Rider to Racer by Jack Wade

I first got into group rides on Zwift pretty casually, it was a while ago now but the first ever community group ride I joined was ZZRC ride. After how much I enjoyed it I noticed other ZZRC rides and starting riding with ZZRC on the Sunday morning Progression Riders (PR) ride. At that point, I had zero experience racing on Zwift or in real life. The closest thing Id done to racing was completing the Tour of Zwift stages when I first signed up in January.

When someone told me the PR results were posted on Facebook, I joined the group. I quickly found myself regularly showing up to PR rides. I'm a pretty competitive person and once I saw there was a scoring system and I was actually getting onto the leader board, I was hooked.

Not long after, I noticed the Team Time Trial (TTT) being promoted by Andi on the Facebook group. A few of the regular PR riders were also doing the TTTs, and it looked like the next step if I wanted a challenge. I'll admit it : I was very nervous before my first TTT. I didn't know the format, the tactics or the expectations. I joined the Chimeras for my debut ride back at the start of June of this year, learned the basics, and got a feel for how it all worked. Soon after I moved up to the Griffins, where I've been since and I've just check, it turns out I've not missed a single week since I started! Now totalling 19 weeks of TTT's with ZZRC in a row!

Moving up to the Griffins was of course, a big step up. I knew some of the numbers these guys could put out, and it was a bit intimidating, but also appealing. I wanted to push myself. In those early weeks, I got dropped a few times but as the weeks ticked past, that became a much rarer occurrence. (Although I am known to still let out a 'I'm gonna drop' from time to time, even though I manage to hang on. ) The important part though, I was improving both in the stats and in the amount I could contribute to the team. What's kept me coming back is the motivation that comes from riding with some of the best in ZZRC .

There's a saying that rings true: "It never gets easier, you just get faster." Riding with such a strong team has pushed me to focus more on my fitness. I've gone from being "decent" because I rode a lot... to someone who trains with purpose. I eat healthier, structure my sessions, and barely drink anymore (Okay, barely might be a stretch) all with the goal of being stronger for the TTT (and PR rides, of course).

If you're on the fence about joining a TTT team, don't be. It's and incredible way to improve and have fun while doing it. And don't be afraid of joining a faster team. Those power numbers might look scary on paper, but the beauty of TTT is the draft: you can hold lower numbers at the back, learn the ropes, and build strength over time. Before long, you'll be taking your own strong pulls at the front. And honestly, who doesn't love smashing PBs on different courses with your team pulling you along at break neck speed? There's nothing quite like that feeling of flying in formation, legs burning, and everyone giving it their all. Joining the TTT team has been one of the best things I've done on Zwift. If you're thinking about it, just do it. You'll be amazed at how far you can go.