Steve Theobald 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
I am new to Ironman. I did a half (Eagleman) about 8 years ago and have only dabbled in olympic distance events since. Historically I have been mostly a runner, with 13 marathons including Boston twice. My last significant endurance event was as an ultra division competitor at the Ragnar Cape Cod relay in May of this year. My last marathon was about 3 years ago and due to a left calf strain my endurance running has been more limited. I am running 4 to 6 miles 3 to 4 times a week currently. I am doing Peloton spin classes 4 times per week and doing a long ride (45 to 50 miles) once per week. My Eagleman experience was not great (probably why I have waited 8 years to do this!) due to poor nutrition, lack of sufficient training and general ineptitude on the bike. However, I feel I have a decent base of fitness and am looking forward to putting in the work to continue to learn and improve.
Your Races
- Ironman Maryland (2018-09-29)
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 11/28/2017
- On 11/27/2017 Load the -- Run Durability 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 12/24/2017
- On 12/25/2017 Load the -- Run Durability 2 (8 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 1/21/2018
- On 1/8/2018 Load the Intermediate OutSeason (Run Focus) Plan, 14wks to end on 4/15/2018
- On 4/16/2018 Load the -- Swim Camp to end on 4/29/2018
- On 4/30/2018 Load the Intermediate Get Faster Training Plan, 10wks to end on 7/8/2018
- On 7/9/2018 Load the Intermediate EN*Full to end on 9/24/2018
- On 9/25/2018 Load the -- Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 10/22/2018
- On 10/23/2018 Load the -- Run Durability 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 11/19/2018
Coach Notes
Steve, great to meet you and I look forward to our Coach Call: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min I live in RI, so plenty of Cape time here for us, can't imagine the ultra!!!! 
We don't need run speed to be successful at an Ironman®, but we do need run consistency. 4 x 6 mile runs is great for this time of year...we don't want much more than that; but we'll start working in the bike (Peloton is great, you don't need 4 classes per se...do you have a trainer at home you can ride your bike on?).
Please load up your first plan ^above^ and let's start laying the foundation for what we'll do in the OutSeason®. Please join us in the Run Durability Program (RDP) chat group: Run Durability on GroupMe so you can meet the team.
Looking forward to our call!
Coach Homework
Tell Me Your Season Goals
- What will make you consider 2018 a success?
- What's your biggest limiter right now?
Contact Points
As part of your journey to becoming a Self Coached Triathlete inside TeamEN, we are prepared to give you excellent support for your first 90 days. Our goal is to transition you from live, in-person support to using our digital resources and the Team to help you continue your progress as you execute your Three Year Plan.
These are all the key points in your first year where we must talk. 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 (TBD in this Coach Thread)
Questions
• Coach Questions - Right here in this thread. Always reply to this same thread, it keeps a record for us as we evolve together!
• General Questions - Simple stuff can go to the Q & A Central Forum for the Team to answer. For example, Best Bike? How to improve run cadence? How to flip turn?
• Need Help? - Please check the EN Help Site first!
• Admin Questions - Billing or orders or whatnot? Use the red chat button at the bottom of the Members Site (not forums) or email us here.
• Specific Questions about a Race or Power, etc? - You can post those into the targeted forum for that topic. Power questions to the Power and Pace Forum. Race questions to your specific race forum, etc. Not sure where to post? Put it in the General Discussion forum and we’ll sort it out. Whatever you do, PLEASE ask your questions!!
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 / Trial Member Welcome.
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.
Looking forward to working with you this year,
~ Coach P
Comments
this all looks awesome. I can’t wait to dive in!
i do have an indoor trainer set up (Wahoo Kckr snap) and a subscription to TrainerRoad that I also use when the weather gets bad here. The Peloton was a new toy for the house and I have enjoyed it but figured I would be spending quality time with the trainer too.
talk to you in a couple of weeks,
steve
https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
~ Coach P
Really excited to help you turn your Eagleman experience on its head...as I mentioned, we have a ton of stuff to help you out. If you haven't already done so, check out the Ironman Maryland page under Resources / Master Racing Pages
With bike being the biggest area of improvement, let's make sure you are on the Bike Focused OutSeason® Plan this year so we can get that rolling. We still don't want any "flashy running" in the OS outside of the one quality session per week...it's not work it (and minding your calf anyway).
