I decided to ride indoors for two reasons. Mom wasn't feeling well yesterday, so I wanted to stay close till the afternoon. And, I just didn't feel like getting out today. Perfect for riding on Zwift! I participated in the last stage. It was a circuit race around London. It was mostly flat, but had some uphill sections that topped out at around 3%. I wasn't sure what to expect. The ride started with me at around 900th place. I moved up at the start of the ride. The pace was fast from the start. I was out of the saddle for a few minutes. I was able to hold wheels on the first lap. By the second lap, I was able to settle into a group at around 750th place. So, somewhere in the middle of the pack. I got about 4 power ups. Mostly feathers. I used them wisely. I was able to advance as the road tipped upwards. On the flats and downhills, I tried to stay in the saddle and spin as much as I could without getting in the red zone too much. The first lap was the worst. By the second lap, I was feeling better. And I think my body was responding better after the third lap. The last two laps went the fastest, in my mind. I was always with a group of riders. Never isolated. I gave it a good push in the end. But, I was in my biggest gear doing 120+ RPM and not advancing. I cooled down afterwards, till my HR dropped to about 113 BPM. Concentration was good. The intensity of the ride mandated full attention. Gear worked perfect. Balance and form was good. I felt better while spinning in the saddle. It was all about finding the right muscle balance. Definitely, more on the up stroke than down. Nutrition was good. No hunger signs. I went through about 1/3rds of my Gatoarade. No water. Ailments, next to none. Other notes, there were over 1500 riders that participated. There were over 14,000 on the Watopia map.

Other notes, this felt like a cat 3 race, without the danger.