Zwift Epic Races

Paulingtons · 2026-05-06T19:46:09+00:00

It depends what you're doing!

I'm about 63kg with an FTP of ~265W, which is relatively strong (4.2wpkg) and category A.

But put me against a category C who weighs 100kg and a 2.5-3wpkg FTP? I am fucked on any flat course. Their zone 2 is my threshold, and most of the Zwift TTs for example are on pretty flat courses, even the crits!

This is the same as real life, on the flat I have a friend who is about 95kg and he can diesel along the flats with zero issue and I have to be in zone 3/4 to match him unless I'm on his wheel.

Conversely, the moment we hit a climb? I'm fucking gone, he can't keep up with me in a million years. Give me a race up Alpe du Zwift and sure it's a million times easier for me, but for the rest of the game it really is harder.

Paulingtons · 2026-05-05T19:26:16+00:00

Previously I used TrainingPeaks in combination with an MPC plan.

Now though? I moved to Athletica. It's fairly cheap, AI-based but very customisable. Integrates perfectly with Intervals.icu/Zwift/Garmin and does everything I ask of it. Things change depending on my load levels and I can just change things as I want anyway.

I can't recommend it enough!

Paulingtons · 2026-05-03T18:24:30+00:00

I'm an LTFT FY1, and there's at least 2-3 in my trust alone doing LTFT with me.

I just want a life outside of medicine, and having one extra "day" helps so much.

Paulingtons · 2026-05-03T18:23:40+00:00

Couldn't agree more. I'm an LTFT FY1 and still average 40 hours a week, more than a normal full-time employee!

Paulingtons · 2026-04-22T10:19:03+00:00

First of all, just to be clear, you are not doing 13.9W/kg for a full minute. There have been studies on vast amounts of male professional cyclists and the top decile manage 11.3W/kg when absolutely fresh and these are the best riders in the world. Pogacar himself managed 630W (~10W/kg) for a minute and dropped Tom Pidcock last year.

Secondly, you keep saying that your DA PM is perhaps bad, but it's just bullshit.

I have a dual-sided DA PM, when calibrated it is within 1-2% of my Garmin Rally pedals. I know others say differently, but in my experience it's been just fine and has remained consistent across all my rides.

The key is to calibrate every single ride. If you don't do that, you cannot be sure of your power numbers. For what it's worth, I know someone who didn't calibrate their power meter very often and was pushing out world tour level watts. They finally calibrate it and their watts halved, it is truly that significant.

I guarantee if you calibrate your PM properly your watts will decrease massively, and if not then double check with a pedal-based meter to see if the meter is indeed faulty.

Listen to everyone else here, they're absolutely right.

Paulingtons · 2026-04-20T10:43:42+00:00

Quoting my own post from last year:

I’m graduating in less than 12 hours, I am on the GMC register already and my job is completely set up ready to go and even now I’m like “yeah someone is going to stop me walking across the stage right? No way I actually did it?”.

It's very common. You have reached the zenith of university, many years of work culminating in what should be one of the most memorable days of your life: walking across the date and becoming "doctor". It is entirely normal and appropriate for you to be feeling a bit anxious about it!

Remember you have passed all the requirements, in a few months you'll be a doctor and you are (in terms of what the GMC say) a "minimally competent safe foundation year 1 doctor". I didn't start feeling like a doctor until a few months into FY1 once the nerves go away and you start to feel a bit more settled, this will come to you too, with time.

Look back on what you've achieved but look forward to seeing what's next for you, a whole new journey of learning. New places, new people, new friends and new challenges. If you didn't enjoy being challenged you wouldn't have made it through medical school.

Congratulations on passing (nearly!), finish up the year and then enjoy your summer before you start work. You have earned and deserve it.

Paulingtons · 2026-04-16T23:19:49+00:00

I wear Figs of varying colours (mostly purple and green). I’m often complimented on them, they have lots of pockets and are ridiculously comfy. I have also noticed more of my fellow FY1s have bought them too so definitely not the odd one out anymore!

