Eric White 2020 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 Steelhead (2020-06-28) #70.3Steelhead_20
- Ironman 70.3 Ohio (2020-07-06) #70.3Ohio_20
- 09/27/20 IM Chattanooga
Your Notes
Started endurance events 10yrs ago. Have completed 5 stand-alone marathons (all round 4hrs) and countless 13.1's.
Moved from running only to tri's in 2014. Here are the highlights:
2014 - 70.3 Raleigh in 5:56
2014 - IM Lake Placid in 13:45
2015 - 70.3 Muncie in 5:46
2015 - IMMD in 11:34
2017 - 70.3 OH in 5:45
2017 - IMWisc in 13:53My current fitness level is active but not killing myself. I workout 45min-1hr 5-6days a week with a rotating schedule of weights, bike (currently started following PainCave workouts) and 3-4mile runs.
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 December 9, 2019
- On 12/9/2019 Load the -- Durability for Triathletes 2 (8 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 1/5/2020
- On 1/6/2020 Load the OutSeason for Triathletes (Bike Focus) Plan, 14wks to end on 4/12/2020
- On 4/13/2020 Load the Swim Camp to end on 04/26/2020
- On 4/27/2020 Load the EN Half Bike Focused to end on 6/28/2020
- On 6/29/2020 Load the Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 07/13/2020
- On 7/6/2020 Load the EN Full Run Focused to end on 09/27/2020
- On 9/28/2020 Load the Post Ironman Transition Plan, All Levels (4wks) to end on 10/25/2020</p>
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
Eric, I'm stoked that you decided to work with us this season and get you ready for Steelhead, Ohio and IM Choo.
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
We approach your development in two ways: First, we build your fitness with the structure of progressively challenging workouts in your Season Roadmap. Second, we make you a smarter athlete. We teach you how to execute your fitness on race day so that you can get your best out of yourself and make good decisions about hydration, nutrition, and pacing.
Here are a few things to help you get the most out of your workouts, Final Surge, and learn more about the team.
#1 Subscribe to this 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. Click on the red star and check box just to the right of your thread title. This way you will get an email when we respond in your Coach thread. See 8 sec video here to set it up:
#2 Get setup in Final Surge.
Sync your Garmin or Strava to Final Surge. Sync only one. Use Strava if you ride inside on Zwift. Strava will capture everything and send it to Final Surge.
#3 Downloading the Final Surge App.
To get the most out your training - you need that workout data and the story.
We definitely want to see those hours, miles, and heart beats - but we also want to know the story: 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.
The app makes it way easier to add comments about how you felt, ate, weather etc (for the bike) and sets, paces etc (for the swim). Those are all super helpful to you as you track your progress, prepare and plan your for your race.
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 (helps to figure out what works best for you on the bike), 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.
#3 Customize your workouts Final Surge
You will eventually do run and bike tests. You don't have to do them right away. But, in the next few weeks we'll schedule one when you feel ready. Then we will use your average heart rate during the test to set you customized workout 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/
#4 Your new Friends are waiting for you.
We have a group chat - that connects you with the rest of the Team. Using the GroupMe App.
GroupMe is the live version of all things Endurance Nation. This 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 Team right here, right now.
Since you are beginning with the Run Durability program - consider joining the Run Group for accountability.
· EN Live 24/7 [Join Here]
· Run Group [Join Here]
· Zwift Chat [Join Here]
· Events [Join Here]
· Race Groups [Join Here]
#5 Learn more about the WHY? and the HOW? of your training Plan
The Run Durability video is about 75% down the page. Coach Patrick goes over the purpose of the program and how to use frequency and consistency to avoid injury.
· Run Durability Training Plan Guidance (PDF)
· OutSeason® Run Durability Overview
· OutSeason® Run Durability Part One
· OutSeason® Run Durability Part Two
Learn EVEN more about your plan(s).
http://members.endurancenation.us/TrainingPlan/TrainingPlanCentralPage.aspx
My goal is to make your first month of Endurance Nation as simple and as awesome as possible!
Talk with you soon,
Matt, Training Plan Coordinator
P.S. When you have time - take a look at some of these blog/forum posts. This the kind of thing that can help you become a smarter athlete. There is some free speed out there - just by making better training and racing decisions.
Here is an example of some learning opportunities that you have as part of TeamEN. You have access to this stuff for the first thirty days so you know you can get a feel of what it is all about.
