How hard should you push on the bike?

Q: How hard should I push on the bike to have a good run?

A: This depends on several things & I wish I could give a straight answer but it's a little messier than that.

Ask these questions: 

If you want the best outcomes, 

it's a great idea to have a clear strategy.

1) Is this my A race & how long is it? 
2) How did I train on the bike for this? 
3) Is this ride going well, are there ideal conditions? 
4) Check how hard your cardio system is working (HR/RPE) & how much muscle you're recruiting (are they burning/feeling fatigued). 

You can see why I'm always saying stay focused - there's a lot to check in on!

If this is your A race, you have ideal conditions & are feeling as you hope to, you can go as hard as you trained for on the bike. This means you should be training at a specific level during the intensity & (some) brick sessions. 

In training for your A race your goal is faster speed, which means you're going to probably be working in a slightly higher gear than steady state. This will increase HR & muscle recruitment (ultimately the higher gear will be your steady state once you've adapted which will help for longer rides & races). In training you'll find out how that affects your run, and if you can sustain this & complete the run with little effect or if you have to gear up/down to ensure the run isn't highly affected (on a training brick or practice triathlon). OR you may find that you can only increase your gears & push on bike only sessions to slowly adapt over time. Most likely you'll need to do intervals of harder/steady state gear as you progress.

So you need to do some training focusing on this. Some training (your "key intensity" sessions) will be done in this more powerful gear - how hard can you go out? Pay attention as you ride & push yourself. 

On bike only sessions you can work very hard without worrying about the run. I recommend checking these things: Is this harder gear making my speed faster enough to accept the harder intensity I'm feeling? Sometimes I've found the answer to be no, if for example my speed ups by .5mph but my HR goes above sustainable. Sometimes yes it definitely does make sense to be in the harder gear, even though I know I can't sustain the duration. My speed is much faster & makes sense to push for it. 

It also depends on the race distance

Always check in. If you're not sure, try something and see what happens - in training.

Some brick intensity sessions are good as trials - push your bike & ask yourself "am I recruiting too much leg muscle (burning & tired legs) for the allotted run distance after this?" If you're not sure - try pushing & see what happens. You can learn a lot from a tough run. Then ask "how can I do this better?"

It also depends on the race distance the intensity you'll ride and run. A sprint distance race you can ride in Z4 but remember that on race day you'll want it to be more cardio/less muscular so that harder gear you've been pushing in may or may not be the right one. That will depend on your adaption to it, and how much muscle is actually being recruited. One way to know (other than feeling it) is cadence. Riding around a 90rpm is your best bet for proper muscle recruitment. Mashing the pedals uses too much muscle and will ruin your run.

An Olympic distance race you'll want to have a lower HR. Z3, good option.
IRONMAN 70.3 & IRONMAN distances you'll need to stay in Z2 as much as possible.

If this is not your A race, things will be different. You may not want to push as hard as you can simply because it's not logical. It could affect your A race because it takes longer to recover, thus affecting crucial training sessions. This is something you can discuss individually with your coach. 

Remember: If you want the best outcomes it's a great idea to have a clear strategy.

Keep in mind the bike highly affects the run BUT pacing the run plays a big factor. If you start out too fast it's hard to gain control. So on those brick sessions practice this like crazy.

Ready to start working with a coach? We've got you covered. Living in Hawaii or anywhere in the world, we can help!

What fitness means to you

Have you ever thought about what fitness means to you? 

This has been on my mind a lot since I've started recovering from long term illness. What does fitness really mean to me? Where does it fall in my life? These are questions that are important to me, and if you're someone who exercises regularly, I encourage you to think about this too.

As I start feeling healthier, I'm finding that my perspective on lots of different things are changing. Things that I thought never would change are indeed looking different to me. It's an odd side effect! 

So many wonderful people I've met through
OnTrack Fitness!

I'll start from the beginning, bear with me it'll all come together in the end. I started becoming interested in fitness at the age of nine. I don't know why, I was just intrigued by this new idea I heard of somewhere that by doing pushups I could do MORE pushups. What - wow, that was such a cool idea to a little girl! 

