How does Zwift work?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
It\u2019s simple, really.<\/p>\n
First, you need to sign up to an account, which you can start with a 14-day free trial<\/a><\/strong>. Once set up, you can sign in on any computer, Android or iOS device or Apple TV.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll also need a compatible smart trainer (like the Zwift Hub) paired with a bike or a smart bike (like the Wahoo Kickr Bike) to ride on, with Zwift connecting to either automatically via Bluetooth or ANT+.<\/p>\n
Then, simply pick a course, race or training session and get started. Zwift will adjust the resistance automatically to simulate the terrain or your particular session and you\u2019ll have lots of performance data to pick over afterward.<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Why Zwift is invaluable for British pro Ruth Astle<\/b><\/h2>\n $\"Ruth$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n
One triathlete whose career has progressed almost in tandem with the rise of Zwift is British pro Ruth Astle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
The 34-year-old was working in banking in London when she was first introduced to triathlon in 2014, and in such a time-pressured role and without open roads to ride from the front door, Zwifting became a cornerstone of her weekly training regime \u2013 and still is to this day.<\/span><\/p>\n
It helped Astle reach the top of the amateur side of the sport, finally winning the overall age-group title at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii in 2019 in what would be her final amateur race.<\/span><\/p>\n
While the cusp of a pandemic could hardly have been a more inopportune time to turn pro, Astle has moved from London to Leeds and her new sporting career has flourished.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
With three Ironman titles and a fifth-place in the Ironman World Championship, she\u2019s become one of the best cyclists in the sport, and returns to Hawaii next month hoping for yet more success.<\/span><\/p>\n
Here Ruth picks out <\/span>seven<\/span> reasons why Zwift has helped her rise to the top of long distance triathlon and how other budding triathletes and cyclists can benefit from it too.<\/span><\/p>\n
1. The joy of time efficiency<\/b><\/h3>\n
\u201cThis was an element that really helped my age-group training and bring my cycling on in the sport.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWorking a busy city job with long hours, being able to complete a focused Zwift session before heading to work on weekdays was the most efficient (and often only) way to train.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cIt took just minutes to get riding and there was no wasted time freewheeling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
2. Staying safe<\/b><\/h3>\n $\"Triathlete$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really important factor to consider because however alert we are, traffic and cyclists do not always go together very well \u2013 and I should know, after a crash in 2019 left me with a broken collarbone and almost wrote off my chances in Kona.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll never have a car pull out in front of you on Zwift and it\u2019s especially useful when I want to perfect my time-trialling because I can focus on honing that aerodynamic position rather than sitting up for dodgy road surfaces or sets of traffic lights.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
3. The tools for training\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
\u201cPart of the beauty of Zwift, particularly when you\u2019re just starting out, is that your coach can create sessions for you and you don\u2019t even need to think too hard, just pedal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes away the admin and stress over whether you\u2019re doing the right thing. It can be tailored to suit your preference as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, you can practise hitting specific power numbers for certain durations, work on cadence, or be guided by heart rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cAll the metrics are there to measure your training and improvement. And if you don\u2019t have a coach, Zwift has a wealth of plans designed by experts to get you into shape too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
4. Load your training<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\u201cZwift has hundreds of pre-programmed training sessions to pick from \u2013 from one-off workouts to weekly and monthly plans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI used the Zwift Academy workouts when coming back from my broken collarbone because they were a good mix of being hard, having lots of people on for motivation, and also a good length to fit into a working day. I still had a non-triathlon day job back then.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s also compatible with all the leading training platforms, so my Zwift sessions are automatically synced with my Training Peaks account and any structured workouts set on Training Peaks by my coach are also available and waiting for me to complete on Zwift.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cIt just makes it so simple to get on and train, without faffing about with admin, and knowing that my data is being safely recorded and all in one place, where you \u2013 or your coach \u2013 can scrutinise it later to your heart\u2019s content.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
5. The hardware gets better and better<\/b><\/h3>\n $\"zwift-hub-in-use\"$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWhile Zwift works with just about any smart trainer, it\u2019s at its best when it\u2019s paired with a direct drive system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
There\u2019s no slippage that you might get with wheel-on rollers so you get accurate results and you can save your expensive back wheel entirely for the road.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cGet a decent one, such as <\/span>the Zwift Hub<\/a><\/strong> (which comes with a choice of cassettes, a 12-month Zwift membership and has its own built-in power meter for just \u00a3549) and you won\u2019t worry the neighbours either because it\u2019s really, really quiet!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/span><\/p>\n
6. A great (and cheap) way to train for heat<\/b><\/h3>\n
\u201dWhile I\u2019d often recommend you have a fan handy, a session on Zwift with no air-flow and no fan, and ending in a sweaty mess, proved to be an excellent way of acclimatising for the heat and humidity of Hawaii, which can otherwise be a challenge when you\u2019re training in the UK.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also typically quite a bit cheaper than a warm weather training camp, although admittedly, that has its attractions, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
7. Revel in the community\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
\u201cOne of the fun elements around Zwift is the community aspect. You can see who is Zwifting alongside you and the companion app lets you interact and give other cyclists the occasional \u2018Ride On\u2019 if you\u2019re feeling generous.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cThe team at Zwift also likes to be creative and help reward its community. I was a first-hand benefactor of that in 2019, when I was lucky enough to be accepted into the Zwift Academy for Kona.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole experience was epic, and took so much of the stress and costs away from my trip to Hawaii. Thankfully, I think I just about justified my selection.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
Want to know more?<\/b> Head to the Zwift website<\/b><\/a> to see what else this popular platform has to offer and to sign up now for your 14-day free trial.<\/b><\/p>\n
And remember, if you only use Zwift on the treadmill, that\u2019s entirely free!<\/b><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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