Here is an example of the forum posts we have on race execution plan for IM CHOO: https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/25164/mike-rs-im-choo-race-plan
or here:
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/26089/scott-listons-im-chattanooga-race-execution-plan#latest
Here you can how the rest of the team helped one of our athletes gain lessons learned for next year: https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/26120/need-help-debriefing-interpreting-im-choo-performance
https://endurancenation.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/26285/2019-hacks-best-practices-pro-tips#latest
Coach Patrick has a library of 1 hour videos to make you smarter on training and race execution: http://members.endurancenation.us/Learning/CoachLessons.aspx
All of that can be a bit overwhelming. Take you time, look around.
For now, I hope you had a chance to look at your Season Roadmap. Let me know what you think about our Run Durability volume in the first couple of weeks. The run training is low intensity, mostly easy - what we are looking for is consistency and frequency. Starting in Jan, we will shift to a more bike focused structure - this is where we build a lot of strength by using intensity.
Coach P,
Answers to my homework:
I have not toed the line since 2017. Got the kiddo off to college this yr and now I am super excited to be back at it again. I am a realistic, middle of the pack, age grouper with no super lofty expectations.. I just love to train and participate. What would make this season a success tho would be improvements on the run. My IM runs are, in my mind, significantly off my standalone marathon times and I would like to get that area improved.
No significant limiters. Super excited to be back at it.
Matt / Coach P
Quick question on the HR zones for runs. I am a 50yr old male. Given the math that means my max is 220-50=170. Scaling down from there gets me to a zone 1 of 85-100 and zone 2 of 100-120. The definition of TRP is the mid-point of zone1 and zone 2. That would be in the 100-115 range. I dont quite understand how I can run my TRP (typical IM pace is 945-10mm) in that HR zone. A 10mm typically gets me in the 130-140 (zone 4) range. So for these early OS runs, should I be concentrating on HR zone or TRP b/c I dont think the 2 line up for me right now.
@eric white Bias towards the "easier" run for TRP - use the HR as a guide to find that effort around 115 ish.
This is typically a tricky pace to find initially. It will certainly feel a bit odd initially. We generally want to run a bit harder - thinking we are not doing enough work. Which leads to a lot of work in a grey zone - too hard for an easy day, not hard enough to get an adaption. Plus, we all have a number that we consider a "good" run. We are asking you here to redefine a "good" run. There is a time and place for quality - and there are a few opportunities for that built into the plan. The other days are easy / TRP on purpose. That is the new definition of a "good" run. Doing the right effort of work on the right day. We are playing the long game here and focusing on consistency and frequency in order to develop the durability for more intense and overall longer runs later in the season.
So, we want a TRP steady effort that is relatively easy - if were running with a friend, you should be able to carry a on conversation. This will ensure that we can stack day, after day, after day of running. There are a few opportunities to vary the effort and the pace like the @ B-A-A TRP (Below-At-Above Total Run Pace) in 3-minute increments you did last Sunday or the tempo run on Tues. But the bulk of the TRP portions should be at that conversational, easy pace. That will make the quality work that much better.
The TRP combined with run frequency is great tool because we a typically most engaged in the process of running during those first 15 minutes - "how do I feel?" "What is my cadence?" "how am I warming up?" Those initial minutes we are really focus on the process of running - with run frequency - we do that process more often and get better at extending that time frame we are focused on running vs. letting your mind wander / distracted by: to do lists, work, kids, what to have for dinner, etc? Not every run needs to be this mindful experience, a wandering mind run has a time and place, but the developing the skill for extending that mindful period is also useful.
Experiment with it a bit. Would love to hear your feedback on how it is going and finding your TRP.
Matt,
Thx you for the feedback on TRP. Very helpful. I have really slowed down my pace to keep the HR at that 115 range. So far so good. I was looking at the training plan for the year and noticed the my IMOH70.3 on July26 is not marked as such in the plan. Can you check on that pls as i assume that will chg the training plan for the week(s) leading up. Just to remind you, i am doing 70.3 Steelhead on June 28, 70.3 OH on July 26 and then IMChooChoo on Sept 27. Thx much and happy holidays!!!
@eric white Always good to hear from you. We should check in after a couple weeks. It will be good to hear how the holidays go and the start of your OutSeason bike focused work too. Thanks for the reminder - I added Ohio 70.3 to you calendar. Remember to check in with us after Steelhead - you will starting your IM ChooChoo training and we will need your input to tweak your plan to account for the Ohio 70.3 race. Just keep that in mind. Plenty of time between now and then to get fit and get smart about race execution. I look forward to your update. Happy Holidays!
Matt
@eric white
How are things going?
I saw you got to ride outside, in January!
@eric white Just checking in. Saw your bike test and comments. Nice start - you'll get a re-match 10 March!