So I got my uncle to teach me how to do pushups, I got my mom to buy me one pound dumb bells (ha! Ok, I was nine) & I would carry them as I ran laps around our house. I got my dad to build a pullup bar in the garage, from my play batton, by the way. So funny! This was my intro into fitness & I loved it!

Then I went through a phase I thought exercise was stupid. Like all kids as they grow, likes & dislikes change. I was more about climbing trees & swimming which is funny considering that too is physical.

*Disclaimer, the following may trigger people who struggle with eating disorders.*
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At thirteen I developed an eating disorder, and along with that I exercised. A lot. I became obsessed with both food and exercise. It was unhealthy, obviously, and it really took front and center of my life. Fitness wasn't fitness. It was my life, my obsession.  

Unless you've known me since my teens you probably don't know I had an eating disorder. I was lucky because my family was on top of it & I got help quickly and was able to recover for the most part within a year and started eating again. However, I went from this to being obsessed with being healthy. "Perfect" eating (which doesn't exist but nonetheless) and over exercising was my life. 

I wouldn't go out to eat because I didn't know what they were putting into my food. I put exercise as the most important thing in my day. I skipped events, skipped family gatherings, skipped school to exercise. Fitness, again (or still), had become the only thing in my life. 

Guys, let me be clear: this isn't fitness. By any standards. If you find yourself in this place, I urge you to get help. You can overcome this. Keep reading...

I look back on all of that now & it doesn't seem like it was me. It feels like I'm remembering a movie of someone else's story.

In my early 20's I hit a point where things changed. It started with a bible study that was focused on having a healthy relationship with food. It hit home & I can honestly say through this study plus lots & lots of prayers and lots & lots of work I was truly and wholly healed from my unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. It just all made sense, and the obsession no longer was of interest to me.

I still ate healthy, but I relaxed. I enjoyed food. I went out to eat, I allowed others to cook for me. And wonder of wonders I actually ate junk food every now and then! I didn't think about food all the time. I still exercised but now instead of over exercising, I started doing running races which helped me learn how to exercise for a goal, take time off & feel good about doing it correctly instead of constantly. I learned & practiced doing it, having fun, then letting it go. And this did take practice but I was ready to be free.

Then I learned about triathlon and it took me to a different level. I really learned to train and rest. I did my workouts then went on with life. This is hard to explain but by doing these races I wasn't focused on continuous exercise, instead on doing a specific workout. I got it done and moved on with life. It freed me to relax! I loved the shift from fitness being life to it being part of my life.

And then it hit. Chronic illness. Everything changed. There were times I thought I'd brought this on myself by the years of obsession. But my docs assured me that it was not my doing and in fact, since I was an exerciser it helped me stay healthier than if I'd not. Thank God I'd gotten a better handle on things years before this. They told me to keep exercising. And so I did, but boy it was different. It was hard, so hard. I still loved it but on the other hand it was joyless in a way. I knew it helped me regulate my energy, it gave me energy but it was me literally willing myself to move. 

These were dark years. But there was good too. Even though it took a lot of mental will, triathlon was a symbol of freedom for me. It was a way to draw a line in the sand and tell this stupid illness "you won't take everything from me!" 

Fitness started looking like a way to connect. Connect to myself, to gain energy, to listen to my body, to learn how to eek out every little bit out of what little energy I had. It became less about getting better & more about...I guess just being. Being me, being free. Being someone who still did, still could even if it wasn't what I wanted it to look like. I guess it became more about acceptance.

Little by little it became less about me & more about a way to praise and worship God. I would spend my runs praying & being thankful that I could run. Yes it was kinda like a shuffle. It was slow, it was hard. But it was. It was a gift, and that's beautiful. 

This took practice too, and I often failed miserably to see fitness as a gift. Because that is what it was.

My first marathon, during illness but prior
to mono. An accomplishment I never
thought would happen.

Now that I'm starting to heal (my docs finally found the cause & I'm being treated) I'm unexpectedly finding my definition of fitness changing again. I didn't expect any of these feelings that I can't even describe, yet here they are! 

Fitness. Wow, it's been quite a ride and I'm still on it. Fitness now seems to me still a beautiful gift. But this gift we're given, what if it's about being fit enough to do what we are called to do in this life? What if it's someone who physically can't exercise yet they can be fit enough to make it through their day? What if a person can't do a triathlon, and reap those benefits? But they can eat well, and sleep well, and pray well enough to get up and go to work and be sunshine to someone who needs it? What if this is fitness?

