Zwift Chat

[bobinski]

It's more flying than anything else Pete. Just got out of the habit and hearing folk generally coming down with COVID often, doesn't appeal. I not worried about COVID, just don't like becoming unnecessarily ill, when I can easily avoid it.

Wife keeps mentioning doing the Rhine tour, which does appeal to me. Cruising along on Ebikes, seeing the sights, castles etc. Just need to research getting us down to Switzerland one way

Years ago i got a ferry to santander, rode to bilbao then off up into the picos. Great riding. Not too hot. Highly recommended.

 

[Peter Salt]

I've done this Audax a couple of times. Although it's a bit more low-key than a sportive ride, it's a good day out in t' hills (and not far from @Joffey Country).

My absolute favourite sportive is in the same area. Unfortunately, it got cancelled this year.

I still intend to do the ride. If someone wants to tag along, it's this: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42685542. Saturday 6th May. There may be a few more people there who had the same idea.

 

[bobinski]

@alex_cycles did you sort out your plantar facitis? I hope so. I have had it in my left heel now for nearly 8 weeks and it is really p'ing me off. I have never had it before though Kath has and i have , perhaps, been less than sympathetic, apparently Not like me eh? It doesnt stop me cycling and cycling probably helps but only if i get on the turbo/bike in the morning. Walking though is a bugger. It really is difficult to put any pressure on the heel and unfotunately I walk everywhere. It also means i can't cycle after walking because leg muscles are reacting to me accomodating the heel. What worked for you?

 

[alex_cycles]

@alex_cycles did you sort out your plantar facitis?

Yes these Scholl inserts in my cheapo cycling shoes helped very quickly, as did the exercises in an NHS video which I can no longer find.
But perhaps I linked it further up the thread? I'll look.

Found it here. Bottom of the page. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/foot-pain/heel-pain/
But they seem to have deleted the tennis ball exercise

I've done a couple of rides on my road bike. The shoes I use for that bike have good arch support so I haven't needed extra inserts so far.

There appears to be a very faint trace of something there still (but not pain) but I'm doing the exercises a few time a day. The tennis ball one and the calf stretch with a towel seem to be pretty good.

I hope so. I have had it in my left heel now for nearly 8 weeks and it is really p'ing me off. I have never had it before though Kath has and i have , perhaps, been less than sympathetic, apparently Not like me eh?

It doesnt stop me cycling and cycling probably helps but only if i get on the turbo/bike in the morning. Walking though is a bugger. It really is difficult to put any pressure on the heel and unfotunately I walk everywhere. It also means i can't cycle after walking because leg muscles are reacting to me accomodating the heel. What worked for you?

Yeah I have been avoiding excessive walking, but hope that if I started doing it now it would be OK.

Another small change I made is that I'm wearing shoes more - particularly my running shoes - which have good arch support.

I guess the next big test will be a couple of miles walk in my normal trainers.

 

[bobinski]

Yes these Scholl inserts in my cheapo cycling shoes helped very quickly, as did the exercises in an NHS video which I can no longer find.
But perhaps I linked it further up the thread? I'll look.

Found it here. Bottom of the page. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/foot-pain/heel-pain/
But they seem to have deleted the tennis ball exercise

I've done a couple of rides on my road bike. The shoes I use for that bike have good arch support so I haven't needed extra inserts so far.

There appears to be a very faint trace of something there still (but not pain) but I'm doing the exercises a few time a day. The tennis ball one and the calf stretch with a towel seem to be pretty good.





Yeah I have been avoiding excessive walking, but hope that if I started doing it now it would be OK.

Another small change I made is that I'm wearing shoes more - particularly my running shoes - which have good arch support.

I guess the next big test will be a couple of miles walk in my normal trainers.

