Workout Clarification [Feedback Please]
One of the biggest issues new members have with EN is how confusing the workouts are. While we do have our own language, I agree that we can improve how EN workouts "read"...so I am proposing some edits. You can see pre / post from this Sunday Ride workout from the 2016 EN*Full ADV plan....please let me know what else you think we could improve regarding workout clarity. Thanks!!
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Comments
1. Does the "tool tip" show up on a smart phone?
2. I know that early on, it confused me when the time in the workout itself didn't add up to the time in the upper right corner. Maybe change the wording on the upper right corner to say something like "approximately 180 min."
or use that little squiggle sign that's in the swim workouts for the total distance (which also is just an approx)
Now that we have some guidance on the "split run" in the wiki, I'd suggest adding a link to it on the days in the plan where they occur.
Hey Patrick,
Very good update, especially the tool tip. Especially for those who don't have pace and power numbers memorized, it would be great to hover over a wko and see that, today, I have to go run 8:38's or hold 195w for 2x20. If you feel really motivated, you could "improve" the swim workouts in a couple of ways.
First, I don't write out swim workouts, I don't print them and I don't carry my phone/iPad to the pool. So, if I can't easily memorize it, I end up taking one of the main sets that I can memorize and hack the rest. Or I just take the "theme" of the workout and hack it entirely. Most of Rich's swim wko's are straightforward and easy to memorize, but everyone once in a while I hit one with lots of moving parts, especially with different rest intervals. For example, I really like the below gear-building swim, but I'm way too stupid to memorize it (even if I do think I have it memorized, I'll forget the rest intervals on the drive to the pool, the rest of it before MS3):
WU: 400.
MS1: 12 x 100 (15"), as 50 Sprint, 50 Easy. Set Total: 1200
MS2: 6 x 200 (20"), Negative split. Set Total: 1200
MS3: 4 x 300 (30") Last 100 of each is @ T-pace minus 2-4". Set Total: 1200
CD: 300 easy.
Total: ~4300
So, I would just simpli-hack this into something like, "10x100 fast/slow + 10x200 descend, both on std 20 sec rest." But, again, I may be the only one on the team with 2nd grade memorization skills, so this may be N/A for everyone but me.
Second, a lot of folks get confused as to whether "T-pace minus 2-4 sec" means take my 1:30 TP and literally subtract 4 seconds to get 1:26 or does "minus" mean 4 seconds slower, or 1:34. "Faster" and "slower" would eliminate any such confusion/doubt.
Finally, it would be great to add a swim test section to the zone page and let us input the results of either the TP test (1000 straight) or CSS test (400/200) and store that threshold pace info. Best of class would be to hover over Rich's "3 seconds faster than TP pace" wko out see a 1:27. At that point, world domination would be inevitable.
Just a thought on this.... I take the swim wko's and
1) copy and paste them to word, 2) change the font size to 14, 3) format and print them. I would love to be able to click "Print wko" and have something go to my printer that has already done this.
X100 ^this^
Please don't be shy with the feedback.
~ Coach P
Can we get a "subject" next to the weekly podcast & video (change the name to "IM Plan Week 12- Testing") or put a description in the Monday workout that summarizes the subject of the weekly podcast/video? Sometimes I'm trying to find a podcast to re-watch based on specific topic and it's a guessing game to figure out which week has that topic. Another alternative would be a table of contents for all the plan weekly video/podcasts in the wiki.
Would love to be able to download wko plans to a calendar format like TP or Google Calendar .... This would enable us to re-arrange via , drag and drop any wko to another day within the week , or another week , deleted if unwanted , and bonus points if we can open them and edit them....I know its a lot to ask for but I spent a few years at EN with tues/weds and weds/thurs as my weekends , mixed with lots of shift work , it was pretty hard to visualize changes unless I rewrote them on a calendar... I have it easy schedule wise now but I think this would be huge for those with challenged schedules.
Way late to this party d/t galivanting around California last week... I personally resist the use of Zones, and RPE phrasing. Way too hard for me to comprehend when O2 deprived. I much prefer %'s - they are straightforward as far as my mind works. I've been doing this for a couple of decades now, and still get confused by Zone 1/2/3/4 as to just what it means, whereas IF on the bike and pace on the run seem like second nature to me. But adaptability is one of my strengths, so I can deal with just about anything you throw out.
Also, I like the way the swim workouts are phrased - I understand the shorthand implicitly, maybe it's sunk in after 55 years of going back and forth in the pool. Funny how everybody's brain works differently.
As for the other changes, some of them are small, some of them are incredibly huge. Some are technology related...others are IP releated. But all get at the same basic premise -- workouts that are easier for you to use. We are definitely committed to that...so let's get through this first round of edits and continue the dialogue!
Thanks Coach Patrick for demystifying the esoteric language to something less intimidating!
@ Tim - I hear your pain. In Dubai our weekends are Friday/Saturday so I am always shifting around the schedule.