I'm Sick ... Now What?

First off don’t panic, have a plan. Most all athletes get sick in the winter which typically is early in foundational training phases. Our best advice to athletes is the following.

-        If you know or feel like you are getting sick, take a ZERO (day off) from training immediately and get as much sleep / rest as possible on day 1. If you have a protocol of immune boosters this is the day to be sure to start it.

-        On day two, if the illness has taken full shape we advise taking another Zero or do something very light like a brisk walk, or other activity of 30min that limits heart rate to no more than 60% of max. (assuming the rules below apply)

-        By day three you should have a clear idea of the level of illness you have. If the first two points above have been effective you should have limited the damage of your cold and hopefully shortened it’s life span. After the first couple days use the following as a guide

-         

1)     If the Illness is above the neck, training may be OK. That said, sessions should be shortened by 30-50% AND no effort levels above “Zone 1” / Easy. (its also a great idea to monitor HR and see how it responds to the easy efforts as it may be elevated due to illness)

2)     If the illness is below the neck or if you have a fever DO NOT TRAIN. Until these items clear you should continue to rest.

3)     If you are able to train at reduced levels and your illness is improving give yourself 4-6 days to bring training levels back to normal volume, BUT at reduced effort levels. Once all your markers match back up, HR/PE/Pace/Power, you should be safe to resume at normal levels

4)     FINALLY … once you feel ready to work at normal levels, relative to #3, DO NOT skip ahead to where the current date of your training is supposed to be. You need to go back to where you left off 10-14 days previous.

The reality is, as an athlete you are going to get sick at some point. If you are alert and can listen to the signs your body provides, treat it appropriately, and be PATIENT in the recovery, you will limit your down time to the illness. Training through illness only produces poor training, poor recuperation, and prolonged illness.

Enjoy your training, stay healthy, and listen to your body!    
DL

Stick To The Plan

"Stick To The Plan" ... Easier said than done?  In reality the plan should alleviate stress and doubt in an athletes race execution and make the process easier. That said, before you Stick To The Plan ...
1) Have a Plan
2) Believe In The Plan You Created
3) Trust in The Plan on the start line
.... then you should
4) STICK to The Plan (being adaptable is always part of the plan, by the way)

In my previous post I discussed many of the items and details as a coach I help an athlete with (outside just training) in a lead up to their races, and creating a RACE PLAN is a crucial piece.

Over the past few weeks two TTE athletes in particular stand out as epitomizing the 1-2-3-4 when it comes to the plan. Through adversity, doubt, and mental toughness their ability to "Stick To The Plan" provided rewards at the finish.

Julie Vieselmeyer (a Coach and Doctoral Candidate in Psychology)  and our own Jen Latourette (Coach, M.S., Exercise Professional) have two unique, YET similar stories I'll share here. Both athletes going into recent races were in a less than optimal point in their hormonal cycle when it relates to peak performance, plus each had other small "things" that effected the races. (Yeah, not many people discuss hormonal cycles and racing, BUT, for the men out there? It's real boys and it would only give you another excuse for why you didn't run well ;-)

JULIE'S race was the The Redman 70.3 distance race in Oklahoma City. Julie is a recent transplant to OK. as she is working on her Doctoral Dissertation and Residency at The University of Oklahoma. The goal(s) for the race were very simple: 1) Get a solid race in her new environment before Austin in October 2) Build effort across the race AND negative split the 13.1. I felt on that course, in those conditions, the strategy would prove fruitful for Julie. Her race snapshot looked like this:
-SWIM ... VERY choppy water, warm for wetsuits, a bit of chaos, goggles knocked off
-T1 ... methodical
-BIKE ... windy & warm ... between extra sighting on the choppy swim and the inconvenience of the female hormonal cycle Julie experienced what for her is VERY rare cramping. To the point that she actually took a few minutes off the bike to alleviate the issue. In the end she averaged 8 more watts over the 2nd 28 miles of the bike ... still building the effort.
-T2 ... lead female leaving as she was entering T2
-RUN ...   early in the run the leader was slowly moving away but Julie held steady, adapted nutrition to the weather and to feel, and with 10k to go was trailing by 4min entering lap 2. With belief and trust Julie held steady and began to build as the leader started fade and came back into view. With less than 2 miles to go, sticking to the plan AND being mentally tough paid off with a race victory in Oklahoma City! (and a negative split run per The Plan)

