Zwift Race | 296 watt avg Cat B's fastest race

[@YerenRosie]

I don't know what the hell happened, but this race ABSOLUTELY killed me. my lot was also flat out from start to finish. I immediately peaked my heart rate and it stayed peaked for 20 bloody kilometers. Absolutely ouch.

[@thewattlife]

The start was a flat out 60-70 seconds just pushing super hard and that got me

[@johnl4310]

Absolutely epic Max, That defo counts as finishing in the front group!

[@thewattlife]

Thanks, got to see if I can make it stick in next weeks race

[@johnl4310]

@@thewattlife go for it. A calculated all in should do it 👊

[@MarkyMarkZwifts]

Great job hanging on to the front group until the end Max, especially at prime time and with that many riders! It just goes to show how much you are improving each week 👊💪💪💪

[@thewattlife]

Going to give it a go in a smaller group tomorrow to see what the difference is like. Dead flat so it was always going to be my best chance.

[@MarkyMarkZwifts]

@@thewattlife Good luck for tomorrow. With your recent gains you could be looking at your first podium in a smaller group 🤞

[@thewattlife]

🫣🫣

[@Mickwhyer]

Hey, thanks for hitting me up on Strava with the link to this video. I actually came across your channel earlier in the day. This was my first ever Zwift Race. I am actually ranked as C but wanted to give this a go. Everyone was drilling it! I hung on until about 3.5 km to go or so I think it was...then I got popped off the back and came in about 1 minute down. Congrats on making it to the end with the group. I just couldn't hang on anymore!

[@thewattlife]

Thats usually the exact experience ive had for the last few months racing in the B's. Was great to hold on to this one to almost the line. Our race was 3 secs quicker than the 18:10. Well done for sticking it out

[@fastfire04]

I did this race the slot before yours I think. It was savage. I hand just did the Zwift academy workout and decided to get some zone 3 in. It was a perfect sweet spot workout. I was blown by the finish as well. Just hanging on to finish in the group. Well done. 👍

[@chapmandu2]

That was a tough race, I had nothing left at the end as usual but happy to have stayed in the front group! If I see you're racing when I plan what I'm doing I try to join as it's really insightful getting a replay of a race I was actually in! We're almost exactly at the same level currently but you're improving much quicker than me, inspiring to see another 40-something doing so well! :) Please keep up the vids!

[@thewattlife]

Thanks- crazy that the avg wattage was so high when it was dead flat. I thought that in the last few KM the group might have shot off but luckily managed to hold on

[@johnl4310]

exactly the same as me @chapmandu2

[@xmrbones9577]

Awesome race! Thanks for sharing on Strava with me.

[@TheITNerd]

Good job at putting out the watts! This race looks absolutely savage! And I have to do this race later this week. I'll have to see if all the zone 2 that I've been doing since last Monday will pay off.

[@thewattlife]

Oh let me know how it goes- I’m just not doing enough zone 2 at the moment

[@R.T_Go_Your_Own_Way]

I just have to jump in here and say PrimeTime Tuesday is Back Baby, The real GC pack and the Fastest B race for the week!

[@thewattlife]

Good to know- will check their times. Might have to switch to Tues huh

[@thewattlife]

That’s insane- only 8 secs off the Cat A time!!! Lol. Ok ok that one was fast!!!!

[@R.T_Go_Your_Own_Way]

@@thewattlife Yeah , insanely fast. Oddly there were many riders saying it was boring as the pack just chugged along. We had a few riders driving the bus (not me). Tuesday use to be the day for the GC time , but ZRL tuesday races messed that up for a few weeks. I think you would of managed it as you have improved a lot since you've been consistent with the monday efforts. This race you did this week shows me you are almost there when it comes to being able to hold the front pack, even in these insanly fast races. Are you planning on a midweek ride in a smaller field like last week?.

[@thewattlife]

Yeah I think I’ll try find a lunch time either Thurs or Fri with hopefully 20-30 riders. Bet you’re looking forward to a bit of elevation in a race- a few hills and you’ll fly off the front

[@R.T_Go_Your_Own_Way]

@@thewattlife I'll leave you be when it comes to the smaller field races, I have a odd interest in seeing how you go when it isn't a huge field filled with hitters that going for GC times. The flat routes have been a nice change as all the pressure comes from the pack and not the route, riders seem to try things a bit more when they don't have to save themselves for a hill. I've been really struggling with the weight over the past few weeks, seems like there is nothing I can do to keep any weight gains on.

[@psymanj73]

Yes! 🎉 at the front and watching the big boys sprint to the finish! 💪 🚴 next, sprinting with them 😉

[@thewattlife]

Just about survived. Already looking forward to next week

[@atticjiu-jitsu3029]

Great race dude. Well done. Was bokked in but ended up missing it due to working late. Thats the joys. Great job 👏

[@thewattlife]

Thanks man, you missed a spicy one. Im sure you'll find a super quick one to jump into tomorrow

[@O.O85]

Well done. You made it to the end in the front group!!! 🎉 Was another pretty much flat out pedal again today for the whole race! I need to work on a sprint finish too 😅 Might try a slower one on Friday at some point if you’re about that day? Well done!

[@thewattlife]

Yeah keen for a smaller group race later in the week- should be a good minute or two slower.

