Elliott Mason [PlanEN]
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]
Your Races
- Ironman 70.3 Traverse City (2020-08-30) #70.3TraverseCity_20
Your Notes
I have completed 10 triathlons over the past five years. The first few years were all Spring distance. The past two years I have completed Olympic and 1 half marathon. My fitness is good to be able to complete the distances I attempt. My speed and power need to be improved along with nutrition. I still like to have a couple of beers during the week. The past two months I have focused on running for my past half marathon. I did 3-4 runs during the work week for an hour and 2-3 hr long run on the weekend. Running pace consistently averages 9-9:30 depending on distance.
For biking I average about 17 mph and when training for my Olympics this summer did 3-4 rides a week. 2-3 were for an hour and 1 long ride on the weeekend for 2+ hrs.
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 November 3, 2019
- ✅ On 11/4/2019 Load the -- Run Durability for Triathletes 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 12/01/2019
- ✅ On 12/2/2019 Load the -- Run Durability for Triathletes 2 (8 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 12/29/2019
- On 12/30/2019 Free Week / Repeat last week of Durability Plan
- ✅ On 1/6/2020 Load the OutSeason for Triathletes (Bike Focus) Plan, 14wks to end on 04/12/2020
- 🔲 On 4/13/2020 Load the Swim Camp to end on 4/26/2020
- 🔲 On 4/27/2020 Load the -- Bike Focus Block, 2019 (6wks) to end on 6/7/2020
- 🔲 On 6/8/2020 Load the -- EN Half Bike Focused to end on 8/30/2020
- 🔲 On 8/31/2020 Load the -- Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 9/13/2020
- 🔲 On 9/14/2020 Load the -- Run Durability for Triathletes 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 10/11/2020
- 🔲 On 10/12/2020 Load the -- Run Durability for Triathletes 3 (7 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 11/8/2020
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 Homework
Tell Me Your Season Goals
- What will make you consider this season a success?
- What's your biggest limiter right now?
Start Learning
Every month we hold live events as part of our commitment to make you just as smart as you are fit. Feel free to visit our Coach Lesson page and our Office Hours page to find the next opportunity to connect with Coach Patrick and your Teammates.
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 General Discussion 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 General Discussion Forum and set the title or tags for that topic. Race questions to the Racing 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
@elliot Mason
Welcome! Super cool have you with us. I'm here to help make your first 30 days as awesome as possible. I'll show you how to get the most out of your workouts, Final Surge, and learn more about how the team can help you get to your race goals.
For any questions you have getting started - chat with me here in this forum or schedule another call with me here: https://calendly.com/new-member-phone-call/1
Here are the top 5 things I like to share with you in order to get the most out of your workouts, Final Surge, learning and the EN community.
#1 First thing! Subscribe to this Coach Thread and get an email when we respond. Your Coach Thread is the best way to get a hold of us. Click on the red star and check box just to the right of your thread title. This way you will get an email when we respond in your Coach thread. See 8 sec video here to set it up:
#2 Get setup in Final Surge. 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.) Just chose one, otherwise you will get double workouts recorded in Final Surge.
In Final Surge: Workouts -> Garmin / Device Upload
#3 Consider downloading the Final Surge App. This makes it way easier to add comments about how you felt, ate, weather etc (for the bike) and sets, paces etc (for the swim). Those are all super helpful to you as you track your progress, prepare and plan your for your race.
Click on the "pencil" icon to tap "how I felt" or "perceived effort." You can 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. Those comments are really handy when you are comparing workouts, tailoring your own training, evaluating progress and planning for your ride. It also makes it easy to look at and plan for your upcoming workouts. Just a quick not goes a long way.
The data together with the comments, give you (and us) the complete picture of your training. We definitely want to see those hours, miles, and heart beats - but we also want to know how you felt, mood, how mentally easy or hard the workout was, what you ate and drank on those long rides (helps dial in your fueling and hydration for long races), what went good (as a reminder) and what you want to work on next time. This takes your Final Surge account from just workout data to a full on training log - where you see your progression and become a smarter athlete.
Final Surge | Mobile Apps
https://www.finalsurge.com/apps
#4 Customize your workouts Final Surge
When you are ready you can run a 5k time trial or race and use your average heart rate during the event to set you customized workout zones.
You will do some run and bike tests this week. You can use that test data to customize your workouts to your individual zones. Once you customize them, the workouts will say 20' @ (135-145 heart rate) vs. 20' @ Zone 2.
Here is how you update your training plan with integrated and customized zones (there is a video here too):
https://www.endurancenation.us/help/final-surge-how-to-update-your-integrated-training-zones/
#5 Your new Friends are waiting for you.
