Katherine Thom 2019 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.
Coach Notes
Katherine, congratulations on IMAZ! I hope you are feeling better now that the race has worn off a bit...de-training is the hardest thing we do as endurance athletes; I hope you have been successful.
I definitely want to connect with you on the phone to learn more about your swelling so I understand what the background is and the onset issues. I would encourage you to post to the Medical Help Forum In case your teammates can help you out (you aren't the only one with this issue).
During the OutSeason Plan we do a fair amount of Zwifting, and you should connect with us in our group (just remember to mute it as it can get overwhelming): GroupMe EN Zwift Chat.
For now, your early steps are to get just running/exercising. It will take a few weeks to get back on track so this time isn't critical from a workout compliance stand point; it's more about consistency.
Please send me some times you can talk this friday: (617) 513-3830 Cell Phone (EST Time)
Your Races
- Ironman Arizona (2019-11-24) #IMAZ_19
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 Final Surge by clicking on Training Plans / My Plans. Learn more about each plan on the Training Plan Central Page.
>> Last updated by Coach on December 18, 2018
- On 12/17/2018 Load the -- Run Durability for Triathletes 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 1/13/2019
- >> Transition Early <<
- On 1/7/2019 Load the OutSeason (Run Focus) Plan, 14wks to end on 4/14/2019
- On 4/15/2019 Load the Swim Camp to end on 4/28/2019
- On 4/29/2019 Load the -- Bike Focus Block, 6 Weeks to end on 6/9/2019
- On 6/10/2019 Load the Get Faster Training Plan, 10wks to end on 8/18/2019
- On 8/19/2019 Load the EN*Full Bike Focused to end on 11/17/2019
- On 11/18/2019 Load the -- Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 12/15/2019</p>
Your Notes
I started with my first olympic tri back in 2016 and had a blast (Spudman!). I swam on a team in high school and have been playing water polo on a rec team for the last 5 years, so while I'm not fast, I'm water comfortable. I got a DNF at Ironman Coeur d'Alene 70.3 (2017) when I was pulled from the halfway point of the run course, just 10 min. behind the cutoff. My first of many issues with foot swelling was at play here compounded by heat. In search of cooler races, I had a great experience with Ironman Victoria 70.3 (2018), where I finished just under 8 hours. I also just finished Ironman Indian Wells 70.3 with a time of 7:38. I've been with the same coach for the last year and plan to continue to work with her once I'm closer to my A race, Ironman Arizona.I just finished Indian Wells a week ago and leading up to it I was training 10 hours a week. I saw the biggest gains in my cycling and learned how to keep power up on a flat course, which is no easy feat! I put Zwift to good use this Fall once it started cooling off and days started getting much shorter. I was training 6 days a week and 5 - 6 days a week is pretty typical for me, even in "off" season, which this year was over the summer when I took off 2 months to focus on water polo. Running is a struggle, so I've been working at that for the past few years by slipping in a half-marathon here and there. I love trail running and hope to do more of it as it seems to be easier on my knees and feet. I've been listening to EN podcasts for a while and am curious about how the run-focused out season might be able to help me prep.
Your 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 End of Year 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 will 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
This will be unlocked after your trial expires.
Looking forward to working with you this year,
~ Coach P
Comments
@Coach Patrick Thanks for the feedback so far. When you say congrats on IMAZ, is this congrats for signing up? I just completed IM Indian Wells 70.3, not IMAZ. That's for 2019.
I've peeked around the medical forums a bit and have some ideas on what to do next as far as foot numbness is concerned. There are 1) bike fit (again!) 2) rule out sciatica 3) different bike shoes (may move to step 1).
I didn't see the zwifting in the outseason plan, so I'm not sure how this works. Are there ZWO files to download or is more about joining a group ride?
I forgot to mention that until something major happens, I will not be doing any races before June 1 because it would interfere with my alpine skiing season. I live in Utah and this is the main reason I moved to this state. My tri club buddies at home love to do Oceanside and St. George, but I have no desire to do these races. I ski 1 - 2 days a week Dec - mid-April. I need to work this into my outseason plan somehow, possibly in place of swim workouts?
Season goals: 2018 was a success because I completed two 70.3 with a break in between for a different sport and some fun/travel. I was worried about getting burned out on tri after the first race but it all worked out. I am keeping an eye on that burnout risk for 2019 since I will still have a pretty long season (outseason until April and then training from April through November). So, in a nutshell, 2019 will be a success if I can see some improvements in my 70.3 skills (could be time, could be power) followed by finishing my first full.
Limiters: The foot (and sometimes knee) issues are #1, but I'd also say it's time budgeting. I'm a night owl, which means I love the night workouts. I have flexibility on when I get into work in the morning but I often miss kid-time in the mornings, in the evenings, and sometimes on weekends. I never really want to be that 5am workout person, but I need to figure something out with this.
@Coach Patrick I forgot to add my availability for Friday. I'm available 8 am - 11 am MST or 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm. I can also do a day next week if that's better since your schedule may have filled up in the interim.
@Katherine Thom - Hey! Sorry for the confusion around the call..I wanted you to set something up with me via text or email; I don't check these forums enough to have that be a useful way to do it: (617) 513-3830 (text me up and we'll do it).