JEN's race was the SANTA ROSA MARATHON and to run a Boston Marathon qualifying time. ------When we worked together on the plan it included items that we used / practiced in training: fueling, hydration, course segmenting, pace / heart rate / perceived exertion. (AND we did make some alterations pre-race based on some outstanding physical limitations) The BIGGEST goal for the race regardless of anything was build effort across the race (this is, in fact, is the way almost every single endurance contest should be approached to yield peak performance) and if she could do that the result would be fair. So race morning pace goals were tempered a bit but we kept HR / PE goals in place and felt she could still hit a BQT. We were able to see Jen in a few places on course, and the race broke down something like this
- Mile 8 ... :02sec off BQ pace - "man i have no legs"
- Mile 11 ... :02 off BQ pace - "I feel low on fuel" - we make a slight adjustment to fueling based on her feedback
- Mile 14 ... :04 off BQ pace - new goal was just get to mile 20 and then decide what to do (Jen knew what i was up to at that point :-) but the goal really was to see if the nutrition and caffeine would take effect)
- Mile 16 ... :02 off  BQ pace
- Mile 20 ... :01 off BQ pace ... things have turned the corner, GAME ON ... BUT what this means is she still has to pull back those 20+ seconds over the final 10K
- Finish Line ... BQ time with 38 seconds to spare (so, from 20sec over BQ time to 38sec, a 58sec swing over the final 10k)

You can see the HR profile of the race. This would be a great profile for any quality
endurance performance as we relate it to building effort.

We see so many athletes who either have no plans or really struggling to trust their plan on race day for whatever reason. Out of simplicity, the ability to build intensity across the race should be the #1 goal regardless of anything else. If we review a race, and an athlete fails to build the effort we look at the following items:
* Poor pacing? or poor pacing plan?
* Poor fueling?
* Poor pacing plan relative to actual fitness?
* Improper training?
* Poor Mental Toughness
... to get it right all those items need to be in place. Or when all else fails, start easier to finish faster!

Here's To Good Planning!
DL

Evolving Ironman Athlete Preparation

During the build up to Ironman Santa Rosa I was able to witness the execution of training and preparation of my athletes. my wife's athletes, and a large number of other athletes that I associated with through a variety of manners. What I'd like to do is develop this into is an informative and educational piece on creating the best foundation for a successful big race performance. (which often means an Ironman for triathletes)

As I reflect back on what ended up being my multi-faceted responsibilities at Ironman Santa Rosa I began taking notes on my observations. First and foremost as a coach, BUT also as a race announcer and the person responsible for handling athlete race briefings and answering the questions that come along with it. What follows are essentially two major components to creating a foundation of success at your key races which typically have a large investment component. (physically, financially, emotionally, etc.) 

PRE RACE NON TRAINING:

-- "Course Recon" .... I was surprised by the amount of athletes who invested so much, just financially, in their race to not invest time to understand the course, course logistics, location of key areas, AND had no intention of driving / riding the course in the days leading into the event. Even if you do not live within range of being able to train on the course it is not difficult to find RELIABLE course knowledge and "intel". Even before you sign up, it is very valuable to know what you are getting into as far as what a race course presents to you in terrain and weather. As you enter key periods of training, knowing the course helps drive the specific training process.

-- Read the Athlete Guide ... multiple times before arriving  ...This is about as straight forward as it gets and maybe THE best thing you can do outside of proper training. Quite simply this helps an athlete know where to be, when they need to be there, the locations of those venues and a clear understanding of the course and logistics.

-- Arrive w/ A General Plan of Action  ... by using all the information you accumulated from the items above you can create a general plan of action for pre-race and race day logistics so its easier to enjoy your time at whatever venue you choose to race at.

ATTEND A RACE BRIEFING .-- By doing this you will confirm all the information you read in the athlete guide, get updated on any last minute changes, and clear up any conflicting logistical concerns you may have. You can use this information to adapt your plan of action if needed and feel confident that you are organized.

