Darrell Strube 2018 Official Coach Thread
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.
Your Notes
Raced IM TX 17 using EN plan. First IM, was happy with performance overall. Came out of that race beat up and physically/mentally fatigued. Took some time off and started training again in the fall. Purchased a canned plan off TP for Galv 70.3 April 18. Did about 6 week training and wasn't feeling it, not engaged, didn't feel all that challenged. Missed the structure and challenge of EN so I signed back up. Planing on OS Jan8 start. Short stuff in the summer and possible late summer OLY, then finish with Oct 70.3, either Waco or NOLA. Plan on Spring 19 70.3 and then want to do another IM Fall 19 at age of 50. I would like to schedule a coach call to go over a few questions about strength training at my age and swim help. Thanks
Your Races
- May 12th- CB&i Sprint- The Woodlands
- July 15th- Shadow Creek Sprint- Pearland
- 10/21/18 Waco 70.3------A Race
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 the Training Plan page by clicking the Move / Change button. Learn more about each plan on the Training Plan Central Page.
- Last updated by Coach on January 5, 2018
- On 1/8/2018 Load the OutSeason Plan (Bike Focus) Plan, L1 or L2 workouts, to end on 4/15/2018
- On 4/16/2018 Load the -- Swim Camp to end on 4/29/2018
- On 4/30/2018 Load the Beginner Bike Focus Block, 6 Weeks to end on 06/10/2018
- On 6/11/2018 Load the Beginner EN*Half to end on 10/21/2018
- On 10/22/2018 Load the -- Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 11/4/2018
- On 11/5/2018 Load the -- Run Durability 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 12/2/2018
Coach Notes
Yes to the OutSeason starting next week (monday) as that will put you on track for those early season sprints (and maybe a half marathon?). Also, would like to see if you can get in a century or two this year, just to keep the bike volume up. Let me know if that might work for you.
The big focus of your second year is the bike (See our Three Year Plan here), so I'd like to keep that rolling for you with our Bike Focus block.
Then you have the generic build up to your end of season half! Let me know what you think (and your "homework" questions below) before you set up our Coach Call: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
Looking forward to it!
Coach Homework
Tell Me Your Season Goals
- What will make you consider 2018 a success?
- What's your biggest limiter right now?
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)
- Coach 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 “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 Q & A Central 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 targeted forum for that topic. Power questions to the Power and Pace Forum. Race questions to your specific race forum, etc. Not sure where to post? Put it in the General Discussion forum and we’ll 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
We want to talk about RACE EXECUTION and how we can help you get faster by being smarter on race day. There are no medals for great swims or getting to the top of a hill first — on race day only your finish time counts. There are many ways of being faster, and here are some of the resources we have to help you out.
- The Four Keys of Race Execution Video: The Coaches walk you through the macro level elements of a successful race.
- Distance Specific Guidance: Learn the fundamentals of racing Short Course and Long Course events, from each discipline to pacing zones, etc.
- Race Specific Pages: We have aggregated information on specific races from the internet, race reports and even our own coaching resources. You can find your race Master Racing Page section.
- The Race Forums: You can search for race reports or connect with your teammates. There are sections for 70.3, 140.6, and Marathons.
Looking forward to working with you this year,
~ Coach P
Comments
Biggest challenge - staying healthy. You'll have to do a really good job of listening to your body and being patient. I'd rather you have a few conservative days off than pushing too hard!
For the Swim...Swim Center Review...they did a video; for a continuous kick. My fix for that is swimming with a band around your ankles.
Step One is to swim with a band and a buoy for 200 to 300 at a time. Then without, and repeat. Focus on keeping legs within the "tube" of your body and on reducing the hesitation of your stroke at the front.
To help you out the drills here are dynamic breathing: 2 on right side, 1 on left, repeat. Also, "final breathing" as steady through the mouth but finishing with a "flourish" out the nose just before you start to roll to breathe.
Once your swim is comfortable, you can then work in light kicking with the bands similar to this video.. You want to tension of the kick without any of the work...so don't work too hard at it!
To help with your turn over, you should try to swim a 100 as 25 with really fast turn over, then 75 normal. Anything "Super Fast" will make swimming "slightly fast" seem almost "normal." Make sense?
