An eight-week structured plan, built with Vekta using AI and years of real training data. Three rides a week, three start times a day, starting Monday 9 November.
The Mountain Massif structured training events, live on Zwift from 9 November
Every rider knows the feeling. Life gets busy, the hours on the bike slip away, and one day you look at your numbers and realise you are a long way from your best. That is exactly where I found myself this autumn. So I did something about it, and I want you to join me.
From Monday 9 November, Mountain Massif is running a brand-new series of 24 structured training sessions on Zwift. It is an eight-week plan with three sessions a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and every session is open to everyone, whatever your level.
Built from real data, in collaboration with Vekta
This isn’t a generic plan pulled off a shelf. Working in collaboration with Vekta, I used AI and more than 15 years of my own training data to build it: what has worked before, where my fitness has dropped the most, and how my body has responded when I have rebuilt in the past. The result is a progressive programme that targets the things that make you stronger on a climb: your sustainable power, your VO2max and your strength when the road kicks up.
Every session is written as a percentage of FTP and ridden in ERG mode, so the targets scale to you automatically. Whether your FTP is 150 W or 350 W, each session will be pitched at exactly the right intensity.
How the eight weeks work
Each day of the week has a clear job:
- Monday, threshold and sweet spot: raising the power you can sustain for long climbs.
- Wednesday, VO2max: short, hard efforts that raise the ceiling on your fitness.
- Friday, climbing strength: big-gear work, tempo with surges, over-unders and, in week 7, a full mountain race simulation.
The plan follows a proven shape: three weeks of building, a lighter recovery week, three more weeks building to a peak, and a final week that sharpens you up for a test. It starts with the Base Camp Ramp Test and finishes with the Summit Ramp Test on New Year’s Day, so you will see exactly how far you have climbed. No session is longer than an hour.
When to ride
Every session runs three times a day, so wherever you are in the world there is a start time that works for you:
| 6:15am GMT | 6:15pm GMT | 6:15pm MST |
| Before work in the UK and Europe | After work in the UK and Europe | Evening in North America |
All the events run on the Tempus Fugit route in Watopia: flat, fast and perfect for structured work. Finish a session and you will unlock the Mountain Massif jersey.
The full schedule
Click a session to see it on Zwift and sign up. The links below shows the start times for the 6:15AM GMT session. To pick your session visit https://mountainmassif.com/training/
| Week | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| Week 1 Foundations | Base Camp Ramp Test 9 Nov · 39 min · fitness test | Foothills Openers 11 Nov · 58 min · VO2max intro | Valley Tempo 13 Nov · 57 min · tempo |
| Week 2 Build | Sweet Spot Switchbacks 16 Nov · 58 min · sweet spot | Hairpin Bends 18 Nov · 51 min · VO2max | Big Gear Grind 20 Nov · 60 min · muscular endurance |
| Week 3 Build | Col de Sweet Spot 23 Nov · 55 min · sweet spot | Steep Ramps 25 Nov · 51 min · VO2max | Over-Unders on the Massif 27 Nov · 56 min · threshold |
| Week 4 Recovery | Rest Day Rolls 30 Nov · 38 min · recovery | Easy Openers 2 Dec · 48 min · recovery | Endurance Cruise 4 Dec · 60 min · endurance |
| Week 5 Strength | Threshold Traverse 7 Dec · 55 min · threshold | Summit Surges 9 Dec · 53 min · VO2max | Tempo with Kicks 11 Dec · 58 min · tempo + surges |
| Week 6 Peak build | Threshold Climb 14 Dec · 60 min · threshold | Micro Bursts 40-20 16 Dec · 55 min · VO2max | Over-Under Ridge 18 Dec · 57 min · threshold |
| Week 7 Peak | The Long Climb 21 Dec · 52 min · sweet spot to threshold | VO2 Ladder 23 Dec · 49 min · VO2max | Mountain Race Simulation 25 Dec · 55 min · race sim |
| Week 8 Sharpen and test | Sharpen the Edge 28 Dec · 49 min · sweet spot + openers | Pre-Summit Openers 30 Dec · 45 min · openers | Summit Ramp Test 1 Jan · 39 min · fitness test |
How to join
- Join the Mountain Massif club on Zwift (link below). Club members see every event first.
- Sign up for the sessions you want to ride, using the links in the schedule above or the Zwift Companion app.
- Set your FTP in Zwift before the Base Camp Ramp Test on Monday 9 November, or simply let the test set it for you.
- Ride in ERG mode on a smart trainer. If an effort is too hard, lower the workout bias rather than stopping.
Ride it with us
I will be riding these sessions myself, chasing my way back towards my best, and I would love you to be part of it. Ride all 24 or drop in when you can. Whether you are building fitness for spring, getting back after time off, or just want structured riding with good company, there is a place for you.
See you on the start line on Monday 9 November. Never stop climbing.
Links
Join the Mountain Massif club on Zwift: https://www.zwift.com/clubs/mountainmassif/home
Week 1 sessions: Base Camp Ramp Test · Foothills Openers · Valley Tempo
Record your training and chart your progress with Vekta: https://joinvekta.com/
Safety note: only undertake vigorous exercise if you are fit and healthy to do so. If you are at all unsure, consult a doctor first. All equipment, including bikes and turbo trainers, should be in full working order.
