Connie Lutkevich 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
My current fitness is fair (Intermediate Level). I recently had an injury in August and am up to 40miles/week of running. I haven't biked regularly or swam much (besides going to the beach) in years (since 2013). I do crossfit every morning (5 days a week) with my husband and want to keep doing that (it's our only time out together). I turn 50 in January and have been missing triathlon and am hoping to get back to it. Decided I need help.
- 2017 Mauna2Mauna stage race Hawaii - 160 miles over 6 days in May 2017 (first event in a few years)
- 2017 Spartan Ultrabeast August 4
- 2015 Honolulu Marathon 3:4?
- 2013 Ironman Canada Whistler 11:30
- 2013 Half Ironman Hawaii 5:28
- 2012 Ironman Cozumel 11:22
Your Races
- 05/12/2018 Ironman® Santa Rosa
- 5/19 and 20/18 Spartan Race Beast and Sprint for fun with kids
- 8/25/18 Spartan Race Ultra (50k plus obstacles)
- 9/1/18 Waikki Roughwater Swim (2.4miles)
- 9/2/18 Kauai Marathon
- 9/23-29/18 Grand to Grand Stage running race (170 miles over 6 stages)
- 11/17/18 IM Malaysia or possibly Coz
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 10/18/2017
- Complete the Trial Testing Week, save your Bike and Run Zones to the My Zones Page.
- On 10/30/2017 Load the Intermediate OutSeason 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*Full to end on 5/12/2018
- On 5/13/2018 Load the -- Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 6/9/2018
- On 6/10/2018 Load the Ultra Plan (onnect with Coach Patrick to talk about training for the second half of your season).
- On 8/29/2018 Load the Intermediate EN*Full to end on 11/17/18
- On 11/18/2018 Load the -- Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 12/8/2018
Coach Links & Notes
- Ultrarunning Resource Page here
- Epic Forum here, with Gabe Petersen "Bear 100" Ultra Race Report
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
Let me know what you think!!!
~ Coach P
Biking Strength: This is your top priority this winter, as the turn around time to Santa Rosa is fairly short after the OutSeason® ends. So we have to get on the trainer and start pounding out some of our intervals. You should see some fairly good progress from Week 1 to Week 14 of the OS, so let's keep track of it!
Swim Consistency: Let me know about the swim plan so you can get to the pool in the Winter. We do have a discount with Roka, which might help. That can be found in the Store / Team Discounts section.
Running in the Winter: Don't worry about run intensity if your "cow knee" is bothering you
the OS is still effective even without the run intervals.
Please set up another call with me online here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min for Mid-November (let me know if none of those slots work) so we can make sure you are on track!
~ Coach P
Swim plan sounds good!!
~ Coach P
So, I gave up on swimming this winter. Too cold. The pool is 71 degrees so I said enough.
Question, I was looking at the Heads and Tails document and I'm not sure where to put data. No one else had anything on there so I thought I'd share my data with you here from the trial bike testing and the week 5 bike test.
Trial week my VO2 watts were 170 and FTP of 136
Last week my VO2 watts were 190 and FTP of 150
I feel like I'm getting stronger but today I did the 2x15 minutes in zone 4 and had a hard time with the new watts. I figured it will just take a few weeks to get there. Thoughts?
As for running, my "cow knee" injury is all better but now anytime I run harder than about trp pace my left hamstring/glute becomes painful and it gets hard to pick up my leg. If I slow down the pain goes away. I have been stretching which makes it feel better. I was going to continue to run but slow down if I feel any pains. Does that sound reasonable?
Thanks,
Connie
n I am OK with you not swimming right now, we simply don’t have a need to do it. If you wanted to replace it with a little bit more upper body strength/core work that’s fine. But not required!
I know you are now in month three, but we are implementing some new stuff and I did not want you to miss out on the month two stuff.
Welcome to your SECOND MONTH inside Endurance Nation!
To help you continue your progress, we have a few short questions for you. You can copy the questions and put your answers in your reply to this thread (no need to copy the questions, just keep the numbers the same!).
** Rankings **
Please rate the following items on a Scale of 1 to 3 (1 = Unsatisfactory, 2 = Satisfactory, 3 = Great!):
Swim Fitness:
Bike Fitness:
Run Fitness:
Weight / Body Composition:
** Subjective Information **
What is Your Biggest Improvement So Far?
In What Area Do You Need Additional Support?
Would You Recommend Endurance Nation to a Friend?
** Additional Learning **
Now that we are beyond the initial learning curve of Endurance Nation, it's time to give deeper into some additional resources that can really help you out.
You have several options:
Learn Big in our Video Course Section, where Coach Patrick is building our new library of EN Video Lessons to make sure you are 100% up to speed on our most critical topics.
Learn Quick in the Question and Answer Central, where your fellow teammates work together to give you the best possible answer to your questions (one at a time please)!
Learn Deep by Exploring the EN Wiki, the repository of all things taught and learned by EN. There is more info in there than you could read in a year, so pace yourself! Worst case scenario, go to the All Pages section and use "Control +F" on your keyboard to search for the most relevant article.
