Liz Rogers Official Coach Thread [CoachEN]
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 (Watch the video below)
Your Races
- 09/22/2019 Westchester Olympic Triathlon
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 June 24, 2019
- On 6/24/2019 Load the Bike Focus Block, 2019 (6wks) to end on 8/4/2019
- On 7/15/2019 Load the Short Course, 20wks to end on 9/22/2019
- On 9/23/2019 Load the Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 10/6/2019
- On 10/7/2019 Load the Run Durability for Triathletes 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 11/3/2019
- On 11/4/2019 Load the Run Durability for Triathletes 2 (8 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 12/1/2019</p>
Training Plan Support in Your First Month
You can connect with @matt limbert as needed in your first month to get dialed in with your training plans and data. You can set up a call with him online here: https://calendly.com/new-member-phone-call/1 and he'll be on this thread shortly!
Your Notes
I have been participating in sprint triathlons since 2012 and olympic since 2016 (usually 1 or 2 tris a year and sometimes a 10 miler/half marathon). I have always self trained so am looking to improve at those distances with support. My last race was a half marathon in May and I am building back my swimming after a rotator cuff strain in March so I skipped spring races this year and want to work towards a September A goal race.Spring I was focused on running (peak miles 23/week) for a May 18th half marathon. I cross trained with biking. Since I've been running 2x per week 3-5 miles each. Biking 1x per week 30-40 miles. Swimming 2x per week 2000 yards each. I'm building back swimming fitness from a rotator cuff strain that had me out of the pool for about 6 weeks starting in March (was working with a PT, now I'm cleared to swim). Normally swimming is my strength and running is my weakest leg.
Your Homework
Tell Me Your Season Goals
- What will make you consider this season 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)
- Training Plan 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
Liz, Welcome to Endurance Nation! With your experience in triathlon and swimming you have come to the right place to get a bit more support for developing as a triathlete! Coach Patrick has programmed you a good season plan, which you and he can refine to bring out your best performance at Westchester. We also have a deep community of talented age group athletes that share their experiences in racing and training. Whatever your question or scenario, we have someone who has been there and done that and willing to share their experience and knowledge.
Our goal is to make your first month of Endurance Nation as simple and as awesome as possible! Any questions you can chat with me here in this forum or schedule a call with me here: https://calendly.com/new-member-phone-call/1
I'll monitor this thread for your first thirty days and help you get up to speed with your plan, your basic schedule, terminology, and all of our resources. Coach Patrick has just made your season plan in Final Surge, so you can sync your Garmin or Strava (only one!) and get your workout data uploaded. (Chose Strava if you ride on Zwift.)
In Final Surge: Workouts -> Garmin / Device Upload
Then chose either Garmin or Strava. Just chose one, otherwise you will get double workouts recorded in Final Surge.
As you get all your tech setup, also consider downloading the Final Surge App.
This will make it way easier to add comments about how you felt, ate, weather etc (for the bike) and sets, paces etc (for the swim). There is plenty of data to look at in Final Surge with charts on heart rate, power, cadence, distance etc. But, there is equal value in the individual comments you write about your workouts. Those are all super helpful to you as you track your progress, prepare and plan your race at Westchester.
Get the App here:
Final Surge | Mobile Apps
https://www.finalsurge.com/apps
It makes it super easy to add comments about your workout. Click on the "pencil" icon to tap "how I felt" or "perceived effort." Then add a few notes about what you ate/drank (helps to figure out what works best for you on the bike), how you felt mentally, the weather or any aches etc. Just a quick not goes a long way.
Those comments are really handy when you are comparing workouts, tailoring your own training, evaluating progress and planning for your race
Let me know how I can help - remember we can chat here or schedule a call here: https://calendly.com/new-member-phone-call/1.
I look forward to hearing more and helping you crush it at Westchester!
Hi, happy 4th! I'm looking at the plan for the next couple weeks and trying to fit around my schedule - I won't have time for two 2.5 hour+ days next weekend but have some flexibility this weekend so I'm trying to prioritize. If the realllly long ride is the priority, I could do it this weekend instead of the brick. Would that make sense or is it better to stick to this weekend's plan and fit in what I can next weekend?
