Christopher Rochford 2020 Season 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
- March 15 - NYC Half Marathon - I wanted to test my run fitness prior to Boston; hoping for low 1:30s
- April 20 - Boston Marathon - my goal is run a solid time 3:05 or below would be ideal; I have never done Boston before
- May 16 - Harriman Olympic - no goals for this race; it just has some solid hills and I have done it the past few years as an early season rac
- Ironman 70.3 Virginia Blue Ridge (2020-06-07) #70.3VirginiaBR_20
- June 27 - Tupperman 70.3* - not registered; was considering this race as part of a large volume weekend prior to Lake Placid and I think its terrain may be similar to Lake Placid, but not totally sure, I know its not too far from Lake Placid
- NYC Triathlon 2020-07-19
- Ironman Lake Placid (2020-07-26) #IMLP_20 - I felt strong in 2018 and went 10:27 but struggled late in the run; I suffered big time on the run in 2019 and went 10:59 with tons of cramping; I would like to go under 10:30 and feel like I can go sub 3:30 on the run this year (in 2018 my run was 3:39)
- August 1 - Atlantic City Olympic - I don't have any goals for this race; I live on the race course so its kind of hard to not do this race; I have raced the week after Lake Placid twice before without any issues
- Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City (2020-09-13) #70.3atlanticcity_20 - I would like to run faster on this course this year; I went 1:29 on the run in 2018 but wasn't able to hold it together in 2019 and went maybe 1:36 or something, but the conditions for 2018 were prime for a fast run (cool, overcast, rain) and 2019 got really hot on the run
- Berlin Marathon 2020-09-27 - I would like to run a solid time on this course sub 3:05
- NYC Marathon - I don't have any goals for this race until after Berlin is over; I went 3:01 in 2018 but had roughly 6 weeks after the AC 70.3 that year, of just running to focus on the race
Your Notes
I have been competing in triathlon for a little over ten years. Over the last 4-5 years, I have had more time to commit to the sport and have been able to be more competitive in my age group. I race all distance triathlon sprint, olympic, half and full. I enjoy racing and usually end up with 8-12 triathlons a season. Additionally I also have gotten in to open marathon running as of late 2018.Following the end of the 2019 season, which for me was the Chicago Marathon, I took a few weeks off. During the months of November and December I continued to run and lift weights. Beginning in January I began to get back on the trainer a few times a week and started back with EN last 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 February 3, 2020
- On 2/3/2020 Load the -- 2019 Marathon [Balanced], 16 Weeks to end on 4/19/2020
- On 4/20/2020 Load the Post Marathon / Half Marathon Plan (2wks) to end on 5/3/2020
- On 5/4/2020 Load the EN Full Bike Focused, 12wks to end on 7/26/2020
- On 7/27/2020 Load the Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 8/23/2020
- On 8/24/2020 Load the EN Half Run Focused, 12wks to end on 9/13/2020
- On 9/14/2020 Load the 2019 Marathon, 16 Weeks to end on 11/21/2020
- On 11/22/2020 Load the Durability for Triathletes 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 12/19/2020
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
@Christopher Rochford
Hey Chris, Welcome! Super cool have you back with us. I'm here help you get setup in Final Surge - better understand your training, make adjustments, introduce you to our learning opportunities. Brenda can help you with the navigation of our site, where you can find the social part of the team, or the learning stuff too.
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 early on we want to emphasize consistency, frequency, and be conservative on the pacing/intensity on the run.
Coach Patrick talked about adding the swim supplement. You can do that or just let me know and I can add it too. You can move the swims around to fit your schedule. You can (and we encourage) you to move workouts around if you need to. You have quite a bit of experience already and most likely have an idea of what works for you. If you want a second opinion or some additional insight - we are happy to help!
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 Race 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, Boston Marathon PR 3:05, and several Boston veterans), 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, and paces etc. 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, 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.
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 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.
Link your Garmin or Strava account to Final Surge. Do it once and forget about it. All your workouts will automagically get 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
If social media and chat groups are not your thing. Take a look at our forums. These are not your typical forums or chat rooms. These are where our smartest members hang out and answer questions or give advice. Think of this as your biggest group of endurance and athlete friends. These folks are super helpful. We have a set of Wicked Smart Members (WSM). These athletes are vetted by the rest of the team and Coach Patrick. They are recognized for their expertise and willingness to help.
You have complete access to the entire Learning section. Check out the Coach Lesson Videos, Race Execution Guidance there and look through the forums. There are 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
If you have a recent 5k. Use your average heart rate to set your customized EN 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
Coach Patrick, thanks for the email and video message. Matt and Brenda thank you for the assistance with things so far. I will have to take full blame for not being able to include a full list of my races for this season. I'm not sure what happened on my end. I will include the current list of races below with some comments and goals.
March 15 - NYC Half Marathon - I wanted to test my run fitness prior to Boston; hoping for low 1:30s
April 20 - Boston Marathon - my goal is run a solid time 3:05 or below would be ideal; I have never done Boston before
May 16 - Harriman Olympic - no goals for this race; it just has some solid hills and I have done it the past few years as an early season race
June 7 - Roanoke 70.3 - no goals for this race; just wanted a test of my fitness
June 27 - Tupperman 70.3* - not registered; was considering this race as part of a large volume weekend prior to Lake Placid and I think its terrain may be similar to Lake Placid, but not totally sure, I know its not too far from Lake Placid
July 19 - NYC Olympic - probably my favorite race; I have gone pretty hard on this course before, but its never been the week before Lake Placid
July 26 - Ironman Lake Placid - I felt strong in 2018 and went 10:27 but struggled late in the run; I suffered big time on the run in 2019 and went 10:59 with tons of cramping; I would like to go under 10:30 and feel like I can go sub 3:30 on the run this year (in 2018 my run was 3:39)
August 1 - Atlantic City Olympic - I don't have any goals for this race; I live on the race course so its kind of hard to not do this race; I have raced the week after Lake Placid twice before without any issues
September 13 - AC 70.3 - I would like to run faster on this course this year; I went 1:29 on the run in 2018 but wasn't able to hold it together in 2019 and went maybe 1:36 or something, but the conditions for 2018 were prime for a fast run (cool, overcast, rain) and 2019 got really hot on the run
September 27 - Berlin Marathon - I would like to run a solid time on this course sub 3:05
November 1 - NYC Marathon - I don't have any goals for this race until after Berlin is over; I went 3:01 in 2018 but had roughly 6 weeks after the AC 70.3 that year, of just running to focus on the race
Thanks guys
Chris
@Christopher Rochford okay updated in the Text above and the Video links. Once you confirm, we can get to building it out for you with @matt limbert ...
Onwards!
~ Coach P
Coach Patrick thanks so much for taking the time to re-work things for me. Your plan sounds great to me.
Thanks again
Chris
@Christopher Rochford
Your season roadmap is loaded in Final Surge!
Here is some of advice from Coach Patrick on preparing for and pacing at Boston. There are few nuances about pacing because of the net downhill early in the race and the hills later.
This has blog post has some good follow on links for logistics and pacing strategy:
This is part two part blog post with some more background and things to think about in preparation:
Race like a vet! Learn from the experience of other folks on the team. Here are two examples of the Race Reports and Team interaction. These are for Boston, but we have lots of others from team members:
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/25797/tim-sullivan-s-boston-marathon-race-report
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/24692/ross-randolph-2018-boston-marathon-race-report
Check these out. Chat with you soon.
~Matt
@Christopher Rochford
Hey Chris, How is the Boston training going? I see you have averaged around 32-36 miles (big week of 42) + 2.5 hrs of biking. What do you think?