Sally Miller 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
- 04/26/2020 Gettysburg Blue-Gray Half Marathon
- Other Running Race 10/10/2020 Oil Creek 100km Trail Runs [Main Race]
Your Notes
My last race was an attempt at the Oil Creek 100K October 2019. I made it 38.2 miles and pulled out due to not feeling like I could finish. I had trouble with my hands swelling (a friend also did) and got discouraged as it became dark and I still had 6.8 miles until I would be meeting up with my nighttime runner. If I could get in better shape and have less time in the dark alone and figure out the swelling issue, I feel I could finish. That is my big goal for the year...Oil Creek 100K October 10th. I have a half marathon March 28th and possibly one April 25th. These are road races, Oil Creek is a trail race. I have completed Oil Creek twice but not since 2012. I am not at my best right now. The last year has been a real struggle for me, mostly mentally. My husband and I used to run/walk/race together and last March he had a hip replacement. He walks very slowly now as he has issues with his joints from 27 yrs. of dairy farming. So, I have had a hard time being motivated to get out and do this on my own. I run/walk and don't think I would attack races any other way. It just seems to be the mindset I can handle. I am 56 yrs. old and had a heart attack where my LAD was 100% blocked with collateral branching already in place at the age of 34. I go to the cardiologist regularly and all is well with running. I think I am a little conservative with my running because of this but I realize that staying active is important to my overall health, therefore I run/walk and enter races to keep active. About two weeks ago I strained my hamstring but with stretches and strengthening feel it has almost completely healed. I am still doing more walking than running at this point but am slowly increasing this ratio. I am SLOW...I would like to increase my speed but am not sure how to go about it. Right now I am doing about 3 miles on weekdays and a longer run on Saturday around 7-11 miles.
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 5, 2020
- On 3/2/2020 Load the -- Half Marathon 12 weeks to end on 4/26/2020
- On 4/27/2020 Load the -- OutSeason for Runners Plan, 14wks to end on 8/2/2020
- **Transition Early**
- On 6/22/2020 Load the -- UltraRun 50M / 100K Plan, Beginner/Intermediate [16 Weeks] to end on 10/11/2020
- On 10/12/2020 Load the -- Post Marathon / Half Marathon Plan (2wks) to end on 10/25/2020
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
@Sally Miller
Sally, Welcome! Super cool have you with us. I'm glad to hear you have put those races on your schedue to keep you healthy and fit. I love that you are going back to oil creek for a rematch! 👊
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.
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 - including a bunch of fellow ultra runners. They are all 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? 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 (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 ultra veteran!
Check out these training tips and race execution advice from other TeamEN ultra runners.
Chat with me here or schedule a call. I'm happy to help.
Matt
@sally miller I would be happy to talk on the phone with you for as long as you like to get you comfortable with your training plan. https://calendly.com/new-member-phone-call/1
Take a look at those times. If those don't work, let me know what does and we will set something up!
We are on this!
Here is an abbreviation guide. http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanQuickStartGuide.aspx
@Sally Miller subcribed test
@Sally Miller It was good to talk with you today. Here is the video for how to update your plan with the new zones. Remember to make a few notes about how you felt and what HR numbers you saw. Over 2-3 weeks I bet you can dial in a baseline. Then, you will be able to recognize when things are sideways and use your perceived effort. That Oil Creek buckle is totally cool BTW. 😎 We'll chat soon.
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/
@Sally Miller Howzitgoin? Nice work with those workout comments on the treadmill.
It's going okay! I do have a question though...yesterday's workout was 2X15' Z1, then 12" Z2. So I did the 15' at 3.6mph on the treadmill and my HR was on the average 120ish or a little higher, and I did the 12' at around 3.8-4.0 mph and my HR was 130-140 range. My zone 1 is 98-114 and Z2 is 125-133. I'm not sure how to work these ranges out. I got a good workout in, I wish I was better at using RPE, I'm just not a good judge of it. I know these speeds are really slow, I have been run/walking for a long time and don't seem to gain "fitness" as far as being able to keep sustained running. I can't seem to run for extended times, always taking walk breaks. I think I am going to always do my mileage like that.
So what do you think about the speeds vs. the zones? I never really worked out in the zones that are scheduled in my workout, I was above them throughout the whole time.
@Sally Miller How did you set your zones? We typically use a 5k race or time trial and take your average heart rate for the race as the input to the calculator.
