Today's race was a big challenge, longer than I realized. It was almost three laps of flat with the volcano climb stuck at the end. Rhianna Norton tore off early while I stayed behind. The B group was too slow and lost ground even when I was riding solo. So both of us just rode our own time trial. I was happy with the strength I had to finish on the climb. I lost ten - fifteen seconds a lap. I had it at 40 seconds but I still lost 12 seconds on the climb. I hope Norton goes to the big show. She's got the power for it. I knew if I went out fast, she would either burn me or simply tire me out. Although I probably could have just sat on her wheel entirely. Maybe another day, another course. Still an enjoyable ride. Light attendance, surprising. Gonna long on in a minute and see what I have unlocked (paint job?)
Now, when are we doing those real time trials? Italy and the Pancake Desert?
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Week Three
Had a great hour effort that counted as week 2 (first week was Monday-Monday?). It was a struggle to keep going but after 45 minutes, the finish was in sight and I perked up. I did the Alp in 55 minutes, so I had to make a u-turn at corner 1 and re-cross the finish line for 60 minutes.
I also did my final workout #6 which wasn't too hard as I skipped the ten minute at threshold and just rode the higher levels. It was a warm-up for the Friday night time trials on Tempus. I did a PR on the 16 km course and matched my ftp at 266. Very happy with my hot start for 10 minutes. (My previous 20 minute pace that I'm almost back up to) The guy who finished in 5th (I was 4th) gave me a carrot for the first half. I think he was trying to stay ahead until I finally passed, then he slowed down.
Now I have to do four events to get the bike I think which means the two extra are not counted? So I am taking them today. Sunday will be the long Volcano After party race. Then I can finish the Academy races anytime but I graduated yesterday so I can start to focus on Yorkshire. Zwift is only giving us three weeks? How do they fall behind schedule with all of that money. Two weeks late. (well it was waiting on the bug fixes I guess)
I also did my final workout #6 which wasn't too hard as I skipped the ten minute at threshold and just rode the higher levels. It was a warm-up for the Friday night time trials on Tempus. I did a PR on the 16 km course and matched my ftp at 266. Very happy with my hot start for 10 minutes. (My previous 20 minute pace that I'm almost back up to) The guy who finished in 5th (I was 4th) gave me a carrot for the first half. I think he was trying to stay ahead until I finally passed, then he slowed down.
Now I have to do four events to get the bike I think which means the two extra are not counted? So I am taking them today. Sunday will be the long Volcano After party race. Then I can finish the Academy races anytime but I graduated yesterday so I can start to focus on Yorkshire. Zwift is only giving us three weeks? How do they fall behind schedule with all of that money. Two weeks late. (well it was waiting on the bug fixes I guess)
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Week Two
Feeling good about my Academy into week two. I have to run through workouts 4 and 6 which seem straight out maybe a bit of sprinting on 6. Monday will be four min max and probably Wed race on volcano lap. That leaves Friday for double workout to graduate.
Still want to redo one minute and 20 second efforts. Need a good hour in also, on the Alp. I should do a two minute and 6 minute effort as well as a full assault on ftp-20 minute effort. Time for it all? We will see. Nothing scheduled too far ahead. Still waiting on time trial and Harrogate.
Had a broken chain link Sunday (kept hearing and feeling a 'Clink'). Got it patched today. Need a new one soon.
Still want to redo one minute and 20 second efforts. Need a good hour in also, on the Alp. I should do a two minute and 6 minute effort as well as a full assault on ftp-20 minute effort. Time for it all? We will see. Nothing scheduled too far ahead. Still waiting on time trial and Harrogate.
Had a broken chain link Sunday (kept hearing and feeling a 'Clink'). Got it patched today. Need a new one soon.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Race 2
Two for two. A win for a number of unusual reasons. I felt like a flier, good legs, and full of java. I desperately wanted to avoid peaks in covering attacks or worse, a slow twenty minutes of drafting before a big sprint.
