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The Zom Preview for October 18th 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMbeez this week!

Breaking Bones in the Virtual World of Cycling by Dr. Adam Upshaw

Roasting Those Pits – Part 2 by The Coffee Snob

Indoor Training, This Time It’s Going to be Different! by Ken “the Badger” Nowell

Semi-retired as owner and director of his private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice after over 20 years, Chris is blessed with the freedom to pursue his passion for virtual cycling and writing. On a continual quest to give back to his bike for all the rewarding experiences and relationships it has provided him, he created a non-profit, and through its work and the pages of this site, Chris is committed to helping others with his bike. His gain cave is located on the North Fork of Long Island where he lives with his beautiful wife and is proud of his two college student children.

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New Science Suggests That You May be Able to Change the Type of Rider You (Think) You Are

By focusing your cycling training approach, you can change your muscles and eliminate your cycling weaknesses by causing muscle fiber adaptations.

This is Your Brain on Bikes

Strenuous race efforts that leave you cross-eyed may make it hard to think straight, but you can prevent it from going any further than that by being mindful.

Authority Magazine and Thrive Global – eSports: Christopher Schwenker On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In eSports

Tyler Gallagher of Authority Magazine asked me some great questions. I hope you enjoy my responses.

Dead Butt Syndrome – A Real Pain in the Cyclist’s A–

Dead Butt Syndrome is a common cycling condition that can be treated and prevented by following these simple steps.

Get to Know The Petersons and Why Their Lives Would Not Be The Same Without Virtual Cycling

Virtual cycling is an essential part of married life for the Peterson’s, and they can’t imagine living without Zwift.

Your Brain on Bikes – Brain Fog Clouds a Cyclist’s Judgement

Strenuous race efforts that leave you cross-eyed may make it hard to think straight, but you can prevent it from going any further than that by being mindful.

Drink Coffee and Do Good!

What could be better than that?

Click the Image and Shop now!

The Zom Preview for December 6th 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMbeez this week!

Virtual Case Study: Pain Behind the Knee When Cycling

Eliminate and prevent the pain at the back of your knee by following these simple tips!

Core Strengthening Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist: The Flutter Kick Series

The Flutter Kick is the perfect core exercise for a powerful pedal stroke.

Virtual Case Study: Lower Back Pain While Riding

Eliminate and prevent low back pain while riding by following these simple tips!

Carbohydrate Loading Lunacy

Should cyclists even bother with Carbohydrate loading?

Eat DIRT Community Racer J Bruhn Qualifies For the UCI Esports World Cycling Championships

While competing in his bathroom, J Bruhn fulfilled a lifelong dream and notched one for the average Joe cyclist. An interview with J Bruhn.

Virtual Case Study: Arm & Hand Pain While Cycling

Arm and hand pain that worsens as you ride can be prevented by following these simple tips!

Elite Esports Racer Brian Duffy Tells All it Takes to be Great!

I think Brian may have given away too many of his secrets!

Core Strengthening Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist: The Bird Dog Series

When strengthening your core for cycling, it is essential to take a varied approach.

The Recovery Phase of the Pedal Stroke

Knowledge and understanding of the upstroke are important to pedaling power and performance.

A Healthy Relationship With Food

We would enjoy food much more if we stopped labelling it good vs bad!

vCycling News Episode 1

About vCycling News Virtual Cycling News will bring you news, rumours and reviews on all things RGT whilst looking at some of the other online training apps that are available. The show is hosted by Mike Lister, an eRacer with over 15,000 miles logged on Zwift and...

What does Virtual Cycling mean to you?

The Zommunique asked virtual cyclists around the world to share their experience and thoughts on what Virtual Cycling means to them!

The Day my Grandson Met His First Sporting Idol – Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish made a fan for life and a moment that will last forever for a proud Grandad and his Grandson.

Core Strengthening Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist

Learn about your core and how strengthening it will improve your cycling performance.

Happy DIRTy Halloween!

When this new DIRT member does Halloween, he does it well!

DIRT Mates Turn a Chance Encounter into Something Epic

Two DIRT teammates tell the story of how their chance meet-up turned into a physical challenge and how they crushed it just like they have 100’s of times before.

Roasting Those Pits – Part Two

When faced with the daunting pressures of life, allow the nuances of your character to mature like a finely crafted roast.

