Add Mission

This wasn’t a great month. Tomorrow’s weigh-in will furnish irrefutable proof of that. I know I added to my already oversized belly, I just don’t know how much yet. I’ve been doing roughly half as much training as I intended. My energy has been terrible. Everything has been a drag since the end of Daylight Saving Time. Some days, like yesterday, are just dark all day long. On other days, I’m sleeping away most of the daylight and not getting active until evening. At least I have been consistent with strength and mobility training, but that’s not enough.

In December I need to do more. I need to kick myself in the ass and actually follow the Zwift training plan that I created for myself weeks ago. Zwift is providing extra incentive with its “K’s for Days” mission, challenging members to ride 500 kilometers (311 miles) in December. I’ve met lots of mileage-based challenges before … all outside, but still. Some of those challenges were self-imposed; others came from Garmin Connect. So, this new challenge resonates with me. I understand what needs to be done. And meeting the challenge should be easy. I need to average only 10 miles per day, and historically I have averaged more than 20 miles per Zwift session. The key will be consistency. The only thing that will sidetrack me is to take too many days off.

This month I did 10 Zwift sessions, racking up 216 virtual miles. I also rode outside on 6 occasions, but I don’t anticipate any outside rides in December. And, as I don’t intend to pursue any multi-day Garmin Connect challenges in the new month, Zwift will have almost all of my attention.

Think Spring!

West Bend got into the mid-50s this afternoon and the bright sunshine helped to melt much of the snow that has lingered for the past week. You could have been forgiven for thinking spring had come. I did a 26-mile ride around town to give myself a little break from indoor training. So, yes, think spring!

But then think, “Why do we look forward to spring with such passion when it’s always cold and wet?” Today’s ride pushed my November mileage total past my April mileage total, and October’s numbers were higher than May’s. If I ride 105 miles in December—not out of the question—then I’ll surpass my total from March. The truth about spring is that it’s hit-or-miss, and miss is winning. Today, though, felt the way we want those early spring days to feel.

Zwift: One Year Later

Today is the anniversary of my entry to the world of virtual cycling on Zwift. From November 18, 2021, through yesterday, I rode 624 virtual miles in 32 hours. The last calendar year in which I rode that many trainer hours was 2011, so that’s something. Still, the numbers aren’t as big as they should have been. Old habits die hard, and for most of the last year I treated Zwift as the exercise option of last resort. Winter 2022-2023 has arrived early in Washington County and I’m already working on my new periodized training plan, whose weeks range from 6 hours to 9 hours. In just a few weeks I will exceed the volume of work I did on Zwift in the previous 12 months.

My experience with Zwift has been mostly positive. Cheapskate that I am, it says something that I continue to subscribe. Riding on Zwift is far more engaging than traditional indoor training. The interactive nature of the platform creates a more satisfying and more realistic experience than I used to get watching first-person bike racing footage on YouTube while pedaling away on my “dumb” trainer. By adjusting the smart trainer’s resistance to reflect the changing terrain of its virtual world, Zwift keeps me honest. No ride is just a mindless spin at the same cadence and power level.

But a year ago I expected Zwift to integrate fully with Garmin Connect, allowing me to continue to use Garmin Connect as a single repository for all of my workout data. Unfortunately, the two platforms aren’t entirely compatible. Zwift rides don’t count toward Garmin Connect badges, and I think that’s unfair because the workouts are far more demanding than some of the activities that do count. Zwift rides count toward Garmin Connect mileage goals, and I think that’s stupid because riding on the trainer is not the same thing as riding outdoors. I will continue to count my indoor miles and my outdoor miles as two separate things, so I’m still doing my own bookkeeping.

And aside from its issues with Garmin Connect, Zwift itself feels disjointed. I don’t have a smart phone so I don’t use the companion app. That means I’m not reciprocating when friendly strangers give me a “Ride On!” and I’m always following default courses rather than navigating. Also, I would like to do more from the Zwift website, things like checking the course availability calendar and making changes to my bike or my avatar. The good outweighs the bad, though, so Year 2 begins today.

Coming Soon: Santa Ramp-Up 2022