For the Bike...really had trouble on the trainer to be indoors for a while. Definitely a good idea to dial in your Zwift experience. Getting Started on Zwift
For the Running...let's try this hip warm up to see if it helps (see below). After the first 5 weeks of the OutSeason Plan you might want to work in some intensity into the Wednesday run. If so, keep it to the last 15' minutes, with a solid mile and then a cool down.
Regarding strength...mondays and fridays are the best days for this. With your lower back you can't go too heavy, but functionally you can do a lot to keep yourself happy. Image on 5 simple ones to include (you can add upper body as you see fit) here:
Finally, don't forget to take a look at your cadence... We know that 185 is the happy place so let's work to lock that in with some walk / run or run / jog intervals!
PS - Here's the warm up I mentioned in our call:
Welcome to your SECOND MONTH inside Endurance Nation!
To help you continue your progress, we have a few short questions for you. You can copy the questions and put your answers in your reply to this thread (no need to copy the questions, just keep the numbers the same!).
** Rankings **
Please rate the following items on a Scale of 1 to 3 (1 = Unsatisfactory, 2 = Satisfactory, 3 = Great!):
Swim Fitness:
Bike Fitness:
Run Fitness:
Weight / Body Composition:
** Subjective Information **
What is Your Biggest Improvement So Far?
In What Area Do You Need Additional Support?
Would You Recommend Endurance Nation to a Friend?
** Additional Learning **
Now that we are beyond the initial learning curve of Endurance Nation, it's time to give deeper into some additional resources that can really help you out.
You have several options:
Learn Big in our Video Course Section, where Coach Patrick is building our new library of EN Video Lessons to make sure you are 100% up to speed on our most critical topics.
Learn Quick in the Question and Answer Central, where your fellow teammates work together to give you the best possible answer to your questions (one at a time please)!
Learn Deep by Exploring the EN Wiki, the repository of all things taught and learned by EN. There is more info in there than you could read in a year, so pace yourself! Worst case scenario, go to the All Pages section and use "Control +F" on your keyboard to search for the most relevant article.
** Need Coach Input? **
Don’t forget you can schedule a check in call with Coach Patrick online here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min
We are looking forward to your answers!
Welcome to your THIRD MONTH inside Endurance Nation!
This month we focus on helping you become more independent as part of your growth as a Self-Coached Athlete. Whether you are planning your season, preparing to race or transitioning to a new endurance challenge...Team Endurance Nation is ready to help!
If you haven’t done so already, please set up your Month Three Coach Call here.
** Training Focus **
We consider anytime in your season when you are more than 12 weeks away from your event to be a training focus. There are different phases of training (OutSeason®, General Prep, Sport Specific), but they are fall under the same umbrella.
Now that you are through your first two months of Endurance Nation, You have learned a few key “rules” of how we play the game, and you are ready to take charge of your experience.
Training Lesson Recap:
No single workout is more important than your health, or your season goal.
Prioritize your “key” workouts each week, then fill the rest of your space.
We can always fix over rested. We can’t fix broken, exhausted or sick.
Have a specific goal for each training block - what is the desired end state?
Taking Charge:
You should be comfortable moving your own workouts around at this point.
You can change plan ability levels as needed to keep yourself on track.
You can use the Test Week at any time to confirm a fitness change.
If you want to take a different path that we suggest...do it and keep us posted!
** Racing Focus **
Once you are within the final 12 week window to your event, it’s time to really focus. From key workouts to nutrition to logistics, there’s a great deal to cover. There’s a fine line between a great day and a day where you want a total do-over.
Key components of your final push should include:
Simulation Workouts to replicate the mental, physical and nutritional scenario you expect on race day.
A tried and true nutrition plan for your event; this is your last chance to lock it in!
Draft and review of a Race Plan to make sure you are 100% ready to take this on.
Optional rest as needed, and a defined taper in the last two to three weeks as necessary.
13 Weeks out from your race you should be getting a race preparation email and an invitation to GroupMe - if you haven’t gotten that yet - let us know!
** Additional Support **
In addition to The Forums and other Team-related support, you still have the chance to connect with Coach Patrick across your first year. Right now it’s time for your three month call with Coach Patrick; and you can book it here.