A Chat with Esports Great James Joseph Barnes

After reading this candid interview, you will have little doubt why Barney is one of the best athletes and personalities in esports.

The Zom Preview for October 4th 2021

https://youtu.be/SL90KwZ9rZY Almost 25,000 views! Thank you for your support!Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMbeez this week!The theme for this week is relevance and science. Watch the video to find out more.Please subscribe to The ZOM weekly newsletter for more great content delivered directly...

MIRT Cecelia Taggart Shares Her Love of Family and Community, With Bikes

Mom, Cyclist, Philanthropist, and an Inspiration. The true embodiment of the definition of MIRT!

The Zom Preview for September 13th 2021

The recent changes to Zwift’s eSports Ruleset concerning Junior racers. Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMbeez this week!

Chris Schwenker PT Joins Joe Lavell on the Wise Athletes Podcast!

I hope you enjoy this interesting and informative podcast.

The Zom Preview for August 23rd 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of Zombeez this week!

The Zom Preview for September 6th 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of Zombeez this week!

Julia Schallau is Focused on eRacing and Only eRacing

Julia’s grit, determination, and pure love of eracing make her a force to be reckoned with, and after hearing what she has to say you will know why.

The Zom Preview for November 22nd 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMbeez this week!

The Zom Preview for September 20th 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of Zombeez this week!

vCycling News Episode 2

Get to Know The Petersons and Why Their Lives Would Not Be The Same Without Virtual Cycling

Virtual cycling is an essential part of married life for the Peterson’s, and they can’t imagine living without Zwift.

Part Two: Zwift eSports Ruleset Excludes Racers Under 16

The creation of a Zwift Junior Racing League will prove that our kids ARE worth it!

The Zom Preview for October 25th 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMbeez this week!

Virtual Case Study: Pain on the Outside of the Knee While Cycling

Eliminate and prevent the pain on the outside of your knee by following these simple tips!

Improving Pedaling Technique

By following these tips, you will pedal perfect circles and produce more power with less energy.

Roasting those Pits – Part One

Coffee beans, road cycling, espresso, Caffeine, and History!

Virtual Case Study: Pain in the Front of the Knee While Cycling

Ride strong without that nagging pain in the front of your knee by following these tips!

Does Probiotic Supplementation Improve Athletic Performance & Recovery?

Probiotics have been shown to improve athletic performance and enhance recovery. Are they the missing ingredient in your nutrition plan?

Honest Race Nutrition: What Pro Jacquie Godbe (Really) Eats To Win

The Race Winning Glycogen Refueling Chocolate Hydration Plan of an Elite Virtual Cyclist

Virtual Case Study: Hip Pain While Cycling

Hip pain, the result of long periods of time slumped over the handlebars or seated at work, can be prevented by following these simple steps.

Core Strengthening Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist: Front Plank Progression

The plank is considered the best core movement and this exercise progression will help you get the most out of it.

Balance Training is Essential to the Cyclist, Especially a Virtual Cyclist

By integrating these simple exercises and one piece of equipment into your program, you will combat the loss of balance experienced with age without the need to steady your bike.

Falk Levien Found Cycling as a Way to Cope With the Grief, and Recover

Falk Levien depends upon his bike to take him away. Long Covid is trying to steal it from him. He is taking it back with the help of virtual cycling.

The Larson Family Zwifts Together, including Eight-Year-Old Antonia, and Collects Memories in the Process

Eight-year-old Antonia Larson has an impressive list of Route Badges, and her parents are not too bad at playing bikes themselves.

DIRT Andrew Holland Wins the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship

Way to go Andy!

The Midlife Cyclist – A Book Review and Interview with the Author Phil Cavell

An interview with the author of The Midlife Cyclist and founder of CycleFit Mr. Phil Cavell.

Everything’s Bigger in Alaska, Including Jason Soza’s Passion For Cycling and His Zwift Community

It’s good to be a cyclist in Alaska, especially when you enjoy the LONG DARK winter months with your virtual cycling community.

Do You Know Your Sweat Rate?

Avoid the performance-limiting effects of dehydration by following these simple steps!

DIRT Jon Izagire Wins the Inaugural Zwift Cup of Panama

Hear the amazing story in his own words as he describes what it felt like to win!

