TriVeggies

Well, friends, I don’t like to brag, but right now you are reading words from one of Zwift Academy’s newest graduates. 

I’ll wait here a minute for the applause to die down. 😉

Since I’ve just emerged from the program, I felt it might be a good time to offer up a review/synopsis while everything’s still fresh in my mind. Additionally, it was my first time going through the Academy, so I have nothing to compare it to, no expectations to uphold. Sort of a nice feeling, really! And, since I am a mid-packer on a good day and a back-of-packer on a normal one, I wasn’t competing for any pro slot. So believe me, you’re hearing from a Regular Jane. (But you probably knew that already.)

The crux of the Zwift Academy is this: Six workouts and two races, all focused on different aspects of cycling, all aiming to help you improve your skills to help make you a better cyclist overall. Of course, the six workouts alone won’t turn you into Wout van Aert tomorrow, but done properly they definitely give you a nice baseline to start from.

First, the workouts. You’ve got two choices – the longer 70- or 80-minute workouts or a shorter version in the neighborhood of 45 minutes. (I chose the 45-minute version every time.) Trying to land a pro slot? You’re stuck with the longer version. But for my needs, I found the shorter version to be just fine.

Now, I’ve mentioned before that I’m a TriDot Ambassador and am a huge fan of the TriDot training platform. But everything in moderation, I say, especially in the offseason – and so for a few workouts here and there over the course of the month, I deviated from the plan and did these Zwift rides instead. My rate of perceived exertion may have been a bit higher than what the original plan called for, but I’m OK with that in the name of fun and fitness!

The workouts begin with “Explosive 30s,” which are 30-second (and 2-minute) intervals designed to work on your power boosts, and then progress through a number of other race-specific training stops: “Fatigue Fighter,” “The Finisher,” “Fast Twitch HIIT” and so on. I found each workout to be challenging but doable – and they packed a punch from beginning to end, not allowing much loafing time. (And I do LOVE to loaf if given the chance!) I never had to adjust my workout intensity level, opting to keep it at 100% at all times, and while the intervals were tough, they were also very good and left me with a great sense of accomplishment.

And then there are the races. Now, at first, when I realized I’d have to complete two races in order to graduate, I became a bit vexed. I’m not a racer, per se; I mean, I love to compete in real (non-virtual) races but that’s just because I like being out on the course with other triathletes or runners. But in my many years of Zwifting, I had yet to do a Zwift race! That changed last week, when I found myself spinning my wheels in the start corral, waiting for the gun to go off. In the first race, I found myself dropped immediately, wheeling across the finish like in 39^th place out of 39. But in the second race over the weekend, I found a much larger contingent of mid-to-back-of-packers like me, holding 1.5 watts per kilogram and having a fine time with it, thank you very much. In this race I hung with a pack the whole time and had a blast.

And you know what? I think I just might race again one of these days on my own accord!

So to sum it up: Zwift Academy 2023 was a blast. I loved the variety of workouts, the way the races pushed me out of my comfort zone and also the break from the normal grind of training the academy offered. When next year’s version rolls around, I’ll definitely sign up straightaway – and I think you should too.