Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
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
Your Races
- Ironman 70.3 Victoria (2020-05-31) #70.3Victoria_20
- Ironman Arizona (2020-11-22) #IMAZ_20
Your Notes
I have not competed in any races. I am signed up for Victoria 70.3 May 30th and AZ 140.6 in November. I am pretty active. Swimming about 2400 yds in an hour. Running 13.1 in 2 hrs, and biking about 150 miles a week. Running a couple times a week. Biking 3-4 times a week. Swimming 3 times week.
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 January 10, 2020
- On 1/6/2020 Load the OutSeason (Bike Focus) Plan, 14wks to end on 04/12/2020
- **Transition Early**
- On 3/16/2020 Load the EN*Half Bike Focused to end on 05/31/2020
- On 6/1/2020 Load the Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 06/14/2020
- On 6/15/2020 Load the Bike Focus Block, 2019 (6wks) to end on 7/26/2020
- On 7/27/2020 Load the EN Full Bike Focused to end on 11/22/2020
- On 11/23/2020 Load the Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 12/20/2020
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
Hey Joe,
Welcome! Super cool have you with us. Thanks for choosing us to help you get ready for Victoria 70.3 and IM AZ. Let me explain a bit more about your first training block.
The OutSeason is 14 weeks. 4+1 test week, 4+1 test week, 3+1 test week. The test weeks are when you will redo you FTP test and track your progression. It is a bike focused block, but you can still add your swimming and there is a baseline level of running for durability. The intensity is focused on the bike with a variety of shorter intervals early in the week, longer intervals mid week, followed by a ABP (Always Be Pushing) ride that is around 3.0-3.8 W/kg, or a CNC (Cruise and Crush) ride that is around 2.5 W/kg but has a few max efforts (45 sec, 4+ minutes, then a 30' sustained effort). A lot of the athletes on the Team ride on Zwift and coordinate ride times using the GroupMe chat (see below for the link).
Running. You will see a description for TRP (Total Run Pace) this is a pace that is between Z1 and Z2. It should be easy and you should be able to carry on a conversation. That is the pace you will do a bulk of your work in this OutSeason phase. Here is it all about frequency and consistency. Early on, say the first 5 week block, focus on getting the duration in. If you feel good and want to mix up the pace based on the workout - go for it - but as you are transitioning back to structured training we want to play the long game. Consistency and frequency. As you get more consecutive weeks, you can earn the right to mix up the paces. But, early on consistency, frequency, and be conservative on the pacing.
Remember to give us an update on your homework,"What will make this season a success?" and "What is your current limiter?" I want to help you get the most out of your EN membership and training.
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
A few thoughts on getting setup and organized.
First off, think of this as an opportunity to get fitter, smarter, and share your experience with the rest of the team. Coach Patrick has designed a Season Roadmap for you. The progression of workouts will get you fitter and prepare you physically to race but, getting smarter about training and race execution is what sets Endurance Nation apart from other programs. Here you have access to Coach Patrick (11x Kona qualifier), a library of his Coach Lessons, and the experience of hundreds of other athletes across all age groups - willing to share their advice and what has worked (or not) for them. We would love to have your experience and voice in those forums too.
Want to know the best equipment to buy? Where to stay for your race? How to triage you week of training when you have to travel for work? How to ride hills efficiently? How manage your power and heart rate on a hot day? You name it the Team can help you and make you a smarter athlete. There is free speed out there just by being smarter at how you play the game. Check out the GroupMe, forums and the learning section from the main Endurance Nation page to get started (see below for links).
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.
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.
To make comments, select the activity and 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.
Here are a few things to do:
#1 Subscribe to your Coach Thread.
Subscribe to your Coach Thread and get an email when we respond. Your Coach Thread is the best way to get a hold of us. It documents all of your training questions, its always here for your reference.
Here is how:
#2 Get setup in Final Surge.
It looks like you already did this. I saw your run and ride post from Strava which is great. Already riding on Zwift - which is awesome!
So just as a reminder. Once you connect to Strava, you will have to disconnect your Garmin. Otherwise, you will get double workouts uploaded.