As a ultra runner, run and walk is part of your approach to racing. Tell us more about what you mean by "I can't seem to run for extended times, always taking walk breaks." What do you feel is your limiting factor? What is your trigger to walk?
I used a 3 mile run that I recently did where I pushed enough to get my HR up around 180ish. I have been doing a run/walk for quite sometime now. I think I limit myself because I have my heart history always in the back of my mind. Today when I was doing the mile repeats I could feel the tired feeling that I get when I think I need to walk. I don't look at my HR until I feel this and it is usually up in conjunction with the feeling of being tired. It does seem to coincide. I think a lot of my limiting factor is mind over matter but I also feel I am cautious because of my heart. I feel good and have good reports when I go to the cardiologist. He always says it's fine to run and I never ask specifics about how hard to push. I always do well on my stress tests and haven't had any changes in the results from these for many years. So, I think it is just me mentally letting myself go to push a little longer.
@Sally Miller You did everything right! 180s is a typical 5k race HR. It is certainly reasonable to be cautious. Its nice to hear that your cardiologist gives you good reports and perform well on your stress tests. You do have a good read on you perceived effort. Your run walk pattern looks pretty predictable but you seem pretty efficient with it. It does play well into your approach for ultras which have a run walk effort overall. We would like to help you set some progression goals.
Your warm-up looks like a good bit of consistent running time, then during the intervals your heart rate rises really quickly and then you start to run walk. What is different about your warm-up vs. the main set or intervals?
Does running with 0% incline change your experience? What about outside?
@Sally Miller Coach Patrick and all the Ultra runs are doing a video chat on Wed. It would be great if you could join. Here are the details:
EN Seminar: Ultra Run Planning
When
Wed, April 8, 8pm – 9pm ET
Description
Host: Tim Cronk
With the release of the new Endurance Nation ultra running plans, this is an opportunity for everyone who is choosing the epic path to travel for the season can connect and strategize about how to make the most of their training. This is open to anyone training for events that are longer than a marathon.
Patrick McCrann is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: EN Seminar: Ultra Run Planning
Time: Mar 18, 2020 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/551686828
Meeting ID: 551 686
@Sally Miller Here is a "race" report from Tim Cronk. He was training for UltraMan Arizona before it was canceled - so he did his own 38 mile run in AZ. He also did Leadville Trail 100 last year. I thought you might enjoy his write-up.
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/26553/tim-cronk-2020-corona-virus-ultrarun
@Sally Miller - great to talk to you earlier this week! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Hard to believe that with all of this time that I am at home, I feel as though I've never been busier! Not sure what's up with that! I hope you are still safe and healthy, and that you stay that way. 👍
I wanted to talk with you about what our options are now that your intermediate race is off the table. As we discussed, I think the best option for you is to refocus on some fundamental running before we begin adding the volume.
It would be nice for you to have a good baseline level of run fitness that you can use to do fun stuff when you want, but you aren't overtaxed. There's a fine line there, but I think we can find it.
Here's the updated season plan:
If you need help loading that up, please reply here to let @matt limbert know!
‼️What are the monthly goals to refocus?
#1 = Run Frequency I know the longer runs are "easier" for you to block out and get done. That said, the frequency that we can achieve with lower distance runs is really powerful. I have no idea what your day-to-day life is like right now. But if possible, it would be great to have you do a 20 or 30 minute run on the days when you are not going long. This will create the opportunity for consistency and will give us a chance to target run frequency as a goal for the next few weeks.
#2 = Adventure Runs we spoke about this briefly on the phone. The idea of going to a new area and using that as a chance to explore and get a long run in. Could be a nice opportunity for you and your husband to make a little project out of it as a distraction from the every day. You'll be great if you got one of these in a month, if not to. I don't know how busy/and busy you are, but if the opportunity is there and the weather is good – you should do it!
#3 = Improved Diet it wasn't something we discussed, but it's an easy way for you to make some positive changes in your overall wellness, not just for running. Pick your biggest weakness, and let's try and sell for it. For me, my issue is a sweet tooth that acts up at night. So when I focus on my diet I have to solve for that by replacing the high calorie stuff with an alternative. My go to is a chocolate protein powder shake in cold water with some ice. I get the protein I need which fills me up and no unnecessary calories, and it's delicious chocolate too! #winwin Do you have anything you might want to focus on here?
Looking forward to your reply,
~ Coach P
PS - if you have the race day for the Blue-Gray race In September, let me know!