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!

Vineman 2001 ... AKA ... R.I.P. VINEMAN

First a Bit of Prelude ... I have been wanting to write this for a period of time but it now seems incredibly appropriate considering that Vineman has been laid to rest after 27 years. Vineman has been a part of my life every year, in some way, shape or form, since 1997 when I first raced it as an athlete. In order, my involvement has been: Athlete (then I moved to Santa Rosa in 2003) organizing & coaching, and most recently the last 7 years coaching and announcing.

Back to my race report ;-) ... I chose Vineman in 2001 because I always felt at home racing there, and I needed that feeling to get my long course racing back on track. I was having great success at short distance but "Ironman" racing was proving to be a bit of mystery with mixed results from very good to poor, and most recently very poor. (As 20 years has passed I have come to realize that short distance racing really was my sweet spot, but long distance racing was attractive because of the different challenges it always presented me). One thing to note is Vineman 2001 was rewarding before the gun even went because of the athletes I was coaching (and training with) for the event and the fact we would get to spend some time in NorCal visiting my sister. I should add that I chose to seek out some different coaching guidance that took me out of my comfort zone and I knew three days before the race that I was moving very well. I'll skip the rest of the pre-race "stuff" and get straight to race day ...

The Swim: In typical Vineman fashion we started under a blanket of marine layer and low 70 degree water emperature. As usual I would lose the best swimmers in the first couple hundred meters and then be leading the next line for a large portion of the swim. After the final turn on lap two I realized I was in no mans land with only one other athlete as company. Cruising into shore I saw 58:?? on the clock, felt like I had dealt out very little energy and was pleased with that!

Into T1 ... wetsuit off, threw a bike jersey on, and likely arm warmers, to combat the chill of an early NorCal morning (NOTE: I had spent my summer training in the heat and humidity of Fayetteville, AR. so to me it was quite chilly)

FOR HISTORY SAKE: I swam in what would currently be a dinosaur of a QR wetsuit and TYR Race Tech Goggles

The Bike:  I started the bike with one other athlete (Henry Sacre of San Diego) ... as we headed down River Rd. I was passed (rapidly) by Jeff Mitchell  (who now is one of my friends here in Santa Rosa). By the time we hit Westside Rd. at mile 6 Jeff is long gone and I would have to be content in watching Sacre ride away while I deal with my own sleepy legs. For the most part the bike was a lonely affair ... I passed 1 athlete and was not passed by anyone until about mile 75 on Kinley Rd. It also was about mile 65 when it started to heat up and with that my cycling started to really come around and I was feeling quite positive about the rest of. the day.

As I rolled into T2 at Windsor high School I had ZERO idea where I was in the race but I actually felt reasonably refreshed and quite motivated.

-Bike Time: 5:38:?? that included both transitions
-Nutrition: 2 x 800 calorie bottles of Carbo Pro, water, Meta Salt every 30min, Sour Patch Kids
-FOR HISTORY SAKE: Litespeed Tachyon 650c wheel / round tube titnaium bike, crappy spinergy wheels and crappier over inflated Tufo tires, Timex watch (no computer, Garmin etc.)

The Run: Running out of T2 my legs felt unbelievably good when a mile into the run my sister tells me to stay focused because some
guys ahead didn't look very good. (I don't think she wanted to tell me a was barely in the top 20 ;-). When I got to a short out and back at 1.5 miles I got the wonderful news that I was in 16th place ... sweeeet, NOT! But, the good part is my legs felt incredible and I had to keep backing off because it felt too quick ... 14:30 through 2 miles ... that felt easy, but could I hold it? I kept rolling along through Lap 1 (of 2) and periodically would pass someone and move up another spot. Then I hear the express train of Peter Kotland coming up to me at mile 10 where I tried to run his <6:30 pace for for a few minutes .... MISTAKE ... at that point I thought Peter was running to the win!