#3 Down load the Final Surge App
Final Surge | Mobile Apps
https://www.finalsurge.com/apps
#4 Join our GroupMe chat and join the Team
Our forums and GroupME chat its a great place to learn, ask questions and connect for accountability with other Team members. Need to buy a new training gadget? What is the best xxxx? Want some advice about your race we? We have someone on the Team that as done it before and can help you race like a veteran. Ask in the group chat, start a forum post, or just search the library.
Your new Friends are waiting for you.
GroupMe is an app you can download to your smartphone, visit on the web, and even search if you want. The forums are our long-term memory, these chats are a running dialogue with the rest of the Team
GroupMe
· EN Live 24/7 [Join Here]
· Run Group [Join Here]
· Zwift Chat [Join Here]
· Events [Join Here]
· Race Groups [Join Here]
Forums
You have complete access to the entire Team, Coach Lesson Videos, Race Execution Guidance and tons of race reports to help you learn more about training and racing.
SignIn
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/categories
Learn More about your Outseason Plan
SignIn
http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanCentralPage.aspx#full
#5 Customize your workouts in Final Surge
You will eventually do run and bike tests. You don't have to do them right away. But, in the next few weeks we'll schedule one when you feel ready. Then we will use your average heart rate during the test to set you customized workout 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/
My goal is to make your first month of Endurance Nation as simple and as awesome as possible! I want to help you get the most out of your workouts, Final Surge, learn more about race execution and how the team can help you get to your race goals.
Talk with you soon,
Matt, Training Plan Coordinator
@Joe Gretsch
https://endurancenation.wistia.com/medias/bl9laz9l18
Welcome to your SECOND MONTH inside Endurance Nation!
Our goal is to check in with you, determine the best way to help you continue your journey, and share your progress with the Team!
First off, watch Coach Patrick’s Month Two video.
Step One: Quick Update
Please use this form to update us on how things are going: https://forms.gle/k9p2o3ZYyhGo9U2N6 We will follow up with guidance and advice here in this thread.
Step Two: Book Your Coach Check In Call
As part of TeamEN, you and Coach Patrick will talk one-on-one roughly 4x per year. Let’s connect soon and keep you rolling. Book your check in call with Coach Patrick online here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
Step Three: Pick Your Learning Focus
We have several courses and resources for you based on your interest. You can browse the Courses here or review the Coach Lesson archive here.
Need help picking a focus area? Ask us right here in this forum thread (be sure to @CoachP!!), via the red chat icon on the Members Site or by going to Help / Email Support.
Step Four: Your Friends are Waiting
We have several GroupMe channels where we want to hear about your training or you can get a quick answer to your latest race or gear question. Get motivation and team awesomeness via EN Live on Facebook or if you’d rather chat, then find your home on the most relevant Team EN GroupMe chat channel.
Looking forward to your next step!
~ Brenda
@Joe Gretsch - Thanks for submitting your training feedback!
Your Swim: 2
Your Bike: 2
Your Run: 2
Body Composition: 2
Additional Info:
Biggest Improvement So Far? Swimming and time spent running
How Else Can We Help You? Probably nutrition and dialing equipment as we get closer to race day.
Would You Recommend Endurance Nation to a Friend? Yes
I saw your note about considering Nutrition before race day. With such a gap between Victoria and AZ, I want to make sure that we use the early season race as a whip to dial-in your nutrition plan.
Step 1 = Read our nutrition plan in the Wiki here regarding the Sweat Test and the calculator.
Step 2 = Post your results here, and outline what you THINK you will do for nutrition (fluids + calories).
Step 3 = We will review and give you feedback.
Step 4 = You practice it in to Vic! 🍽🤣
~ Coach P
PS - 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!
@Joe Gretsch -- always good to catch up, thanks for the time today. I was looking to your account and it looks like you are not connected to Zwift power. Here is your profile link: https://zwiftpower.com/profile.php?z=1427472
Here is how you can make sure your workouts are synced with enough power in the future: https://brtzwift.wixsite.com/brteam/zwiftpower
Re our plan, it runs our you need to be in the Half plan as of 3/9, not 3/16, so I set that up accordingly for you.
