terms of your mental focus. You might need a little bit of downtime away from the structure and stuff, so your vacation couldn't happen in a better place.
We are in agreement about your focus for this year, and since your teammates were not so helpful, I have gone ahead and modified your training plan to add the run through the end of August/the first week of September. Check it out and let me know what you think!
~ Coach P
Thanks for adding the run stuff to my Final Surge plan 😊 I may rearrange it a bit to fit "life" better for me. I should be good to go.
@Janyne Kizer - awesome, you arrange it the way you want and let me know. I'm happy to take a look at it anytime and give you my feedback.
I hope that you are doing well!
I'm glad that I selected one of the four "approved" paths! haha! 😃
I'm in week 3 of the bike century plan and doing pretty well. My new FTP made things more challenging. Ha! Now I wonder what my FTP was before I had a power meter? Right now, my FTP is the highest it's been since I've had a power meter but I got the PM after doing tri for several years. I'm still not back to the average speed my cyclist-self was on these routes. Lot's of work to do!
As for running, I took the runs on my calendar and made them all "just run." I also moved my weekend run from the long ride day to the not so long ride day. I want to focus on my bike workouts for now and I think that will do it. I'm giving myself a lot of latitude on run pace right now -- just hitting Z2-TRP. I also kept the weekly hike that we used for cross training in the 5MH plan. I still kept one rest day per week. I'm kind of enjoying that.
I may head up to WNC for a three-day weekend in a few weeks. That'll be a nice way to mix things up and get out of the heat -- well, less hot at least.
I saw my PT this week and is happy with my progress. I am still getting into "right stance" a bit between appointments but the basic takeaway was "keep doing what you are doing" and "see you in about four weeks."
Hey, that’s fantastic progress on the physical therapy! You’ve been really diligent about it, and I think combined with your more laid-back approach to running we will find some success. But more than anything else, I’m excited that you have some mojo here on the bike. I know you’ve done a lot of hard work, but part of me also feels like the variety of training you’ve done has been really beneficial too. Curious to hear your take on that.
enjoy those long rides and try to push appropriately. Off road = hard climbs but chill all else. road = sweet spot work when you want to work (85-90 % FTP) otherwise just cruise!!
~ Coach P
ps here is your monthly update for le records.
Rankings are as follows:
Happy Tuesday, @Coach Patrick! I wasn't quite sure what you were looking for regarding a possible Blue Ridge Gravel Camp. I put together some information but I'd be happy to do more. We have a condo in Fletcher sort of near the Asheville airport. It's too small to host a group, however, if you wanted to borrow it for recon, you are welcome to it.
Basecamp Brevard
Gravel Routes
Road Routes - Tons of road routes in the area for those who want to mix it up
Trail Running and Hiking
Breweries and Cideries, some of our favorites (too many to name them all!)
Local Bike Shops
Transportation
Other fun local things
Floyd, VA
Another option to consider is Floyd, VA. The Blue Ridge Parkway goes by the town and there’s a pretty decent winery in the area (if you have a Wegman’s you can find the wine there).I think that food and lodging would be a big issue there though. It’s a *very* small town on the “crooked road” music trail. Roanoke is too far to drive for camp, IMHO. @Dave Campbell may be a good contact if you want to pursue this.
@Janyne Kizer OMG this is awesome!!! 🎉 🙏 💥Thank you soooo much. I thought you were going to send me a link to look at something...I'll be in here for DAYS.
In the meantime I saw your check in post... I got your Check-In update, and have pasted it below. This is part of our monthly process to stay connected, so thanks for filling it out!
Let me know how you want to approach the Century to OS plan and goals. I am happy to connect with you here or on le phone...if phone, set it up here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
~ Patrick
Janyne Kizer s following the Century Plan (12 Weeks).i
Rankings are as follows:
- Swim Fitness vs Last Month: 1
- Bike Fitness vs Last Month: 3
- Run Fitness vs Last Month: 2
- Body Comp vs Last Month: 2
Next month's focus: Complete century bike plan
Extra help request: General Guidance and discussion of OutSeason
I only have a week or two between the end of the bike plan and the beginning of NOS. My question was more along the lines of will there be and NOS?
Yes!!! 11/2 start!!!
Just a quick check in. I am wrapping up the century bike plan this weekend.
I plan to do some Zwifting and increase my weekly run volume a bit for the two weeks until the NOS. I'll probably be on gravel on the weekends.
Because my run feels "fragile" to me now, I am thinking of doing the bike focused plan and see how the run holds up. Fingers crossed, right?
Are we using the 2020 OutSeason plan?
Right now, I have two rides on the books for Spring 2021 and the Chattanooga 70.3 in May. I plan to make the call on all of that in February and then load up the appropriate training plans.
@Janyne Kizer congratulations on the century ride. I'm always jealous when I get to see what other people are able to ride, and it looks like you picked some great terrain. Also kudos to you for putting in some big miles there on the bike to wrap of the year. That's always a nice addition to your overall fitness.
Reviewing your ride, I couldn't help but notice that your average cadence was 83 RPMs. That's like me on my time trial bike erase Watts. Just curious to know if that's because you don't get rid of zeros on your recording unit, or if you typically grind things out at those RPMs. Forgive me if we've talked about this before, but low RPMs for women is an outlier.