Making my way into WHS to finish lap 1 I still felt very good, and Kotland was still rolling ... at the turn around Mr Sacre comes back into the picture up ahead and the news is we are 5th and 6th. Heading down Windsor Rd. at the beginning of Lap 2, 6th becomes 5th as Kotland is laying on the ground with double hamstring cramps. (oddly enough my wife, who I did not even knew existed at that point in time, says she was standing there as Kotland was at near death ;-)  I am now running with Sacre but at every aid station he drops back with his girlfriend who is following him on a bike and handing him cola (and other stuff) while on two wheels ... this continued from mile 14 to mile 20 where I finally had enough and went nuts on both of them (I really wish I remember what I said :-) At that exact moment my frustration and anger sling-shotted me up the road and by mile 22 I was clear of the "the couple", making another pass and trying to hold off the twinges in my hamstring going up every hill on Starr Rd. In the last two miles it was clear road ahead and I wasn't going to get across to David Glover who would win the race but was never on my radar.

I rolled across the line 2nd ... fastest run of the day 3:11:?? and 9:50:?? on the clock.

At that time (and even now) the placing did not matter ... the feeling at the finish line did, (witness the photos) how I executed the race did, how my athletes succeeded did, and getting my mojo back for sure did!! It was good to be home.

As I write this now I can't say that I ever thought Vineman would not be a part of the triathlon landscape. Though the race, it's people, and it's culture have now passed on ... "The Legend of Vineman" will always live!

Never Taper!

This may not be what you think the title refers to but I hope it caught your attention!

Currently I have a lot of athletes in the middle of a race week for a variety of events and it got me to thinking about how I / we handle our race weeks and days leading into events. One term or word that I prefer to not to use is, TAPER. For so many athletes the word simply means rest, or just by the use of the word the athletes brain begins to shut the body down, the athlete gets nervous, and they begin to believe that the training simply does not matter any more. When in the fact, it is the farthest thing from the truth ... the sessions all matter, they should have a particular place and each one should have purpose.


So, if I am not using the word "taper", what do I use?




PEAK  and / or FRESHEN ... Depending on the race (and it's importance) that is coming up we may just be FRESHENING where some races we are PEAKING and FRESHENING

* FRESHEN: This is typically a 2-6 day period leading into to a race that has a lower priority than a peak race. Regardless of peak or freshen the structure of race week always looks the same for my athletes. This is so they have a very good idea of what is coming, it creates a comfortable familiarity, and they can plan their race weeks accordingly. On that note, pending the distance of the race the actual sessions will vary slightly BUT the structure stays the same and a lot o the sessions it a variety of intensity levels.

* PEAK & FRESHEN: The difference here is that the 1-3 weeks leading into race week will start to lesson training load, training frequency stays almost identical, but particular sessions have a high importance placed on them.

Therefore, as you get close to your races think about rising to your peak performance with specific sessions that make a difference, or if not peaking, freshen up to race at your best on the day!

Have a Great Race,
DL

Racing ... Consider FAST before FAR

        Over my years in California I have witnessed some trends when it comes to performance of endurance athletes, weighted mostly toward triathletes, and in general they look like the following:

- Good to great fitness early in the year (Quarter 1) ... but have peak races in quarter 3 or 4

- A trail off of fitness, or at best a leveling of fitness, by June 1 - July 1

- Carrying too much fatigue early in the year to truly peak perform in second half of the year

- Targeting long races early in the year, every year, YET the key longer races that really mean the most to them are in mid summer, or later.

This theme has rung true for a few of the self guided athletes within our team over the last couple years. When I had the discussion with them, let them know I have seen the pattern(s), and proposed a solution, their responses were something like "hallelujah"!  

Why Do We See These Trends?

-Race calendars overloaded with longer races that are overshadowing shorter races that could / SHOULD be an integral part of an athletes build to peak racing

-We can have really good winter weather at times here in NorCal (not as I write this ironically) that drives athletes outside to do too much long training (especially cycling) when it is not necessary (yeah sure it's fun, but poor performance later in the year doesn't feel so good)

-The tendency for athletes to think that if they are not training for a 70.3 or Ironman race then t's not "epic" or "important" enough.