In terms of the screens I mentioned, We want the following pages:
Main Screen: Current Lap Normalized Power at Top. Current HR. Total elapsed time, total elapsed distance. Cadence?
Last Lap Screen: Last Lap NP, Last Lap HR, Last lap time.
Summary Screen: Total ride avg HR. NP for the whole ride. IF for the whole ride. TSS for the whole ride. Total elapsed time. Total distance.
Hope that helps and keep up the good work!
~ Coach P
@Joe Gretsch
Looks like you got some pretty consistent training in for Feb! Nice work. Any thoughts or feedback so far?
Any thoughts?
Joe Gretsch
206-335-8440
On Feb 23, 2020, at 7:55 PM, matt limbert wrote:
[Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch
Looks like you got some pretty consistent training in for Feb! Nice work. Any thoughts or feedback so far?
@Joe Gretsch
Hey Joe, Thanks for the feedback. I looked at your last run test on 5 Feb. You have 2 run files. The longer file, the one colored yellow, has a higher average heart rate about 158 for the test duration. The other file has a average heart rate of 146-148 for the test duration. What was the difference in the files. It looks like the same course. It looks like you used 146 as your Based on your comments, maybe 158 would be more appropriate threshold heart rate. What do you think?
For the Zone 5 - standing is okay. Sometimes that is what it takes to generate that kind of power. Try to do as much as you can seated, but it totally okay to get after it standing too. Pick courses with the 4-7% grades on hills, like Hilly Watopia or those climbs on the Richmond course, those offer the additional resistance you need to push against. You can also use workout or ERG mode. In that mode, your trainer will provide the resistance of the target watts - regardless of the the terrain. So if the interval calls for 280 Watts - the trainer will set that resistance even if the terrain is flat or down hill. You still get the same scenery and speed etc, but you the resistance is set by the workout not by the virtual grade (i.e. uphills, flats, downhills are irrelevant to tension programmed to the trainer) the tension is set by the workout file.
We have workouts already built for Zwift and Trainer Road for the OutSeason, HIM and IM plans. If you have a smart trainer and a Zwift or Trainer Road account, download the workouts for Zwift to your computer or login to Trainer Road library and get after it inside.
http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanCentralPage.aspx#outseason
For Zwift: Unzip the workouts into Documents -> Zwift -> Workouts -> "rider number" folder on the device you use to stream Zwift. My "rider number" is 126713. It will be the only numbered folder under workouts.
Let me know what you think.
Matt
So when I ran my last 5k, 111-120 was what was auto populated into the TRP section in Final Surge. I thought that was what I was suppose to shoot for. I have been trying to stay at 135 and that seems to be easier to maintain. Maybe I am just not understanding how I should be using the TRP number.
Thanks for the Zwift info. I have downloaded it and we will see what happens.
Thanks, Joe
From: matt limbert
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 11:18 AM
To: Joe Gretsch
Subject: Re: [Endurance Nation Community] Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
[Image removed by sender. Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch
Hey Joe, Thanks for the feedback. I looked at your last run test on 5 Feb. You have 2 run files. The longer file, the one colored yellow, has a higher average heart rate about 158 for the test duration. The other file has a average heart rate of 146-148 for the test duration. What was the difference in the files. It looks like the same course. It looks like you used 146 as your Based on your comments, maybe 158 would be more appropriate threshold heart rate. What do you think?
For the Zone 5 - standing is okay. Sometimes that is what it takes to generate that kind of power. Try to do as much as you can seated, but it totally okay to get after it standing too. Pick courses with the 4-7% grades on hills, like Hilly Watopia or those climbs on the Richmond course, those offer the additional resistance you need to push against. You can also use workout or ERG mode. In that mode, your trainer will provide the resistance of the target watts - regardless of the the terrain. So if the interval calls for 280 Watts - the trainer will set that resistance even if the terrain is flat or down hill. You still get the same scenery and speed etc, but you the resistance is set by the workout not by the virtual grade (i.e. uphills, flats, downhills are irrelevant to tension programmed to the trainer) the tension is set by the workout file.