Liz, Happy Fourth. The long ride is more of priority. If you can make the swap happen that will work. The 4 hr ride is you longest of the season and your training plan. It is one of the only weekends when you will ride back-to-back. The intent is to get you out on the bike and build some physical and mental endurance. The goal is to just ride and push your duration limit a little, intensity low.
But, we need to make sure 4 hours makes sense for you. What is your longest ride so far? Do you have time this week? If you can't get the 4 hours in, can you get 3 on the second day or back-to-back days with 2.5 hours?
My longest ride so far this year is 40 miles/3ish hours. I'm planning on a 2:30 tomorrow and there is 40 mile that should be a little over 3 with my club on Sunday.
Liz, that sounds great. The back-to-back rides will push your upper limit on duration on endurance and fatigue resistance. If you switch of this weekend and next - these will be your last dual ride weekends. Then remainder of your season plan will a brick focus and FTP run. Have a great weekend and back-to-back rides. Goodwork this week with the bike test BTW. Nice job getting all your tests knocked out.
BTW. Did you "subscribe" to this thread? You will get an email notification if you click on the red star and put a check in the box at the top of the threa - just to the right of the thread title.
Your approach is great for this weekend and here is a bit more from Coach Patrick to explain the "why" behind the challenge ride weekend.
http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanCentralPage/ENFULLPlanResources/BigDayGuidance.aspx
Liz, Good job with the challenge ride this weekend. Keep this guidance in mind this week as your body recovers from your back to back rides. Especially, your challenge ride with all the hills! If you need a complete rest day take it.
WorkOut Triage
If you go to work out and it just ain't happening, we suggest, in order:
From a macro level perspective you'll want to check in on your quality of sleep, nutrition, wellness to make sure this isn't a bigger issue.
Which brings up what not do to:
Liz, Nice work on the track. As a follow up to your season plan with Coach Patrick.
What will make you consider this season a success? What's your biggest limiter right now?
@Liz Rogers
The season will be a success if I feel strong and prepared going into the trip, enjoyed training (doesn't become an added stress or boring), and I'd love to beat my time from last year.
Forgot to write my biggest limiter! I think it is schedule... getting home from work on time and enough sleep so I can get up early enough fit in the full workouts during the week.
Liz, Thanks for your comments success and limiters for this season. I really like the consistent work you have put in so far, it looks great. That will really pay off. Please let us know (either here in your Coach Thread or in your next call with Coach Patrick) if your training is boring or stressful. We want to keep it interesting and fun.
Schedule seems to be a common limiter. It is hard to be awesome at everything! Over time, folks seem to develop some hacks that help feel a bit more efficient. Mine is getting my workout stuff ready the day before (mixing bottles, selecting clothes, food etc). It seems to take 10-15 minutes the night before, but it will take me 5x times as long when I do it the morning or day of. Likewise, keeping all my workout stuff in the same place all the time, I can't tell you how many hours I have wasted looking for something.
I'm sure you will find your own shortcuts and hacks to make it just a bit easier.
Coach Patrick did a Coach Lesson on Habits - and he talks a about how to get the most from your sleep (~around the 15:30 minute mark) here: http://members.endurancenation.us/Learning/CoachLessons/HabitsNotGoals[January2019].aspx
Let me know what you think.
Stay at it!
Hello! I'm going on vacation Saturday through next Sunday to a resort in Mexico... I just did some research and I'm not sure if I'll have access to a lap pool or decent bike (looks like they have some recumbent bikes in the gym, but can't tell for sure). Do you have recommendations on what to prioritize or if I should switch anything around?
Hi Liz, Vacation! Resort in Mexico. How awesome is that! Here is what I'm thinking.
You 7+ weeks from your race at Westchester (plenty of time). Your training has been pretty consistent thus far - which is great. Your season will be success if you feel strong/prepared and enjoy the training (doesn't become an added stress or boring). Your biggest limiter is balancing schedule, rest and recovery.
So, for the vacation week (27 July - 4 Aug) - lets call this a "mid-season reset" week. Focus on enjoying your vacation, taking a break from the super structured training. Keep the workouts fun. Getting the runs in would be great and the first priority. Recumbent bikes are just not worth it. If there is a decent stationary bike - your call if you want to get after it. But, only if you would enjoy it. (The mental cost of working away on a sub-standard gym bike, staring at the wall, super bored - "in order to just get the workout in" is not worth any physiological gain this week.) Swim in pool (or ocean?), use the workout format if you like the structure, otherwise swim because you like to swim and keep it low key. Don't worry about the bike. You will pick it up the following week. Move the runs around to make it easy to fit in, if you are the active vacationer - hiking, snorkeling, kite boarding, big wave surfing, zip lining etc. It's all good. Space our your "workouts" to bring balance to your week. Be present in Mexico and your vacation.
