Elvert Gardner 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 70.3 Eagleman (2020-06-14) #70.3Eagleman_20
- 06/27/2020, (Olympic but possibly Half distance) Rev 3 Williamsburg
- Ironman Maryland (2020-09-19) #IMMD_20 [Main Race]
Your Notes
Ironman Eagleman (70.3): swim was cancelled; bike 3:03:30 (56 miles); run was 2:58;49 for half marathon
(‼️coming off 6 weeks of no running due to calf injury‼️)
Colonial Beach Triathlon (Olympic): Swim was 37:20 for 1500 meters; bike was 1:31:34 for 23.7 miles (15.5 mph); run was 1:00:46 for 10k
Chicago Triathlon (olympic): swim was cancelled; bike was 1:22:14 for 24 miles (17.8mph), run was 56:13 for 10k
Marine Corps Marathon: 6:09:54
Current fitness level is low. Fitness score in Training Peaks is 36 (22 from bike). I have been participating in the USAT NCC team challenge. Mostly bike rides.
For the last few weeks I have been riding twice a day and getting in around 25-30 mile per day, 3-4 times per week.
Basically no running since the Marine Corps Marathon in October.
With the exception of the last month, I have been swimming around 1500-2300m 2 or 3 times per 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 March 3, 2020
- On 3/2/2020 Load the EN Half Prep Plan, 4wks to end on 3/29/2020
- **Transition Early**
- On 3/16/2020 Load the EN Half Bike Focused, 12wks to end on 06/07/2020
- On 6/8/2020 Load the Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 06/21/2020
- On 6/22/2020 Load the EN Full Prep Plan, 4wks to end on 07/19/2020
- **Transition Early**
- On 6/29/2020 Load the EN Full Bike Focused, 12wks to end on 09/20/2020
- On 9/21/2020 Load the Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 10/18/2020
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
@Elvert Gardner
Elvert, Welcome! Super cool have you with us. I'm here help you get setup and organized. I can explain your workout structure, show you where to find our race execution guidance, and how to connect with the rest of the team. I'm here to walk you through all of it. All the way to IM MD!
Let me know what you are interested in, and I'll point you in the right direction. Our goal is to not only make you fitter, but smarter, and offer you the help and experience of our entire team to put together a race you race be proud of!
If any questions you have getting started - chat with me here or schedule a 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), 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.
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.
Sync your Garmin or Strava account with Final Surge. All your workouts will upload automatically.
Connect only one! Chose either Strava OR Garmin. Strava works better if you ride on Zwift!
#3 Down load the Final Surge App
Final Surge | Mobile Apps
https://www.finalsurge.com/apps
#4 Join our GroupMe chat
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. GroupMe is a running group chat that team members use to get a quick answer to a question, accountability, and celebrate a new PR!
GroupMe
· EN Live 24/7 [Join Here]
· Run Group [Join Here]
· Zwift Chat [Join Here]
· Events [Join Here]
· Race Groups [Join Here]
#5 Explore ways to get smarter. Train and race like a veteran! Learn more and dial in your own training and race execution. Get training tips and execution advice from other TeamEN veterans
All of the Training Plans are explained here. Your 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 and improve your race execution:
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/RacingMemberCentral/RaceExecutionDetails/MasterRaceExecutionPage(HalfFull).aspx
Use the Table of Contents links at the top of the page to jump to that parts that interest you.
The EN 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.
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
Check out Coach Patrick's videos under Learning -> Coach Lessons - "How to race in the heat," "Checklists and Race Logistics Matter"
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. https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/categories
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.
As part of your TeamEN membership you now 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.
#6 Smart Trainer Integration
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.
SignIn
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.
For Trainer Road: Use this like to request access to the EN workout library. Request access by sending a message "Request Invite to Trainer Road" to ppisaj2s@inbound.intercom-mail.com
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.
Chat with me here anytime or setup a call.
Talk with you soon,
Matt, Training Plan Coordinator
@Elvert Gardner Hey Elvert, I see that you are all sync'd up between Garmin and Final Surge. You customized your zones and are knocking out the workouts last week. 👊 You are killing it! It looks like you are all set. Can you give me a thumbs up or good to go? Anything I can help with?
@Elvert Gardner How did it go last week?