Non-Dairy 'Cross Substitute
This year I decided to stop racing cyclocross, and my body hasn't stopped thanking me. I used to use 'cross for late-season intensity during a time when the weather and a season of training and racing makes me want to ride slow and easy. Without that kick in the lady parts, I was worried that I wouldn't be maintaining any fitness.
The last seven days I've ridden the trainer. Each time the Intensity Factor and Training Stress Score (two important metrics for hyper-analytical cyclists) was higher than in 'cross races I've done. In other words, the effort I put in on the bikes was harder grinding away on the trainer than wrapping myself around trees. Go figure.
It was like racing 'cross for seven straight days, one race a day, except without the bodily injury. It isn't sustainable, and I'm already seeing the numbers drop, but it is interesting.
This is mostly due to chasing sprints and personal bests on Zwift. I'm not sure how this will translate to anything on pavement, but it's a nice change of pace from the same old videos. I'm hoping the platform will grow exponentially once they start charging for it at the end of this month, because so far it's been fun.
It's not social like 'cross, and the chances of getting chased by a t-rex are fairly low, but I'm getting the intensity bump I need without doing intervals on wet leaves.
This might work. Then again, if the online geek world is any indication of the direction I'm heading, before the end of the winter I'll be riding the trainer dressed like Sailor Moon.
The last seven days I've ridden the trainer. Each time the Intensity Factor and Training Stress Score (two important metrics for hyper-analytical cyclists) was higher than in 'cross races I've done. In other words, the effort I put in on the bikes was harder grinding away on the trainer than wrapping myself around trees. Go figure.
It was like racing 'cross for seven straight days, one race a day, except without the bodily injury. It isn't sustainable, and I'm already seeing the numbers drop, but it is interesting.
This is mostly due to chasing sprints and personal bests on Zwift. I'm not sure how this will translate to anything on pavement, but it's a nice change of pace from the same old videos. I'm hoping the platform will grow exponentially once they start charging for it at the end of this month, because so far it's been fun.
It's not social like 'cross, and the chances of getting chased by a t-rex are fairly low, but I'm getting the intensity bump I need without doing intervals on wet leaves.
This might work. Then again, if the online geek world is any indication of the direction I'm heading, before the end of the winter I'll be riding the trainer dressed like Sailor Moon.
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