By simply doing the four things above, a large majority of athletes will alleviate significant stress leading up to and including race day by knowing these finer points. 

PRE RACE TRAINING:

"Ironman is very doable, BUT how you choose to do it is up to you" ... in general, these are the areas we help our athletes do it!

* It is very important to prepare properly just to arrive at the point you actually start "Ironman Training". We see a lot of athletes who are under prepared to simply begin their key block of training which is 8-12 weeks long, pending athlete experience. Here is an older piece that provides some insight: http://dklatourette.blogspot.com/2016/04/racing-consider-fast-before-far.html

SWIM:
- Most Ironman athletes are under-prepared for the swim physically and psychologically.  We tend to script more swimming than most athletes want to do on their own, but we believe there is large value aerobically and psychologically by approaching it this way (and from the items below)
-  Prepare in a way that you are able to swim with or without a wetsuit for 2.4 miles. By doing this you alleviate a significant amount of unnecessary stress leading into races and have added a lot of low impact, aerobic development.
- Prepare in a way that the swim has very little negative impact on the remainder of your race.

BIKE:
* Long Rides ... Be progressive in your approach to your long rides and be careful in the over application of too many long rides. The right balance of  the weekly "long" ride mixed with shorter long rides that have more race effort OR race effort+ segments mixed in provide value in a variety of ways.
* Practice Fueling (well, make sure you have a fueling plan first)... not just what you will eat / drink, but the timing of that fuel, the ingestion of that fuel while moving at race intensities (not while standng still at the 7-11) and being able to adapt that fuel for hotter / cooler conditions.
* Technical Skills ... practice your technical skills! Descending, cornering, timing of braking, eating & drinking while riding, proper application of effort on rolling and hilly terrain, and holding your aero position for extended times.
* Make Intelligent Decisions on Tires / Tire pressure  by knowing the roads you will be racing on with the wheels & tires you possess.
* The Indoor Trainer Is Great Tool ... We believe strongly in the value of the indoor trainer when sessions are scripted appropriately, BUT too much indoor trainer time negates the evolution of your technical skills mentioned above.

RUN:
* Run / Walk Protocol ... 95+% of Ironman athletes should start with, and stick to, a run / "power walk" protocol that maximizes the ability to hold pace across 26.2 miles ... after the 2.4 + 112
* Too Many Long Runs ... The long run needs to be a foundation piece of your program for an Ironman. That said, the volume of and length of long runs for a lot of athletes is often excessive. Accumulative run volume with the proper dose of the long runs is the key to being most prepared on race day. If your long run takes 48-72 hours to recover from on a weekly basis then you are losing valuable accumulative training load  in your overall program.
* Through your training have a distinct pacing plan for your 26.2 mile run / power walk. This could include: heart rate + perceived exertion + pace. IF you use pace, you need to to be 100% sure that your ego is in check and your goals are realistic. Quite often an athletes "pace plan" goes sour about mile 10, often derailed by a combination of poor choices on the bike + 10 miles of ego inflated pace dictated running.

My goal as a coach is to have athletes standing on the start line excited, yet calm, and confident in what they have done in their entire preparation leading in to the race. If we accomplish this goal the focus on race day turns to simple execution of their race plan, and if the plan is executed well the result is almost always a positive experience and race.

Best of Luck in your race preparations!

DL

2017 Ironman Santa Rosa - Course Guide

As we close in on the 2017 Ironman Santa Rosa I wanted to take some time to help clarify a variety of logistic questions and pass on some intimate course knowledge that we possess from spending thousand of miles riding and running in Sonoma County and evaluating athlete performances in the same venue. I would like to stay away from specific pacing strategies at this point as it is very individual athlete-centric and too late to make changes that involve specific training.  

