With the Trainer issues and the couple of really high numbers on my ZP profile from them (+ bad calibrations in the cold) I managed to convince Zwift to 'filter' out results before a specific date, treating it as a 'Trainer Upgrade' so my Profile only shows my more recent results.
It was tricky and I actually came close to getting my entire ZP account wiped out before a specific date (seems if you mention bad calibration they assume everything before was!). But thankfully got it sorted, now under my profile you'll see my older stuff (including those 'bad' results) under 'Old Results' tab. With the numbers not going into the ZP calculations of my category... Which was the main thing I was after. So I'm now a C cat! Ooooops!
https://www.zwiftpower.com/profile.php?z=52661
Probably sandbagging a bit being a C, but the numbers will soon put me back in B where I belong... Once I have the rides on my profile anyway!
I feel silly saying, as it seems obvious and I assume you're looking for a more detailed answer, but I assume you've tried workouts? I've been doing them based on my 4DP results and they seem to have really helped. Most are 40 minutes to an hour, so 4 or 5 of those a week doesn't seem a big time investment?
Don't feel silly pointing out the obvious to me... Especially when I'm having a moan!
You're totally right that some structure and proper 'training' would probably give me more consistent results, but I just find that SO boring that I'd just not enjoy it. I struggle to ride 'enough' as it is, getting on the bike as often as 4 or 5 times a week would be impossible. Family & life just get too much in the way.
I think that's the root of my problems really, I'm fighting hard to get consistency, as generally that from racing gives me the feeling of progress and the excitement of racing makes me structure things. Without the excitement, I would lack more willpower and just be riding less, while also enjoying it less.
@Roady just going on and racing at the same old power will not improve you unfortunately, you need to drop the races and start doing some stuff where you're over that threshold you've been pushing in races for 2-4 minutes, bit of recovery then same again, if you're doing a 20min warm up then into those efforts 7 or 8 times then warm down, theres your hour and improvement will come.
You're not wrong, but where I'm at right now, the 'racing at the same old power' is hard work for me, I'm deep in threshold/VO2 for much of it, so see gains from it, but then I'm so short on actual riding time that when I miss a couple I slip backwards.
After getting things stable, ramp test on last tuesday. I've ridden 4 times since then and 3 of them have had FTP increases. Not unexpected as the ramp test was a little on the low side.
I think you're best just being honest with yourself, I couldn't have a higher FTP with doing less on the bike.
What
@SoliD said is true, I keep riding at or around my FTP so won't see many gains. I want to try get some intervals in above FTP but not sure where to aim. I see people doing 2 X 30, 2 X 20 and 3 X 8.
I'm reaching that realisation, but gotta keep 'aiming' for something really. I probably am riding a little aimlessly, I don't have any specific goals or times to work towards (like upcoming events) so little point structuring towards something until I do. When we can I really need to put some Sportives/targets on the calendar as that will help!
Maybe switching one of the 'race' nights to an hour of intervals will be what I need. To be fair the TTT's are much like that anyway, especially with chasing stronger riders while already deep in threshold!
Start doing some regular short ERG workouts that include Z5+ efforts, for example, Emily's Short Mix (decent practice for attacking three hills in quick succession outdoors)
https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/less-than-an-hour-to-burn/emilys-short-mix or
https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/less-than-an-hour-to-burn/grin-and-bear-it .
Good pointers, it's been a while since I did emily's short mix. Will hunt it down and do the other too!
Think that's one of my longest Zwift sessions, did a 70KM 3R race, 4 times over box hill, bloody hard as hell. Strung out the first time out and then settled into a group of about 55-75th place for most of the rest of the race, which was fine, although could have put more power down on the flat, but just didn't have the peaks up the kicks like everyone else seemed to which seems to be the main reason why I get dropped in these races, but then that's positive for the upcoming TT's if I've got good consistent power. Died on the last kick with about 5km to go and got droppepd and just rolled through to the end. Good workout though
That was the Saturday morning '3R Endurance' Race series that's currently running. I was there, but raced in C this time (after being a back marker for the previous 2!). I got binned the last time up the escalators, had done them perfectly and strung the group out every (4) previous time, but the last one didn't get the cadence up enough so nearly came to a standstill... And got utterly dropped!
https://www.strava.com/activities/4938356775
Course was PRL half. First time I've done it I think, only doing 2 and possibly 3 Box's in anything before. Had a good one, brutal pace like you found. Didn't try too hard to stay with the front group so settled into chase. First time up was quite tough as a handful really put the hammer down and split the group. 3-4 of us who'd worked on the flats in supertuck caught them on the descent. And that was pretty much what happened all race. 2nd time up we let them go and had a much easier ascent, actually didn't catch them until just before the escalators that time. 3rd and 4th time where much more decisive and I was really happy with my consistent times up there - was really at my limit, but able to recover and push on.
Just really proves I'm a C rider for these longer efforts - racing for a top 30th place there, although ZP results put me in 12th (very happy with that!). FTP increase from 239W to 247W!
Companion app. The biggest pile of **** I have installed on my phone. It has sucked as bad as this all along and never got any better. When I see someone DM me in Zwift I hate it because it means I need to try and use Companion to reply
HAhaha, guilty as charged!
Yeah so I updated.
Worked great for 48 minutes and then just closed/crashed the app with no error log or message.
Yup loads of people with that on Thursdays ZRL TTT. Including me!
Quite why Zwift decide to roll out any update the day before the biggest weekly events on there (ZRL TTT) is beyond me.
I was literally waiting for our 6 minute timer in the pen (after being in there for 15 mins warming up). 10s to go Zwift fires me over the Start/Finish (doing 0 W), then as timer reaches 0 the whole damn thing closes! Reopen and I'm in Innsbruck. Was frustrated enough to consider doing an SST session, started that and chatted to a bunch of other people who'd also had the same issue.
Actually jumped back into the 19:45 TTT and rode it solo. It was brutal but felt like I was 'involved' in the suffering with the team on Discord, just 25 minutes behind them! Big effort up the Volcano and nearly pulled up on the descent. Kept going but more of a tempo on the flats, then just before the KOM I pulled up to stop. One of my teammates had been watching me and gave me suitable amount of abuse on Discord so I continued and pushed onto the finish. Last 5km where pretty grim.
https://www.strava.com/activities/4969522381
Trainer did some weird bumps of resistance for no reason after the Volcano, played with my head unit (which then was controlling it and made it worse!), actually did a spin-down mid-race (didn't lose Zwift connection - weird!) and carried on riding. Seemed to solve it! Brutal route to ride solo...
@SoliD you're saying rides like that and the 4x up Box hill don't do anything to improve my performance? Dread to think where I'd be without them!
I got carried away