Our goal would be to come out of the vacation, feeling like you went on a vacation. You ran (or swam or biked) because you liked to run (or swim, or bike). It will be a good mental and physical break. Let your mind rest and your body absorb the work you have done for the last several weeks. If it makes you feel better (you or I can delete those bikes (or swims) out of your plan and we'll pick up the structure when you get back - ready to get after it again.
How does that sound?
@Liz Rogers
Hi Liz, Nice work getting a run in yesterday. Enjoy vacation.
@Liz Rogers
Liz, welcome back. Nice work on your run test. 10 sec / mile faster and coming off your vacation. Nice work. Way to get back and get after it! Give us an update on how its going when you get a chance.
@Liz Rogers
Thank you! I've been trying to get back in the swing of things but due to some life stuff haven't really been sleeping well and am a little all over the place... I skipped my swim today because I couldn't sleep last night and am going to try to get back on track tomorrow. But, I don't know how long that'll last because I'm now moving at the end of the month for a new job (which explains the bad sleep). I'm trying to figure out how this will all work and if I can/should keep my goals for the race when training may be less consistent starting in two weeks. Especially with swimming because I have to find access to a pool. I'm hoping to have more clarity on my plan for the move this week and then I can start to figure out how training is going to fit in.
Any advice on what to prioritize? I've been prioritizing the 'high' priority workouts but am already concerned that I am cutting out too many swims and 'medium'.
Liz, congratulations on the new job. Moving to a new job is exciting and stressful at the same time. Let's take these upcoming weeks one a time and not get to far ahead of ourselves. We can talk race goals in September. For now, lets focus on consistency for the current week.
Stay with the high priority workouts and target at least one a day. If you need to shorten the main set, that is okay too - just make sure you don't shorten the warm up. Your weekend bike and runs have been really good. You have a really good recent run test too. You have made some great progress there and those are both coming along well. I expect you will sort out the pool thing as you get more clarity for the move later this week. If you need to move the swimming around to make it easier to schedule, target 2x swims per week and alternate with running or biking days to give your legs a bit of a break. Lets talk again this weekend when we know a bit more about the move. How does that sound?
Thank you! That makes me feel much better about all of it!
Hi! Just checking in now that I'm a have an idea of whats happening for the next week... I'll probably be able to get 1 more swim in before I move out next week and for the next week and a half I'll have plenty of access to outdoor biking and running. After labor day things become much more uncertain - I'll be starting work and need to find a gym for week day workouts because I don't think my commute will allow a lot of outdoors until I find a permanent apartment (staying with my brother for a bit so not totally settled). Planning to get the one more swim in and then trying to get at least one workout a day in while I can. And gym research at the top of my to-do list.
Liz, I was hoping to hear from you and glad to hear your move is coming together. Also, nice work over the past couple of days. Way to string the workouts together. Super impressive - finding the time in your schedule while moving (or preparing to move) and changing jobs. You can still get good work done indoors at the gym - sometimes that is really the best options for time efficiency and to keep your consistency. I like your goal of keeping at least one workout a day + gym research. Your approach is working well, stay focused on executing the current week and do just enough planning (i.e. gym research) to keep you on track for the next week. You got this!
Liz, nice job this week you got some good quality bike and run work in. Way to go - you should get double credit for finding the time and locations to fit all the work in. Your knocked out your goal of a keeping at least one workout per day has really paid off. Keep it up this weekend. Your past few weekends have been great. Can you get the swim in this weekend? How do you feel?
Hi! Every pool around here is closed for end of season cleaning this week... usually they stager it but no luck this year so I don’t think I’ll get a swim in until next week. I found a few different pools by my new office and am planning on checking them out/swimming next week and hopefully get a more permanent situation worked out. In the meantime, my legs are feeling normal. I’m planning an easy ride with my dad tomorrow and then running Sunday (unless I find a pool option I didn’t think of so far).
Sounds great. Glad you found and alternate pool solution and the legs feel good. Enjoy the easy day and chat with you again soon!