Pre Race Logistics:
* Race Briefing: Pick an athlete briefing that fits in your schedule. Hang out in the grass of Courthouse Square, enjoy a beverage, pay special attention to any big or small course changes. Specific questions can be asked post briefing.
* If you have not seen the bike course do yourself a favor and drive it. The first half is very dynamic and the second half includes some technical turns and pieces that are worth reviewing. Ideally do this in separate time slots. Drive the first 60+ on the way back from an open water swim or dropping your bike. Drive "The Loop" when you have a 30min block of time.
* If you decide to have TBT deliver your bike to T1, take the time to go over your bikes mechanical functions race morning.

T1 Exit ... notice where the mount line is and gear appropriately for the small uphill leaving T1.

SWIM: Lake Sonoma - Projected water temp = 70 degree's +/- a couple degrees  
- The Swim ... is a 2 loop affair, buoys on your right with a quick exit and U-turn after Lap 1

- The Sun ... if we have marine layer the sun of course will be a non factor. On a clear morning. Sunrise won't be until 6:15 on race day so it will not be a factor until lap 2 AND in that case it might only be a factor or the first (very short) leg of the swim that heads in West / Northwest direction.

- Rolling Start ... with the rolling start it is ideal to seed yourself in the time slot you expect to swim. This ensures a safer and faster swim for everyone. Regardless of where you start you have 2hr20min to complete the swim without be a DNF.

-Swim Exit to T1 Entrance ... this is almost 1/4mi and mostly uphill. Ironman is planning to carpet / pad the entire run up to the entrance to T1

T1: After grabbing your gear bag it will be the ATHLETES RESPONSIBILITY to un-bag and bag all your race gear. Volunteers will not be allowed to help in that process. Therefore after removing your bike gear from the bag, you want to place your wetsuit / goggles / cap in the gear bag and take it with you as you exit the change tent and deposit the bag in the designated area for transport back to T2 .

BIKE COURSE:  This course is essentially 2 completely different 56 mile segments. The first 56 miles includes almost all of the elevation gain, therefore your final 56 miles is essentially flat. You'll notice that when previewing it. The course is a mix of very good to small sections of very poor pavement. The large majority (90% is very good to average surface).  The following is the course broken down into key segments:
- T1 to CLOVERDALE ... this segment has a mix of everything ... the "climb" on Dutcher Creek is not much of a climb BUT does turn up for about 600 meters near the 6 mile mark. After the fast descent it is gentle and undulating to Cloverdale
- ASTI RD + THE OUT & BACK +  HWY 128 to JIMTOWN to LYTON SPRINGS Rd ... Asti Rd to the out and back is a large mix of varied terrain with very short climbs and rollers until you reach the out and back on Zanzi & Chianti Rd. From Zanzi to Jimtown across to Lyton Springs Rd is a false flat down (to Alexnader Valley Rd) and tends to be a very fast section of the course.  The travere across valley to Kyton Springs other than a small bridge continues to be quite quick riding.The pavement in this entire section is quite variable. Great, Good, average, chip, and some intermittent rough segments early on Asti and across the 128 corridor,
- LYTON SPRINGS to the Top the of  FINAL HILL on LAGUNA  ...  this segment is a VERY dynamic mix of flats, rollers, small climbs and demands for very smart execution, patience, trust, bike handling skills and pacing. In my mind Westside Rd is the signature 10 miles of this course. (Great pavement, beautiful scenery, and a nice test of cycling skills and fitness). You will find overall good pavement in this section with the exception of a small part of Wohler Rd and the middle mile of Mark West Station Rd.
- WILLOWSIDE RD ... quite simple it is a mile of bad pavement. HEADS UP, be patient, check your bottles.
- "THE LOOP" ... you'll essentially enter the loop at the intersection of Hall Rd and Irwin. For the most part this entire section is flat minus some gentle false flats, a roller on Petaluma Hill Rd and an overpass in Rohnert Park. The key areas in this section are the technical turns in downtown Santa Rosa & Rohnert Park plus the very poor pavement on Labath Rd. and Todd Rd. To repeat ... this section of riding is very different than the first half of the bike course.

WIND: On a typical summer day here in Sonoma County winds are calm to VERY light early in the day up until mid - late morning. Prevailing winds tends to be out of the South / Southwest and for most athletes it will not come into play at
a significant level until "The Loop".