-Using early season 70.3 OR Ironman races to get ready for later season 70.3 or Ironman races

-Athletes not racing enough shorter races because they feel pressured to get their longer training in.

What is the solution? 

My exact words to an athlete were: "Just because there are early season 70.3 races does not mean you should do them. Because athletes start obsessing over getting their long training in they skip too much of the proper training progression to get properly fit over time and have their best races when it matters ... essentially, too much long stuff early in the year and not paced OR placed on the calendar appropriately."  

Granted every athlete is different, but, IF you truly want to peak at a 70.3 OR Ironman race in quarter 3 or 4 of the year I don't see a lot of value in a long distance race (for an age grouper) in quarter 1 or early in quarter 2. The main reason is most athletes do the same training year round if they are consistently training for the same type of racing. After a period of time the body will not respond to getting the same key stimulus it has gotten all year, or for a majority of the year. In return you just get tired and race specific fitness fades.

What Do You Advise Coach?

Here is an example of what I would propose for an athlete doing a mid July 70.3 (Say, Vineman?):

- February or March ... 5k or 10k running race (establish some baseline pace numbers)

- Early to Mid April ... duathlon / sprint triathlon if available

- Mid May ... Olympic Distance Race ... NOW you are approximately 8 weeks to your 70.3 and can focus on training specifically for that race.

- Mid July ... 70.3 peak race ... FOLLOWED by a break!

- This leaves the back end of the season to adapt in whatever direction you want to take your racing.

The key is train specifically for the NEXT race ... not the race that is 4 months away. YES, by training for the next race you are also training for your longer race while NOT getting sucked in to doing the wrong training too soon.

There is so much to be gained by going through a variety of training phases. (physically, mentally, metabolically, physiologically) When you get the training progressions right, you'll be surprised how well your races go.

It's not too late in the year to re-think your schedule and re-shuffle the deck ... 

Swimming ... On a Monday

As I was driving to my sunrise swim this morning I thought about the majority of the swim sessions that I give my athletes on a typical Monday and why I script them the way I do. I knew my legs were a little heavy from the weekend as a combo of getting back to a good training routine (longer ride and runs from what I’ve been doing, plus some strength training on the lower body). So, I scripted my session in my head based on what I thought MY needs were and then went and knocked it out … it was as follows:

NOTE: I am a believer that one should swim strong/solid OR fast every session, even if it’s briefly, AND that long warm ups are necessary. 

Here goes:

-        -500 easy based on how I feel (just wake up)

-       - 8 x 50 w/ small paddles building the last 25 @ 10sec (start to force the system awake and use good technique with paddles)

-       - 4 x 100 w/ fins as 25 kick / 75 cruise swim (kicking was to help recovery from the weekend AND drive HR up a little)

-       - 4 x 50 cruise w/ small paddles (technique)

THAT WAS ALL WARM UP … most athletes think a warm up 500 easy is the warm up ... not so fast!  When athletes are carrying any kind of fatigue it usually takes at least 20min to get all systems warmed up. So you can see that this particular warm up checked a lot of boxes for me

-        MAIN SET of 1500 meters just rolling from one block to the next on the rest interval indicated – focus is on small bits of pace change BUT ALWAYS holding form.

-        250 pull, done as 25 strong / 100 cruise @ 15sec rest

-        200 pull, done as first and last 25 strong @ 15sec rest

-        150 pull, done as 25 strong / 50 cruise @ 10sec rest

-        100 pull, done as first and last 25’s strong @ 10sec rest

-        50 pull, easy @ 20sec rest

-        5 x 50 paddles – strong @ 10sec rest

-        200 pull w/ paddles - cruise

-        3 x 50 paddles – strong @ 10sec rest

-        100 pull w/ paddles – cruise @ 10sec rest

-        50 strong w/ paddles

-        WD = 4 x 50 easy mixed

  

In the end I checked all the boxes that I wanted … technical swimming, small bits of harder / faster swimming, a little work to aid my heavy legs, a solid warm up and controlled main set and some pulling to take a bit of work off my tired, and sinking, legs.