Tip: Find all your other call windows across your first year, please visit the EN Staff page.
Be sure to check out our Three Year Plan in Resources / Wiki so you can see how we recommend improving from season to season.
Coach Phone Consults
If you are looking for support above and beyond the traditional Endurance Nation experience, you can book a consult with Coach Patrick. These are billed at $100/hour and Can be on almost any training or racing topic. Please click here to learn more / get started.
Congratulations for moving forward with your training as you build to your race goals. We can’t wait to see what you are capable of this season!
@Darrell Strube - Here's your updated Season Plan, 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 my best outline of how to proceed with your races, but you can ask any / all questions you want. So post away, know that I reply here usually Monday & Friday 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
See my Coach Video below.
Here is our Body Comp course for you: http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Courses/Nutrition.aspx
Your Races
Season Update
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 within Final Surge by clicking on the Training Plans > View My Plans. If you need help manipulating your plans in Final Surge, be sure to check out our Help Site. Remember, you can learn more about each plan and find related plan resources on the Plan Descriptions and Resources page.
Your Notes
Raced IMTX 2017 and took a couple years off except for doing a few sprints here and there. I was in pretty good Sprint shape last summer. Fitness is decent but definitely not up to EN racing standards. Gained about 20 lbs in last year, but working on that over the last month. My A Race this year is Waco with goal of building a great base for IMTX 2020. I may mix in a couple Summer sprints.Kept my base fitness 5-6 mile runs, 20-30 mile bikes, some interval stuff, and very little swimming. Did my bike test as was pleasantly surprised my power hadn't dropped that much, maybe the extra weight. Run test tonight will not be pretty. Over the last month I have been doing more interval stuff on bike/run and getting in the pool. Back to 7 mi runs and 40 mile bikes, 1200-1500 M swims.
Limiters- torn labrum left shoulder, only hurts when swimming. Ankle stuff but working on strengthening with the wobble board and doing posterior work to improve gait. When fit, I am right in between Intermediate and Advanced. I did use EN for my IMTX training.
Let's get to work!
~ Coach P
Hey coach, hope all is well. A couple of quick questions.
Thanks!
These are great questions! Who is how we do it…
We train with pace through the spring making a note of the heart rate that we get for our zones. When the weather gets hotter, we train by heart rate which does me in a reduction in pace. # paced training makes us stronger, heart rate training makes us more resilient in the heat.
We will need some kind of transition, and wonder ability is the preferred option. We can always check back in after Waco and see how you feel physically and mentally.
all of our workouts are built fo Zwift so you can find the plans there. I personally really enjoy riding in the “game“ as it keeps me engaged and has made riding my bike more fun indoors. The more fun it is, the more I ride. The more I ride, the stronger I get. I think every dollar invested in your pain cave has a 3 to 4:1 return!!
P
Hi Coach. Just a quick update on my 2nd field tests 4-5 weeks later, great results.
Bike
FTP from 225 (HR 146) to 252 (HR 142)
Run
5k from 24:20 to 23.33 (same HR)
I changed my zones in Final Surge but they didn't carry forward. What is the trick without deleting and moving weeks???
Thank you!
I got the zones fixed in FS. Thanks!
Woohoo and great testing for sure! 💪
Hey coach, all is well. Can you point me to the link or info that talks about using HR instead of pace in the summer? I looked but could not find it. Also, where can I buy EN hats and flags, etc. Thanks
Darrell - I recommend that everyone uses heart rate as their primary pacing tool on race day, you can see the heart rate guidance on our race execution page here: http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/RacingMemberCentral/RaceExecutionDetails/MasterRaceExecutionPage(HalfFull).aspx
I have some basic gear available, tell me what you’re looking for. Trucker hats? Running hats? Visors?
Sorry for the delay coach, I was on the shelf. Suspected meniscus tear. MRI came back negative. I took a full week off of everything and have started biking and swimming again. Lost 2 weeks of running though. Go to ortho Wed and expect and all clear as long as pain stays away. Will ease back into running.
I am looking for visors and running hats. Let me know what you have.
Thanks
I’m glad that you rested, and even happier that things turned out to be OK. I have both visors and hats, just text me your address and I’ll get on it: 6175133830
~ Coach P