It was a small field with no big names that I saw. So, I decided I would go out hard. Lea Milleu came with me and helped in the first two minutes. I did 300 watts for those first two minutes. From a field of 16 or 20, we gapped a group of 8 riders. It was only 5-7 seconds at first, but it would go up about 15 seconds in that first of six laps. From there, I pushed hard especially on the kick before the sprint line. I hoped that I would build a gap of a minute and the chase would slow. I think we all kept the pace going. Two against eight is a tough call. Mostly, Lea stopped working with me and let me force the pace. (Which I was happy to do. At least I would get a second to add to my previous win.)
We added about 15 seconds a lap which is good. Going into the last lap with a minute and a half, I slowed to catch my breath for the sprint finish. I wanted to pop off right before the hill but I went just a tad early and was hurting bad on the hill. I was flailing a bit at the crest but knew I could hold the gap to the line. Only after the finish did I realize she didn't cross the line. I wonder if she dropped her chain as she finished two minutes later in fifth after such a long battle. I was afraid she might tear off real early and I was too tired for a kilometer chase. So for me, an early attack seemed best, even if I lost. Maybe Lea will want a rematch. She's certainly earned it.
I mostly want to do a time trial so I can see how my times compare to the A list (Baldi, Whitelaw, and all the big names.) But, I can't complain a bit today.
It was a small field with no big names that I saw. So, I decided I would go out hard. Lea Milleu came with me and helped in the first two minutes. I did 300 watts for those first two minutes. From a field of 16 or 20, we gapped a group of 8 riders. It was only 5-7 seconds at first, but it would go up about 15 seconds in that first of six laps. From there, I pushed hard especially on the kick before the sprint line. I hoped that I would build a gap of a minute and the chase would slow. I think we all kept the pace going. Two against eight is a tough call. Mostly, Lea stopped working with me and let me force the pace. (Which I was happy to do. At least I would get a second to add to my previous win.)
We added about 15 seconds a lap which is good. Going into the last lap with a minute and a half, I slowed to catch my breath for the sprint finish. I wanted to pop off right before the hill but I went just a tad early and was hurting bad on the hill. I was flailing a bit at the crest but knew I could hold the gap to the line. Only after the finish did I realize she didn't cross the line. I wonder if she dropped her chain as she finished two minutes later in fifth after such a long battle. I was afraid she might tear off real early and I was too tired for a kilometer chase. So for me, an early attack seemed best, even if I lost. Maybe Lea will want a rematch. She's certainly earned it.
I mostly want to do a time trial so I can see how my times compare to the A list (Baldi, Whitelaw, and all the big names.) But, I can't complain a bit today.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Week Two
Tuesday did workout number two with flying colors under great legs today. A bit sore but felt fast. Had no trouble doing 260 for last 10 miutes. Then I did a 3 second sprint or five. Then, before I cooled down, I jumped into a group workout and hit an early interval of 510 for one minute for a 7.5 which beat the previous 7.4 someone had posted. (an impossible? 8 w/kg got posted later. Sorry, don't believe that some 45 kg rider did 400 watts or so. There's no filter for excessive wattage, esp. z-power stats. Why not show the top 10 for us? The coaches see the top 20. anyways, 1200 calories burned and an extra match or two. But, I am coming around esp in strength. Only a few watts short of PR for 10 seconds today. Gotta try a two minute max soon too. Thursday is a scheduled race.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Race 1
Winner! I felt good but not great. Early race on a course I haven't raced in a long time.
A field of 30 started out at a moderate pace, mostly orange instead of red. We had ten of us after splitting the field and continued to that first climb leading to the Classique course lap. I stayed out front and mostly behind someone who hit it hard then faded. but, we ran off with a third splitting the ten up. by the 1 km to go, we had our fourth and I upped the pace now that we had the right combo. Two others, kicked it up before the start line and we had a group of six with a 12 second gap. We gradually took it to 30 seconds, then a minute by the next lap. (It really is only half that time in real time but only, of course, if we were to stand still.)
The only punch we had was the small hill, where I go strongest. The third lap, I was losing my heart rate and it was at threshold (160 for an old-timer like me). the fourth lap, everyone kind of slowed. I hit the hill hard but let someone ahead so I could draft in case someone attacked. again, everyone clawed their way back. I only had a feather which won't help me much in a sprint (1/2 a w/kg is barely noticeable) I waited until 400 meters to go then hit it hardest the last 300. I was a bit soft the last 100 but enough to stay ahead of Kim Bitter.