As for your scheduling, I mentioned the Minimalist Plans. These are options for you when you choose a plan and they really just keep the final 8 to 12 weeks dialed in to the "most required" stuff. Something to think about!
When you are ready, you can book a time with me for January here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
Happy Holidays,
~ Coach P
What is your POV on using a 70.3 as a training race in preparation for a full? I am considering doing Rev3 Williamsburg on July 8. That is scheduled to be my last week of Get Faster before I start race training. I was thinking I could flip flop the last weekend of Get Faster with the first weekend of race training and do Williamsburg as my first combo swim/bike/run race prep. Of course, I would have to just "do" Williamsburg rather than actually race it so that I wasn't totally blowing myself up 13 weeks before IMD.
thoughts?
thanks,
Steve
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!
Please be sure to check out the information in the thread that Brenda just posted above! Talk to you soon
i spent some time over the holiday break with several different wikis. Really good stuff in there and just trying to absorb as much as possible. My answers to Brenda’s questions are:
swim fitness - 1. Haven’t done enough to feel any better than that and also feeling that I need more focus on swim technique.
bike fitness - 1. My weakest area but one that I am optimistic will improve a lot during the outseason
run fitness - 2. Run durability has renewed my belief that I can run well and stay injury free with the right plan.
Weight/body Comp - 2. Holidays are always a challenge given my sweet tooth but I have been able to maintain my weight within 170 to 175 for the last two years. Would love to get a bit lighter while building more muscle prior to race day.
my biggest improvement so far has been the ability to run more frequently without feeling the negative effects of over training.
Nutrition is the area area for which I think I need additional support. I listened to the Core Diet webinar on race nutrition which opened my eyes to a number of different concepts, particularly the idea of following your race nutrition plan during training. I have been one of the idiots that doesn’t do anything if I am working out less than an hour, including hydrating. Lots to learn here.
finally, I would recommend EN to a friend, just because of the vast resources available. I am still early on in my relationship with the team but so far I find it both incredibly helpful from an intellectual perspective as well as motivational.
Also, let's update your profile picture when you get the chance…it really helps the Team to "get to know you" a lot better.
You can do that by following this animated GIF (below)…good luck!
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!
~ Team EN
Great to talk today...thanks again for your time. Overall, very pleased with where you are at; love seeing those HR levels stabilize as the workload builds!
We talked a bit about nutrition; you can also use some of what I've written here: http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Nutrition+Central (see the Baby Steps section on that page).
Also, please unlock your Strava for me if you could...instructions are here so I can view individual workouts, etc: http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Strava+Central
Let's keep it rolling...we don't need anything flashy, just consistent!!!
~ Coach P
Ps feel free to schedule another call with me for the end of March so we can make sure we are on track! https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
hope things are are going well with you.
i am in week two of swim camp with IM get faster starting next week and find myself in run jail. The left calf strain that has bothered me in the past has returned. Seemed to hit after I got weekly mileage up to 30. I gave it ten days and tried to run again a few days ago and no go.
the good news is that I can still bike and swim so my thinking is to make sure I hit all bike and swim workouts for the next few weeks and then potentially substitute additional bike wos, spin wos or elliptical training for the prescribed runs. My first race (B race) is not until Rev3 Williamsburg half in early July so I feel I have time to recover.
thoughts?
thanks,
steve
Also, are you stretching the hamstring, etc??
let me know what self care you are doing.
~ Coach P
ps - you can add an easy bike ride if you like.
Hope all is well. I just realized that with our last call getting cancelled I never did respond to your last post.
I ended up taking about two and half weeks off from running and have been reintroducing it into my training over the last three weeks. So far so good as I have gotten back up to nearly 30 miles in the week (27 in the last seven days). I have definitely been more focussed on post run stretching and massage, which both seem to help. Admittedly I was not doing any stretching prior to this last calf issue.
In answer to your question, I think it is the speed rather than the mileage that causes my issues. I have been doing most of my running at TRP, with some Zone 2 work. I still have a hard time dialing in a Zone 1 pace for easy running. Having said that, TRP and Z2 don't seem to bother the calf and I have been able to ramp back up at those paces. I did some Z4 work today for the first time in forever and could definitely feel some tightness in the calf which is why I think the speed is the culprit.