We have workouts already built for Zwift and Trainer Road for the OutSeason, HIM and IM plans. If you have a smart trainer and a Zwift or Trainer Road account, download the workouts for Zwift to your computer or login to Trainer Road library and get after it inside.
http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanCentralPage.aspx#outseason
For Zwift: Unzip the workouts into Documents -> Zwift -> Workouts -> "rider number" folder on the device you use to stream Zwift. My "rider number" is 126713. It will be the only numbered folder under workouts.
(Image)
Let me know what you think.
Matt
@Joe Gretsch
If you reset your Zones and use 158 as a threshold to re-calculate the zones that will line up with you perceived effort at 135. If you do change your threshold to 158 you will need to then update your plan with the new zones.
Here are the steps as a reminder:https://www.endurancenation.us/help/final-surge-how-to-update-your-integrated-training-zones/
Oh, you will need to set your FTP is Zwift. Login to your Zwift account profile at Zwift.com to set it up. Crush it. Let us know how if goes.
@Joe Gretsch
https://endurancenation.wistia.com/medias/nfahr9cl1b
Welcome to your THIRD MONTH inside Endurance Nation!
Our goal this month is to help you be race ready for your next big event and make sure your connected with your teammates!
First OFF, be sure to check out Coach Patrick’s video online here.
Step One: Quick Update Form
Please use this form to update us on how things are going: https://forms.gle/2BAufR2WyTUjkHvE7 We will follow up with guidance and advice via email so you can stay on track.
Step Two: Research Your Race
Leverage your teammates to make sure your race is the best it can be.
Step Three: Connect with Fellow Racers
** 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.
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 on 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
I am confused about the bike training. [TSS: 43, IF: 0.65]: Up to 60' of steady ride time in Zone 1 or Zone 2. What is TSS 43, IF:0.65 and how do I use it? This is not something I have seen before.
Thanks, Joe
From: Brenda Ross
Sent: Monday, March 9, 2020 1:13 PM
To: Joe Gretsch
Subject: Re: [Endurance Nation Community] Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
[Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
Brenda Ross mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch
(Image)
Welcome to your THIRD MONTH inside Endurance Nation!
Our goal this month is to help you be race ready for your next big event and make sure your connected with your teammates!
First OFF, be sure to check out Coach Patrick’s video online here.
Step One: Quick Update Form
Please use this form to update us on how things are going: https://forms.gle/2BAufR2WyTUjkHvE7 We will follow up with guidance and advice via email so you can stay on track.
Step Two: Research Your Race
Leverage your teammates to make sure your race is the best it can be.
* First, head over to the EN Forums and use the search functionality to see if there are race reports or other information in our system.
* Second, ask the Team what they know by creating a research thread in the Races & Places Forum or by posting to the GroupMe 24/7 channel.
* When you are ready, go ahead and post your Race Plan to the Racing Forums as well
Step Three: Connect with Fellow Racers
* Depending on the size of your race, you might have a GroupMe channel that you can find under the Community section here.
* If there isn’t one, you can still head over to the Race Database and use the password WORKWORKS. From there you type the race name into the search box To get someone’s name. Return to the EN Forums and send them a private message!
** 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.
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 on 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
@Joe Gretsch
Thanks for answering the survey. Hit me up here if and I can talk you through any lingo that is confusing. Here is a link to our Quick Start guide: http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanQuickStartGuide.aspx
It has the definitions and explanations on the terminology and format of the workouts.
RE: You question above about IF and TSS. These are metrics used by athletes with Training Peaks analysis software. Training Peaks is like Final Surge only it has more data crunching ability.
IF = Intensity Factor. (Nominal Power of the Ride) / (Functional Threshold Power). This is a gross measure of how "hard" the ride was. For example, if your FTP is 280W and your ride nominal power was 210 W. Then IF = 210 / 280 = 0.75. A IF of 1 is a ride at FTP, so really hard. Nominal Power is a calculated value that estimates the power of the ride if you would have rode steady the entire time. For most rides, average power is really close to nominal power. But, for some rides that have short sprints, the nominal and average power don't really align as well.
TSS = Training Stress Score. This is a number given to each workout based on the amount of time spent below, at, or above your threshold pace for swim bike or run. This is also a measure of how "hard" or the "cost" of workout. By definition, one hour spent at Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is equal to 100 points. You can score 100 points by going at your FTP for an hour or you can go really easy for a longer time. The software calculates a stress score for every second of the workout and adds those up for the duration of the workout for the total score.