What if we use it to not focus on ourselves, but on others? What if my whole entire life was leading me to become the coach I am now, the person I am now? That I attract the athletes we have at OnTrack Fitness because of who I became due to all of my life experiences - and that we are there to love and support and encourage and pray and treat others with respect? 

What if fitness is just the means by which we're doing that?

What if we don't use fitness as our identity? After all, there will come a day when our workout days come to an end. Then what? I want more. I want to be what I was called to be, don't you? This podcast made me think. So did this post.

What if that's what my fitness looks like?

I think so. I'm still learning but maybe this is my fitness now. Yes I still train & exercise & set goals & love exercise. But maybe...there's more to this. I'm excited for this new phase in my life! 

So let me ask you, what is your fitness? 

Triathlon distances vernacular

As you continue to move forward in your training, you're going to start running into more triathletes.  I wanted to clarify some terminology you will be hearing.  It's important to understand the differences between IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3, Olympic, Sprint, Super Sprints, and Relays.

IRONMAN - The most common one you'll hear is IRONMAN.  The term IRONMAN is used 3 different ways:  as a race distance, a title, or as a brand.

• RACE - The IRONMAN race is a 140.6 mile *ultra endurance race consisting of 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. Some people will call this the long course triathlon.  Anytime someone refers to a race as an IRONMAN, it should be assumed to mean the FULL iron distance; a reference to any shorter distance in this way would be incorrect (like people running a 5k marathon). That means if you’re not training for a 140.6 you should not say you’re training for an IRONMAN. The proper wording for half that would be either an IRONMAN 70.3 (the brand’s preferred terminology) or a half IRONMAN. For anything under that, a triathlon.
• Title - Anyone who completes an IRONMAN distance race earns the title IRONMAN for life.  At the very first IRONMAN race the organizer said that whoever won that race would be referred to as the IRONMAN.  Since then, for anyone who completes the distance the title is theirs to earn and theirs to keep.  The organizer wrote on each entry, "Swim 2.4 miles.  Bike 112 miles.  Run 26.2 miles. Brag for the rest of your life."  It is quite an accomplishment and a LOT of work.  Those who complete this distance race (and nothing less) have EARNED the coveted title of IRONMAN.  The time it takes to finish one of these races ranges from about 8 hours (professionals) to the cutoff time of 17 hours.  Matt is an IRONMAN athlete and Nick is training for IRONMAN Canada!
• Brand - IRONMAN brand is used to describe the foundation, their company, their clothing line, and to identify sanctioned races (IRONMAN Canada, IRONMAN Arizona, IRONMAN Brazil, etc).  There are other races that use the iron distance, but may not be sponsored/sanctioned by the IRONMAN company. Those races are just as good, just not sponsored by the brand.

Matt becoming an IRONMAN in Kona 2018

Kona - This is the nickname for the IRONMAN World Championship (IMWC) which is held each year in Kona, HI.  Entry to this race is by INVITATION ONLY.  In other words, there is no registration open to the general public.  Different ways to get an invitation are by qualifying, by the IRONMAN Legacy program, the IRONMAN Foundation entry, or through a handful of drawings.  When using the term "Kona" it always refers to the championship race.  This is the only race held in Kona and if you hear someone stating they are training for Kona, congratulate them as this is a VERY special opportunity! If you’re not training for (& have been invited to) this particular race, you are most assuredly not training for Kona so don’t tell people that!

70.3 - The next shorter distance is the ultra endurance IRONMAN 70.3 or as some call it the Half IRONMAN.  The IRONMAN company's preferred term to use is IRONMAN 70.3. Alternative brand races of this distance can be called short course.  A couple of important notes: 

• When abbreviating the IRONMAN 70.3, it is referred to as a 70.3, NOT an IRONMAN.  In this case, "IRONMAN" identifies the race as being sanctioned by IRONMAN company (there are many 70.3 races that are not sponsored/sanctioned by IRONMAN company; you can call them half IRONMANS or more specifically short course. However that may confuse non triathletes therefore most people stick to 70.3).
• The distance for a 70.3 is exactly half an IRONMAN:  1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run.
• When a triathlete completes this race, it is still a huge accomplishment, but it does NOT earn the title IRONMAN, even though "IRONMAN" is in the race title (it's the brand name here).
• There is an IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and the race location changes each year.

