Introducing ZWIFT ACADEMY ROAD 2023
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- It's that time again... Zwift Academy Road is back for 2023. Zwift has changed things up again this year, so this video will help you decide whether this program is right for you, and the remainder of this series will help you to navigate the workouts to get through with the best possible outcome.
Zwift Academy Road Website: www.zwift.com/zwift-academy
Pro Contract details: www.zwift.com/zwift-academy-p...
Check Me Out On Social
Instagram - / everything_. .
Strava - / strava
everythingisphotogenic@gmail.com
Additional Helpful Resources:
Books:
The Cyclist’s Training Bible: amzn.to/2X0pmFF
The Triathlete’s Training Bible: amzn.to/3mD5ctX
80/20 Triathlon: amzn.to/3BvOpzm
80/20 Running: amzn.to/3uX9JeJ
Jack Daniels' Running Formula: amzn.to/3AJGPzR
Run Less Run Faster: amzn.to/3iOfUNn
Triathlon Running Foundations: amzn.to/2YzxIVd
Triathlon Bike Foundations: amzn.to/2YDjfYl
Triathlon Swimming Foundations: amzn.to/3iNExJX
Videos for the base season:
The overload principle explained: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvqZo...
Fitness explained: www.youtube.com/watch?v=erRuf...
The Truth About Base Training: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDOo0...
Zwift Equipment:
Heart Rate Monitors:
Garmin HRM Dual: amzn.to/3a5FMj1
Garmin HRM Pro: amzn.to/3B7FO5H
Wahoo Tickr: amzn.to/3oDlGF5
Wahoo TickrX: amzn.to/3Aa7ntW
Wahoo Tickr Fit: amzn.to/3BdYz7E
Polar H10: amzn.to/3a60fnN
Zwift Runn: www.zwift.com/shop/product/runn
Running Foot Pods:
Zwift RunPod: www.zwift.com/shop/product/zw...
Suunto Foot Pod: www.suunto.com/en-us/Products...
Polar Foot Pod: amzn.to/2Yrptun
Stryd Power Meter: buy.stryd.com/us/en/store?_gl...
Smart Trainers (currently in-stock):
Saris H3: amzn.to/3E42YLd
Elite Suito: amzn.to/3aYwkhN
Tacx Flux: amzn.to/3b1vl08
Tacx Neo 2T: amzn.to/3B5gnkz
It's 2023, I think most of you are aware of the concept of affiliate links. I earn a few pennies if you purchase any of the items listed through these links at no additional cost to you. If you choose to purchase anything through these links, those small commissions help to support and sustain the costs of the channel. Thanks for your consideration!
0:00 Teddy
0:23 Intro
1:35 Overview
2:53 Who is the Academy For?
8:45 Program Structure
10:55 Unlocks
13:10 The Workouts
20:17 The Races
24:08 The Pro Contract
25:37 Closing Thoughts
Jesu s christ what is she talking about...just talking talking talking...ill shut down this directly!
If your attention span struggles with thoughtful discussion, perhaps your efforts are better spent on TikTok. This video is intended for those who would like to learn and plan for their training.
You wasted more time leaving a snarky and unnecessary comment and could have simply clicked away.
Stop recruiting. Not everyone needs to share in your misery.
You, sir, have a dark heart. But at least you helped Sarah's TH-cam algorithm by commenting. 👍
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic why would you even reply ... last season your contentment helped me a lot when I just started with Zwift ... keep it coming miss
Bro really took the time to comment instead of just leaving the video 💀💀
@@Der_Richiee trolling is no an easy job
Great to have you back Sarah (and the cat!). That was a really helpful overview 🐱
Thank you! I am glad it helps, Zwift never keeps things consistent, so you may as well know what they're up to 😂
I see that Zwift Insider selected this video as one of their Top 5 Zwift Videos for the week (Nov 13). Congratulations. It's nice to see your work getting recognized.
Glad to have you back!! Your videos are great and very helpful/educational
Glad to be back, and thank you!
Welcome back! You're my favorite content creator for Zwift, and I've learned A LOT from your channel. Hope to see you more frequently in the future.
Thank you so much! My work life balance has been pretty awful, but I do miss doing this. And Zwift has been doing a lot more of late to talk about, so hoping to try to rebalance my life a bit with the changing seasons.
Yes! Thank heavens, Sarah and Teddy are back. You are the best reviewer of ZA, period.
