Zwift indoor virtual reality trainer

Anyone can shoot someone, that's too easy, too detached.

Antique cavalry dagger seems like a suitable melee weapon.

The training plan that I'm following on zwift feels a bit rubbish - I suspect that it's due to my stated FTP being too low - most of the workouts feel pointlessly easy, and even the ones with big efforts don't have me feeling that I've done much.

Ramp test then?

The zwift test(s) all have you starting at 90% FTP and incrementing by 10% each time - is there any reason not to just do that one?

Do the ramp test and see how the training feels after? Everything I've read says ignore the numbers objectively (don't bother comparing yourself to anyone else), but recognize they're subjectively probably setting up a decent programme for you.

Zwift calculates FTP automatically based on all rides. So if you just do a free ride and absolutely empty the tank for 20 minutes you may see it rise (you get an alert when you end the ride). Or the plan is right and you’re just surprised it’s not high intensity? I’m no expert.

Take a look at Intervals.icu - it pulls data from your rides and gives you an estimated FTP without doing a ramp test. Also tracks your fitness. It's a cool site.

But still, do a ramp test.

Which plan are you doing?

I found that the 4w ftp booster was quite effective, 8% bump in FTP in 4 weeks. Bumped up the FTP manually part way through
Ramp test at the start and replaced the final 20 minute test with a ramp test.

There’s a zwift ramp test that starts at 100w and goes up by 20w per minute?

I'm doing the FTP Builder

Looking through it again, I'm surprised that it doesn't have any intervals at FTP longer than 5 minutes.

Ramp test then 2x20s, over-unders & sweetspot intervals it is then.

Looking at the plan, its a gentle start, and builds up 'SP' or 'TSS' in the final couple of weeks.
Don't think a training plan has to murder you in order to build your FTP.

Looking at 'Day 4 Threshold development' which is one of the workouts, its 1 x 12 minutes sweetspot, 10 minutes easy, 17 minutes sweetspot to FTP, easy, 5 minutes FTP, easy 5 minutes FTP. Which should be a pretty tough 1h 18?

Also Day 2 threshold development is 20 minutes at sweetspot in 4m intervals and 25 minutes at FTP in 5m intervals.

First 3 weeks seem pretty easy though.

That all makes good sense.

It looks as though my FTP was off by 20% though, which goes some way to explain the ease.

That would explain a lot!

With it being a bit of a beginner plan, don’t think compliance would be very good if they threw in 2 x 20 and over unders.

To be truthful, I’m not sure I’d be able to complete a 2x20 at my new ftp...

Then it's not your accurate FTP

Mentally, not physically (probably)
Drilling out ERG controlled watts at threshold for 20 minutes x 2 takes some practice and training no? Which is why you normally build up to them 3 x 10, 3 x 15 etc?

E.g. yesterday after my workout (Alp du Zwift course selected) did an extra 13 minutes at threshold out the saddle at 60rpm to finish the climb, HR at roughly 171 (my max HR is around 190). Would have been able to do another 7 minutes, but need to build up my tolerance for 20 minutes more of painful boredom...

I'm missing any real 'race yourself' feature, like a ghost car in racing games.
It seems it is (was?) technically possible using ZwiftMap on PC, but I can't seem to get it working.

I'm thinking of recording my screen each time I go up the Alpe, while playing back my previous fastest.

Anyone do anything like that?

That would actually be awesome. I just try and remember my av wattage and try and beat it. Ghost rider would be a lot more 'fun'.

Well FTP is only 95% of your max for 20 mins so you should be able to hold it for an hour solid.
If you can't then it's not a true reflection of your fitness.

And if it's your hour power, 2x20 shouldn't be that difficult.

Lol, have you tried 2x20 at ftp? It's fairly grim, even if your ftp is correct.

You should be able to hold ftp for an hour solid, but you'll be empty by the end of it.

Well FTP is only 95% of your max for 20 mins

Debatable

FTP is not defined as 95% of your max for 20 mins.

FTP is an estimate and 95% of 20min max is an estimate of an estimate.

Isn’t the reason you do increasing length intervals so that you can condition yourself to put out steady power for that duration?

I appreciate that you might not consider it ‘functional’ threshold power if I can’t just drum out 1h at threshold, but for training purposes shouldn’t it be considered maximum hour power?

I could probably do my threshold power for an hour today if I were chased by rabid dogs, but would need about 18h sleep afterwards and about a weeks recovery.

Well I did a 25 mile time trial on Zwift about a month ago, and my average was bang on my predicted FTP.

Yes it was hard but not that bad, and yes the tank was empty as I couldn’t up the power in the last few kms.

Anyway......

Pretty happy with my FTP currently but I feel like I need to work on my vo2 max as I’ve never done anything to improve it.
I’ve done a couple of decent sessions week using a Zwift workout then today used a race with three Box Hill climbs. Just wondering how many is feasible in a week?

Ffs.
Stick with the plan.