Liz, I saw your note about your shoulder and your swim (including the Y with only a whirlpool....) Bummer. I hope the shoulder comes around. I really liked your bike and run today. You were killing out there:
Zone 3 (89% - 93%) (140 - 145 bpm)10:18 14.2%
Zone 4 (93% - 99%) (146 - 157 bpm) 43:16 59.7%
Zone 5 (100% - 102%) (158 - 161 bpm)7:55 10.9%
That's 70% of the ride at Z4 & Z5! AND 85% at Z3 or above. Followed by a run - with a few walk breaks. If you dial it back just a bit - that will make the run a bit better. I really like the way you toughed it out and kept at on the run. Really great work.
What do you think?
Liz, Nice job this week. Super consistent. Remember, the hay is in the barn. You have all the fitness and the mental toughness you need. How do you feel?
Thanks! Feeling pretty good, yesterday's run felt SO much better than it has on fatigued legs so I'm optimistic about the weekend. I will definitely be keeping in mind your advice on dialing the bike back a bit. The course is pretty hilly compared to where I have been riding since I moved so have to factor that in as well.
I tried the wet suit in the pool for a little bit this morning and my shoulder was resistant but by the end it felt fine so I'm hoping it was a warm up issue and not a wet suit problem. I'm going to make sure I'm ready in time for a solid swim warm up on Sunday and focus on form as best I can. Hoping I can get through the swim without any major problems and then I have to figure out a more permanent fix for it.
Liz, glad to hear you are feeling good. I'm optimistic about this weekend too! You are thinking about all the right things and have set the right intentions (i.e. pacing on the bike, warming up for the swim etc). I look forward to hearing all about it.
Liz, how did your race go?
@Liz Rogers
Good! It was a fun day - beautiful weather but pretty warm (85+) by the end of the run. The swim went really well. I got a good warm up in so didn't have any shoulder problems or nerves about the open water when I got in. For my level of swim fitness I was happy with the time (it was 1.5min better than last year, even with the shoulder and about 100 extra yards from a sighting error). I didn't do a very good job of holding back on the bike, I was mostly in Z4 & Z5. I kept telling myself to pull back and pace myself on the hills and I was honestly surprised at how long I was in Z4 & Z5 when I looked at the results. I wasn't checking my watch constantly and the ride felt really good. And then the run started very strong but every mile got slower and by the last I was walking too much. My legs were tired and my heart rate felt higher than it was. I'm guessing it was a combination of pushing too hard on the bike, hydration/nutrition on a hot day (I drank okay but only had 3 shot bloks and in hindsight maybe that wasn't enough), and mental strength in miles 5&6 where there were very few spectators/distractions.
I didn't want to set a big time goal because my training was definitely off for a few weeks with the move, but when I mapped out what I thought seemed reasonable on Friday it was around 3:19 and I finished in 3:20:14, so I feel good about it! They added 2 miles to the bike course versus last year so I'm trying not to compare overall times, but my paces in the swim and bike were better and my run was 10sec/mile slower than last year. It kills me how slow I am on the run in general and I would love to be stronger there next time.
@matt limbert
Liz, Thanks so much for the race recap. I have enjoyed following your training. Coach Patrick says that one of the most important skills an athlete can have is honest self-assessment. And I you nailed it. I agree with you on all points. I love that you felt good on the bike - and that it was likely getting hotter as you were riding, but you didn't notice it as much, because of the wind cooling effect. So, you were most likely building some internal heat/body temp that compounded during the run. Your assessment is spot on "I'm guessing it was a combination of pushing too hard on the bike, hydration/nutrition on a hot day (I drank okay but only had 3 shot bloks and in hindsight maybe that wasn't enough), and mental strength in miles 5&6 where there were very few spectators/distractions." Even your insight and awareness of your mental state late is great as well as not obsessing about the time difference. I love your smart use of the data with the analysis of time in Z4 and Z5 on the bike as well as comparison of paces. I will add that you were redlined the entire run and gave a maximium effort (your avg HR was 165 for an hour!, rising to 172 by the end). You had a challenging schedule this year. I love your healthy perspective. Sure you can improve, but any time you execute well with the fitness you have on race day - you can chalk that up in the win column! Next time, a small tweak of effort management on the bike and hydration/fueling - you have the run fitness and tenacity to close the deal. Congratulations.