TEDDY IS BACK AND ALL IS WELL WITH THE WORLD.
It really is... he was ready for his closeup 😅
I glad you are alive and well and happy to see a new video from you!
Work life balance is atrocious, but I'm still kicking around 😁
Like a superhero that arrives only when needed, Sarah makes a triumphant return 🙏🏾
Not all heroes wear capes 🤣 Teddy may or may not have one...
Sarah [and Teddy] On the grey squiggly segments, can you define ‘max effort?’ i.e. Should one go full effort and accept that power will trail off over 30s or 2 minutes? Or should one try to find a power effort that one can maintain for the full segment? I know the latter doesn’t sound like ‘max effort’, but to me, neither does the first. Right now as I work on Zwift, I’m tending to work up to a sustainable power output, so I can adjust to ‘negative split’ toward the end of my ride. But the point is I’m probing what power I can maintain, versus spike and trail. Or, would spike and trail be good for some instances, or some riders, and probe and maintain for other riders, or instances depending on goals. My goal in Zwift right now, is to Ride with A Constance for certain, eventually increasing time blocks, though I’m starting about B PaceBots. Thanks for any thoughts on options of when we might use one versus the other. And great to see you both back. Hope all is well,
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, you're back! Love your sass and your content!
Thank you, I get my best sass from Teddy 😂
Boy have I missed your videos! I'm so glad you're back. The content is always so useful and entertaining as well.
Thank you so much! So happy to be doing them!
Welcome back and great to get your ZA insights 🚴🏾🚴🏾🚴🏾
Thank you!
Wahoo! I like your bootcamp analogy👌🏽
Very glad to see you in my feed. Welcome back!
Thank you!
Nice to see you back
Glad to be here!!
Great to see you and Teddy back, how about getting a Crayon stuck up your nose? That's always a good childhood trait, and I'm sure the A+E staff would have a blast!
You've just opened my mind up to a whole new world... sticking objects where they don't belong... I wonder if I can get a note for a month off of work because I shoved crayons in unfortunate places.... 😅
Yay! I’m so glad you’re back!
Well done! Good to hear you on the platform again!
Welcome back
Thanks!!
It is an amazing 70 degrees F where I live (Northern VA). Zwift is for cold and windy and cold and rainy days.
My 45 degree ride today sucked the lifeblood right out of me. JEALOUS! 😉
Finally back!!!👏👏👏
🎉😁
Come for the great content (video design and editing, content, perspective and knowledge) stay for the sass and vocabulary. There is no paucity of humor for sure and a well integrated dose of learning (no bifurcation here). Speaking of words mattering, maybe they should call them sessions instead of workouts. I am planning on doing the academy though I hadn't looked at the requirements. For me the sessions (and races) will just be my punchy filler to a stacked week of zone 2. And yes, very glad you are back, love the content. I know it must take a lot of time and effort to produce and I, for one, fully appreciate it.
Thank you for the thoughtful and amusing comment! 😁 And I agree that sessions would be the ideal word... workout doesn't really fit, and test/assessment scares the hell out of people 😂
In SoCal and desert region of the southwest we are just starting the outdoor season after the insane summer heatwaves. 4th ZA for me and agree these are more power time tests then workouts. Saw the the graphs on zwift insider article and saw right away. Thoes power time test will hurt more then people will think if done right. Coming of of Summer base so ZA is part of build phase going into CX and regional gravel/mixed surface racing. Knowing where I am will be helpful.
I will be VERY interested to see the community feedback this year. I think a good portion will fall into the camp as you mentioned... "this is hard as hell!" I do think some people will be frustrated/confused. I would like to believe that Zwift can offset that with some good workout descriptions and on-screen prompts for people to have an idea of what they should be aiming for and feeling, but I won't hold my breath.
That said, I hope everyone who takes on these sessions will come away learning something and not just leave frustrated. These can be very helpful for people to understand their capabilities if they go into them prepared and aren't afraid to fail.
Definitely glad to see you back here. I always appreciate your insights and humor along the way.
Thank you!
we back baby
😁
wow welcome back - we've missed you
I missed all of you! My work life balance is absolutely atrocious, but this was a good catalyst to try to renegotiate that balance.
Great! A new video. Waiting for such a long time. :)
Insert Rose Dawson GIF here.... "It's been 84 years..." 😁
😄🙏@@EverythingIsPhotogenic
glad to see you back...i enjoy your thoroughness and personal commentary
Thank you so much!