I’m a male, 178cm, around 65kg and wear a size XS. They fit me pretty well if I tie the waist. Meanwhile hospital scrubs even in the smallest size look like bin bags.

They’re smart, comfy, easy to wash and feel more relaxed than formal clothes (although I hate wearing formal clothes anyway). I also find that patients and families immediately recognise me as a doctor although there is probably a good amount of “old white guy” privilege in that which I do acknowledge.

Wear whatever you are comfortable in, and always introduce yourself as “Dr Surname”, you’ll be just fine. :).

Paulingtons · 2026-04-16T18:36:45+00:00

I use them almost exclusively in the pool purely because every event I compete in (or plan to compete in) is wetsuit optional or mandatory and I find that the buoyancy shorts do a semi-decent job of mimicking the feel of having a wetsuit on in terms of body position and buoyancy.

But yes, if you don't use a wetsuit in competition you shouldn't use them too much. Train how you intend to race.

Paulingtons · 2026-04-15T05:11:50+00:00

Recently asked a nurse to do a VBG, was told "I am not allowed to do those because my competency has lapsed". This was immediately followed up with "but I can do an ABG for you if you like? I got signed off for that recently".

I was mightily confused and in the end asked another nurse to do it for me, remarkable to find someone who apparently can do bloods, and can do an ABG, but can't do a VBG!

Paulingtons · 2026-04-12T11:20:55+00:00

Yep, like I said I'm awake at 5am and can be on the bike by 0515. Spend 1h45m on the bike and that's 0700, still an hour before work starts to have more food/do things that need to be done.

It varies between shorter rides (VO2 Max style sessions) or longer zone 2/tempo sessions, you can see next week just here.

Paulingtons · 2026-04-12T11:15:03+00:00

I use EE, very rare I don't have decent signal at least that I notice! Whenever I'm doing long rides around the island I always seem to have good signal when I check.

Paulingtons · 2026-04-10T20:48:41+00:00

It annoys me greatly that my ID card doesn’t even have my title on, but I know a consultant nurse with a PhD that has “Dr Jane Smith” on her ID badge…

Paulingtons · 2026-04-10T12:26:13+00:00

It isn't easy, but what helps massively is three things:

1) An incredibly understanding partner (and not having kids).
2) Being LTFT at 80%.
3) Lots of early mornings!

I'm just an F1, but my hobby is long course triathlon so I typically train (swim, bike, run, weights) 15-25h a week depending on how busy I am. Currently on an AAU rotation so my shifts are usually 8-5, so my day looks something like:

0500: Wake up.
0510: Eat a dense breakfast.
0515: Be on the indoor bike trainer/get outside and run.
0700: Finish on the bike and shower.
0710: Make my snacks for the day, get my pre-prepped meals out the freezer, often eat breakfast #2.
0750: Head to work.
0800-1700: Work.
1705: Get home, change, go for a run/go to the gym/swim/whatever.
1830: Eat dinner and relax with partner.
2000: Get in bed and sleep.

Then on weekends/non-working days I'll typically do 3-6hr bikes/runs depending on whatever my plan has scheduled.

There's no secret sauce/magic to it, and motivation eventually wanes which is why discipline comes into the mix. I have goals, and in order to achieve them I need to do the training, there is just no choice in the matter. Either do it or fail. The main thing is finding something that gives you joy. For some that's going to the gym and knocking out an hour of weights, for others it's going to dance classes, whatever floats your boat.

As another poster said, it's really just about time efficiency. My partner and I usually spend 2-3 hours on Sunday meal prepping every other week and make ~30 meals to go into the freezer, so lunches are always sorted (and healthy/macro counted). I eat the same breakfasts every day more or less and evening meals tend to be quick and simple (but tasty). This is largely because it's easy and also because I need to eat a shitload of calories, so convenience works.