[@ndrmini]

Congratulations! that was awesome racing! your progression is top notch, remember your cat C days? 😂

[@thewattlife]

Haha 😂 I was thinking about that the other day. Wish I had a few more weeks there but changing Cats has really helped with progress

[@RoyImahara]

Well done staying with the front group. I did this with a smaller group. I had 3.7 wkg average but had a 2 minute slower time. That big group makes it really fast

[@thewattlife]

I used to think 100 ppl was a big group but these are getting close to 150 and the speed is just insane. The size of the front groups are nuts

[@RoyImahara]

@@thewattlife 💯

[@aaronpower8741]

Small group of about 25 in my time slot. Much smaller this week to the last couple. It did look like a break-away might form at the start of lap 2. About 5 riders off the front and pulling away. I managed to bridge and so did a few others, then it settled down and the whole group came back together. But I really thought the break might stay away for a couple of minutes. Managed to hang on to the front, but didn't have enough left for a decent sprint. Absolute respect for the people who can hold that pace for 20km and then sprint. For me, it's either hold the front group OR sprint, but unfortunately not both 😬. Still, I'm 55 yrs and racing B grade, so I'm happy with that!

[@thewattlife]

Ah thats interesting- i did think that a small group might end up splitting but i guess when you come back together the guys in the group behind have been workinng harder so might not have a sprint in them to finish as a consequence. There does always seem to be a cheeky lull before the build into the finish and the sprint but if youre working to catch a group at that point your busted for energy

[@KrisZwift]

Good race, well done!

[@thewattlife]

Thank you- a few rollers and it might not have gone so well

[@glennicol1361]

Speaking of heart rate... Using the sauna is good for lowering your resting HR.

[@rod77559]

Your HR was also 10 beats lower than normal throughout the race, with a higher wattage. Also a good sign 👍👍👍

[@thewattlife]

For the watts that the group was putting out it felt slightly more comfortable. All signs for pointing to improvement.... Getting there

[@johnl4310]

@@thewattlife your 100% getting better. Higher power, lower heartrate. Sometimes you can have a low heartrate if your not spiking power. So with this being a flat course your power will have been more constant and your heartrate more stable/lower

[@thewattlife]

Yeah I think this is exactly it- no small rollers where you have to really work to stay with the group. Dead flat so event the jumps in pace were quite ‘manageable’

[@glennicol1361]

I will be doing the same race myself tomorrow.

[@thewattlife]

Dead flat so make sure youre in a good position if it splits or if someone attacks ;)

[@lolShoulder]

Well done! I would have loved to join you but unfortunately got bumped up to A because of my my effort up alpe du zwift on tour of watopia even though I dont feel like I belong there yet!

[@paulwilliams4990]

This happened to me and I got bumped up to group B through 1 good effort but luckily now after not being able to stay the pace after 5 miles or so of group B they’ve put me back down to C so I’m happy.

[@thewattlife]

@lolShoulder Ah bummer- I imagine the Alp is often the cause for people getting bumped. I know some people who have been bumped but then a week later got bumped back down so i think its important to have a easy week lol

[@bitminerbob6731]

Yeah, lately I've been getting to the start 20 minutes before the race, to start at the front. I always used to come in a few minutes before the race started but for big fields, you end up at the back and have to work harder in the opening minute as the bunch pushes off.

[@thewattlife]

I have a hack for this that im sharing this week. Eye's peeled

[@footbaltopicganger]

did 250w at cat C 42avg. Races are getting crazier and crazier it was like 3.4w per kg

[@thewattlife]

It’s nuts huh- these big groups are just producing insane times. I imagine a lot of people will be getting bumped up soon enough

[@FitnessSynthesis]

how do you have that spiky power graph at the bottom while I'm having smooth power graph

[@thewattlife]

Good question- I ride on a Tacx Neo T2 with about 60% trainer difficulty. What are you riding on?

[@keatonverswi]

I have a 4.6 w/kg ftp and a 1200 watt sprint but I have zero Zwift racing experience. I wonder how badly I would do in a B cat race 🤨

[@thewattlife]

I have a feeling you would do fine. Come find out next week- Monday eve

[@keatonverswi]

@@thewattlife sounds good!

[@maxywilko]

300 watts coming up soon...

[@ptp1969]

Everyone on Trons makes some difference as well I guess.

[@thewattlife]

Quite enjoyed the Tron bike feel- might try and get everyone to have the same colour for a race lol

[@RoyImahara]

You shot to the front of the group because you were fully in the draft and on the inside of a fairly sharp corner. Your distance was smaller then the other riders.

[@thewattlife]

Yeah makes sese, but sometimes it feels like the sticky draft doesnt function in a corner and you whip through the group

[@RoyImahara]

@@thewattlife The stick draft breaks at that point because you start moving forwards compared to the riders on the outside of the curve. The riders all the way at the edgs of the group on the inside of the curve are getting caught in the wind and slow down. You had the good fortune to be in that sweet spot. This is one of the reasons people get the zwift play steering to be able to better control pack position.

[@thewattlife]

The Zwift play really does seem like it makes a difference from what i can tell

[@ingloriouspancake7529]

It’s so laggy making me dizzy