GroupMe is the live version of all things Endurance Nation. This is an app you can download to your smartphone and join in the Team chat - races, training, questions, accountability. You name it.
#6 Learn More About Your Plan. Videos! Too easy!
• Run Durability Training Plan Guidance (PDF)
Learn EVEN more about your plan(s).
All of our plans are listed here: http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanCentralPage.aspx#rdp
Use the link to Run Durability on the right - or just scroll 3/4 of the way down the page.
My goal is to make your first month of Endurance Nation as simple and as awesome as possible!
Matt, Training Plan Coordinator
Thanks for putting this all together. My season would be a success if I can accomplish to following:
-Staying healthy
-Getting stronger. I want to be able to be faster meaning no matter the race and training my average speeds and power increase vs this year. While I understand that speed or volume is not the objective for EN, what I would like to be able to do is pace faster than 9:30 in my longer runs. My goal is to get under 9:00 per mile on 1/2 marathon events.
-Not be tired. My limitations are family and work. I run an office which takes up a lot of time as I have to slow to others priorities to help coach and teach the team, which means sometimes lunch workouts get bumped. Also I have two young kids, so family is a big priority.
@Elliott Mason Thanks for sharing your goals and limitations. I like your specificity. We can definitely help. We totally understand, fitting in your training after work and family is tough. That's why we want to teach you how to manage your training, so you can make good decisions about developing - balancing intensity and rest to develop your fitness. We want to teach you how to get the most of the time that you have and use some structure to get a progression in your fitness. We want to help fit your fitness goals within the context of the rest of your priorities. Let's get started on some intermediate goals for strength /speed and rest.
Can you get your Garmin or Strava sync'd with Final Surge? We can take a look at where you are now and start to set some targets to get you to 9:30 / mile training runs and 9:00 / mile on 1/2 marathon.
We can work on not be tired too. Your fitness should add to your enjoyment and be an opportunity to relax, focus on you, and relieve stress. We have some ideas on that too.
I have sync'd my Strava and Garmin accounts.
@Elliott Mason Good deal. You only need to sync one. Disconnect Garmin. Otherwise your workouts will post in Final Surge twice! I'm looking forward to following your progress.
@Elliott Mason Everything okay?
All good. I've been busy with work programs which has limited my ability to kick start the training. Should be back at it hard this week.
Two, questions: for run trainings where it says stride is that literally 4-6 long strides or am I simplifying? also TRP is that a race pace or below race pace?
workouts 😀👊 I'm glad to hear you are getting back into it.
4-6 strides are accelerations to 5k pace for about 30 sec each time. The
intent is to improve turnover and activate a slightly different set of
muscles. Also a good practice for surging in a race.
TRP is half way between z1 and z2. It is aerobic and a pace you could hold
a conversation at.
@Elliott Mason Take it easy if the cold continues. Just run easy and skip the tempo on Tues. I'm confident you have the discipline to get out there and be consistent over the long run. You don't need to crush yourself with the tempo with a cold. A few easier days will help you get over it faster. If the cold is not better or in your chest - give it even more rest.
Cold is mainly in the head. Sinus pressure. I am exhausted though. Hopefully vacation starting tomorrow will get me back in the mind set.
Don’t force the training. I have found that the priority of things during
I’ll situation like this is as follows:
Number one consistent and extensive sleep.
Number two excellent hydration throughout the day.
Number three include vitamin C supplementation.
Number four staying active even if it means a ridiculously easy bike ride
for 30’ mins or nice long walk outside.
These training sessions are about fitness, it’s just about keeping your
body healthy and on the normal rhythm that it’s used to. Please avoid any
intensity and any form of swimming.
~ Coach P
@Elliott Mason I saw you got some warm weather running done. How are you feeling?
@Elliott Mason Thanks for the chat today. Below are some links to the other nutrition/fueling stuff we touched on and the testing protocols.
I like to think about food and training in terms of fueling and nutrition. Fueling is something I do during a workout. Nutrition is how I handle my daily food choices. Sometimes there is a little blending, like how I plan to eat the night or days before a race or big workout - that is where little fueling meets nutrition.
Here are some links to get you started on fueling:
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Race+Fueling+Webinar+(Jesse+Kropelnicki)
This is on body composition. It helps you think about how you want to manage your daily nutrition.
A good discussion on approaches to daily nutrition (Shelia Leard chimes in - along with several other Wicked Smart Members.)
More on daily Nutrition webinar here:
Run and bike testing protocol (videos & notes):
Run Test: http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/MyZones/RunTest.aspx
Bike Test: http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/MyZones/BikeTest.aspx
Let me know what you think,
Matt
Feel free to post your body composition goals during the month of December.
It’s generally something that encouraged you on the team to help everyone
stay accountable and make good food decisions!
~ Coach P