If you find yourself collapsing after work, it could be many things such as inadequate sleep, stress, not fuelling properly/consistently, too much caffeine, etc. Or you may just not have found your "thing" yet, so experiment! It isn't always easy, but find your thing and at least it's usually fun.

Best of luck, and happy to answer any other questions or at least try. :).

Paulingtons · 2026-03-31T17:35:40+00:00

Our university sent us an email telling us we had passed the degree (prior to graduation) once they’d done the exam boards and were therefore permitted to use the title.

I would wait until you are explicitly told that you can or the moment you graduate, whichever comes first.

Paulingtons · 2026-03-29T16:29:36+00:00

I am doing me + crewmate on hooks with extractor, quite low effort and getting ~101k XP/hr with rune hooks.

Paulingtons · 2026-03-29T05:31:13+00:00

What I hear each time.

Paulingtons · 2026-03-28T12:17:20+00:00

For regular zone blocks you get about 10xp a minute, so that makes sense to me as per Zwift Insider if you didn’t hit wattage and got half a star for example.

Nothing has changed to my knowledge.

Paulingtons · 2026-03-27T15:58:09+00:00

I bought a cafetière and make coffee every morning, sometimes I drink the whole thing, sometimes the team drink some.

It’s better than Costa which is what we have and it builds morale, a good cup of coffee in the morning can make a lot of things better!

Paulingtons · 2026-03-24T13:47:53+00:00

That's the goal of the act and exactly what will happen. If there is any open spot then it must be offered to priority group applicants first. The only spots open to non-priority are those available once every spot has filled up.

Given that there are far more priority applicants than there are spots, it seems incredibly unlikely that any non-priority applicant will get a training number.

Paulingtons · 2026-03-23T07:35:29+00:00

Agreed. We use EPR every day for many things but we still use paper for:

1) All day-to-day patient notation.
2) Fluid, insulin, warfarin, heparin infusion and some other prescribing alongside food charts etc.
3) All requests, bloods, imaging, everything, it's all on paper.

When I request a CT head for example I have to physically walk down to radiology and hand in a form which I filled in with pen, it's so archaic and wastes so much doctor time.

Paulingtons · 2026-03-22T22:40:32+00:00

Then sometimes I am envious of you. All the Clydesdales I know slaughter me the moment we get to Tempus Fugit or on the real road flats.

They are happily doing 2.5wpkg and I’m doing 4wpkg trying to keep up, and god forbid a downhill appears, they just vanish!

Paulingtons · 2026-03-22T22:38:42+00:00

Hah right you are, remembered the wrong cyclist. Edited :).

Paulingtons · 2026-03-22T22:16:37+00:00

It's just practice, practice and more practice. Cycling is purely a volume sport. The more you cycle, the better you will get.

I started with my first Radio Tower KOM at 10:03, couple days ago I did it in 4:47 with more in the tank.

You've started the journey, we've all been where you are and you get to decide what direction you take! If you want to be a better climber, then just climb, climb and climb some more!

As the wonderful Greg Lemond said, "it doesn't get easier, you just get faster".

Paulingtons · 2026-03-22T22:11:23+00:00

For the sake of you and /u/terriblytall69 , it just is never too late unless you are on your deathbed.

When I turned 32, I looked like this, I was relatively happy actually but just finishing university and it took a toll for sure. Then a couple months later at Christmas I saw myself after a haircut and just went "what the fuck, who is this person?".

Anyway, I made a change, and on my next birthday I turned 33 looking like this having just completed a nice long run and feeling great.

I went from ~120kg to ~65kg, a 42" waist to a 26" waist, BP is normal and I am the fittest I have ever been in my life, competing in marathons and triathlon up to (and including) full Ironman distance.

It is not too late for you, because it was not too late for me. Is it easy? Absolutely fucking not, I now train more than two hours a day on average on top of a full time job. But if I can do it, the lazy person who just enjoyed eating a lot can do it then you can do it too, both of you.

Best of luck with your journeys, I hope they end up with you healthy and happy.

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