Talk to you soon!
From: matt limbert
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 6:09 PM
To: Joe Gretsch
Subject: Re: [Endurance Nation Community] Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
[Image removed by sender. Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch
Thanks for answering the survey. Hit me up here if and I can talk you through any lingo that is confusing. Here is a link to our Quick Start guide: http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanQuickStartGuide.aspx
It has the definitions and explanations on the terminology and format of the workouts.
RE: You question above about IF and TSS. These are metrics used by athletes with Training Peaks analysis software. Training Peaks is like Final Surge only it has more data crunching ability.
IF = Intensity Factor. (Nominal Power of the Ride) / (Functional Threshold Power). This is a gross measure of how "hard" the ride was. For example, if your FTP is 280W and your ride nominal power was 210 W. Then IF = 210 / 280 = 0.75. A IF of 1 is a ride at FTP, so really hard. Nominal Power is a calculated value that estimates the power of the ride if you would have rode steady the entire time. For most rides, average power is really close to nominal power. But, for some rides that have short sprints, the nominal and average power don't really align as well.
TSS = Training Stress Score. This is a number given to each workout based on the amount of time spent below, at, or above your threshold pace for swim bike or run. This is also a measure of how "hard" or the "cost" of workout. By definition, one hour spent at Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is equal to 100 points. You can score 100 points by going at your FTP for an hour or you can go really easy for a longer time. The software calculates a stress score for every second of the workout and adds those up for the duration of the workout for the total score.
Talk to you soon!
@Joe Gretsch Just checking in. How did it go last?
A lot still went ok this week. I will see what happens this week.
Joe Gretsch
206-335-8440
On Mar 22, 2020, at 6:41 PM, matt limbert wrote:
[Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch Just checking in. How did it go last?
My Victoria race has been deferred to May 30th 2021. We had a couple choices but I thought this would be best. I am thinking about doing my own personal event around that time. Should I switch to an out season program? My next 70.3 is Sept 20th.
Thanks and let me know what you think.
Thanks, Joe
From: matt limbert
Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2020 6:41 PM
To: Joe Gretsch
Subject: Re: [Endurance Nation Community] Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
[Image removed by sender. Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch Just checking in. How did it go last?
@Joe Gretsch You are still planning on IM AZ too right? With Atlantic City 70.3 on the way right?
Joe Gretsch
206-335-8440
On Mar 23, 2020, at 5:44 PM, matt limbert wrote:
[Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch You are still planning on IM AZ too right? With Atlantic City 70.3 on the way right?
@Joe Gretsch Doing your own event is a good option. It will give us a good test of your fitness and execution skills putting all three events together. Let's be sure to chat the week or two before. We can talk through some swim vs. no swim ideas. It would be best to really work the transitions (ie. keep the recovery or transition time to a minimum, in order to really stimulate a race condition and your ability to pace and execute). That will give you/us a good sense of what we need to work on for Washington 70.3 and IM AZ.
The rest of your Season Roadmap still makes a lot of sense:
We can modify the Post Iron Transition week 6/1/2020. It is typically 2 weeks and has plenty of recovery. If you do your own event, depending on how taxing that event is and how you are feeling overall. We want you to absorb all the HIM training and go into the Bike Focused Block and EN Full Block - rested and motivated. We want to shed any remaining fatigue before those blocks. The bike volume increases - especially the weekend rides and longer runs. We will have to reduce the volume the week of Washington 70.3, but you will do that race on the way to IM AZ. So, we want to bias for rest after this HIM block.
I can load the rest of your training blocks if you are good with it. How does that sound?
FYI, I rode my first group ride this morning and it definitely gave me some doubts on my biking strength. I felt a little disappointed during the ride since the group was way ahead but I did get a new FTP. Kind of weird feeling like you suck but achieve something at the same time. Anyway just thought I would share that.