Zwift list said 1 Kryder, 2 Bitter, 3 Edqvist 4 Rosseland.
ZPower put up 1 Kryder, 2 Van der Plas 3 Watts, 4 Bitter, 5 Edqvist, 6 Rosseland
Later Zwift said 1 Kryder,2 Plas, 3 Watts, 4 Bitter
Were they invisible? I only remember Bitter on my wheel and she took the green jersey by drafting me. I won by half a wheel . It was awesome to feel the old racing spark. I wouldn't have won a 6 lap but 3 or 4 was doable at 41:17. I averaged a 146 which was deemed a 150 normalized power. So again, low ftp 250, 251, 255 avg 252.
strava of race with pictures.
A field of 30 started out at a moderate pace, mostly orange instead of red. We had ten of us after splitting the field and continued to that first climb leading to the Classique course lap. I stayed out front and mostly behind someone who hit it hard then faded. but, we ran off with a third splitting the ten up. by the 1 km to go, we had our fourth and I upped the pace now that we had the right combo. Two others, kicked it up before the start line and we had a group of six with a 12 second gap. We gradually took it to 30 seconds, then a minute by the next lap. (It really is only half that time in real time but only, of course, if we were to stand still.)
The only punch we had was the small hill, where I go strongest. The third lap, I was losing my heart rate and it was at threshold (160 for an old-timer like me). the fourth lap, everyone kind of slowed. I hit the hill hard but let someone ahead so I could draft in case someone attacked. again, everyone clawed their way back. I only had a feather which won't help me much in a sprint (1/2 a w/kg is barely noticeable) I waited until 400 meters to go then hit it hardest the last 300. I was a bit soft the last 100 but enough to stay ahead of Kim Bitter.
Zwift list said 1 Kryder, 2 Bitter, 3 Edqvist 4 Rosseland.
ZPower put up 1 Kryder, 2 Van der Plas 3 Watts, 4 Bitter, 5 Edqvist, 6 Rosseland
Later Zwift said 1 Kryder,2 Plas, 3 Watts, 4 Bitter
Were they invisible? I only remember Bitter on my wheel and she took the green jersey by drafting me. I won by half a wheel . It was awesome to feel the old racing spark. I wouldn't have won a 6 lap but 3 or 4 was doable at 41:17. I averaged a 146 which was deemed a 150 normalized power. So again, low ftp 250, 251, 255 avg 252.
strava of race with pictures.
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Zwift Women's Academy Week One
Got the best of the one minute so far. I got a 499 which is 7.3 where second place is at 6.7 but few have probably done the workout #5. Besides, I am at 90% peak. Last week I was at 855, so I am coming along fairly good. My FTP is at 250 rather than 265. I hope to hit 260 this month if all goes well. Not a part of competition but certainly part of the purpose.
Here's my day 2 graph.
PS Wattage of someone is wrong here, showing something other. Doubt they can find it to correct but nobody but top two or three in the world can do some of these numbers, yet alone in a single ride.
Well, at the end of the week and it looks like we are all chasing 'guy' wattage. Just doesn't look right. Who could do 2 minutes at 500 watts? Anyway, I had top 20 and 30 for a day. But, alas, someone beat my one minute by a hair and my 20 and 30 seemed to finish top 10 at least from group workouts of the day. I'm happy with that. I probably one of the few who can pace it just right from years of practice.
Here's my day 2 graph.
PS Wattage of someone is wrong here, showing something other. Doubt they can find it to correct but nobody but top two or three in the world can do some of these numbers, yet alone in a single ride.
Well, at the end of the week and it looks like we are all chasing 'guy' wattage. Just doesn't look right. Who could do 2 minutes at 500 watts? Anyway, I had top 20 and 30 for a day. But, alas, someone beat my one minute by a hair and my 20 and 30 seemed to finish top 10 at least from group workouts of the day. I'm happy with that. I probably one of the few who can pace it just right from years of practice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)