Nathaniel Dirks Official Coach Thread
Here's your personal Coach Thread, as promised. This is where you'll return to post all your "coach" questions as responses; I'll see them and reply. This first post is here to guide you through your first year on EN, so you can always come back here.
As you'll see in this forum, I handle all manner of edits and changes. So post away, know that I reply here usually M/W/F each week.
Power User Tip: Click the Star icon by the Title of this thread to subscribe, and you'll get email updates when I do reply.
Your Notes
• IM 70.3 Boulder on 08/05/2017 was my first long course type triathlon. I flew in from Pittsburgh the day before, on a road bike, with severe altitude affects, finished in exactly 5 hours 30 minutes. 2017 has been my first year doing triathlons. I have done a few sprints and olympics in the Pittsburgh area and am usually getting a USA triathlon score of about 80. I did not peak for any of these events but was just trying to get some experience and have fun. I have been running 15 miles a week on average for the last 12 months.
Your Races
- 04/08/18 IM 70.3 Florida (B)
- 06/24/18 IM 70.3 Mont Tremblant (B)
- 08/12/18 IM 70.3 Steelhead (A)
Season Outline
These are your recommended training plans, including the date you should start each one (sometimes you won’t complete a full plan but transition to another one). You can change your plans on the Training Plan page by clicking the Move / Change button. Learn more about each plan on the Training Plan Central Page.
- Last updated by Coach on 09/20/2017
- Complete the Trial Testing Week, save your Bike and Run Zones to the My Zones Page.
- On 9/18/2017 Follow the Template Trial Week to end on 9/24/2017
- On 9/18/2017 Load the -- Run Durability 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 10/15/2017
- On 10/16/2017 Load the -- Run Durability 2 (8 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 11/12/2017
- On 10/30/2017 Load the Intermediate OutSeason / Run Durability Plan, 14wks to end on 2/4/2018
- On 2/5/2018 Load the -- Swim Camp to end on 2/18/2018
- On 2/19/2018 Load the Intermediate EN*Half to end on 04/08/2018
- On 4/9/2018 Load the -- Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 4/22/2018
- On 4/23/2018 Load the Intermediate EN*Half to end on 08/12/2018
- On 8/13/2018 Load the -- Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 8/26/2018
- On 8/27/2018 Load the -- Run Durability 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 9/23/2018
- On 9/24/2018 Load the -- Run Durability 2 (8 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 10/21/2018
Coach Notes
Nathaniel, great to have you on the Team!! Here's what I have for you (above)...a start with Run Durability Plan before heading into November OutSeason Plan. You'll exit into Swim Camp to recover and do a short build via the Half Plan into Florida. One more recovery period, then we start training you for Steelhead using the Half Plan plan again, but you and I can make modifications as we go along! First things first is to lock in your RDP!
Contact Points
These are all the key points in your first year where we must talk. You can schedule all calls with me for these times online here. Please remember to include your phone number.
- Welcome Call in Week One (set it up here)
- Coach Call in Week Two to talk about your season (set it up here)
- End of Trial Call -- We review your experience & Unlock Year One / Race Execution for you (set it up here)
- End of Season Call -- We review your year & Strategize for your “gap” and Year Two (to be announced)
For short or last minute questions, we recommend you use the Red Chat Icon on the main Members website.
We have also organized a complete chart of the best ways to contact us online here.
Your First Month on the Team
You have quite a few things to do when you start up. There are instructions on the top of the website, but you can review them under Resources / 0-- First 30 Days on EN. If you have any trouble, don’t hesitate to reach out via the chat icon on the main Members website here.
Your First Year Inside Endurance Nation
RACE EXECUTION and how we can help you get faster by being smarter on race day. There are no medals for great swims or getting to the top of a hill first — on race day only your finish time counts. There are many ways of being faster, and here are some of the resources we have to help you out.
- The Four Keys of Race Execution Video: The Coaches walk you through the macro level elements of a successful race.
- Distance Specific Guidance: Learn the fundamentals of racing Short Course and Long Course events, from each discipline to pacing zones, etc.
- Race Specific Pages: We have aggregated information on specific races from the internet, race reports and even our own coaching resources. You can find your race Master Racing Page section.
- The Race Forums: You can search for race reports or connect with your teammates. There are sections for 70.3, 140.6, and Marathons.
Your Homework
Tell Us Why You Choose EN & Your Season Goals
- Please reply below with WHY you chose Endurance Nation and WHY you train/compete.
- Whenever possible, please identify your goals -- time, body composition, completion...the sooner you put them down the sooner we can get towards achieving them.
Looking forward to working with you this year,
~ Coach P
Comments
1) I am still getting an error when I try to move/change plans and cannot access the run durability plan.
2) I have attached my 2018 training plan to make this easier. I am not sure about doing 70.3 Florida anymore with it being so early in the season and long outdoor rides potentially being difficult. Or maybe you think it would still be a good one. As of today, the races in 2018 I am registered for are 70.3 Mont Tremblant and Savageman 70. I am trying to choose between 70.3 Steelhead, 70.3 Ohio, Rev3 Pocono or something else if you feel it fits my season better.
Also I have a Wahoo Kickr so I can train indoors during the winter.
In all seriousness, doing Florida early in your dinner really extends the four window of your training and racing experience. You will be looking at 4 1/2 months of some flavor of training to race. If you forgot or Florida, then your training will overlap between the new race and likely savageman.
IOW, it would be a single plan with an accommodation for the new race. This doesn’t mean that you’re not actually going to resend, but it does mean a much more manageable window size.
I think your autocorrect might have changed a few of the words here. I'm having a hard time understanding these two paragraphs:
"In all seriousness, doing Florida early in your dinner really extends the four window of your training and racing experience. You will be looking at 4 1/2 months of some flavor of training to race. If you forgot or Florida, then your training will overlap between the new race and likely savageman.
IOW, it would be a single plan with an accommodation for the new race. This doesn’t mean that you’re not actually going to resend, but it does mean a much more manageable window size."
Could you please explain this a little more clearly for me?
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Quick question for you. I first became interested in Endurance Nation when I watched a video about the run durability program. In that video, I think it was from 2015, it mentioned about finding your previous years average weekly mileage and starting out with say 5 runs a week, all at TRP. After 4 weeks upping each run by 0.5 miles, and again after another 4 weeks to safely increase base weekly mileage.
That intrigued me to join, and now that I'm a member and doing the run durability program it is completely different and way harder. My previous weekly average has been 15 miles per week. Based on the run durability (9 months out), with only 4 runs per week, I am averaging around 21 miles per week and with some intensity on Tuesday. When I move up to the Run durability (8 months) the mileage increases to over 26 miles per week.
Both of these numbers are well above my current level of fitness. How are people doing these run durability programs as prescribed with current base weekly mileages of 15 miles or less?
Finally, my vDOT is significantly different for different distances. My 5k Vdot is 43 while my half marathon vdot is 38 (maybe 39 because it was a hilly HM). I felt the Z4 intervals and also TRP in my first week of run durability were too hard at a 43 vdot. What do you suggest?
1) We can dial back your running by dropping a run...
OR
2) We can remove the intensity on the FTP run.
Before we decide, can you confirm when you tested the 5k? Was it when you started with us (current fitness) or a number from earlier in the year?
The difference in vDOTs isn't abnormal...but let's see what your answer is above!
~ Coach P