Thanks,
Joe Gretsch
206-335-8440
On Mar 25, 2020, at 7:56 PM, matt limbert wrote:
[Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch Doing your own event is a good option. It will give us a good test of your fitness and execution skills putting all three events together. Let's be sure to chat the week or two before. We can talk through some swim vs. no swim ideas. It would be best to really work the transitions (ie. keep the recovery or transition time to a minimum, in order to really stimulate a race condition and your ability to pace and execute). That will give you/us a good sense of what we need to work on for Washington 70.3 and IM AZ.
The rest of your Season Roadmap still makes a lot of sense:
* On 6/1/2020 Load the Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 06/14/2020
* On 6/15/2020 Load the Bike Focus Block, 2019 (6wks) to end on 7/26/2020
* On 7/27/2020 Load the EN Full Bike Focused to end on 11/22/2020
* On 11/23/2020 Load the Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 12/20/2020
We can modify the Post Iron Transition week 6/1/2020. It is typically 2 weeks and has plenty of recovery. If you do your own event, depending on how taxing that event is and how you are feeling overall. We want you to absorb all the HIM training and go into the Bike Focused Block and EN Full Block - rested and motivated. We want to shed any remaining fatigue before those blocks. The bike volume increases - especially the weekend rides and longer runs. We will have to reduce the volume the week of Washington 70.3, but you will do that race on the way to IM AZ. So, we want to bias for rest after this HIM block.
I can load the rest of your training blocks if you are good with it. How does that sound?
@Joe Gretsch Those group rides and races are so hard! 😂 They are a humbling experience! But at the same time so motivating. Nice work with the new FTP. Those are are so hard to come by. 👊
When I looked at that ride, you had some serious power spikes early in the ride! 340-350+ Watts. Its a group racing thing, especially the road cyclists that want to create separation on the hills - they really drill it to put the rest of us in difficultly. Plus, the tactics of staying in a group are so key to maintaining contact. They are great for pushing yourself. The group rides used to have a virtual fence that the leader controlled. It would limit the number of riders off the front and make the pace a bit more steady. We that feature will come back and give the group rides a different personality and more steady than the races. Nice work jumping in there. Look for the our Group meet ups this next week or the weekend rides - the EN Hang on ride is fun. Its pretty steady for the the first 2 hrs, but the last 30' -ish are the "race." Keep racing! 💪
Any chance you can take a look at my biking and see if I am improving. I thought I found a graph and it shows my power is decreasing. Is that right? Or is there a good place for me to look?
Thanks,
Joe Gretsch
206-335-8440
On Mar 27, 2020, at 12:15 PM, matt limbert wrote:
[Endurance Nation Community]
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matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch Those group rides and races are so hard! 😂 They are a humbling experience! But at the same time so motivating. Nice work with the new FTP. Those are are so hard to come by. 👊
When I looked at that ride, you had some serious power spikes early in the ride! 340-350+ Watts. Its a group racing thing, especially the road cyclists that want to create separation on the hills - they really drill it to put the rest of us in difficultly. Plus, the tactics of staying in a group are so key to maintaining contact. They are great for pushing yourself. The group rides used to have a virtual fence that the leader controlled. It would limit the number of riders off the front and make the pace a bit more steady. We that feature will come back and give the group rides a different personality and more steady than the races. Nice work jumping in there. Look for the our Group meet ups this next week or the weekend rides - the EN Hang on ride is fun. Its pretty steady for the the first 2 hrs, but the last 30' -ish are the "race." Keep racing! 💪
or 2.5 hr ride.
Thanks,
Joe Gretsch
206-335-8440
On Apr 6, 2020, at 8:14 PM, matt limbert wrote:
[Endurance Nation Community]
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matt limbert commented on Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
Sure Joe. What time duration were interested in? 5', 20', avg power for 1.5
or 2.5 hr ride.
@Joe Gretsch First, what kind of trainer do you have? Did you calibrate it yet? If you haven't - download the app for your trainer and do quick google search for videos on "calibrate xxxx trainer." Just to make sure you are baselined.
