Zwift: the Second Month

 Officially, the second month was January 2, 2025.  After a month I liked the Zwift.  After two, it's still one of the best purchases I've ever made for exercise equipment, and I am EXHAUSTED.  Although yesterday after a very long night of sleep because my wife vacated the room feeling ill, I was in peak form.

1. My FTP is 242.  I think I could actually get it higher - I've done some really good hill climbs that don't count toward increasing it, but at my age I try really hard not to hurt myself.  Dropping some weight would help, but that takes a while.
2. I love the group rides with TCBC on Wednesdays, even banded so they pull me along.
3. Per above, losing weight would increase my watts/kg.  I think I'll eventually be down 20% if trends hold true, which means my 2.4 watts/kg should climb to roughly 2.8?  I'll believe that when I see it.
4. I do overdo it a bit...that's me.  Nothing that will hurt me, but 14 days - even if some of them are minimal - without a rest day is a little sus.
5. I attached an ANT+ sensor for my heart rate.  That's a big bit of metrics.  Interesting to see it stay high if I'm worn out and stay at a mediocre 132 for hours if I'm feeling chuffed.  My resting is around 48 which is a nice number for me.
6. Attach the ANT sensor to read the Garmin watch heartbeat LAST, otherwise your bluetooth devices will try to use it and the electronic gears won't work.
7. So much laundry when I'm riding this much.  Shorts. Socks. Jersey. Gloves. A towel beyond the showering [x2 usually, but weekends I ride before I shower].  Hard to keep things moving if a family member ignores their load of laundry.
8. I like the challenges.  Currently, Tour de Zwift and I should have all three rides done each of the first two weeks.  I'm not huge on kit, but it's fun to earn something and it's fun to have an imaginary challenge.  Next week however, is the climbing week. I can severely downgear and go slow, but that's not my jam.  So 8000 or more feet of climb might be a rough set of rides.

This is my Everest challenge progress.  I could be doing better at climb - I think I average about 800' per week.  Yeah, that looks about right.  The challenge is to get the "Tron" bike, which has lighted tires you can change the color on. I see tons of people with them.  There are tricks to use momentum to get more ascent, but I'm doing it the old fashioned way.  I have NOT yet attempt Alp d'Zwift which is the big climb that mimics Alp d'Huez.  About 3400' feet over 7.6 miles at 8.5% climb.  Ugh.  I see people doing it at 180-220 watts all the way up, but that's not usually my habit for climb.

My totals after two months.  Level 30-60 is the "bucket" where about 40% of the riders live, so I'm sneaking into the midpoint of users after 2 months with a day of riding per month.