Zwift Racing Training Plan

I recently wrote a post about how I had completed my first season with the amazing ladies e-racing team, Aeonian, that you can read here. Following this there were so many learnings and I wanted to develop that ahead of the next league so I signed up to the Zwift Racing training plan.

This will be the third training plan I have completed with Zwift and so far I have found them all useful so would definitely recommend if there are specific objectives/goals you have and a training plan that would facilitate that.

What Is This Plan?

Zwift website explains this training plan as follows:

‘The Zwift Racing plan will prepare you for all types of Zwift races, particularly longer or hilly courses. There are even race simulations based on popular routes in Watopia, London, New York, and Crit City. On easier days, you’ll do cadence work to help get your legs ready for anything.

This plan was designed for beginner and intermediate Zwifters, but any racer can benefit from the workouts – especially if you have trouble with those fast race starts!’

As it explains, the sessions largely simulate races and whilst good they certainly take their toll! As all the plans, the intervals work off your FTP, and it is a race so expect a lot of hard efforts – there is a lot of red in some of the sessions!

There are also some easier sessions that focus on cadence, which I use for training so am very familiar with that. I actually wrote a blog post on the subject of my training with cadence that you can read here.

What’s Involved?

The course is 7 weeks long and has a total of 27 workouts, although I will admit I did not complete all as I swapped some out for actual races and for an endurance ride I had planned.

There is a lot of commentary on the sessions where you are given prompts to how races on the various courses can be ie where there may be an attack or the group likely to split, giving hints and tips as to how you should ride to try and stay with the group.

The sessions are named by the courses so you know what session relates to what Zwift course, including the number of laps that you should expect in the race and the session simulates.

The quick starts are included and are always a shock to the system but valuable for the races as I have experienced they are full on right from the start so good to practice the need for quick power!

My Thoughts…

I would definitely recommend this training plan if you are interested in Zwift racing. Before I joined Aeonian, I was oblivious to the many tactics involved in e-racing and the team have been so helpful in sharing knowledge and tips but having the plan added to that in my training also.

I did sadly get Covid whilst in the middle of this plan and whilst my symptoms were super mild with just a sore throat, I did see a noticeable difference in my energy levels and some sessions definitely felt harder than they should have been!

It also transitioned nicely from the end of the plan to the next league in Zwift racing, so now time to put what I have learned to the test!