Power Profile with Warren Muir

I caught up with a former road racing teammate and Canadian Zwift National Champion, Warren Muir, to hear his insights on indoor training and the application of power meters. While balancing a full time job as an X-Ray Technician, Warren is one of the strongest time-trialists in the country, winner of multiple Alberta Provincial Champions and a top-tier Zwift racing with Team DRAFT. Warren has had great success, both indoors and outdoors, with his 4iiii PRECISION Pro Powermeter.

Here’s what Warren had to say on riding and racing in the age of power meters:

How long have you been using a power meter?

I have been using a power meter since 2013. I currently use a 4iiii PRECISION Pro set-up.

Do you use a heart rate monitor in conjunction with it?

Yes, I use a Viiiiva heart rate monitor with my power meter, it’s a good tool to see how your body is adapting to training and monitor fatigue. In E-Sports (Zwift) it is mandatory to wear an HR monitor for verification and transparency.

What have you learned about yourself as a rider as a result using a power meter?

Using power I have learned a lot about my maximum limits in racing. I’ve used that data and applied it to my training, for example, if I did a race that I was able to do 360w for 30 mins, I will create interval sessions like 3x10 mins @ 365w or 2x15 mins @ 365 to try to increase those limits.

How has your 4iiii power meter been an important tool for you?

I’ve raced in the Zwift Premier League, Zwift invitational events, and won the Zwift Canadian Nation Championship. It’s important to have an accurate power meter in these events and it’s mandatory to dual record your smart trainer and another power meter. There are also testing sessions of your best 15sec , 1min , 4min , 7min and 12min powers, which are dual recorded and filmed. I have used a few different power meters, but 4iiii for me has been the most accurate and had the best connectivity. I have been using a 4iiii dual-sided power meter for 2-3 years now and dual recorded over 130 events on Zwiftpower.com.

It’s also important to me to have the same power data from indoors to outdoors, having the 4iiii I get reliable data in both environments.

What kind of workouts do you enjoy most vs find the hardest?

I enjoy doing long threshold intervals 2× 20min or 3× 10min at FTP (350w). My least favorite work would be 12× 30sec at 205% of FTP (Zwift work out “the Wringer”).

Do you incorporate power/heart rate for recovery rides, how so?

Indoors, in the winter, I will use ergo mode in conjunction with my 4iiii as it helps me keep my power in a specific zone for proper recovery.

When did you get into Zwifting, what do you like about it?

I started Zwifting in 2016. I like the competition and challenge during the colder months of the year. Lots of times racing outside, races become very tactical and everyone is waiting and watching one another. I find with the racing on Zwift, you’re able to challenge yourself without having to wait for tactics to unfold. The races can be as or more challenging than some of the top pro criteriums in Canada physically. I love pushing myself to the limit and Zwift racing does that!

How do you use power data when racing on Zwift?

One of my favorite events on Zwift is the team time trial. We rotate doing 30-sec turns on the front at 6-6.5W/kg . The use of a power meter is vitally important in keeping pulls consistent.

How do you find racing on Zwift compared to outdoor racing, in terms of physical demands?

The Zwift races have high overall power vs outside races are a lot more on the power / off the power, both are hard in their own way.

What numbers are you paying attention to when racing and/or post race analysis?

When I’m racing I will look at the course and see where the selective part of the race will be, then I will look at the power numbers I have done previously to be competitive. Post race I’m looking at how my 4iiii dual recorded power matches up for transparency. I also like to look at normalized power to see how hard the race was and my max power in the sprint (15 sec).

What are some of the memorable races and/or you’ve done on Zwift?

Most notable and/or memorable would include winning the Zwift Canadian National Championship, beating Mathieu van der Poel in an invitational event, multiple top 5’s in the TTT Zwift Premier League, being part of the fastest group to complete a 100km ride on Zwift and also the community aspect of building a friendship with my DRAFT teammates.

What changes have you noticed with Zwift racing as it grows in popularity?

There is more and more competition as Zwift has grown, athletes from all different athletic backgrounds have been able to show their fitness. It’s a platform that is made up of more than just cyclists. The world champion is an Olympic rower! *A new world champion has been crowned since this interview, former Zwift Academy winner Jay Vine.

What tips would you offer to new Zwifters in terms of their “pain-cave” set up?

Have a really good fan for cooling and a reliable power meter!!

What tips would you offer to new Zwifters in terms of racing?

Join an event and practice staying in the draft. The great thing is there are multiple events every hour to learn. Save the aero power up for the sprint!