When I script athletes swim sessions these are some of the things I think about when deciding how to place their swim workouts across the week. I hope that you’ll do the same for yourself, or for the coaches out there, you start doing that or your athletes.

Always thinking … and today writing!

Planning Ironman Vineman? ... or Vineman 70.3? ... or any race

Since the turn of the year there seems to be more buzz about the former Full Vineman, now Ironman Vineman, and the same could be said for Ironman 70.3 Vineman. Along with the “buzz” I see a lot of what athletes are doing from a training standpoint and see opposite ends of the spectrum .... too much or nothing!  So whether you are training for either Vineman race (26 & 23 weeks away respectively) or any race for that matter, I hope the following information will help you evaluate or re-evaluate the path you are taking to get there.

Some things to consider from a training standpoint if you are racing at Ironman Vineman, Vineman 70.3 ... or any other race this season.

1)     Get Healthy – Stay Healthy … If you are not 100% healthy and are battling frequent illness or carrying around any sort of injury, FIX IT NOW, and back off what you are currently doing.  If you never get healthy you’ll never be able to train properly

2)     Get Strong – Stay Strong … this can mean different things to different folks. For some it includes the weight room, or strength classes, or specific workouts. Regardless of exactly what it is for you, as athletes we need to be creating a stable platform that we can work off of when the training REALLY matters for your key event. (Which is starting 8-12 weeks from race day)

3)     Be Consistent … before making major changes or increases in training load find a pattern or schedule that is molded around points 1 & 2 that you know you can OR have maintained for 6-8 weeks CONSISTENTLY.

Before you start worrying about how long your training sessions are, find a pattern of consistency for at least 6 weeks so you can establish the three levels above.

All my athletes are different and have different demands and I guide them like that, individually. So it’s difficult for me to say exactly what a person should be doing “now” when they ask online or in casual conversation. BUT, if you / they have established the above criteria I am way closer to being able to answer that question. If you have not established #1 - #3 you already know the answer to your question.

One other question has come up in conversation as well: 

“What About A Training Camp Coach?” 

ANSWER: 

Part a.) I start with items 1-3 above (but 8 weeks not 6) … if you haven’t done that then it’s non-negotiable. Without a foundation the camp is likely do-able but the potential for too much rest needed post camp OR the increased injury risk especially makes any value of the camp worthless. 

Part b.) The reality is I like camps but they should be placed appropriately. If you are more than 8 weeks out from the key race then just getting in the extra volume and stimulus of a camp is plenty. If you are 2-8 weeks out and training has consistently been on track you can consider specific “pace work” into the training camp. In the end, if the camp is an overload of training for you, then you and most people will get good benefit just from training overload alone.

When considering your training, where you are in it, and where you are going … it is important that you can do your best and most specific training when it matters (Go back to #2 if you don't remember the answer ;-)

More Vineman and race planning thoughts to come soon.

Best,

DL  

Trust & Execution

As a year of coaching comes to an end (the reality is, next “season” has started for many) I find myself taking time to reflect on my coaching. That is, the impact I’ve had on my athletes, and the impact they have made on me in terms what I will change, and what I won’t, as I move in to the future.

Most athletes come to me, or stay with me, because they realize I will ask them to do things or guide them in a way they won’t do themselves. I have had athletes choose other coaches because those coaches don’t hold them accountable for their actions or simply give them sessions or plans that they want, not what they NEED. Though it can be frustrating for me on the front end because I always speculate to what I did wrong or what I could have said differently to make them choose me over someone else, or sometimes over choosing nothing. In the end I want athletes that buy in to what we are doing and why we are doing it. The ones that do that have the most success, and continue to have that success. Some buy in slowly because they are effected by too much noise around them and it takes time to shut that old noise out. Quite often that noise is simply based on what they did before … and what THAT is, is a distraction. Some are immediately invested and realize what the process is and what it takes. When I look deeper it is common that these people have had good coaches in the past, be it in a single sport or team sport. Bottom line is it takes trust! Trust in the relationship, trust in the process, and trust in the investment you are making into your sport to get the most out of what you put in.