Honu - This is the nickname for the IRONMAN 70.3 Hawaii.  It is held on Big Island each year in June, about 30 miles north of Kona on the Kohala Coast.  It's the race our Honu athletes are training for and is special in that it gives triathletes the opportunity to ride half of the IRONMAN World Championship bike course. It’s not to be called Kona.

Our team at Honu 2018

Olympic - This is the next shorter triathlon distance, an endurance sport (or if longer than 4hrs, an ultra endurance).  There's not a hard set distance but typically consists of a 1500 meter swim, a 24 mile (40k) bike and a 6.2 mile (10k) run.  Half of the triathletes in our beginner group are actually training for the olympic distance of the Honolulu Triathlon in May!

Sprint - This is probably the most popular race distance & is also an endurance sport.  The distance typically ranges between 400-800 meter swim, 10-12 mile (20k) bike and a 3.1 mile (5k) run.  This is NOT a race only for beginners, nor is it a "baby" triathlon.  It's great for beginners because the distances are shorter and ideal for those getting into multisport.  It's called a "sprint" because those that are competitive will do each leg of the race as fast as they can. If anyone questions you or tries to make you feel bad about “only” doing a sprint you have two options: 1) educating them on the facts because maybe they’re ignorant or 2) if they’re not ignorant, but instead stupid or elitist, tell them to buzz off & go about your business without another thought to them. J

Super Sprint - Usually half the distance of a sprint triathlon. These are an endurance sport and can be REALLY fun.

Relay - There are two different types of relays:  Relay and Triathlon Mixed Relay.  

• Relay - each athlete does a leg of the triathlon (swim, bike or run).  2 person teams are allowed and the athletes can divide the race in any combination.
• Triathlon Mixed Relay - Four athletes each complete a super sprint triathlon (300m swim, 6.6k bike, 1k run) then tag the next athlete.  The order is always female-male-female-male).  

So now you know! Probably know way more than you ever thought you would. But there it is, and whichever event you choose is perfectly fine. It should be your decision what you do, never allow someone to try to discredit or belittle your goals. Some people prefer shorter races, some longer and some like them all. They’re all great & can present ongoing challenges to performance.

I’m an endurance coach, a triathlon coach & an IRONMAN Certified Coach so whatever you choose, I’m prepared to help you reach your goals!

*Endurance sports are defined as sports or activities lasting 30 minutes or more. Ultra endurance is a subset of endurance sports & defined as an activity lasting 4 hours or more.

My Ironman

It's really something special, and rare, to coach your husband through the IRONMAN World Championship. But I had the honor to do just that and it was the greatest experience!

Matt is all smiles coming into the finish line at the
IRONMAN World Championship 2018. So exciting!

For those that know my husband, Matt, they know him as a strong athlete. He is a triathlon (now an IRONMAN), a marathon runner & is dedicated to his sport. He doesn't train to be competitive (only for fun) but he has a natural gift for speed & power that so many of us don't have. 

He also has a personality that dictates everything he does he gives his all. Never does he say "I can't" or go into a training session halfheartedly. This is just his natural way with everything. But that doesn't mean he has always believed he could become an IRONMAN.

So many times when we see an IRONMAN, or marathon runner or a triathlete in general we assume they "came that way." They seem larger than life, in a place we could never achieve. That's simply not the case. Read on for one example.

What you might not know is that Matt hasn't always been a triathlete, or a marathoner or even a runner. He started just like everyone does. He never thought becoming a runner or triathlete was attainable. 

At mile 111 of 112 on the bike

The first three years of our marriage he designated himself as photographer only in my races. We went to countless triathlons, half marathons & 5k's together. I did the event, he watched in amazement. We have a LOT of pictures of me because that's what he did! 

For three years I asked him to join me and for three years he said he couldn't even imagine being able to do any of what I was doing. After all, he hadn't ran since school, hadn't ridden a bike since a teen and had never swam except for in the pool during summers - certainly not for exercise! And a 5k? No way. Too far.

