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Kevin Walter Official Coach Thread [TeamEN, Returning]

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


Your Top Event / Race for the Season is: Ironman Lake Placid [Triathlon Ironman] (July)

Your Second Event / Race for the Season is: Eastern Biathlon Open Championships [XC Ski/Shoot 5K/10K] (February)

Your Third Event / Race for the Season is: Fall Marathon [Running 26.2miles] (October)


Your Notes


Tell Us Your Background / Racing History: I have completed 10 Ironman triathlons, the last of which was Ironman Florida in 2012. I was a previous member of Team EN (2009-2015 or so). Since retiring from triathlon after Florida in 2012, I have focused on Nordic skiing and biathlon (the kind with guns). I've completed four XC ski marathons and raced at US Biathlon nationals over the last few years. I will be competing as a 53-year old age grouper this year.


What is Your Focus Level for this Season? Perform My Best at a Big Race


Give Us One Sentence That Defines Your Successful Season: PR at Ironman Lake Placid


What is Your Biggest Limiter to Success? Time available to train (and injury susceptibility)


Anything Else We Should Know? Will race XC ski races in Jan-Mar based on availability of snow and races



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 11/04/2020

On 11/2/2020  Load the  Durability for Triathletes 2 (8 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on  11/29/2020 28 [  4  weeks  ]

On 11/30/2020 Load the  Durability for Triathletes 3 (7 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on  12/27/2020 35 [  5  weeks  ]

On 1/4/2021  Load the  OutSeason for Triathletes (Bike Focus) Plan (14wks) to end on  4/11/2021  98 [  14 weeks  ]

On 4/12/2021  Load the  Swim Camp  to end on  4/25/2021  7  [  1  weeks  ]

On 4/19/2021  Load the  EN Full Prep Plan (4wks)  to end on  5/16/2021  14 [  2  weeks  ]

On 5/3/2021  Load the  EN Full Bike Focused (12wks)  to end on  7/25/2021  84 [  12 weeks  ]

On 7/26/2021  Load the  Post Ironman Transition Plan All Levels (4wks) to end on  8/22/2021  28 [  4  weeks  ]


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?


** The Athlete Roadmap Videos & Start Learning **


Join Coach Patrick for a walkthrough of the Endurance Nation Athlete experience to learn more about how our system works to help you achieve your personal best. You'll want to watch the Phase One Structure videos -- there are four -- to get completely up to speed!


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

Tagged:

Comments

  • @Kevin Walter

    Kevin, Super cool have you (back) with us. 👊

    Kevin Walter - Welcome (back)! Biathlon + Triathlon. All the "athlons" — Watch Video


    Our short term goals are:

    • Get subscribed to your Coach Thread via email
    • Start using the Final Surge app 
    • Establish consistency - find a repeatable workout pattern between (family, work, etc.)
    • Join our private chat and community
    • See the big picture and explore the site & forums

    Let's get after it! 👊

    If you have any questions getting started - schedule a call with me here.

    Talk you you soon,

    Matt

    ------------------

    Things to do:

    #1 Respond below

    Post a comment below or give me an 😀, 👍️ or a short GTG. Let me know you are subscribed and will respond back via email. Let's get the conversation started!

    #2 Coach Log and Email

    Post here and you get an email when we respond. Your Coach Log is the best way to get a hold of us.

    How to subscribe. Screen capture. Click on the star. Boom. You are all set.


    #3 How to use your Coaching Log

    This is totally up to you. You can post a lot or very little. You post. We answer. We find it is helpful for you and us, if you post a weekly update once you get started. Pick a day. Any day that works for you. Many athletes pick Sunday to summarize the week. Others pick Friday to end the work week and get ready for the weekend. Choose something works for you. Comment on how you felt this week, what went well, and what you want to work on for next week. Its good accountability and helps you keep you on track for your goals. After a couple of posts, you can decide on what the level of interaction works best for you!

    #4 Get Setup in Final Surge

    Next, get setup in Final Surge. Coach Patrick has just made your season plan in Final Surge, so you can sync your Garmin or Strava (only one!) and get your workout data uploaded. (Chose Strava if you ride on Zwift.) Just chose one, otherwise you will get double workouts recorded in Final Surge.

    In Final Surge: Workouts -> Garmin / Device Upload


    How to Link Garmin or Strava with Final Surge — Watch Video



    #5 Consider downloading the Final Surge App


    We definitely want to see those hours, miles, watts and heart beats - but we also want to know how you felt, mood, energy level, how mentally/physically easy or hard the workout was for you. The workout isn’t over until you make some notes. And the app makes this way easier. 

     Data + notes = complete story. Workout data is only only half the picture. Your comments provide the other half. You could be crushing all the workouts but feel terrible or feeling great. Work, family, sleep can all be factors in how you are training. So, how you felt is just as important as posting the workout. 

    To make comments, select the activity and click on the "pencil" icon to tap "how I felt" or "perceived effort." Just a quick note goes a long way.

    Download Final Surge | Mobile Apps Here

    #6 Quick Start Guide

    Here is the reference guide on how to read the workouts, abbreviations and lingo.

    #7 Customize your workouts in Final Surge

    You can wait on this one. But remember it is an option. You will eventually do bike and run test. We will use your average power (or heart rate) for a 20' time trial to set you customized workout zones. Once you customize them, the workouts will say 20' @ (135-145 heart rate) or 20' @(100- 110 Watts) vs. 20' @ Zone 2.  We can do the same thing for the run. Once you do a 5k race we can use your average pace or heart rate to establish run zones too!



    #8 Join our private group chat

    We also have a group chat - with specific Run, Bike, Swim, groups. The rest of our Team is in there. It would be super cool to have you in there too. With your experience you could help other athletes or just stalk it and watch it for a while and see if it your thing. Coach Patrick and I are always in those groups. The groups only talk workouts, training, racing etc - no other noise and its only EN Team members. Here is your invite. Check it out!


    #9 See the big picture and explore ways to get smarter

    See the big picture. Join Coach Patrick for a walkthrough of the Endurance Nation Athlete experience to learn more about how our system works to help you achieve your personal best. You'll want to watch the Phase One Structure videos -- there are four -- to get completely up to speed!


    Coach Patrick has designed a Season 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. We would love to have your experience and voice in those forums too.

    Explore the Forums


    All these topics are covered in our forums: 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? All these topics are covered in our forums! 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.

    Search our Race plans and reports. Learn from the shared experience of the entire Team

    Get training tips, hacks and advice from Kona, Boston, Leadville MTB veterans

    Dial in your race execution using EN race guidance

    #10 Smart Trainer Integration

    If you want to join us on Zwift here is how. We have big group of athletes that ride together and use a voice app to talk - just like like a big group ride. Logon on and join a group ride. Use the Zwift Chat to stay up to date on when we are riding. 

    We have workouts already built for Zwift and Trainer Road for the OutSeason, HIM and IM plans. Scroll down. Find your plan - link to the pre-built workouts are on the right

    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.

    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.

    How to Download Workouts for Zwift — Watch Video



    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 

    #11 Whew. You made it.

    You don't have to do it all at once but, we would love it if you responded below. I'm here talk you through all of the above. I would love to hear from you.

    My goal is to make your first month of Endurance Nation as simple and as awesome as possible! I want you to 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.

    Matt

    EN Training Plan Coordinator

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