As the back end of this season was closing out for me it seemed to be a roller coaster of performances and coinciding results: Podium or a DNF, AG / Race Win or an Execution Disaster, State or World Champion or a Head Scratching Result … not always the pattern of results you look for as a coach but it is the reality when athletes are reaching for their best (If coaches tell you they don’t have set backs with their athlete’s …. HA!)  

Some of these lesser (not always poor) performances left me looking for something more positive to hang my hat on transitioning into 2016. (NOTE: one of my shortcomings is that I put pressure on myself when athletes have “poor” performances, yet I rarely give myself a chance to get excited about the good performances) The form of this “hat-hanging” came with a newer athlete for me in 2015. A hard working police officer who often gets called in on special duty so sometimes we needed to be incredibly selective with which workouts to keep / eliminate. This situation created a demand for trust in what we were doing, and he managed to value that trust throughout the entire process. I often find this extended value in trusting a program is where athletes start to diverge from the plan because THEY think it should be done different or how they did it in the past. ( I could go into examples but I had athletes who ended up injured or “smoked” by race day because of their divergence from the proper process.) The second part of the process into this athletes key race to end 2016 was having the belief that our race day plan was going to work … and the plan was simple:

Swim: Conservative, steady, let the clock read what it does when you exit the water and move on

Bike: Broken in 1/3’s … no power / pace fade, focus on an effort that allows you to fuel well / consistently

Run: Broken into 4 non-equal pieces with a goal for each … put a high value in focus on miles 13-20 … limit pace fade across the run

…. looks pretty simple, but if you screw up hours 2-5 your plan is out the window.  As race day moved along I kept checking in almost expecting speed to drop, pace to fall off, finish time to keep creeping outwards. (it often does, right?) On the contrary it was one of the most flawlessly executed races I have seen, and it was done based out of 100% TRUST in the relationship, the process, and the plan. The text message the came across to me not long after his finish: “Coach, BEST Damn race of my life – stuck to the plan and reaped the rewards - couldn’t be happier”

I hope as you start shaping up your upcoming seasons you find a coach, a plan, a team, a process that you can trust in and execute with limited questioning. (Hey, some questions are good!) Without trust you’ll never have the right process, and without the right process you won’t have the results that are possible. Speaking of trust, I need to remember to trust myself and what I am doing is correct (for the most part ;-) and that I will have valleys with my athletes before we get to the peak. The realization is, it’s my job to question myself to make me AND my athletes better so they can do their job … Trust & Execute.

Best,

DL   

Ironman 70.3 Vineman - Part 3 - Bike

56 Miles / Approx 1750 Feet of Climbing

The Vineman bike course is one I describe as challenging, but fair, and those that are well rounded cyclists, on all types of terrain, will be rewarded nicely.

The first 5+ miles of the course is 100% flat before turning off River Rd with a technical turn on to Sunset followed by a right hand turn on to Westside.

Mile 6 - 18 (Westside Rd & Kinley-- aid station on Kinley Rd)) is a mix of everything but the majority of Westside Rd. contains a series of sweeping turns (especially early) and continuous rollers. If you have never seen the course it is a good idea to drive Westside Rd and hav a strategy for riding that terrain. There are no big climbs but it is a very dynamic section of the course that can make or break your race

Mile 18-28 is predominantly flat finishing with a two mile very gradual uphill on Canyon Rd. Once you crest Canyon Rd you will have very fast descent into the Alexander Valley followed by a 90 degree right hand turn on to hwy 128  (aid station 1 mile after the turn)

Mile 29-40 ... this will be predominantly flat, and fast but depending on time of day you could face a light headwind out of the southwest. Near the end of 128 approaching Chalk Hill Rd you will have a series of three rollers hat will slow your pace.