That’s absolutely fantastic information sharing… 👍👍my first session starts today
Super helpful. Thanks!
Best thing about doing workouts from the workout folder is you can select the world etc you want to ride
Absolutely! Nothing like a flat fast course when you are doing high intensity! I like doing climbs for steady state, somehow it makes it more mentally engaging.
Great video, that was just what I needed ahead of starting the program. Thanks 👍👍😀
Glad it helped! 🙂
Glad to see you back Sarrah
Teddy could be my cats' sibling. Welcome back. I've missed your informative Zwift commentary.
My other cat, Kitten, has done a few cameos, he and Teddy look like litter mates, but they are 8 years apart! I love the mackerel tabbies!
So great to see Teddy!
Condolences on the childhood diseases you've been getting. I highly encourage you to not get whooping cough. It's brutal.
I love your videos so much! So happy to see you here.
Ok, I will leave Whooping Cough off the list 😉 Teddy says hello! And thank you!
Thanks for your video, your timing is spot on. I will be renewing my membership right after listening to you. I will be doing the academy again this year. Cycling inside, running outside through the Canadian winter. Cheers!
YESSS Friends to the north! Hope you enjoy the academy this year!
This was such a great video! Your information is so valuable
So glad it was helpful! Thank you!
Good to have you back!
Thank you! My work life balance has been atrocious, I almost forgot how much I enjoyed doing these 😉
OMG Long time no see. Good to see you again!!!
It feels like a million years! Work has consumed my existence since they did some layoffs last November... I'm over it. Taking some of my "power" back 😂
Glad your back! Great Intel.
Thank you, Zwift changing things up again 😅
Cannot wait to do this
Great to have you back Sarah invaluable guide to Zwift Academy 🙏
Thanks! Another year, another Academy.... I don't know where the time goes!
Insightful as always, useful and interesting.
Thank you so much!
Great to see you back on our screens Sarah. Great profile to Academy 23, I'm looking forward to it, haven't been biking as much this season, running has overtaken my time
There's a good amount of carryover generally speaking, but I think the academy will actually give you some solid insights surrounding what you gain, keep, and lose shifting to a run-first training program.
Glad you are back 👍🏿
Thanks! Glad to be here!
Awesome to see you back on TH-cam hope you're OK ? re-subscribed.. look forward to more to come Sarah.. Ride on.. Pete
Thank you! I'm alright, work has monopolized far too much of my life, but looking to find a better balance!
Hi Teddi, I've missed you so much! Nice to see you too, Sarah. 🙂 Love your honest opinion about the Academy every year! It's a breath of fresh air compared to so many that push Zwift as the holy grail.
Thank you! I know that there is a subset of people who don't necessarily like my direct style, but many appreciate transparency. I think at the end of the day, Zwift appreciates it too, even if it is tough to hear upfront. I have seen over the past few years many of my criticisms and suggestions get addressed on the platform. I am not arrogant enough to believe that is only because of me, but there is an impact when some folks at Zwift HQ have watched and commented on videos, and Zwift Forum discussions have centralized around some of the points I have raised.
When the community is talking where Zwift can hear it, it helps them to become better as a company. I have paid for this program uninterrupted every single month since 2015 because I do believe in it, and I want them to do better. I have seen so much growth in the last 12-18 months, I do not believe my faith has been misplaced. Still not perfect, and some issues were addressed VERY late, but no use dwelling on the past. The company is becoming more agile, and I for one, appreciate it!
this was an excellent rundown of what zwift academy is. I learned a lot. liked and subscribed
Thank you so much! Glad it was helpful!
Hi Sarah , Welcome back it's been a while, I can recommend Impetigo as a childhood disease although it's a tad itchy and scabby. It's great to see Teddy back again , he/she is a real character. I have 3 torties so I know what you have to put up with
Ok, you officially win the childhood illness suggestion 😂😂 And Teddy sends his love and ride on to you and your babies!
Enjoyed the insights, as always. I should probably re-do my ftp, but we shall see. Looking forward to the future videos so I have some good info in preparation for each workout. Thx.
Not a bad idea. It's probably not as critical to have a perfect FTP in the system as it has been in years past, but it helps to be close and have a mental idea of where your zones are for sure!