Sorry for the confusion on IMAZ; I saw you talking about IMAZ in the middle of your survey response, and when I saw " IMAZ"After you had described finishing all your races, I just assumed you had done it too. 😴 I need to wake up!!!
Medical forums are helpful, but please also create your own thread with some thoughts and others may be able to chime in.
The Zwift workouts are where we keep the info on your plan here: OutSeason Plan - you'll see them in the right sidebar where you can download them to your local machine (pick the right ability level!) and get riding.
If you add the Alpine Skiing to your calendar in Final Surge, I can better see how it shakes out relative to your week...once you do that let me know. I am all about having fun and being active; it doesn't have to be tri-specific by any means.
Thanks fro the 2019 parameters...I agree that if we can get you smarter, there's speed to be had there as well (along with staying healthy!).
The biggest change is that training time...maybe we could get 1 or 2 workouts lined up? I find it easy to do the Zwift stuff as there's always someone online there, and there are scheduled sessions. I typically ride 5:30-7, but have been known to start at 4 am to get a Century in before the rest of the family's weekend starts. I find that early morning stuff hard, but I like being in control of my training time vs waiting to the end of the day when all my other stuff piles up.
Say you did a Monday AM spin, weekly, to see how that went for a few weeks? After all, who wants to stay up late on a SUNDAY? 🤣
~ Coach P
Ps text me re call times!!
@Katherine Thom
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!):
** Subjective Information **
** 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:
** 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!
@Coach Patrick I was doing okay in outseason until the test weeks kicked in. I did the run test a week early because it lined up nicely with a local 5K with friends. I dropped 3 min. from my best time and was pretty happy. This meant faster paces on all of my runs and I updated by plan accordingly. Then I actually started running at these paces and the knee has been really bothersome causing everything else to fall apart (bike workouts, sleep, strength workouts, anxiety about what's happening).
My bike workouts were running a week behind schedule due to an early Jan. respiratory illness. I found the workouts to be considerably more difficult than anything I did in any previous season but I was getting them done. Then I tried to do an FTP test and completely failed at it. I watched the average watts drop, and drop and drop, and drop some more, well below my previous FTP. I had a good 8 minutes left but I was done.
This has been an extremely good ski season here. I haven't missed any of my ski days and once I get into my ski boots and get warmed up on the slopes, my knee feels fine. Walking in ski boots is excruciating on that knee. I ski very aggressively on a very challenging mountain (Snowbird). I ski steep stuff with moguls, I ski trees, I ski deep powder. I don't spend a lot of time on the groomers.
Now I'm at a loss for what to do. I cut my long run this week and played some water polo instead and skied the next day. I took a rest day after that and the knee is tight when I sit for a long time, but it feels MUCH better than it felt last week after my tempo run. I'm making an appointment with PT for this week hopefully. I want to stick with my run durability but I'm worried that the higher paces are stressing something. I'm also afraid to push the high watts on the bike intervals with the knee the way it is.
@Katherine Thom thank you for the update, and since you are already taking actions to care for yourself, I hope you can reduce some of that anxiety. This sounds like a classic case whereby your fitness development has outpaced your body’s ability to handle the specific work. What does that mean? To be more specific, you were so strong and fit that you could throw down a fast 5K. But your body doesn’t have the skill/form to run at those paces efficiently.
If you can give me the date of the test and subsequent long runs I can go take a look at your workout calendar to see what’s available in terms of data. It could be something as simple as looking at your cadence.
Regardless, the action steps are clear:
First, reduce your run training load and keep the speed down. If you can jog easily for 30 to 40 minutes several times a week during this “recovery“ time I am all about it.
Second, please get me more specific information about the knee. You can take pictures and show me by pointing with your finger where it bothers you, and then post them here.. Or send me links to articles you found online that describe in more detail the discomfort you are feeling. I don’t have a lot to go on as I don’t walk in ski boots and I can’t replicate that situation.
Third, do not get frustrated about the bike test. Between your training and your weekend recreational activities, it sounds like there’s not been a great deal of time for rest. If this was your child to taking an English test and they did a bad job on a single test, I am sure you would not tell them they were a failure! This is the same case here. Your test was a challenge precisely because you’ve been doing a ton of great work. As long as your every day training Watts have not dropped as well, and it was isolated to the test, we can continue with the bike work as you have planned.
Obviously, I will take any easy aerobic work in the meantime to connect your aggressive weekends just to keep your metabolic fire burning. When you get a chance, please shoot me an update and we can go from there.
@Coach Patrick
Thanks for the help this season. I've had ups and downs but hey, at least I didn't spend winter on the couch. I'm canceling my subscription today as I'm transitioning back over to my regular coach this weekend. Unfortunately, I just learned I was already charged for the next 4 weeks. I am asking for that to be reversed as I don't want to contact Amex to contest the charge.
Happy racing!
Katherine Thom
@Katherine Thom wish we could have talked but no worries, and no need to get fired up about your CC charges. If you have emailed / contacted support then @Brenda Ross is already helping you!!! wish you the best! 👍