A1
London
COVID trashed my fitness and stopped me racing on Strava and doing really hard rides irl. During lockdown my FTP peaked at 4.5 W/kg and I was enjoying winning (or at least competing with the cheats) races on all the platforms. Post COVID I was down to 2.5W/kg and long rides were an impossibility at any pace.
I am slowly building back up - back over 3 and long medium pace with hills are possible again
@MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite
I want to do one of the shorter audaxes but I'll only consider if if they call it a Shordax
@Pionir @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite
A Timidax
@MatthewNewell ah, I got wide covid - the kind that makes you chubby and not want to do PBP again. Don't stress; get on it!
Will do - I am getting there
Oct 31, 2026, 11:58 AM@MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite I also peaked in that first lockdown but didn’t reach those heady heights. Then I had a baby and went back to work. My long commute was my eventual solution but doesn’t build power much, just endurance…
@wlukewindsor @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite
Doesn't help that I am getting older (I know everyone is) but late 40s to mid 50s seems a big change. Joints now hurt without an injury / reason and more importantly I tend not to just get out and ride spontaneously. I need to build up / psyche myself up for rides - so it happens less
Oct 31, 2026, 12:15 PM@MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite I had that a bit but actually I’m finding that despite the aches and pains I’m in a bit of a resurgence. That’s probably because of chronic inflammation and poor recovery from alcohol over-consumption has gone now as a factor. Late 50s haven’t been the disaster I had expected. Long may it last.
@wlukewindsor @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite
There is hope for us yet! I am fitter than I was last year, and the previous - so that's trending correctly
@MatthewNewell @wlukewindsor @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite
I would say I'm fitter (from lots of commuting) but not any faster and I don't feel like I've got more range (although I haven't really tested myself on long rides recently except multi-day bikepacking trips of 100km per day over a long weekend
I should really try an individual time trial and compare myself to 17 year old me. I have the same bike so it would be a controlled test although I'm not sure I can be arsed to "empty the tanks"
@Pionir @wlukewindsor @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite
I am not sure I really can "empty the tanks" even if I could find the motivation (which I most certainly cannot).
I should probably join a club - I am very competitive (youngest of 4 boys will do that) and the constant need to perform would do wonders for fitness; but I dont really like myself or others when being too competitive
@MatthewNewell @wlukewindsor @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite
The good thing about time trialling imho is that it's really only against yourself so the community (in the 80s/90s) tended to be very supportive and helpful.
If you want to learn more, I wrote a handy guide a few years ago
https://pioswibble.wordpress.com/2018/08/25/how-to-win-a-time-trial-or-not-lose-by-much/
@MatthewNewell @ascentale @uxMark @bikenite similar story here. Fitness is slowly coming back 🤞
@beyondwatts way to go on getting fitness back! Also your data visualizations are absolutely beautiful.
@fullywoolly thank you 😃
@MatthewNewell that's a huge drop and understandably hard. They still look like great numbers to me though. You're a very strong rider in my mind.
What is your training philosophy?
Thanks!
I ride hard at least once a day - even if it's just my commute. And I set mini goals 500W for Vauxhall bridge, 350W for Embankment etc.
Apart from my shopping runs I always get out of breath and try to get heart racing.
And I regularly do a proper training plan on Zwift or Rouvy. They are super dull and very hard work - but they do give results.
@MatthewNewell I also feel like my best gains were from consistency on the trainer. I'm hoping consistency from commuting will get me there but not sure what to do about HIIT.
Your method clearly had results! Thanks for sharing!