What does eSports mean to you?

The Zommunique asked elite eRacers from around the world to share their experience and thoughts on what eSports means to them!

Part One: Zwift eSports Ruleset Change Excludes Racers Under 16

When attempting to find the proper balance in this complex and complicated debate, it is essential to ask, “Are our kids worth it?”

New Science Suggests That You May be Able to Change the Type of Rider You (Think) You Are

By focusing your cycling training approach, you can change your muscles and eliminate your cycling weaknesses by causing muscle fiber adaptations.

Periodized Strength Training for Cyclists

Keep your body guessing, so it doesn’t get too comfortable by varying your strength training stress in a meaningful and focused way.

Breaking Bones in the Virtual World of Cycling

The tendency for cyclists to develop brittle bones can be avoided by following these tips.

Sprinting Stops Age-Related Muscle Loss in Virtual Cyclists

By including max efforts in your training, you will avoid losing muscle mass and strength.

Strength Training is Essential for the Senior Athlete and Masters Cyclist

Strength exercise is essential for the masters athlete to avoid the devastating effects of age-related muscle loss.

A Proper Cool-Down is Essential for the Virtual Cyclist

A dynamic cool-down is as important as a proper warm-up in optimizing performance and priming the system for your next race or workout.

Part Two-Rhabdomyolysis: A Hidden Risk of Virtual Cycling

Rhabdomyolysis is a severe health concern we can avoid by knowing the disease and how to prevent it.

Part One: Poor Indoor Air Quality – The Invisible Danger to the Virtual Cyclist

Training and racing in a fresh air environment is vital to our health and performance.

The Zom Preview for November 8th 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMbeez this week!

The Zom Preview for November 29th 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMbeez this week!

Core Strengthening Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist: The Dead Bug Exercise Series

Be the fly swatter and not the fly of your group ride by learning this essential core stabilizing exercise.

Coffee, Cycling, and Community: An Introduction

Coffee beans, Cycling, Espresso, Caffeine…need I say more?!?

Core Strengthening Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist: The Bridge Exercise Series

Bridge the gap between your trunk and the pedals by following this core strengthening progression.

Changing the Way You Breathe Will Make You a Better Cyclist

By perfecting your technique through practice on the bike you will breathe easier and get faster.

The Hardest Reset of All – How I Managed My Expectations after a Major Injury

Recovery from a major injury is a journey to be embraced, but not taken lightly.

Functional Strength Training for Cyclists

If you want more watts, do more squats!

The Zommuniqué Weekly Preview

See what we have coming this week to The Zommunique’!

DIRT Florida Meet-Up with Casey, Graham, and Billy

DIRT mates Graham and Billy show the new ‘Rida transplant how it is done.

Strength Training Terminology and other Basic Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist

Make the best training plan decisions with a solid understanding of these strength exercise basics.

Warm-Up Essentials for Virtual Cycling Success

By preparing yourself mentally and physically for optimal performance, a proper warm-up is critical to virtual cycling success. But why is the first mile so hard?

Team Italy XTRA League – A Mixed Categories Zwift Event That Gives Racers of All Abilities the Chance to Contribute the Team’s Success

With the option of mixed teams and racers assigned to their own category, and with the same score assigned across all the categories, the races are fun, all-inclusive, and the final results fair!

Controversy, What Controversy? The First Virtual No Saddle Century is This Monday, November 22nd, 2021!

Chad Tavernia will be riding 100 miles non-stop on rollers without a saddle. Yes, you heard correctly. He will be standing up the entire time!

The Zom Preview for September 27th 2021

This week we will be kicking off the Indoor Specialists season by highlighting the Virtual Cycling community. I hope you enjoy it!

The Virtual No Saddle Century is in the Books!

Chad Tavernia rode over 100 virtual miles on rollers in under five hours without taking a seat to drink or eat and became the first-ever to complete a Virtual No Saddle Century!

The Zom Preview for July 19th 2021

Coming to The Zom this week is a two-part feature you can’t afford to miss. Poor indoor air quality is a serious concern and one which can have an adverse effect on your health.

A Virtual Cyclist Reluctantly Takes a Vacation

My Active Cycling Vacation Tips for Balancing Family, Fun, Fitness, and Fear!

