The final months of the year are ideal for training sessions on the home trainer. It’s really easy to train on the same bike 12 months a year with the latest breed of smart trainers. And it certainly helps when software companies, such as Zwift, make this otherwise mentally and physically exhausting prospect much more palatable. But to make it even more interesting, Zwift and Wahoo have joined forces to create a very special challenge.
Virtual elevation gain
This challenge is all about climbing — virtual climbing, that is. Wahoo, a major player on the smart trainers market, has designed this challenge together with Zwift. It’s easy to join in, if you have your own pain cave. The challenge is to climb as many meters of (virtual) elevation gain as possible between 1 and 23 December using Zwift. The great thing is, you don’t have to be the best climber to have the chance of winning a prize.
Digital and physical prizes from Zwift and Wahoo
Once you’ve achieved the minimum requirement (in meters of virtual elevation gain) you’ll be automatically eligible for the prize draw: sweat your way up 7,500ft (around 2,300m) and you’ll be entered in the first draw. Not only that, but your virtual Zwift rider will be rewarded with a new cap and a pair of socks. Climb beyond 12,000ft (3,650m) and you’ll earn two more lottery tickets. This achievement also unlocks a brand-new digital Zwift outfit for your rider. Everyone who manages to exceed 20,000ft (6,100m) will be in the running for the biggest prize: a Wahoo interactive training set which will give the winner’s pain cave a major boost.
You have to be a member of Zwift to be able to enter, and the rest is easy. You just have to click on the button to say that you are entering the challenge, and off you pedal.
Structured winter training with Zwift
Becoming a Zwift member is pretty easy, and then you too can ride on the virtual island everyone is talking about. Once the software is installed and you pay your contribution, nothing can stop you from taking part in this challenge. But there are more reasons to get a Zwift account — once you’re signed up, there’s a wide range of different trainings sessions to try out. You can crank up your fitness in no time, and prepare yourself for the summer season.
Once Zwift starts up, the program leads you carefully through each stage of the training to help you with your fitness. The intensity and amount of effort depend on which type of training you choose, and what you goal is. But it always pays to listen to your body. If you feel exhausted before you even start a new training session, then it’s worth considering giving it a miss. Even though you are training according to your personal specifications, everybody reacts differently to the same training.
Not got your own pain cave set up yet? (See also: Pain Cave Essentials)