Miles 40 - 48 (Chalk Hill Rd & Faught Rd) ... up until this point you have been on good to very good pavement. Unfortunately Chalk Hill Rd & Faught Rd is a mix of everything form good to very bad pavement so ride safe and be aware. The terrain is also a mix of everything but it is constantly changing ... up, down, right. left and of course it will have the one signature climb on the bike that isn't overly hard on its own, its just comes when your legs are already beat down. (Those with proper gearing and pacing don't find this climb daunting)

The remainder of the course is flat and fast (and good pavement) as you roll through the outskirts of Santa Rosa before heading back into Windsor.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of some construction at Windsor High School, the the run form bike dismount to T2 will be a long one so be sure to scope it out the day before and decide the best way to tackle it.

Overall this bike course is beautiful, dynamic and it goes by very quickly. Be sure to not get sucked in to riding this course too hard (like many have before) as the run will kick your ass if you do!

Cheers,
DL

Ironman 70.3 Vineman - Part 2 - Swim

VINEMAN - T1 & LOGISTICS

I have always believed the swim at the Vineman events is one of the most uniuqe and easiest to navigate anywhere on the circuit. It was (and is) one of the things I love most about the race. BUT, before we talk swim we should talk sorting out your T1.

T1 is located in the parking lot at Johnson.s Beach on very hard pack dirt, which is a massive upgrade to the way it was up until about 3 or 4 years ago. You will have carpet up from the swim and on either side of the bike racks (entrance from swim & exit to bike). For some finer points:

1) Since this is a split transition you'll only be bringing your swim and bike gear. It's advisable that if you are coming solo to the race to bring as little as possible to T1 with you as all your gear (including wetsuit) has to go in a plastic gear transfer bag that the staff brings back to T2 for you. If you have family / friends with you I'd strongly advise passing off all your gear to them so that all you  have to do is put your wetsuit, cap, and goggles into the plastic bag. Remember rack your bike by your saddle!

2) Be sure you are aware of time in the morning. Vineman always starts on time and you'll want to be lined up and and ready to process trough the swim corral with the rest of your swim wave.

3) Warm up ... if you want more than 3-4 minutes of warm up time you would need to do so BELOW the dam at the Johnson's Beach. Please don't warm up up behind the start line unless your swim wave is in the water

NOTE: T1 is set up appropriately so that late starting waves can arrive late AND still get into the area for set up without disrupting early starting athletes.

THE SWIM
- For the start you can line up anywhere behind the flagging across the river but you must keep the buoys on your left after swimming as you are not allowed to swim in the small neutral channel, It is a deep water start unless you choose to start way off to the side

- River depth varies from start to finish and yes there are spots where you can stand. That said the entire course is 100% swim-able despite what some may say. It is very shallow at the turn and its tempting to walk for some. (After the turn if you get too far off to the right you will have to walk) The shallowest area is no more than 50 meters, it is legal to dolphin dive and for those skilled at it, it can be advantageous.

NOTE: If you do feel the need to stand please move off to the right side as far as possible as to not disrupt those behind you trying to swim. In the end swimming is faster than walking ;-)

- Because of the drought, water temperatures are trending slightly higher and water clarity less than usual. At the time of writing this race week air temperatures appear to be very cool so we are looking at race morning water temperatures in the low 70's

- Overall the course is very easy to site because of the large redwoods on either side of the river AND the multitude of buoys Vineman Inc. uses for their set up.

- One final note ... you are able to mount your bike once crossing the timing mat and hitting the pavement BUT you will encounter a short, sharp hill to start. Therefore you'll need to be properly geared, and skilled at clipping in to your pedals smoothly.

Part 3, the bike, is next ...