Hello all,
I am pretty new on Zwift and have been using a road bike for a couple of years.
I really like the program on zwift and hoping to get some tips on some workouts to use to get in the best shape possible for the 9 colli gran fondo (200km 3900dsl) coming up in 3 weeks.
It would be great to have something on zwift for 2-3 times per week (as I do get 1-2 days/wk out on the bike for longer distances).
So far I’ve been working with the ftp builder
Thanks a lot in advance!
Hi @Simone_D welcome to the forum.
With only 3 weeks to go there is not a lot you can do. the last week is a rest week so that leave you with 2 weeks.
I would suggest getting time in the saddle. 4+ hour Zone 2
Hi Gerrie,
Thanks a lot for your input (it’s the very first tip I am getting here 
)
Do you mean 4+ hours per week or cumulative? Zone 2 only workouts on Z or in general?
Thanks again
Hi @Simone_D, welcome back. This is Juan from Zwift. Thank you for looking for suggestions from our community.
I think that in general, depending on how you are in terms of physical condition.You can take them weekly or more frequently. In Zone 2 training is performed at 55-70% of your FTP or 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. That said, the intensity is medium. Neither light nor height.
The benefits of zone 2 training are numerous, but the most notable benefit is: Improved cardiovascular function. On the other hand, you could try VO2Max workouts which improve your capacity to consume oxygen.
The answer really depends on what you have been doing up to now - how many hours a week for how many months, and whether you have already done some base building. In other words, what do you need in order to just get through the event without falling apart, and if that’s taken care of, what do you need in order to maximize your performance? If you’ve already done a lot of training, I would not be focusing on zone 2 rides in the last few weeks. The answer also depends on how much training time you have in each of the next two weeks.
Thank you all for being so nice and helping out.
I am going to share some snip and info to give you a better idea of my status
Longest ride (out) so far is 165km and 2.7K dsl
FTP226w 2.91w/kg
Hi @Simone_D, thanks for participating in the thread! I’m Norman from Zwift Support. Nice idea to share your stats for everyone to give their suggestions, I also want to welcome you to Zwift! Thanks for joining our friendly community.
Adding my two cents, I’ve always found Races to get the best results for strength training. The most underrated thing is to set goals for yourself, you can use Zwift features like workout metrics, FTP tests, and race results to track your progress.
Have fun and remember to rest on the third week!
Thanks Norman, and all!
One thing I’d like to try is to download the course of the Gran Fondo and upload it on zwift to simulate at least partially some of the slopes?
Is it possible to do so and replicate the % of incline? If so how would it work with power?
You cannot load custom courses into Zwift, so that approach will not work. You can find a route that would keep you in the saddle for about the same length of time as the fondo, but you won’t really be able to fully mimic the real life route.