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic glad I re-did my FTP. Hadn’t been on the bike much the past month and been battling the end of a cold. FTP dropped by 16%😳
Welcome back!!! 😊
Thank you!! 😁
Great video! Great to have your overview of ZA
I did the first workout last evening and there was someone win the group who was doing their very first Zwift ride. I felt pretty bad for them - lots of questions in the pen and when it started. Definitely not the best place to start out!
Aww, that's a bummer, probably made assumptions based on the name. I don't know if they did orientation rides this year, if they did, I missed them. I think a lot of folks found them helpful last year.
Great video Teddy. Thanks for including the bit with Sarah in it. Seriously though, Sarah, it is great to see more of your Zwift assessments. Yesterday I signed up and rode the first workout. It seemed like an old TrainerRoad workout. My TR has been put on hold with Zwift filling the void. Looking forward to the next Academy workout. Keep up the great work Sarah.
Teddy sends his love and thank you! You're right, it kind of does! I haven't been on TR much in the last year, but I am looking forward to using it again to start my base in a few weeks. They have done some reworking of their plans and the builder functions that I think will be a great adjustment for me! Always paired up with a Zwift overlay, of course 😉
Very nice introduction, I found it quite informative. Although I don't know whether I'll be partaking this year.
Welcome Back, Sarah! 🎉 I missed you!
Thank you, I missed doing these!
Yeheeeey !!! Sarah and Teddy are back👍💥👊
Teddy LOVES the camera. The minute I had it set up, he was all over the desk waiting for his closeup 🤣
Are you doing the academy this year? What do you think of this year's program?
And have you done the new stages yet ?
To be honest as a competitive B rider who only rides Zwift in the off season, Nov-March, I only like to do the Zwift races. I like when Zwift has one of there big tours occurring so that I have a lot of competition to race against in a single race/ride. I find if I do around 5 races per week in the 30 minutes to 1 hour range I can stay in good form going into the spring. I still watch all of your videos regardless. I would like to see an updated video from you on how to interact with Zwift via a windows PC. It seems every time I accidentally touch various keys on my keyboard something happens on my screen but I have no idea how anything works. Spacebar to activate my advantage and m to message are all I know. I also have no idea what gear to buy with my gazillion sweat drops I've accumulated.
The workouts are fatigued max efforts, which are harder. They are still geared more towards testing than training, except #4. Group workouts are not scheduled to be 'banded' due to free sections, which will loose on popularity. Route based workouts would be better. Dividing races into cats only may cause some races to be sparsely populated, especially certain time zones. I would prefer a points race and a time trial. I am excited to participate.
Please let us know what event you will be racing in, date/time/cat. Thanks.
I'll do it, but it looks less than stella IMO🙄
Maybe time for 2 separate workout groups, 1 for mere mortals and another for those gunning for IRL glory🤔
I will do it as art of my yearly Zwift goals.
Thanks for the vid…and welcome back from the Tour de Virology.
I might steal that one 🤣 Thanks!
Thanks!
Thank you!
Hey Sarah!...another great vlog on Zwift. I was wondering if you were going to do a tutorial on the new release on what Zwift just did. The current release allows you to adjust the levels of the already established pre-programmed workouts to your needs. I saw this for the 1st time the other day and was experimenting with it for a while and found it to be lots of fun adjusting those pre-programmed rides.
It seems long overdue rather than having to complete a ride from scratch on your own, especially if you like the ride as is, but just wanted to make some tweaks. Hopefully you can explore that new option and explain how the process works. It is lots of fun as you figure it out on how it works....cheers on your return to TH-cam!
I haven't looked a ton into it, but I will definitely be exploring it in the next couple of weeks, so I'll see what I can put together 😉
YaaaaaaaY 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
🎈🎆🎇🧨✨🎉🎊😁
Teddy and company 😂 are back , probably won't do zwift academy as it still doesn't really fit in with my fitness goal at this time of year
People shouldn't let having to do races discourage them from trying Zwift Academy. Every event or group ride on Zwift without a fence is a race. You can choose to put in a race effort or not. The biggest difference between a stage of the Tour of Watopia and a race event is that everyone in the race event is racing. The ZA races will be more like a ToW stage.
Side note: Mumps or Mono are a couple of good choices.
Couldn't agree more! I know those hard starts can be really scary and even discouraging, but I don't think anyone will ride these races alone, too many people who don't care what their placing is.
Oooooh I'll but those two on my list with Scarlet Fever and Rubella.
