We're now somewhere in our sixth week of the "new normal" of COVID-19. With that, we've noticed a big trend upwards in attendance in our Zwift events; over 1,000 of you joined us last week across our nine events, including our highest-ever total of riders for the Rise & Grind. Well done, all. Welcome to the party.

This week, we continue our theme of heading back to our roots. Watopia is Zwift's original world, and although it frequently has the most riders in it, many routes are often overlooked. We're shining a spotlight on some of the lesser used routes this week that offers a bit of something for everyone over the course of their miles.

Ride of the Valkyries
The women's only structured training ride, our Tuesday bunch heads to a favorite of occasional guest lead Kelly Burns Gallagher: Sand and Sequioas. This route has a bit of everything: punchy climbs, a long KOM, and a drag race through Fuego Flats. However, you'll be overlaying it with this week's training workout -- no matter if you crank out 1.0 w/KG or 4.0 w/KG, the group will stay together. Keep those pedals moving and have fun.

Tuesday Structured Training
The original structured workout ride for our Slowtwitch Indoors series, it's the ride you'll most likely find Dan Empfield on throughout the week. Much like Ride of the Valkyries: everybody stays together so long as you keep the pedals moving. Drop out of ERG mode, dial down bias, whatever you've got to do to keep the pedals turning over. This week it also explores Sand and Sequioas.

Rise & Grind
The first of our two Thursday free-ride events, we'll be headed to Out and Back Again. This 26.1 mile route has a dash of everything: lots of flats, until it isn't. Climbing, until it goes back flat again. Staying with your group will be incredibly important as the double-draft effect really shows on these flatter courses. Be sure to be properly categorized. This week's ride team has Alex and Mark for the Bs, myself and Matt for the Cs, and Shaun leading the Ds. Over 250 of you joined us last week -- let's have some more fun this week!

Hilly Vanilli
Our only chase format ride, each group will spin for a specific period of time. The Ds will leave and ride for 65 minutes; the Cs ride for 60 minutes; the Bs spin on for 55 minutes. The goal? Finish all together in one big bunch at the end. This is another ride that's heading to Out and Back Again -- it's a route that should give the Ds a fighting chance to stay up the road from the Bs and Cs. Again, this ride is double-drafted: mind the gaps because once they open up, it gets tough to close back down again.

Casual Fridays
Our newest ride is a big hit! This Friday morning weekend-warm-up is another structured training workout; just keep pedaling and you'll stay banded with the big group. Our friends at Every Man Jack have begun supplementing workouts, which should dial down a touch of the intensity that you've seen the last couple of weeks. (When we say Casual, we mean Casual.) Come join us on Tempus Fugit: the fastest and flattest roads in all of Watopia.

Slowtwitch Indoors Runs

As always, we are on May Field for our three additional Slowtwitch Indoors runs of the week: tonight at 7 PM Eastern, and Wednesday at 7 AM and 7 PM Eastern, respectively. Each run is 30-35 minutes in length, and we all stay on the track together. May Field is a known hotspot for celebrity appearances on Zwift, including but not limited to defending Ironman World Champion Jan Frodeno. Join up and we'll see you in Watopia!