Zwift comparisons are interesting to say the least! 😂 Some of those guys in your age group may be pure cyclists and not triathletes and some my not post "accurate" weights for for the power/kg ratio. Also, you have been racing in the "A" and this category is getting ridiculous with the number of riders showing up with 4.0-5.0 w/kg. That is a really, really high level of fitness. Even if you race in the "C" category, there are still some guys riding as "C" that are clearly either "B" or "A" - those guys are the sandbaggers. They are riding in a lower category and bias the results. Our approach is that Zwift is a great platform for pushing yourself, but it still lacks when comparing yourself to other riders.
Now, to see your own progression - You have ridden a variety of courses and distances. So I try to look at your steady ride progression:
12 Feb @ 169 W for 3 hrs
28 March @ 167 for 4 hrs
That is an entire hour more at about the same power. Which is a good sign of of increasing endurance.
You also set a PR for 20', 5', and 1' during the Friday Night Freight Train 27 Mar. So that was a great ride.
You also just started the Bike Max efforts with a max power of 392 W. Over the next couple of weeks will be good to see how you progress with this workout for max power.
To see the kind of progression you are looking for, we need to be a bit more disciplined on the test duration and "course." For example, we need to focus on a test duration like 5' max or 20' -60' time trial and then use the same course every 4-5 weeks to check your progress. You could do something like the EN Bump Race at 8pm ET Mon. https://www.endurancenation.us/teamen-on-zwift/#schedule That is a great opportunity to go hard on the same course and compare efforts. Most of the races repeat week after week, so if you find one that fits your schedule, target that one and use it has your test event to gauge your progress. Use the competition of Zwift to help you achieve your best effort, and Zwift power to track your personal bests for those 15s, 30s, and 1' timeframes.
I loaded it into Final Surge for you already. So, give us a 😀, 👊, 👍️, or 🤔 and let us know what you think.
@Joe Gretsch -- just wanted to follow up with you after you submitted your checking update for us. These are small opportunities for us to just touch base and see where things are at. Sounds like you are considering rolling your own event with the official one canceled.
We are more than happy to help you walk through that process here inside your coach thread. This way we can make sure that you've covered all the bases around what our targets are and what it is we're looking to achieve from the session. In the meantime, I hope all of your bike workouts are going well.
The transition to Racing on Zwift is tough, but guaranteed it will make you a better cyclist. It is literally "adapt or get dropped." 😱
~ Coach P
Ps - Thanks for chiming in with some support this AM during your Meet Up ride!
I will keep you posted as I get things planned out.
I think I am getting the hang of how Zwift works. Always a great work out Long or short ride.
Joe Gretsch
206-335-8440
On May 4, 2020, at 4:15 PM, Coach Patrick wrote:
[Endurance Nation Community]
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Coach Patrick mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch -- just wanted to follow up with you after you submitted your checking update for us. These are small opportunities for us to just touch base and see where things are at. Sounds like you are considering rolling your own event with the official one canceled.
We are more than happy to help you walk through that process here inside your coach thread. This way we can make sure that you've covered all the bases around what our targets are and what it is we're looking to achieve from the session. In the meantime, I hope all of your bike workouts are going well.
The transition to Racing on Zwift is tough, but guaranteed it will make you a better cyclist. It is literally "adapt or get dropped." 😱
I ended up doing the bike and run for the Washington 70.3 on Wednesday. This took the place of the Victoria 70.3 that was going to happen this weekend. What should I work on now? I don’t see anything on Final Surge.
Thanks,
Joe Gretsch
206-335-8440
On Mar 10, 2020, at 7:10 PM, Joe Gretsch wrote:
Thanks for the info!
From: matt limbert
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 6:09 PM
To: Joe Gretsch
Subject: Re: [Endurance Nation Community] Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
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matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch
Thanks for answering the survey. Hit me up here if and I can talk you through any lingo that is confusing. Here is a link to our Quick Start guide: http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanQuickStartGuide.aspx
It has the definitions and explanations on the terminology and format of the workouts.
RE: You question above about IF and TSS. These are metrics used by athletes with Training Peaks analysis software. Training Peaks is like Final Surge only it has more data crunching ability.