Cheers Alex, Very helpful. May try those insoles. I have been wearing barefoot shoes and trainers for years without issue but a bit of heal support may aid recovery.E3 rehab has a YT channel that popped up on my feed after I posted which is freaky but has the science and a range of exercises that change during the recovery process you may want to check if returning to walking brings it back;

View: https://youtu.be/5D86b45yJzU

 

[CXRAndy]

Doubtful to complete the cobbles races, got a slight chesty-ness.

Don't want to jeopardize my sportive by developing a full blown chest infection. I'll rest for a few days

Fenix Body Battery was indicating something amiss a day or so ago with poor recovery and low HR variability

 

[alex_cycles]

Doubtful to complete the cobbles races, got a slight chesty-ness.

Don't want to jeopardize my sportive by developing a full blown chest infection. I'll rest for a few days

Fenix Body Battery was indicating something amiss a day or so ago with poor recovery and low HR variability

Hope you shake it off quickly Andy. I often find my RHR goes up several beats a couple of days before I feel any symptoms of a cold etc.

It's interesting following these metrics. I recently switched "Training Status" back on. I switched it off last summer at the end of June when it started giving me discouraging messages. I don't find it psychologically helpful being told "you're sh.it" first thing in the morning

It confirmed what I already knew, which was that I've been focussing too heavily on low volume - high intensity. Well I've been mostly Zwift racing for the last few months - so that wasn't really a revelation. I have found with Zwift - even if you intend to do a zone 2, it can very easily end up as a race. So I've been doing some Zone 2 rides outside to rebalance things.

Doing my main race of the week (DRS) on a Tuesday morning really helps too. My overnight HRV on Tuesday night (after 53 minutes at 96% in the morning) was the same as it had been on Monday night after a rest day (54 - bang in the middle of my range). Racing evenings it would have been in the low 40s, but having all day to recover makes a huge difference (to me).

 

[CXRAndy]

You're spot on Alex, RHR was 2-4bpm higher than normal, HRV poor. I couldnt get recovery above 75% after a long sleep.

I've been riding in the evenings because of home duties (tiling at the moment), like you, find it impacts the nights sleep quality..

I went to bed early last night, got 9hr15 of sleep and, though I've awoken with a chesty-ness, I feel more refreshed with metrics coming back into normal range. A few more days will see me right.

Will have to review timings of my riding, focus on getting my exercise done in the mornings.

 

[CXRAndy]

Making up a bed frame with my trusty helper

Noticed this lovely view out of the window

 

[Legs]

I hope rape pollen doesn't set you off with hayfever like it does to me!
It's also a bit of a nuisance for beekeepers because rape honey tends to crystallise in the comb, making it very difficult to extract. When our bees brought in nectar from rape, we made cut-comb honey, which solves the problem of getting it out of the comb; we've still got some lumps of solid honey/wax left in our larder, even though we gave up beekeeping 7 years ago!

 

[CXRAndy]

I hope rape pollen doesn't set you off with hayfever like it does to me!
It's also a bit of a nuisance for beekeepers because rape honey tends to crystallise in the comb, making it very difficult to extract. When our bees brought in nectar from rape, we made cut-comb honey, which solves the problem of getting it out of the comb; we've still got some lumps of solid honey/wax left in our larder, even though we gave up beekeeping 7 years ago!

Rape as far as I can tell doesn't give me hay fever, its tree pollen, I'm susceptible to.

I didn't know that about Bee's and their honey 🍯.

Funny we are going to a 🐝 keeping course next month

 

[Legs]

Funny we are going to a 🐝 keeping course next month

Cool - we kept bees for about five years but gave up when the kids arrived...

I used to enjoy making the hives and supers myself... Langstroth Jumbo is a really easy hive to make DIY

 

[CXRAndy]

Once we have been on the course we might be asking lots of questions Tim👍

If you don't mind

 

[mjd1988]

Good to have a hivemind rather than winging it, I'm sure you are buzzin'

 

[alex_cycles]

Good to have a hivemind rather than winging it, I'm sure you are buzzin'

Beehive yerself