Simon: This is a scented candle, orange and neroli if you're wondering. My choice, of
course. The reason I've lit it is not for ambiance but because my wife now refuses to
come into our living room unless it's burning. Something to do with a smell of sweaty Lycra
apparently. As far I can tell that's the only negative thing to have come out of the four
weeks of fitness challenge. The fact is though I actually have to now see whether or not
the training's worked. The idea behind the four weeks of fitness
was to have something fun to focus on during these uncertain times. Tackling a training
plan but based around real-life and suitable for lockdown living. Kevin Poulton Zwift's
top coach concocted one that's based on workouts that were already on Zwift and that when combined
were designed to see me improve my time of the epic KOM on Zwift. Firstly though I had
to set a benchmark and I did that on April the 1st. Okay, boom, here we go. Graining
kicks in pretty sharpish. [Music]
We're at the snowline now, 30 seconds to go. I hate to think what the neighbors think I'm
doing right now. First KOM test done then, averaging 359 watts for 20 minutes and 19
seconds. I then embarked on four weeks of fitness starting with the Ronde van Zwift,
a race against team Alpecin-Fenix and the seven best pro teams on Zwift, and I got absolutely
annihilated. [unintelligible 00:02:08] pulled on my wheel, [unintelligible 00:02:10], a
safe pair of heels to follow. Bad news, I've been dropped, my race is over [bleep].
On the 7th of April then I did the first of the workouts. There's 746 people joining,
that is awesome. Yes, I love it, bring on the day. Each week we've checked back in with
my progress and it started well although I was still getting smashed at my races but
by week three I was beginning to struggle everywhere. I'm really struggling to hold
the power that I set myself. Kevin's sessions were great fun but are really challenging.
They had to be in order to get the training effects I needed but I hadn't quite factored
that in. My week recovery scores were dropping. I was whooping at only 40% or something this
morning. That's not because of physical fatigue, I had to film the GCN show yesterday with
Dan Lloyd. There's only so many [unintelligible 00:03:13] team stories you can listen to.
Fortunately, though, I got back on track for the final week and finished with a bit of
a spring in my step. On then to the finale. Crunch time. One last time it's all to play
for. [music]
Plants got to be moved. It's going to be blocking valuable airflow. All right. Here we go then.
I'm pretty nervous if I'm honest. I think I'm recovered from all the training. I think
my legs are good, my whoops been saying that recovery is good, so this is it. All in now,
all in. Before I go actually, I need to do one last adjustment. Let's see. I've been
racing with it on medium and Kevin requires me to do it on maximum, summed to a realism.
Wow, check that out. I got some support already. That's so cool. I'll tell you what, whether
I get the KOM time that I'm looking for or not, this has been it seriously good fun and
I cannot believe the amount of support that the Zwift community is given to ourselves
and to each other. I've loved doing the group workout, I really have. Just what was needed
I think at a time like this. It's too early to tell how my legs feel. They're
okay at the minute, which is good. Now, in terms of pacing tonight, I think I averaged
360 last time I think my PB time was averaging 370. This might be a bit bullish, but I'm
going to try and go for 380. Well, that'll be a significant improvement, 20 watts, so
I might die a thousand deaths. We'll see. It's a tricky little climb this. I have watched
it today on the Zwift "Tour for all". I was commentating on that this afternoon. Probably
won't get the KOM for the day given what they've been doing up there, but I'm on my own, it
was easy for them. Just done the warm-up, just a few minutes, 300 watts. Good play for
now. There is looming in the distance. The adrenaline is absolutely surging through me
right now. Okay, 380 watts. Let's give it a go. Here we go, boom.
[music] [panting]
Just going past the castle and a last bit of flat, feeling kind of under control, but
it's definitely the cruxcoming up now. [music]
Numbers are still looking good. [unintelligible 00:06:16] cadence are high. Five minutes left.
I think I can hold it. That's the first little descend to the top.