In our opinion at Train To Endure; the first 56 miles of the bike course, and how you execute it, will be a major component to determining how you perform on race day.

T2: Same as T1 relative to un-bagging and bagging your gear, it is THE ATHLETES RESPONSIBILITY.

RUN COURSE: This is a predominantly flat, 3 loop course, with the following features:
- A gentle down grade for the majority of the outbound section on the trail
- 4 miles per loop will be on dirt or crushed gravel
- Small, sharp ups and downs near access points to the trail that will actually be good for giving certain muscular patterns a break. At higher speeds these areas tend to scrub run speed BUT for the paces that almost all athletes will be running, it will not have a negative impact.
- Plenty of aid ... it has been stated you'll have 30 opportunities to access aid stations
- In the late afternoon expect it to cool down rapidly if we are in a "normal" summer weather pattern

We believe that using run pace for this course is a poor pacing strategy. Because of the gentle grades we feel like perceived exertion / heart rate / general progressive intensity are better barometers for guiding your run on race day.

Have a great race, pace intelligently, and use all the tools available to you on the day!

DL

Coaching (mentoring) ... Coaches

Just recently the single most influential person in my coaching career passed away much too soon. I spent time watching, learning, coaching, making mistakes, asking questions and repeating that cycle an infinite amount of times over years. In the early years through his guidance and trust my coaching evolved rapidly because of the lessons learned, the environments he put me in to and because of the other coaches he exposed me to. To be clear when i speak of coaching i'm not talking about techniques or tactics. (though I surely learned massive amounts in that process) The message is about communication, teaching, and mentoring, while finding ways to effectively reach and motivate different people in a way that is unique to their
skill set. It's through that process that leads me to this topic.

In my coaching education (which really started as an undergraduate student) it was the coaches I had as an athlete that unknowingly started the process to becoming a coach. By adding my experiences as an athlete (through a variety of sports and coaches) and my work with a vast array of mentors and coaches leads me to who I am now.

To evolve best as a coach we need to spend on going time with other coaches in some way, shape, or form. We can learn some from doing, some from reading / watching but the reality is we need to learn from what other coaches are doing and how they are (or are not) doing it. For years (15+) I have been preaching that USA Triathlon or other Triathlon Coach Certification programs need to take the lead of organizations like the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association) with regards to how they TEACH their coaches how to COACH and "certify" them. Since that doesn't appear to be on any of their agendas for educating coaches it is in (y)our own hands to expedite the process. How?

Though I never thought about it until recently, I have five other coaches on my triathlon coaching roster. Of course I provide them their daily guidance for training and racing, but because of the long term relationship we have I'm guessing I have provided more than that. These coaches (athletes) tend to be the ones I have the most communication with and are the ones whom ironically have the most success in their racing. I have and will continue to be a firm believer that, if you want to be the best triathlon (or cycling, running, swim, soccer) coach you can be you have to spend time with and in front of other coaches. Two day certification programs will provide you some information, or how to drop and drag boxes to build a training plan, but they won't match the value you will get from having a trusted mentor, guide, teacher and coach of your own.

As you continue your coaching journey, consider investing in those who can continue to evolve your skills and continue to mentor you as a coach.

ALWAYS Learn!

DL

 

  

EZ is HARD ... but it works

As we encroach on Ironman Santa Rosa, the next key race on a lot of our (and other) athletes schedules, I find myself making sure training prescriptions are correct and we are adapting that training load to necessary levels. Mostly this comes down to making sure athletes are dosing effort where and when it's needed ... especially, easy!

Over the years it has always been a challenge to get athletes to understand what "easy" is in the context of training AND why it is important. In the day and age of devices that record power/ pace / HR etc, one would think that it would be easier to define "easy' ... but I hear just as many excuses as ever as to why a session was not easy OR I hear that those sessions vaporized because of a "garmin fail" or disappeared into some alternate data universe. The latest distraction to the data universe is Strava! If you have "Strava Anxiety" and care that much what people think about your easy
workouts, and it distracts you from executing workouts correctly? Then it may be time to change your perspective or take a break from the Strava relationship. I have huge admiration for those who can do 11min per mile easy runs, post them to Strava, yet turn around and race at 8min per mile.