A Deep Dive with Cecilia Hansen

A candid chat with the esports great about how she got into cycling, her eracing story, and what separates her from the competition.

Jeff Rooney to Attempt 12 Hour World Record!!!

Another great VCN Interview with Jeff, and how to be a part of his world record attempt!

Virtual Case Study: Upper Body Pain While Riding

Arm and hand pain that worsens as you ride can be prevented by following these simple tips!

Virtual Case Study: Pain in the Ankle and Foot When Cycling

By following these bike fit, shoe choice, and muscle flexibility tips you can prevent ankle and foot pain from taking the fun out of your ride.

When His Life Took a Turn Jordan Bergeman Became the Motor and His Son Jeffrey Was the Motivation

This Zwifter turns to his virtual cycling community for the support and encouragement needed to achieve his son’s goal of competing in IRONMAN Wisconsin and the Boston Marathon.

Core Strengthening Essentials for Virtual Cyclists

Learn about your core and how strengthening it will improve your cycling performance.

The DIRT Digglers and ZSUNR Meet-Up For Their Version of a NO DROP Ride

Matt Yankow wasn’t content sweepin away in the cozy confines of his Ohio basement and ventured into Coach Joy territory. He also wasn’t content allowing Joy to stay on his wheel. Here’s how it went.

Get to Know Elite eSports Racer Liz Van Houweling

The ProVision eracer tells her virtual cycling story and how Zwift allowed her the opportunity to come out of retirement and compete on an elite level following the birth of her children.

The Zom Preview for October 11th 2021

Check out what we have for our loyal hive of ZOMBeez this week! What good is a warm-up without a great cool-down? What does esports mean to you? What does an elite female eracer REALLY eat to win? You will find the answers to these questions and...

Muscle Fiber Types and other Basic Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist

With an understanding of muscles and how they work, you will be able to make educated training decisions and maximize your virtual cycling potential.

DIRT Father meets DIRT GrandFather IRL – The History of DIRT Prequel

A two-hour breakfast meeting that only felt like 20 minutes and three years seemed almost the same way.

The Psoas Muscle…Pso Why is it Pso Important to the Cyclist?

The most important muscle in the cyclist’s body that you have never heard of!

Kinder Gentler Bike Racing Coms

Language is a powerful tool, especially when communicating with your cycling mates while racing when oppressive words and phrases have a tendency to just slip out.

Part Two: Poor Indoor Air Quality – The Invisible Danger to the Virtual Cyclist

Is my ‘Gain Cave’ doing me more harm than good? I decided to conduct an informal experiment to find out.

DIRT does Surrey Hills – IRL!

When DIRTs hit the hills, they do it right!

Strength Training Improves Endurance in Virtual Cyclists

Research strongly suggests, and fitness professionals agree that strengthening is essential to maximizing your endurance!

The Wattsberg 2021 DIRT Year in Review

Never before and never again will you hear the words, “400 W for ten minutes” sound so “matter of fact”!

Musings of the Curious Cyclist – Part Two: Does FTP Matter?

Challenging the validity of an accepted training metric and discussing alternatives.

Kevin Korenthal is Proof That Adversity and Calamity Has Its Purpose

Para-cyclist Kevin Korenthal considers virtual cycling a life-saver in providing him the strength to overcome a near-fatal accident.

Stretching Essentials for the Virtual Cyclist

Engaging in a consistent and carefully planned flexibility routine isn’t something that we should do ‘just because’, rather because it is the right thing to do!

Pete Butler Takes Strength From the DIRT Community to Propel Him to Second Place in the Florida RR Champs

Pete taught me everything I know about Zwift racing and much of what I know about a lot of other things.

ZMS Live Stream- Behind-the-Scenes

Damon Bates and his Crew are enhancing the virtual cycling experience through innovations in live stream viewing and interaction.

Musings of the Curious Cyclist – Part Three: Does FTP Matter?

Challenging the validity of an accepted training metric and discussing alternatives.

John Young is the First Individual with Dwarfism to Compete in an IRONMAN, and he’s also a DIRT

DIRT John Young doesn’t let dwarfism define him. Get a glimpse of what’s inside this remarkable man!

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The Zom Preview for October 18th 2021

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The DIRT Dad Fund

Drink Coffee and Do Good!

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