Watts Up in Watopia: Giving Thanks
This is our week in the U.S. for giving thanks. In addition to giving thanks for a successful harvest, whatever that may mean in your lives, we should also pause and give thanks to the people in our lives that support (or tolerate) our indoor riding and running. We aren’t the easiest people with whom to get along given our early morning and late evening Zwift sessions, careful attention to fitness metrics, and specific dietary requirements. So, give those people in your life thanks who help make chasing pixels possible for you.
We also should give thanks to a vibrant and thriving Zwift community. No matter the hour of the day or the day of the week, there is always someone to ride with in one of the many worlds on Zwift. Even Zwift co-founder and CEO, Eric Min, himself could not have predicted over 3 million accounts on Zwift and all of the different ways Zwift groups come together to support one another on social media and other communication apps. So, give your Zwift buddies some thanks, too, for fueling your motivation to keep improving.
Speaking of Eric Min, do you plan to join him for his annual Thanksgiving Ride? If so, you’ll have a chance to chat him up along with former pro cyclist Anna van der Breggen. If retreating to your Zwift pain cave isn’t an option on the 25th, what’s your plan this week? Check out what we have planned and see if it fits into your holiday schedule.
And, speaking of pain caves, Zwift is offering some great deals this week that you may have in mind for upgrading your setup.
TACX (11/12 – 11/29): $200 off TACX NEO 2T
STAGES (11/18 – 11/30): $400 off SB20 Smart Bike
ELITE (11/24 – 12/1): %15 off Elite Direto XR, Elite Suito, & Elite Sterzo Smart
WAHOO (11/26 & 11/29 only): 10% off Kickr, Core, Snap, Climb, Headwind, & Desk; 20% off Heart Rate Monitor
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: Makuri Islands & New York
Tuesday: Makuri Islands & New York
Wednesday: London & Yorkshire
Thursday: London & Yorkshire
Friday: Yorkshire & Innsbruck
Slowtwich Indoors Event Preview (All Times Eastern)
Go to Zwift Events to sign up for these rides and runs.
Monday 100/100 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. Join others who are working on the Slowtwitch challenge of 100 runs of 3 miles or 30 minutes in 100 days. Don’t forget that each of the five ride workouts and five run workouts have a short and long option. Rather than canceling a workout when you are crunched for time, you can complete the short version and still reap the benefits of the program.
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 Double Tabata Power.
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 The Hateful Eight.
Wednesday Group Run, 7:00 AM & 7:00 PM
A more scenic group run on the Quatch Quest course. This is another opportunity to join others who are working on the Slowtwitch challenge of 100 runs of 3 miles or 30 minutes in 100 days.
Thursday Rise & Grind, 5:35 AM
This workout is an early morning bracer for the East Coast crowd. This week’s workout is The Wattbuilder.
Thursday SWIFT Ride, 6:55 PM
The newest ride to the Slowtwitch Indoors family, Slowtwitch SWIFT (Strong Women, It's Fun Together!) is here to bring another women's only ride to a slightly friendlier time slot. This ride will focus slightly more on strength-based work so bring those climbing legs. But even if you're feeling more like Mark Cavendish in the mountains of the Tour de France, so long as you keep the pedals moving, you'll stay with our group. This week’s workout is Chutes and Ladders.
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. Workouts are designed by Craig Polston of EVOQ.BIKE. This week’s workout is Threshold + Bursts.
Other Events to Watch For
Dads Inside Roasting Turkeys
Join dads, moms, and everyone else inside roasting turkeys the day before Thanksgiving. An early morning ride before all the crazy preparation (and maybe travel) is just what you may need.
Major Taylor Birthday Ride
Do you know who Major Taylor is? Do you have a Major Taylor Club in your city? Have you ridden with them? If not, this week presents multiple opportunities the day after Thanksgiving to join his birthday ride and take a moment to learn more about how this champion cyclist continues to inspire young and old today.