[panting] [music]
No one do that. One more descend and trying to get a bit of mini recovery. I'm the last
person in the line. Okay, here we go. Okay, here we go.
[music] You see the arch? I'm going to sprint there.
I can't get out of the show. [panting]
[music] I did it. I did it. Best overtime. If you
pardon my french. Smashed it. Really, I even put a quite [unintelligible 00:07:38] disaster.
I posted letters of apology through my neighbor's doors without reason. I'm sure they've probably
heard that. I've got [unintelligible 00:07:51]. She kept it on with. My next-door neighbor's
in her seventies, but she's well into Zwift. Oh, there we go up the hill. I forgot to deselect
the bonus climb. Go. Don't mess with me. I didn't mean to. That's cool because my FTP
shouldn't have been 350 after the last one. I think it was at 340 or something in the
words of Zwift. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Okay, you ready for the news? Check it out.
Set a new record, 19 minutes 18, which is one minute and four seconds faster than I
went up it, what? Six weeks ago, I think. Yes, four weeks of fitness challenge seems
to paid off, and even more satisfying than that I think, which is a bit weird seeing
is, I'm just talking about watts, but still, 381 watt managed for 19 minutes and 18 seconds,
which I'm chuffed to bits with, honestly. Now, when I set out to do the four weeks of
fitness, I really just wanted something to just get my teeth stuck in, do something to
crack on with, and also I think to try and do something a little bit for GCN viewers
because I figured there's going to be more than a few of you feeling the same as me,
a little bit disoriented, a little bit anxious and it felt like throwing myself into some
kind of training plan. However, light or unstructured, it just felt the right thing to do, and it
has absolutely been brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Interestingly, I thought actually
it would be the Zwift racing that I'd loved the most. It's what I've always enjoyed doing
on Zwift, but I think perhaps I might have chosen a slightly tough race series to get
stuck into the Swedish Zwift racing that [unintelligible 00:09:59] quite competitive and so I've taken
a bit of a shooing. Also, the race with Alpecin-Fenix was possibly a mistake as well.
Anyway, it seems to have done the trick. But actually, the revelation for me has been the
group workouts, which I absolutely loved. I've loved them from the perspective of actually
doing structured training again, which I haven't done for ages. I've really loved that Kevin's
sessions have been great fun to do. I've also really loved having those target powers. Again,
not something I do on the road really, so again, at the end of the session feeling I've
smashed myself, but to get through it and finish at a high, that's been amazing.
But most of all, absolutely top of the list has been the camaraderie. It's been quite
overwhelming actually seeing all of those GCN jerseys lining up with me at 8:00 AM for
a group workout. The burn has been fantastic. I've just loved training with every one of
you. It's been super, super cool. Thank you genuinely for joining me out there. It's been
brilliant, absolutely brilliant, and I quite imagine that not only will I be Zwift racing
for the next few weeks because I've seemed to have gotten some reasonable form now, but
also I'll probably pop-up in the old group workout too because, yes, it's been great.
I got a huge thank you to Coach Kevin, obviously. He's put together a fantastic program for
us. It seems to have worked first and foremost, but it's also been interesting. It's been
engaging, and yes, the sessions have just really kept me on the river and interested
the whole way through, so huge thanks to Kevin for that. I've been really astute to know
what progress that you've made as well, so make sure you let me know in the comment section
down below, which brings one mate who's seen 3% improvement in his FTP over four weeks,
which is seriously good going, so hats off to him. Yes, let me know in the comments.
See how you've got on as well. Otherwise, you can see I'm sorry to lose a
light now, and I really need to get inside and give the living room a deep clean. I wouldn't
normally do my indoor training there if I'm completely honest, so I'm really probably
should try and make it right after best past six weeks of sweating there. Anyway, please
give this video a big thumbs up, and once again, thank you very much for joining me
in the four weeks of fitness. [00:12:19] [END OF AUDIO]