With all that said, my plan is to try and complete all of the running WOs from here on out, but to do them based on overall time rather than doing the Z3 and higher work. I am on week 4 of the Get Faster IM plan so I will also not do the 5K test this coming week as I don't think my calf is ready for that type of effort yet.
Let me know if you think my approach makes sense and whether or not there are other things I should be considering. I am orienting to IMMD at end of September as my A race, with Rev3 Williamsburg Half as a B race coming up in 5 weeks.
Thanks,
Steve
Think of what it means to sprint all out for 100. Most people will clinch their fists and really pump their arms even though that doesn’t actually generate any tangible speed. In other words, amateur speed work is dangerous!
Right now or you were in the place where most Asian brother sorry. I’m really pushing off hard to gain speed. Can you reality, and much better off focusing on lifting your knees higher than pushing more. This is why running on hills, even at an easy pace, is great for developing speed. Including hills forces you to raise the knees and strength in the hips and improve the range of motion.
I like the idea of TRP running for you for the next several weeks. Especially as the bike volume comes up, there’s really no advantage to doing anything sustained and fast. As the calf starts to fade from your mental dashboard, consider adding in some Rolling hills to develop run specific strength. That should be more than sufficient! Please keep me posted.
Coach P.,
Long time, no talk! Congrats on a great race in Kona.
It's hard to believe that I joined EN almost a year ago. The past 11 months have flown by. I wanted to touch base on a couple of things as we hit the end of the season. First, I was super pleased with my two races this year - Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3 and IMMD. I learned a lot in Williamsburg and put much of that learning to work in MD. I then learned a ton in MD that I want to put into practice in the future. One of my biggest learnings is that I need to refocus on run durability so that I can nail the running workouts more consistently during the race prep phase of training. I just started 4 weeks of RDP today after my 4 week post IM phase. The legs feel good. Head is getting there. I found it tough to focus on "training" post race but after one last weekend of sluggish debauchery I am ready to go!
The second thing I want to raise is my plan for the next two years. I came away from IMMD having had a fantastic experience and relishing every moment of the day. Being able to finish my first IM while it was still light outside and Mike Reilly telling me I was an Ironman was an amazing experience! However, with the demands of work and home, I don't think I can do full IM training every year. Looking to next year, I am already signed up for Eagleman and think that I want to do a marathon in the fall rather than a full IM. My thought is that I can parlay the run endurance from the marathon into next year's RDP and OS training and set myself up well for another full IM in 2020.
I am not sure when season planning starts up or which OS you think I should be in this winter but I wanted to bounce this idea off you to see what you think. In no way is the run the only part of my game that needs work but I can give you my other thoughts on swim, bike and nutrition if helpful. Also, I really want to be my best for Eagleman in 2019 so your thoughts on that would be helpful as well.
Thanks,
Steve
Great to hear from you. You can certainly submit to Races anytime under the training tab above. That said, I agree with you that the Run Durability Program is the place to go. I would recommend using run durability throughout the fall is your tool for improvement and staying on target as you recover from this big season. We will then push you into the January Outseason and transition that into Eagle man.
Here is the link for our run durability group me, but you can join and get motivated with your teammates. I’d be curious to know what your other lessons learned are in case there are things that we can integrate now even if we aren’t 100% Triathlon focused.
@Steve Theobald --
Here's your updated Season Plan, 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 my best outline of how to proceed with your races, but you can ask any / all questions you want. So post away, know that I reply here usually Monday & Friday 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.
Coach Notes
Thanks so much for submitting your roadmap. Very excited to see you targeting eagle man, I think it's a great step forward for you in terms of an opportunity to capitalize on what you've already built this season.
To that end, be want to keep you rolling but not work too hard right now. For me, my super double top secret squirrel trick is to keep my belt buckle at my race weight notch. This way I know very quickly whether or not I'm doing a good job of keeping my system rolling. In your case, if that run frequency -- that's the big Delta we are looking for.
You can keep things rolling with some aerobic endurance on the weekends, but don't worry about doing too much too soon. Our goal is to keep you going with maybe one or two bigger weekends as the weather permits as you head into the holiday season. You will complete both run durability programs and then just to part of the third one. You could also participate in the holiday run challenge as well if you wanted.
Once you get the regal man we can make a decision about the fall and your training towards the marathon. Good news is that the work you're doing for the half will set you up appropriately. Remember, I do recommend one or two bigger volume pushes on the bike even if it's early in the season. This could be weekends or a bike focus week if you want. Typically one would happen in happy to work with you on integrating those if you're interested.