Chickenpox is always fun as an adult. Have fun and we'll see you next year again? ;)
CRAP! I already had that one like a normal child 😔😅
Yo hice ayer el stage one y casi me da un soponcio.... jajajajaj pero mola mucho por que cojer por ejemplo una rutina de entrenamiento todos los martes a una hora y te ayuda bastante a mejorar... para mi un 10 este tipo de academia en zwift!
¡Buen trabajo superándolo!
Welcome back! Missed Teddy...
Teddy missed the camera. I set the thing up and he was just enthralled. Apparently he was ready for his closeup!
Sarah is back in the saddle!!! 🙌👏🙌👏🙌👏 Great job with the overview. I hope there have been discussions between Zwift and the Pro Teams. Last year's women's competition was a huge turn off as the clear best woman rider, Chiara, did not receive the Pro Contract for only one reason, her age. I am not ignorant as to how the pro cycling business works. In that world, the less capable young, teen rider will get the nod because the pro team is looking at their potential to someday offer the team a worthwhile asset. But this is not that world. This is Zwift and I believe they are saying to their Zwift Academy Pro Contract community, do the absolute best you can and let the BEST RIDER in the competition WIN. If CANYON/SRAM wants a new member for their women's team who is above all else young with potential, that's fine. But I don't believe Zwift Academy is the place for them to do that. Zwift Academy should be all about ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE for those who fight the good fight at the highest level, no matter their age. The Zwift Academy Pro Contract should let EVERYONE dream big.
This is an excellent point! The messaging behind that decision, especially in women's cycling that routinely struggles to get support is basically that the old guard and "politics" reigns supreme. I haven't kept up on the aftermath, but I would certainly hope that Chiara landed well despite a pretty major misstep on the part of the Academy. I can't imagine any of the finalists wouldn't get the "consolation" prize of someone in that world tapping them on the shoulder. The difference between some of these folks is VIDEO GAME tactics, not necessarily ability.
Even if Chiara rode for a year, that would have fulfilled the obligation and been a great look for the sport. We have seen substantial changes in the last 10 years to training and recovery. You aren't washed up at 30 anymore. Shit, look at Cavendish!! Arguably he drew more eyeballs and more success for his team in the past two years than most of the young guns combined. Yet, what you see across the internet is people excusing this behavior. If you really don't want some "old fart" upending your academy, then create an upper age limit right at the outset. Such a bad look.
Crazy thing is that if she could run and swim, she would have been a shoe in and a hero for the Tri Academy. In Tri, 30s are the peak years for long distance. But cycling still clings to its tired stereotypes and badges of exclusivity. I guess what is important is that everyone who paid attention learned something. Age does not have to be a limiter in endurance sport.
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic Hi Sarah! Such a great response to my comment. 🥰 Ok, I'll admit. If you had disagreed with my perspective, it would have been a little less great. 🤷🤣🤣🤣 But, most importantly, the fact that you would take this much time to share your thoughts on last year's women's competition is why I love ❤️ your channel and am so happy to see you and Teddy on the screen again.
Hmm..thx for explaining
This is my first year trying it. I wonder if you get a kit 😅😅 as usual thanks for your insight 😊 very appreciated
Kits are sooooo rare in Zwift 🤣 and Zwift is just soooo good at designing them 😝
Welcome back, Sarah; you've been missed. Thank you for the insightful overview of ZA2023; it has certainly helped me to decide how to approach the academy this year. I've just started a TrainerRoad training plan, so I won't be doing any serious riding in ZA2023. I've already got enough workouts on my calendar, and adding ZA would ruin my recovery. The ZA workouts don't look like good replacements for TR's base workouts, so I won't be swapping a ZA workout in for a TR workout. I'll probably ride the races as TR endurance rides, and I might do Workout 1 but not push the :30 and 2:30 free rides, just so I can get the kit and the helmet (although I'll probably never wear them again).
I'm curious what you think about TR's recent change to their base phase (going from two 6-week blocks to three 4-week blocks) and the introduction of a Master's option for their plans.
Get well soon. I always enjoy your videos. They continue to provide excellent guidance in navigating my cycling journey.
Hi! And thank you! I totally see your perspective, which is why I am a little bit torn on the Academy for my own personal use. For me, to do this format, October (despite being a hellish month for reasons unrelated to training) would have been ideal to maybe get these workouts in and get some baseline data then moving into base. I would be able to use those data points as a comparison mechanism at the end of spring. But if you start your base on November 1, like many do, this is certainly a tough fit. They are absolutely not one for one swaps.
