Eric Miller 2020 Official Coach Thread [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
Your Races
- Ironman Louisville (2020-10-11) #IMLou_20
Your Notes
IM TX 2015 finish with EN. Last race was IM OH 70.3 2016. General fitness is under developed currently, signed up for IM LOU 2019 and deferred to 2020. Excuses to not get back out on the trails have mounted. My approach to this October will be minimalist and EN philosophy meshes well with maxing out what little time we all have with work. I have not been training. Inconsistent runs on the beach and trails. Have not been swimming but enjoy the pool so looking forward to getting back in when time permits. Bike is mounted on Wahoo Kickr and collecting dust. My plan is to compete in an IM distance race every 5 years. The good news is that for a larger stature body, I am well within striking distance of competition weight. Transforming the final 15 pounds to get to 215 is where I will be. I have stayed well hydrated and healthy leading up to this moment. Ready to knock the rust off and get moving with purpose. My greatest fear is post race blues. It happened with Texas and general feeling of enough creeped in and exercise went flat.
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 20, 2020
- On 1/20/2020 Load the OutSeason for Triathletes (Bike Focus) Plan, 14wks to end on 4/26/2020
- On 4/27/2020 Load the Swim Camp to end on 5/10/2020
- On 5/11/2020 Load the Bike Focus Block, 2019 (6wks) to end on 6/21/2020
- On 6/22/2020 Load the -- EN Full Prep Plan, 4wks to end on 7/19/2020
- On 7/20/2020 Load the -- EN Full Bike Focused to end on 10/11/2020
- On 10/12/2020 Load the -- Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 11/8/2020
- On 11/9/2020 Load the -- Durability for Triathletes 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 12/6/2020
- On 12/7/2020 Load the -- Durability for Triathletes 2 (8 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 1/3/2021
- On 1/4/2021 Load the -- Durability for Triathletes 3 (7 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 1/31/2021
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 Eric,
Welcome! Great have you back. Consistency and frequency are key to your goals of minimalist and effective as possible. Focus on Tues, Wed, Thurs + Weekend and take full advantage of your Mon/Fri rest days. Let's get to this!
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).
Here is some guidance on modifying / triage / scale some of the workouts.
#1. Cut the Interval Length but Keep the Intensity. IOW if 2 x 15' on the bike isn't working for you, can you do 3x10 with more rest or 4x7.5, etc.
#2. Do the Time but Drop the Intensity. If #1 doesn't work, then get in your 2x15' at .9 or .85 instead.
#3. Do the Time Only. If #2 doesn't work, then just get your 45-60 minutes done.
#4 Do your best and make a note. If you are short on time. Make sure you warm-up. Don't cut that short. Then do your best and make a note in the comments section of the workout. Most of the workouts are on a steady progression week to week. Your notes will help you remember what went sideways, where you left off, and help you set a goal when you tackle a similar workout next week.
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.
If you have a Garmin account or Strava account (both free) - link them to Final Surge. Then, all your workout info will be "automagically" uploaded after every session.
Keep in mind, if you plan to ride inside on Zwift, then link your Strava account with Final Surge. Pick just one on sync. Either Garmin OR Strava!
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.
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/categories
#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/
#6 Get Stronger with the OutSeason Plan and Checkout the Opportunities to Learn How to Race Smarter
Getting Stronger on the Bike - Understanding your Training Plan Structure
All of the Training Plans are explained here. The Half IM plan is about halfway down the page. 6' video and a few short paragraphs.
http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanCentralPage.aspx#half
Check out the Opportunities To Learn:
Use the Table of Contents links at the top of the page to jump to that parts that interest you.
The 4 keys to race execution video is a good place to start. Patrick talks about
#1 Racing is Execution NOT fitness
#2 The Line - is where you start racing. For the IM, that is mile 18 of the marathon. All your decisions set up your ability to race when you get to that line. There is no such thing as a good bike split followed by a poor run. The bike sets up the run.
# 3 The Box - All day long you are going to race inside a box defined by what you can control. Ask yourself "What do I need to do right NOW to create the conditions for success at The Line?
# 4 One Thing - Before the race, you need to be able to answer the question: "Why am I doing this race?" During the course of your race day, expect your body to have a very convincing conversation with your mind: "This is really starting to get old and very painful. You need to give me a good reason to keep going forward. If you can't give me a good one, I'm gonna slow down."
While these may seem simple, the process of pacing, adapting to conditions, and managing fueling/hydration is more detailed in the text and in the video.
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/RacingMemberCentral/RaceExecutionDetails/MasterRaceExecutionPage(HalfFull).aspx
Detailed Race Preparation and Planning resources (Impact of Heat on Pace calculator, Pacing with Power on the Bike, etc.)
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Race+Execution
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