Your Races
Season Update
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.
Your Notes
This season I completed Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3 in July and recently completed Ironman Maryland at the end of September. I finished the 4 week post IM recovery plan and am in week 2 of RDP 1Running 4 times per week with about 20 miles per week. Biking once or twice per week with a long ride on the weekend and maybe a spin class on the Peloton during the week. Fitness level is still pretty good from the season.
In addition to Eagleman, I would like to do a marathon in the fall. I haven't settled on one yet but will likely be sometime in the early October to mid-November timeframe.
Let's get to work!
~ Coach P
Coach P.,
quick update. I had disk replacement surgery last Friday (cervical spine between c6/c7). Down for at least two weeks but should be able to start back on biking in two to three and running in three to four.
I noticed there are still slots open for Blue Ridge camp and the dates work well for my work and family schedule. I still plan to do Eagleman, which is about a month out from Blue Ridge. By my thinking this would be perfect because I should be able to build back decent fitness in time for camp and camp will be perfect for Eagleman prep.
Once I can start training again I will do a slow build, likely modifying the beginning of JOS but with lower run volume until I get durability back.
Thoughts?
thanks,
Steve
Thank you for the update! Sorry to hear about the surgery but I hope it has worked out for you. As you know, it’s really important to manage the recovery incrementally so you return on the best timeline for your body. The good news is that you are already active and have plenty of discipline!
I think the camp would be great as long as you have enough gears on your road bike so that you aren’t putting any undue stress on your back. We would love to have you, just make a deposit or reach out to @Emily Brinkley and she can help you!
Not only will it help you fast track your fitness, it will make the terrain of you Eagleman seem very manageable.
Coach P.,
Was hoping to grab 15 minutes with you sometime this week to talk through the recovery from my latest bike crash and get your opinion on my future event and training plans. I went through the calendly app to set up a meeting last Tuesday but that didn't seem to work. Is there a day and time slot that works best for you?
thanks,
Steve
@Steve Theobald no worries...I usually do 15 to 20 callls a week so I hope you mean that the times don’t work for you and not the system!
I am very flexible, so I want to go ahead and text me and we can set something up: 6175133830
~ Coach P
Coach P.,
hope you had a great Labor Day weekend!
wanted to post you on my recovery. have been able to run for the last week; slow and steady and managed 6 miles this morning. The collarbone feels solid and I don’t have any pain in the shoulder or collarbone area. the broken ribs are still uncomfortable but they are definitely getting better. I also started PT this past week and now have an hour of stretching and strengthening to do each day.
As for biking, I have done a couple of sessions on the Peloton, none longer than 45 minutes. I am thinking that I am probably at least a couple of weeks away before I can handle longer sessions and the more aggressive positioning of my road bike on the trainer. Returning to the great outdoors on my bike will be another month or so I think.
i am signed up for the Miami marathon on February 9th. I am using a modified RDP plan for the next 8 weeks and then plan to transition to marathon prep. Based on where my cycling is at the end of RDP I will either use the balanced plan or the full on running plan with biking as my cross-training. I also expect that my PT will get more aggressive over the next month and will continue to weave that into my workout plans.
Thanks for any additional thoughts you might have or tips to consider.
best,
steve
Thank you so much for the update. It’s very reassuring to hear how much you can do already. I’m sure you are frustrated on some level because it’s taking such a long time, but I assure you that you are making great strides.
To be honest, I will take any kind of aerobic work at this point and I’m not too picky about what it is. I do like the idea of you doing some “run like” activity, and would suggest that you use something like the elliptical machine if you have that option.
This is a great way for you to get back to work without the typical impact fee associated with running. I also want to be sure that you really focusing on that physical therapy work. Do you want to make sure that you have a physical therapist who will physically manipulate your shoulder and shoulder blade to help you attain better range of motion. You don’t want someone who just gives you homework, you need someone who can help break up some of that scar tissue and other adhesions.
On a macro level, your plan sounds great. RDP work now is perfect to set the stage, are there any other specific goals that you want to work on such as diet or flexibility? Even if you aren’t running, we can still work on setting some kind of a streak for yourself. I’m not sure if you’re ready to be that type A just yet, let me know.