What can members see...?

ejbeach01

Hello all, I'm willing to bet many of the non-coaches can answer this.

So...if any of you are like me, and I am willing to bet some of you are.  We go to great lengths to create a training plan...prior to EN of course.  There have been times I'd hand write out a plan for a full year.  Is that a little over-the-top, you bet.  OCD, sure.  Anal, yup.  Take your pick.  For some reason it is an exercise I enjoy...but at the same time I end up doing similar workouts over and over only trying to do them harder and harder.  At some point in there I lack purpose because even I recognize there isn't any real structure, or purpose to my workouts when "planned' in that manner.  And then I end up needing unscheduled rest because I dig myself into a grave of volume and intensity I can't possibly survive.  I have great weeks followed by horrible weeks.

Enter EN and coaching.  Trial membership has been great.  I really like what I see.  But here is what I have not seen...and maybe as a member I can.  Maybe I don't need to...not real sure.

As a member am I able to see the plans at a macro level instead of 3 week spurts.  I am not talking about my specific plan as I understand why that will be 3 week spurts.  But more from a time investment standpoint.  Right now I'm doing 1/2's through 2011.  As I get into that plan...what type of longer workouts can I expect.  How long will they be...that sort of info helps me plan things out especially as my wife schedules things.

Also...in 2012 I am thinking about doing IMWI again.  Assuming I'm a member...am I able to get a big picture of the different training plans for that?  I don't need the main sets or stuff like that...but just the basic layout and durations as the workouts get longer?  That way I can say...honey it won't be that bad, I promise!!

Lastly...I'm certainly willing to try the plans as written...however I've almost always had my rest day as Friday.  Is that flexibility allowed?  I think it is a mental thing for me...I like starting off right with diet and exercise.  But I realize recovery from the weekend is important too...which is why Monday is a rest day?

Thanks

marianne

as I got further into the intermediate IM plan, Friday was a shortish run and longish swim. Monday was a swim and fastish run! all flexibility is allowed and we use the "micro thread" I need feedback for this week, or the Macro thread I need feedback" to get answers from the coaches or we can use the two "live chats" per week to get our scheduling problems solved. Yes I could find out what the "epic" days of tng were , ie when were those race sims and when were those 6 hour rides/1 hour runs scheduled. Also there are threads on planning the 2011 season, there are WIKI documents and even an Excel spreadsheet to plug in races and the like. forgot to mention that in the beginning of the IM plan it all eases into the end where 4.5 hour rides on SAT and 3 hour rides on Sunday all see normal!! long runs are on Thursday. I switch stuff up all the time and there is info on basically seeing your training not just in days or weeks but what the purpose of it is. Podcasts are plentiful for this and also forum member input. Sure it is hard to let go of what you have been used to, ie you planned your workouts.. but me and many others have been members since its inception in 2007 and I have done 4 Ironmans with EN. very loyal as you can see and really race day magic is unsurpassed as you could see from this IMWI 2010. not too many coaches are out there supporting their athletes, like the whole weekend!! and when I tell my friends that the whole forum is tracking and supporting and then the ENers come out for race day, why many of them are just tng by themselves, showing up with just their families and have none of this.... so in my mind if you want to fully experience an IM, having a whole team behind you no matter if you DNF, KONA qualify or compete in your AG, is worth trying out EN. We are all OCD and planners! me included and time is precious for training. the forum dedicated just to your Ironman is very useful as well. well enough about all of that. the answer is yes. smile. m

kathleennelson

Hi Eric, just finishing my first year with EN!  Once u become a member the training plans for each day will show up on your dashboard.  If you want a weekly schedule you will be able to go to your training plan tab and print out the whole week.  Coaches put up plans for I think 4 weeks in advance.  I think that is fair cuz that's all we pay for at a time   I just finished IMWI...so the big picture once you get into race prep which is 12 weeks out looks like this....last week before taper (which is 3 weeks) long run tops out at 2.5 hours....longest rides are RR (race rehearsal rides, there are two) not supposed to be longer than 6 hours. Longest weekend ride is 4.5 - 5 hours.  The thing is though, you make think these are easy rides because they are a bit shorter, wrong!  you work during the ride for sure, doing intervals according to your FTP (power) or your zones (heart rate).

Hope this helps

KN

Coach Rich

Hi Eric,

Thanks for your questions. My notes:

1. As described, you see a rolling 3-4w window of the details of your training plan. We understand, however, that you want to be able to see big picture details of your plan, so our compromise is...
2. A spreadsheet that lives in the "Season Planning Tools" in the Wiki, which you'll gain access to as a member. This spreadsheet lays out the long bike and long run volumes, location of race rehearsals and other special training events, for every week of every plan. So, for example, you can see that although you're only in Week 5 of our 20wk Intermediate IM plan, you can look at this spreadsheet tab to see your long run volume is Wk 14 is 2hrs, long bike is 4hrs, and your last race rehearsal is in Week 16.
3. The plans are infinitely flexible but here's the run:

• You ask us for our feedback on your proposed schedule changes, likely placed in either the Micro or Macro thread in the General Discussion Forum.
• You then implement that advice yourself by simple taking a pencil to a printed schedule, I suppose, and moving Thursday to Friday, Monday to Wednesday, cross this off, put that over there, etc.
• If you need us to update that advice...you just ask us.

Hope this helps!

Eric Rueppel

Hey Eric,

EN is set up for the normal age group athlete. You know the person that has a job, a family and other commitments besides Ironman training. The coaches have taken into consideration the training stress the workouts induce. They give great advice on how not to become burnt out from massive training loads. The workouts are shorter in duration than other plans but if you follow them you will put a lot more work in. The forum is a great place to share with teammates what is going on with your mental and physical shelf as you train. For me it has been great to know that at the peak of training I'm not the only one dragging myself out of bed to get the workout done. Kathy and Marianne have made some great points as well.

ejbeach01

Thanks folks..that's the exact answer I was thinking for.
I certainly understand the point that you're only paying for 3-4 weeks at a time. That makes a lot of sense.

I was just looking for a little ideas as to the planning. Roughly what weekends I should tell my wife I'll be gone or in bed all day. Which weeks are really tough and I should plan accordingly up front. That type of thing...so being able to know basic durations and the basic macro schedule is important even if I have no idea what the specific workout that day will be...knowing its a 4 hour ride on Saturday and a 5 hour ride on Sunday...that is enough info for me. Specific workouts will depend on how I'm doing as the workouts get closer.

Thanks folks!