Watts Up in Watopia: Beat the Heat and the Virtual Collins Cup
August is here and with it brings some weather that you may want to avoid by jumping on Zwift. A rider from Dubai on our Friday Festina Lente ride last week reported that he was escaping a 39 C/102 F heatwave!
If you are training for events that were pushed to August and September, we have you covered for training for your target events and goals. Check out this week’s preview of rides and runs on Zwift.
Guest World Schedule
The latest Zwift updates offer up some new options for route badge hunters. The June Update 1.14.0 included Route Badge Checkboxes where you select your routes so that you can easily see which badges you still need. And, the July Update 1.15.0 added two new Yumezi routes on Makuri Islands: Kappa Quest Reverse (14.2km, 271m) and Suki’s Playground (18.5km, 150m). Allow time when logging in to apply these updates. Here’s a list of this week’s guest worlds:
Monday: Richmond & London
Tuesday: Richmond & London
Wednesday: Makuri Islands & New York
Thursday: Makuri Islands & New York
Friday: Makuri Islands & New York
Slowtwitch Indoors Event Previews: All Times Eastern
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. Led by Sonic Endurance coach and 2018 Ron Smith Award winner Kelly Burns Gallagher. This week’s workout is A Little Bit of Everything.
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 Drop the Hammer.
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.
Other Events to Watch For
The Virtual Collins Cup
The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and Zwift have teamed up to allow everyone to participate in the team selection process for the Collins Cup. The Collins Cup is a head-to-head showdown among Team Europe, Team International, and Team USA who will compete to determine which region dominates the world of Triathlon. Only one team can win the Collins Cup, so team selection is key. This is where you come in. By participating running and riding for your favorite team, you help accumulate points on Zwift that determine the selection order for team captains choosing their triathletes to represent their region. While wearing your team’s virtual jersey during these Collins Cup social ride and run events, the farther you go, the more points you score for your team! This is a four-week challenge starting on August 2nd and culminating with double points events on August 23rd. Then, you can watch your team race for the Collins Cup on August 28th in Slovakia.
Zwift FutureWorks Phase 3
If you are one of the lucky ones to have either a Wahoo Kickr Bike or an Elite Sterzo Smart Steering Plate, you can now try out steering within different race formats. If you have ever wondered if dive bombing a corner or positioning to maximize the draft would you give you an in-game advantage, you can help Zwift by testing your steering tactics. Look for events throughout the week that are marked with the Zwift FutureWorks blue banner.