I'm currently working on your plans, and hope to have a first draft done this week. So hold off on loading those up just yet.
As for the run, I say we basically stick to the consistency challenge you are executing right now. With that as our macro goals, there's no need to get greedy with Run work. This will mean dialing things back a little bit inside the other season plan but it's pretty easy to do.
Terms of a one goal, I think you've been bouncing around between 15 and 20 miles a week. It would be nice to have you around at 20 miles per week for the last six weeks of the year. Not a hard target, but an aspirational one. How does that sound?
~ Coach P
Bike
Thanks for pointing out my cadence woes. It looks like my cadence dropped every hour. It started at 93 and then dropped all the way to 82 with an average of 87. Even if we through out the last interval during which I didn't care about the speed/power/cadence anymore, cadence still dropped to 84 and I know that I ideally it should be higher. That's definitely something to be aware of and continuing working on.
When I first got a cadence sensor (2015), my cadence was in the low 80s. I've been working on it since.
To be honest, I was more focused on the disappointing speed and trying to maintain Z2-ish power. I think that my brain has group ride speed in it and I've spent 2020 riding solo... It's a good think that I like riding my bike(s).
Run
Regarding run goals, I think that 20 mpw for the last six weeks is do-able. I do feel that the running every day thing has helped. I feel "bouncier." And hey, run cadence has been good at least 🙄
@Janyne Kizer - Maximizing your cadence is hard...we all have habits. There are several different ways to create a path to making this work.
One is prioritizing cadence on your data screen if that's possible. Putting it right at the top or making it one of the biggest numbers is helpful if your head unit allows that.
Another option is focusing on it during specific intervals. You can try to hit certain watts in the winner at your regular cadence or try to hit those watts at a slightly higher cadence and see which feels easier. At first blush, the higher cadence does yield a higher HR (change is hard!) but will get you the watts you want.
What is something that everyone struggles with moving from outdoor riding to indoor riding and vice versa. Your challenge will be defined a process through which we can make it sustainable. Perhaps we break up your intervals on the Endurance side to have five minute cadence increments were you roll through a progression of 85, 90, 95, 90, 85, etc.
I only emphasize this since I was a smaller person, torch is not the ideal option choice for a solution. I'm glad that you have made progress, let's make it a focus for the remainder of this year!
~ Coach P
Thank you for calling me a smaller person! 😍
That cadence work sounds do-able. Great suggestions.
For my monthly check-in, I had two questions. I thought that I'd clarify a bit here since there is more space.
I've started the November OutSeason. If weather permits, I may try to go to WNC for a weekend or two. I'd like to ride my gravel bike. The forest roads are mostly up or down -- not a lot of flat-ish bits. I can easily do a 45 minute climb but then I'd have a break for the descent. Fair warning, I am a tentative descender on gravel. I am still learning how to read the lines and I'm still not sure what my bike can take. So -- if the ABP rides and have two hard sections with a break in the middle, that would be a possibility. Inquiring minds want to know.
Second question -- I'm still confused about the pacer bot
Thinking out load section: Thursday session can we swapped for a Pacer Bot or Steady Ride that is at your tempo Watts Per Kilogram. The Thursday workout says Zone 3 (146 - 155 watts) to Zone 4 (173 - 182 watts) (90% FTP) so 90% FTP. 182*.9=164. 162/60kg = 2.75wkg so I should ride with C, CoCo Cadence: 2.5–3.1 w/kg. Correct?
Bonus question: Seeking OutSeason Saturday ride suggestions on Zwift. I know that a lot of people suggest doing the Hang On Ride for the Saturday workout but it's not a good fit for me. Last year, I did the UK Zwifters ride on Saturdays but it looks like that ride is now defunct. Any suggestions for a D+/C- rider?
Nice squads announcement, btw.
P.S. I'm continuing to update the Basecamp Brevard document in case you want to pursue that. 😉
@Janyne Kizer - hey, great to hear from you. Let's see if I can get all these questions answered!
First, yes you should absolutely do that kind of work out outside. As long as the weather holds up yoNo problem!should be out there having a blast. A 45 minute tempo climb sounds insanely epic. How could that not make you stronger? Bonus if you have the chance to repeat it you could even compete against yourself in a way. I'm not worried about the descending part, there's no upside to go fast down the hill unless you're closing out the last bit of an interval. Remember at the end of the day I just care about the work, so if you get 2 x 45 minutes or something close approximation there of to your work out, that is perfect.
Second, I think you've nailed the pacer by just right. Go out, and warm up for 10 or 15 minutes. Then restart Zwift and choose the pacer bot. Then your job is to hang onto the pacer bot. You have to pay attention to the terrain and making sure you stay on the effort so you don't get separated. You can also use your gears to make it harder on some sections to challenge yourself as needed. It sounds complicated, but I'll look at it as a great work out with an alternate strategy in terms of effort.
Third, the Moxie ride has different abilities you could slot in with if you don't mind all the "what's happening" banter...or you could do the EMU novice race (here) that has different categories, read the description that might suit you.
Four, yes please add to Brevard Doc. We are planning on a weekend at BWR in asheville and time on the other end of BRP in Front Royal but I think Brevard would be a great place to stay...thank you!
~ Coach P
ps ... more changes coming up behind the scenes might need your organizational input...please stay tuned!