Watts Up in Watopia: Zwift Duathlon League
Have you ever thought it would be cool to race a duathlon on Zwift?
Turns out this year marks the 3rd Season for the Zwift Duathlon League (ZDL). Registration opens on October 20th, and the season will begins on November 17th. The season consists of six weeks of bike-and-run races.
The format for the races is based on distance. How far can you ride in 35 minutes, followed by how far you can run in 15 minutes. You will have 10 minutes to transition between the bike and the run.
Give one of these a try for the novelty, work these races into your structured training for November and December, or compete in your age group for the series overall. You can also pool together as a club, or even split your club into rival teams.
Check out what we have planned this week on Zwift.
Guest World Schedule
Here’s this week’s guest worlds, so you can plan to earn some of the route badges you are missing:
Monday: Innsbruck & Richmond
Tuesday: France & Paris
Wednesday: France & Paris
Thursday: Makuri Islands & New York
Friday: London & Yorkshire
Slowtwich Indoors Event Preview (All Times Eastern)
Go to Zwift Events to sign up for these rides and runs.
Monday Group Run, 7:00 AM & 7:00 PM
Join us for a group run on the virtual track of May Field that will kick start your week.
Tuesday Ride of the Valkryies Workout (Women Only), 6:00 AM
This event is by and for women. It’s an almost no-drop, rubber-banded Structured Training workout, featuring a warm-up, set of intervals, and a cool-down. This week’s workout is It’s All Relative
Tuesday Structured Training, 7:00 PM
Our Tuesday ride features triathlon-focused cycling workouts written by coaches and pro athletes affiliated with Slowtwitch. The workouts last 60 minutes and will help add variety and interest to your weekly training schedule. This week’s workout is Sweet Spot + Some VO2.
Wednesday Group Run, 7:00 AM & 7:00 PM
A more scenic group run on the Quatch Quest course.
Thursday Rise & Grind, 5:35 AM
This workout is a 55-minute early morning bracer for the East Coast crowd. Be sure to get a warm-up in and enter the staging area at least 5 minutes before the start. The groups will be fenced with the exception of designated KOMs and sprints, as well as the last 10 minutes of the ride. This ride is double-drafted, so don’t let gaps open up, or you’ll be off the back quickly!
Thursday Hilly Vanilli Chase, 6:55 PM
This double-drafted ride uses a chase format with the D group getting a 5 minute head start on the C group, which will get a further 5 minute head start on the B group. The goal is to have all three groups complete roughly the same amount of distance by the end of the ride. The D and C groups will utilize the fence until they are caught by the group behind. Teamwork is key to the groups catching or staying away. Gather some friends and get them organized to chase!
Friday Festina Lente, 9:00 AM
This structured training workout is designed to get you geared up for the weekend. Roughly translated as “make haste, slowly,” Festina Lente features a workout that will get your engine running but still leave some in the tank for the big rides and races you have planned for the weekend. This ride is led by members of the Kanberra Cycling Team as lead beacon. August will feature a progression of four workouts designed by Craig Polston of EVOQ.BIKE. This week’s workout is Threshold + Bursts.
Other Events to Watch For
Zipp Speed Rides with Ashton Lambie
Not every day on Zwift can you go on a social ride with an Olympian and World Record holder on the track. If you missed it, Lambie recently smashed the 4K world record, pushing a massive 64×15 gear to slip under 4 minutes with a time of 3:59.9. Don’t worry, though. These are social rides with Lambie. The goal of the ride is to stay close to Lambie to be eligible for random mid-ride giveaways from Zipp and SRAM, plus unlock in-game prizes too. Sign up for two ride options on Wednesday, Sept. 29th.
Workout of the Week
Remember when Mat Hayman won Paris-Roubaix in 2016 after recovering from an injury on Zwift? This week’s featured workout is a full on VO2 effort that will give you insight into the training sessions Hayman used to prep for Paris-Roubaix. No shame if you can’t finish both blocks.