IF = Intensity Factor. (Nominal Power of the Ride) / (Functional Threshold Power). This is a gross measure of how "hard" the ride was. For example, if your FTP is 280W and your ride nominal power was 210 W. Then IF = 210 / 280 = 0.75. A IF of 1 is a ride at FTP, so really hard. Nominal Power is a calculated value that estimates the power of the ride if you would have rode steady the entire time. For most rides, average power is really close to nominal power. But, for some rides that have short sprints, the nominal and average power don't really align as well.
TSS = Training Stress Score. This is a number given to each workout based on the amount of time spent below, at, or above your threshold pace for swim bike or run. This is also a measure of how "hard" or the "cost" of workout. By definition, one hour spent at Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is equal to 100 points. You can score 100 points by going at your FTP for an hour or you can go really easy for a longer time. The software calculates a stress score for every second of the workout and adds those up for the duration of the workout for the total score.
Talk to you soon!
@Joe Gretsch Awesome work. Congratulations! Your cadence looked great, even increasing on the second half of the bike. Nice continuous ride. That looked like a tough run. Well deserved rest. You are almost finished. To close out this block, we would like to hear more about your event.
Describe your event. Course. Why did you pick it? Weather? Aid stations? Self-supported?
What were your goals?
How well did you execute your plan?
What went well?
What went wrong or unexpected?
What did you like / dislike about your fueling and hydration plan?
We have "workout" made up for you to do this. Some time this weekend, knock out your event summary. We will learn alot about you, your fitness, training effectiveness, mental approach, execution, fueling,, logistics. It will help you (and us) plan the next part of your progression.
In the meantime, loaded two weeks of post-ironman transition. We like give you a little structure and staying active is better than completely taking the days off. We want 30-60' of easy/light activity. Avoid running. Walk, hike, bike, yoga, paddleboard, dance - whatever gets you moving. We'll get you back to training soon, the peak, taper and recovery are just as important in the macro sense as the event. Giving your body and mind a chance to recover and process all the work you did is key.
As for what is next, I have a few ideas but I would like to hear what you are interested in.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about your day.
From: matt limbert
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2020 7:02 PM
To: Joe Gretsch
Subject: Re: [Endurance Nation Community] Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
[Endurance Nation Community]
________________________________
matt limbert mentioned you in Joe Gretsch Official Coach Thread [TeamEN]
@Joe Gretsch Awesome work. Congratulations! Your cadence looked great, even increasing on the second half of the bike. Nice continuous ride. That looked like a tough run. Well deserved rest. You are almost finished. To close out this block, we would like to hear more about your event.
Describe your event. Course. Why did you pick it? Weather? Aid stations? Self-supported?
This route is the route for the 70.3 IM Washington in September. I was going to do a 70.3 Victoria that weekend but it was postponed until next year. The weather was in the high 70’s and was self-supported.
What were your goals?
Goal was to do a test ride and run on the route and just see how I would do putting things together.
How well did you execute your plan? I did OK.
What went well? The ride and transition went well.
What went wrong or unexpected?
At about mile 6 on my run my toes started to cramp up. I have had that happen before and thought it was my bike shoes fitting too tight. I realized it was my socks pulling my little toes under. Took off my socks and the pain went away. I need to change my socks at transition or don’t wear socks. I did get blisters from no socks completing the run. I will have to experiment with this.
What did you like / dislike about your fueling and hydration plan?
Nutrition and Hydration will be my problem. I only drank 1.25 bottles of water on my ride and one pack of gel cubes. I get so focused I forget when riding. I was so dehydrated during the run and ran out of water at mile 8. I had lots of water and food at transition and probably would have struggled to bring enough water for a 3 hour ride but I should have done a better job here.
We have "workout" made up for you to do this. Some time this weekend, knock out your event summary. We will learn alot about you, your fitness, training effectiveness, mental approach, execution, fueling,, logistics. It will help you (and us) plan the next part of your progression.
In the meantime, loaded two weeks of post-ironman transition. We like give you a little structure and staying active is better than completely taking the days off. We want 30-60' of easy/light activity. Avoid running. Walk, hike, bike, yoga, paddleboard, dance - whatever gets you moving. We'll get you back to training soon, the peak, taper and recovery are just as important in the macro sense as the event. Giving your body and mind a chance to recover and process all the work you did is key.
As for what is next, I have a few ideas but I would like to hear what you are interested in.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about your day.