I have not gotten TOO deep into the TR base yet, I am starting my base phase at the end of November, based on our events and weather patterns around here, but I think that the 4 week format may be a little more consistent with the broader market when it comes to training modalities. Not saying that they should always follow the crowd, but consensus in this space is rare, and when you find it, it's usually for good reason. I know personally, on the 6 week format (at least for high volume) I started to feel a little mentally burned out. That extra deload week in the cycle can help with a mental and physical reboot without causing an appreciable detriment to someone's progress.
As for the Master's plans, I think they are a move in the right direction and it will be the right option for a lot of folks. At face value, it looks like they have done some thoughtful swaps, versus just tossing in recovery rides, and they spaced the high-intensity rides well by default. I think there is likely some value here for more than just masters. People who may have the days to train, but due to work, family, personal obligations and so on, aren't optimized in the recovery domain.
I love what TR has done and continues to do to provide value to their users. My biggest wish is an API link between TR and Zwift. I make it work with dual programs, but it would be nice to have a more streamlined setup!
I'll do. It always was one of my little targets during last 3 years. But I never had enough time cause in my country in september-november are lotta races irl.
Yeah, I think November is reasonable for a lot of the world. There is no perfect month for everyone, but I don't think it's the worst month for anyone. Glad you are going to have the opportunity to check it out.
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic The weather is still warm to ride outside (+15 and sunny). So it`s hard to ride indoor yet. But for me it's a very small chance (but still a chance) to catch a dream to the tail. I never was a strongest cyclist, but I always dreamed about beying one. Here in Ukraine road cycling is not a popular sport. And after the war starts it almost died.
I’m just here for Teddy 🐈
That's the correct response ❤
Great to see a new video. Intelligent content like yours deserves a million TH-cam subscribers. Until that happens, we all benefit from your knowledge and unabashed presentation style. Time to give Zwift academy a second look. Never thought of it as a "gamified bootcamp". My goal for the winter is to improve my W' capacity. The new academy workouts are headed in the right direction - especially the "erg mode off" segments. Looking forward to your workout reviews.
Thank you, and I bet the Academy will give you some solid data points to work with over the winter! I think if Zwift is going to keep the Academy to a restricted timeline, this is the right direction. I would love to see them leverage APIs, or buy some IP to do a little more with data and create a training plan format that could actually provide some training insights, even if it is a nominal cost bolt on for those who want the all-in-one platform. I was actually hoping the rumors about an API linkage between Zwift and TrainerRoad were true... sometimes brute force discipline is just not enough to motivate in mid-February when you've just had enough of winter. 😅
Whether they called it the Academy or something else, I always wished they would create an off-season campaign that would run upwards of the 6 months with that little reward system that would help folks get on the bike when it's been cold, dark, and boring for awhile. But I am glad to see the Academy is not straddling some middle ground this year. They've picked a format that has proven successful and are sticking with it. This will be an interesting series for sure!
I’m meh on racing. I enjoy it while in the event but don’t go out of my way to race. It’s definitely odd to require it in ZA.
For sure, they moved away from it after 2018. I thought that was the year that they actually offered an either/or format. Races for contenders and group rides for everyone else. I could be completely misremembering that though. It's been a long time.
Miss your video's. Hopefully this is the beginning of more future content.
Trying to dig myself out of just a horrendous work-life balance that started a year ago! My company did some layoffs, which I survived from an employment standpoint, but it's been pretty helliish. Such is life, but I really enjoy doing this, and the wintertime makes it easier for me to feel like I am not sacrificing precious outdoor time 😜
What is a good power/cadence meter? I do have a Garmin Watch, and use my iPhone and pulse monitor while riding.
I really like the Garmin Rally system because it has a lot of power dynamics that I like to nerd out on, but they are definitely on the higher end of the price scale. The absolute best dollar to accuracy and value ratio comes from the Favero Assioma power pedals. People absolutely love them, they are accurate, durable, and easy to use! You shouldn't have any issues with compatibility with your Garmin or iPhone as they will have the ability to pair via Bluetooth. 🙂
Strange having it so late as it means the finals will be close to the end of year which doesn’t give the winners much time to get sorted for 2024
Yeah, that's an interesting point. I didn't drill into the fine print on the timelines for moving through finals, but I guess there would be more flexibility on a development team than going right into the pro ranks. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Any training plan suggestions on your previous videos? This Academy didn't sounds quite for me...