** Need Coach Input? **
Don’t forget you can schedule a check in call with Coach Patrick online here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
We are looking forward to your answers!
Welcome to your THIRD MONTH inside Endurance Nation!
This month we focus on helping you become more independent as part of your growth as a Self-Coached Athlete. Whether you are planning your season, preparing to race or transitioning to a new endurance challenge...Team Endurance Nation is ready to help!
If you haven’t done so already, please set up your Month Three Coach Call here.
** Training Focus **
We consider anytime in your season when you are more than 12 weeks away from your event to be a training focus. There are different phases of training (OutSeason®, General Prep, Sport Specific), but they are fall under the same umbrella.
Now that you are through your first two months of Endurance Nation, You have learned a few key “rules” of how we play the game, and you are ready to take charge of your experience.
Training Lesson Recap:
No single workout is more important than your health, or your season goal.
Prioritize your “key” workouts each week, then fill the rest of your space.
We can always fix over rested. We can’t fix broken, exhausted or sick.
Have a specific goal for each training block - what is the desired end state?
Taking Charge:
You should be comfortable moving your own workouts around at this point.
You can change plan ability levels as needed to keep yourself on track.
You can use the Test Week at any time to confirm a fitness change.
If you want to take a different path that we suggest...do it and keep us posted!
** Racing Focus **
Once you are within the final 12 week window to your event, it’s time to really focus. From key workouts to nutrition to logistics, there’s a great deal to cover. There’s a fine line between a great day and a day where you want a total do-over.
Key components of your final push should include:
Simulation Workouts to replicate the mental, physical and nutritional scenario you expect on race day.
A tried and true nutrition plan for your event; this is your last chance to lock it in!
Draft and review of a Race Plan to make sure you are 100% ready to take this on.
Optional rest as needed, and a defined taper in the last two to three weeks as necessary.
13 Weeks out from your race you should be getting a race preparation email and an invitation to GroupMe - if you haven’t gotten that yet - let us know!
** Additional Support **
In addition to The Forums and other Team-related support, you still have the chance to connect with Coach Patrick across your first year. Right now it’s time for your three month call with Coach Patrick; and you can book it here.
Tip: Find all your other call windows across your first year, please visit the EN Staff page.
Be sure to check out our Three Year Plan in Resources / Wiki so you can see how we recommend improving from season to season.
Coach Phone Consults
If you are looking for support above and beyond the traditional Endurance Nation experience, you can book a consult with Coach Patrick. These are billed at $100/hour and Can be on almost any training or racing topic. Please click here to learn more / get started.
Congratulations for moving forward with you training as you build to your race goals. We can’t wait to see what you are capable of this season!
Please rate the following items on a Scale of 1 to 3 (1 = Unsatisfactory, 2 = Satisfactory, 3 = Great!):
Swim Fitness: 1
Bike Fitness: 2
Run Fitness: 1 (dealing with an injury)
Weight / Body Composition: 2
** Subjective Information **
What is Your Biggest Improvement So Far? Bike power!! Thank you so much.
In What Area Do You Need Additional Support? I haven't been swimming but I know it's coming in the next week or so. I guess I'm just nervous about this.
Would You Recommend Endurance Nation to a Friend? For sure but I don't have many triathlete friends.
BTW my bike FTP started at 132 and last test was 162 so I'm happy with that.
5/12/18 IMSR
5/19 and 20/18 Spartan Race Beast and Sprint for fun with kids
8/25/18 Spartan Race Ultra (50k plus obstacles)
9/1/18 Waikki Roughwater Swim (2.4miles)
9/2/18 Kauai Marathon
9/23-29/18 Grand to Grand Stage running race (170 miles over 6 stages)
11/17/18 IM Malaysia or possibly Coz
Good talking the other day...and thanks for the races...I have updated your Roadmap above, and I think it's still pretty straightforward. We'll want to talk to confirm what it means to train for your 50k, but we can focus on that past IM Santa Rosa, which is your current top priority.
I am excited about your bike fitness gains, but we want to keep your run rolling along as well. Nothing sexy here on the run, a good baseline level of miles is your best run asset heading into an IM. So we don't need to worry so much about running fast (esp with your hamstring) but you can use use rolling terrain to make things more challenging once you have adapted to your baseline run levels.
Finally, I encourage you to use those dirt roads as well, just for variety and to prepare you for the trail running later in the year!
I finished IMSR!! Went pretty well for the first IM in over 5 years. Definite room for improvement. Anyways, I have finalized my second half of 2018.
My A races are:
9/23-29/18 Grand to Grand Stage running race (170 miles over 6 stages) and then
12/8-12/9 Spartan Ultra 24 hour obstacle course race in Iceland (24 hour obstacle course race around a 5-8 mile loop)
I have loaded the post IM 4 week plan and I am thinking to load the ultra plan after that for my stage race and then redo it again for the Spartan 24 hour. Let me know your thoughts or if I should do something different?
Thanks for all the help.
Connie
We can do that here the forms, or feel like you can set up a call with here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
Enjoy the recovery!