THE VALUE?
Our group of athletes at TTE who understand the context of EASY, benefit in the following ways:
- Recover better for key sessions that have more purpose or demand higher output
- Avoid deep fatigue or burnout which in turn allows for more training load (fitness) over the long term
- Have better emotional and pace control early in races, or in segments of races, when it's crucial t keep effort dialed back. (If you can't do it in training you'll never do it in a race when emotions and adrenaline are though the roof)

That is the short, but KEY, list of reasons why athletes who understand the value of easy, and don't make excuses why they could not do it, end up succeeding in the long run.

Even of you have key races (regardless of distance) in the next 6-8 weeks it's not too late to change your perspective and definition of what easy is and prescribe it appropriately in your training to make sure you get the most value in the short and long term process! Going easy is hard, mentally, but it is VERY effective when done appropriately.

Best of Luck,

Ironman 70.3 Santa Rosa Race Course

Being that I am local to the new "Santa Rosa" venue and intimately familiar with the area and course, I though it might be helpful for a lot of athletes to have some accurate insight to what they will be racing on in May. (and eventually July) I will do another one of these for the Ironman race, but many items here will apply to both events. My information here is accurate but based on my opinion. I am not going to give advice on how to race the course, instead I will save that precise knowledge for my athletes ;-).

**There are plenty of pictures and video on all the Ironman Santa Rosa Facebook pages for you to scroll through so I will let your browse those for aesthetic value**

Logistics: ... if you are are racing, I assume you'll know the logistcs, BUT do remember ... T1 & T2 are 30+ miles apart and you'll be working against a Friday traffic schedule to get things done pre-race

SWIM: ... Lake Sonoma ... we have had a very cool, very wet winter and spring ... at current date as I write this, (April 26th), water temp is still hovering 55-57 degrees. We are forecasted for much warmer and sunnier weather for at least the next 10 days. I'd expect water temp easily moving into the 60's by race day ... how much into the 60's will depend on the final 8 days leading into the race. 

The course is very straight forward, good site lines and water clarity. 

T1:  ... 1/4 mile run UPHILL from the water, padded / carpeted for part and then "smooth" pavement

BIKE ... A point to point course finishing in Santa Rosa ... this course has very few if any technical turns BUT does have a variety of twisty roads and a couple spots that demand a high speed descent with turns at the bottom.

* Elevation Gain: Approximately 2000 feet ... I have seen a lot of ride files that range 1750 - 2200 with the majority being 1800-2000. The course will have a net elevation loss of 400 feet

* Climbs: There really are no proper / extended climbs rather a lot of rollers and small hills in parts. Though deceiving, Dutcher Creek Rd. climbs only 300 feet over 2 miles early in the course.

* First 4 miles of the Course: without trying this should / could be your fastest miles of the day ... remember the first 4 miles will be in left hand lane (closed) and the first 2 miles will have at times a high speed descent ... if you do not descend well STAY RIGHT and be cautious on the fast descent from the lake 

* Miles 8-33'ish .... will be the fastest part of the course for most athletes (350-400 foot elevation gain)

* Miles 33-47'ish ... will be the slowest part of the course for most athletes 

* Final 10 Miles ... for all purposes flat ... finishing in downtown Santa Rosa

* Pavement ... Overall it is good ... BUT you will find patchy poor pavement on HWY 128 ... and VERY poor pavement on the entirety of Wohler Rd. and Willowside Rd.

RUN ... Well, it's flat ... really flat, except a couple descents underneath the overpass @ Stony Point Rd. ... You will notice some grade on the course profile, but really, it's flat ;-) 

* Surface ... about 60% pavement and 40% hard pack dirt 

* Elevation Gain ... the course maps say 300+ feet of gain ... I can't see that happening ... all along I have said maybe 100'ish feet of gain

* 2 loops ... 1 long (9mi) ... 1 short (4mi) ... you'll come all the way back to downtown at the end of Lap 1 to head out for a final 4 miles 

* Downtown Finish ... I envision the finish on 4th St being a terrific environment ... enjoy it!

Best of Luck to everyone racing and spectating!