Hmm, I think it depends on your experience and your goals. I think Zwift has a few solid offerings if you are looking to get a solid foundation of fitness. I'm not the biggest fan of the UI or the lack of schedule view, but the workouts are pretty sensible.
FTP Builder, Build Me Up, and the Zwift Racing plans are all at about 4-5 hours of intensity work per week and choosing one would be contingent on your goals. Depending on how much time you have to train, you could do one of those plans and work in some endurance rides around those sessions as time permits.
If you are looking for more of an all-in-one plan, the Active Offseason plan is for a base phase and is about 9-10 hours per week, but everything you "need" is baked in to the sessions. The workouts would not be particularly exciting being more endurance-centric, but it does provide a framework and accountability.
The plans marked as advanced are more "sharpening" plans. So those that you would do as you get closer to an event or when you want to perform at your peak and you could choose based on specificity e.g., singletrack, crits, TTs... etc.
If you feel inclined to venture away from Zwift, TrainingPeaks and Today's Plan both have free plan offerings, and TrainingPeaks also has a plan store that offers up plans built buy notable coaches at various costs. The benefit of using one of these programs is that you get a better calendarized view of your plan and adherence. You also get some flexibility to move things around with simple drag and drop to fit into your schedule. Zwift keeps you a bit more locked in, mainly because of the limitation of the software itself.
I know this was a little nebulous, but I hope it helped. It's tough to recommend a plan because everyone has different goals, event schedules, baseline fitness, and available time per week. But if you want to keep it simple and keep it within Zwift, I would take a look in the plans menu at the few I mentioned and you will get a solid set of workouts that will be a better fit for you than this year's academy. 😉
Sarah, since I decided to go back to college and get my Master's because I'm weird that way, I limited my TH-cam time and noticed a little more than a day late the start time of this training (November 6th). I'm just curious if I would have had to start on that date and find myself out of luck now, or can I still pick it up even if I'm going to be as much as a few days after it began?
You can definitely still register, and with 5 weeks left, you should still be able to fit in the 6 workouts and two races without completely blowing up your schedule. 2 sessions per week will cover you 🙂
Do you know how may XP's are they offering? I haven't found it on their website.
The XPs will be calculated like normal workouts, there won't be any extra multiplier or lump sums for the Academy work, unfortunately 🙂
A little bit cooler and wetter in November... What an Ameri-centric view of half the world. Have you Googled average rain or Temp for, oh I don't know, say Canada or Switzerland (a mountainous little place where Heidi, cuckoo clocks and skiing are found in November) or Russia, maybe even Korea? A little bit cooler...
Jesus.... Are you just hell bent on spreading your petty misery to everyone else? The primary demographic on Zwift is American, European, and Australian. For the OVERWHELMING majority of people watching this video, that is correct. Also "a little cooler" is utilizing causal speech to describe a generality. I've been buried under 7 feet of snow in November, more than once, so knock it off...Ameri-centeic... 🙄 grow up! I am not going to do a meteorological dissertation to make a video about Zwift. People like you are insufferable. Go away
Can we create club event for the ZA 2023 workout?
That would be awesome! I don't know that Zwift will default to putting the Academy workouts into the "suggested templates" for group workouts for clubs. I have to wonder if they would dig their heels on that so as not to cannibalize their scheduled group rides. Might be worth a post on the Zwift Forums though, I bet it would get a healthy number of votes!
Racing on Zwift is too humbling. I like to believe my fantasies are possible.
This comment wins the internet
How difficult is it to restart Zwift if the weather turns bad in a week or two?
I haven't ever paused it, but I don't think that there is too much friction from what I understand 🙂
Nothing showing in the event schedule which is a bit odd
I can see the workouts for the next couple of weeks, did your Academy filter somehow default to off? Could be companion being companion too...
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic will check
Oh yeah she's back with felines😁
Teddy knew! The camera came out and he became very active 🤣
😂@@EverythingIsPhotogenic
Chicken pox is a classic
lol, unfortunately I actually had that one at a normal age 😂
@@EverythingIsPhotogenicDon't worry, you can get it again in the form of shingles! Actually much worse than the childhood version. The virus is laying dorment just waiting for the right time to strike.
Good luck getting them childhood diseases in December mate. Nothing like having some life goals lol
Aim high is my motto 😂
Use a race as a recovery ride? Pshhh.. is that even mentally possible?!