- The Ironman World Championships might be a fading memory
but the 2020 season is on the horizon
and, with it, the chance to become
the world's best supported amateur triathlete.
Yes, the Zwift Triathlon Academy is back
for a third year in a row.
And do you want to know the great news?
You can still sign up for it now.
It is aimed at any level of amateur triathlete,
whatever your goals might be.
So guess what?
Yep, I have signed myself up.
I watched from the sidelines last year
and I thought, "I want to know
what all the excitement is about
so I'm getting involved."
(upbeat rock music)
Ultimately, Zwift are hoping
to find six top aged group athletes
who dream of qualifying for and racing
in Kona next October.
But it is an opportunity that's open to everyone,
whether you share those dreams or not,
to get stuck into a series of specially designed workouts
that are certain to take your fitness to the next level.
(upbeat rock music)
The past two years have seen thousands
of athletes sign up and go through the program.
In 2018, the Zwift Triathlon Academy selected
and supported, and I really mean supported,
four lucky athletes, three of which qualified
and raced at the World Champs.
2019 saw Zwift up it to a team of eight
with all of them making it to the big island in Hawaii
and one of which even won the overall age group title.
If you're not yet on board,
you have until December the 13th to sign up and join me
and it's a great opportunity to get involved
in some tough workouts,
whatever your fitness goals might be.
And you never know, you might even earn yourself
a spot on the team.
You're probably wondering
how you can be eligible for selection.
Well, there a few rules such as,
you have to be 18 or over,
you need to be an amateur triathlete,
and, of course, you are going to have
to do some hard work
because you have until the 12th of January
to complete the following:
You have to do four specific run workouts,
one running race of five, eight, or 10K,
you've six bike workouts to complete,
and a TT race.
So there's plenty to get your teeth into
but there's enough time for us to get it done.
Now we'll come onto more detail
and what these sessions actually entail.
But I want to share my motivation
for signing up and exposing my current state,
or should I say lack, of fitness.
(upbeat rock music)
So I already knew
that I need to do something about my fitness
but, problem being in the UK,
we are heading into the depths of winter
and I was already into hibernation mode
I think it's fair to say.
So I was hoping that the Zwift Triathlon Academy
could really be that incentive that I need
and I ticked the box up.
Yes, you probably realize I am an amateur triathlete
and I tried a triathlon back in 2015 and then progressed,
I got the bug and went on to Iron Man and ended up
going to Kona in 2017.
But, sadly I am a really long way from that fitness now.
So I am hoping that this is going to give me that kick
on that backside that I need.
I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't just a little bit
intrigued to see how I compare to everyone else.
Although, I am fully prepared
to have a scary reality check on that one.
Although on the plus side I figure that at least
I am going to be fitter than I am now.
I'm excited just to get going.
(upbeat rock music)
Now for the details on exactly what you need to do
in order to join up.
So, when you log in to Zwift you'll see the
Zwift Triathlon banner pops up.
You simply need to click on that, then it means
the workouts will
automatically be in your workout files.
So whether you're cycling or running
if you head over to your workout, scroll down,
you'll find the Zwift Triathlon Academy 2020.
If you click on that
it'll have the list of all the workouts
and you've got the option to either doing them on your own
or joining a group workout if you fancy some company.
You can find those obviously on the Zwift app
but also on the companion app so there's no excuse.
And if you want to know exactly
what you've let yourself in for
Well all the workouts are going to hit
every aspect of your fitness
and I know that sounds tough but just think
of the fitness gains, or at least that's what
I'm telling myself.
So, for the bike that includes:
A Strength Development session,
Half-Distance Development session,
an FTP Development session,
Endurance Stimulation session,
VO2max Development session,
and a pretty brutal 4 Minute Power session.
While there's some pretty meaty bike workout there
and you'll be pleased to know the run has got some
great sessions in store as well
so lets take a look.
Fist up you've got a Threshold Waves session
that involves a cheeky 4 x 1 mile.
Then a shorter a 6 x 800 meter rep session,
which is a chance to really unleash some speed.
That's followed Endurance Stimulation session,
and then finally you've got a VO2max Development session.
(upbeat rock music)
You've probably seen the three of us at GTN
using some pretty nice fancy kit
and I have to admit we are spoiled at GTN HQ
with a full Zwift setup but trust me,
my setup at home looks nothing like that.
You are probably wondering, what exactly you need
in order to get involved with the Zwift Triathlon Academy.
Well I'm going to talk you through the essentials.
A working heart rate monitor for both the run and the bike.
Then Wi-Fi with a device such as your phone, iPad, or laptop
that's connected to the Zwift app.
And then for the bike you can even use
a basic turbo trainer with a cadence sensor
or a walk bike that can connect to your device
but If you want to be eligible for selection
for the academy then you're going to need a smart trainer
or a power meter.
And as for the run, yes you do need to find a treadmill
but any treadmill will do because
you need one more piece of kit.
That is the footpod, which simply fits onto your shoelaces
and connects to your phone or iPad
in order to measure your speed and your cadence.
Now you know what it entails and what equipment you need
in order to get involved and you can find the link
to sign up in the description below.
So there are no excuses and hopefully
I've convinced you to sign up 'cause I definitely
need the company and keep and eye out for those
group workouts, you never know
we might meet on the start line.
And if you are interested to see and follow
my progress, keep an eye out on the GTN shows
as were going to be bringing you updates with that.
So hopefully you've enjoyed it, give us a thumbs up, like.
If so find that globe on screen
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here at GTN.
And if you want to know a little bit more about Zwift
or things we've done previously on Zwift,
You can find that just down here.