I didn't give up. I saw in him something he didn't see. So instead of bugging, I started talking about how much FUN these events were. This strategy worked and after what seemed like forever in my mind, he was ready to try his hand at a 5k. We trained with 2 miles of running for his 3.1 mile race because 3 miles in training was too daunting. That was ok with me as long as he was doing it.

He really enjoyed and excelled at this and after several years of 5k's (including off road races) he was interested in trying to do a sprint triathlon. Mind you, he was extremely unsure he could finish one. So we borrowed a bike & started getting in the pool together. His first triathlon I beat him, which I enjoyed greatly because I knew it was the only time I would EVER beat him. I was right. :) 

He knew nothing about triathlon so we started from the very basic. He liked it and so we just kept doing them, kept slowly learning and getting the three disciplines down. We spent years working on technique, being consistent with training, learning & racing.  Year after year after year of this, all the while he just couldn't imagine doing any kind of long distance. Really we were having fun doing sprints and not thinking of longer races. Sprints & 5k's only. He was enjoying gaining knowledge and getting fast, but long course? No way, not even something that was on the radar.

There's often a natural progress with things, and I remember the day he thought maybe, just maybe one of these days he could try doing a longer distance. We started working on increasing his bike (which he loves & took to), his swim was challenging & his running was a challenge because frankly he just wanted it over so he went as fast as he could. Pacing yourself was not something he understood yet.

But we kept at it. We worked on his pacing, technique and fueling. Then his first half marathon - and the first thing he said to me when he crossed the finish line is "this is not for me." Turns out he paced too hard. But it was a blessing in disguise because it finally sunk in that strategy for a long race vs short race needs to be different. 

A few years later (yes years) & lots of training & learning, he conquered his first IRONMAN 70.3! There's one paragraph here but between his first half marathon & that 70.3 was a lot of learning, pacing, training & dedication. It took discipline to become strong both physically and mentally. 

Well that was three years ago and three 70.3's. Last week Matt completed the hardest single day athletic event in the world to earn the title of IRONMAN. And I'm here as a witness that he earned that title. All of those years of training, the discipline, pushing through those mental and physical barriers and reaching goals he thought were honestly out of reach. I am so proud of him!

One thing I was especially proud of is how well Matt paced himself & fueled himself. Honestly, he paced & fueled perfectly. This didn't happen by accident. This was wisdom earned and applied. His race was wholeheartedly enjoyable because of this, his body felt great, he smiled the entire way & crossed the finish line strong & healthy. I'll tell you what else, his body was only sore for about one half of a day. Well done, IRONMatt!

Nothing but smiles all day for
this IRONMAN!

You may be feeling your goal is out of reach, whether it's an IRONMAN or a 5k. It's not. This is your brain lying to you. Your body will do what you ask it. Your body is willing to push itself past it's own limits if you ask it. It's your brain that gets in the way. It may take a while, it may take the discipline of working on technique or getting a baseline of fitness, or learning to SLOW down so you can keep going, or fueling - or whatever it is that you need to work on. But each time you get out there, you are taking one more step toward your goal. You are earning that title you want, becoming mentally tough and I'm here to tell you that you will not regret it. You will absolutely not regret the work that goes into getting that goal that right now seems so far away. Go for it, keep going & don't stop until you succeed.

Need help reaching your goal? It might not be an Ironman & that's ok, whatever your fitness goal is - I'm here to help! 

Contact me via email directly here. 

Triathlon, marathon & never giving up

I'm going to share some extremely personal, difficult memories. I hope that it helps whoever needs an encouraging word during a tough time right now.  

During the first year or two of dealing with my illness, after suffering extreme fatigue day in & day out with no answers as to why, I hit a crucial point in my life. 

It was a long road but well worth the fight

I remember vividly. I was sitting at the gas station by my house waiting on traffic so I could pull onto the road to go to a training session. I just couldn’t do this. I couldn’t live like this, so very very fatigued every moment of every day. Pain everywhere, illness often. Weight piling on. “I cannot do this anymore. I can't fight this. I’m going to quit trying to find answers & give in to this illness” I said this to myself with tears in my eyes, too tired to actually cry.

When the words came out, they slapped me - the old me - awake. “You aren’t giving up. That’s not you. You are a fighter and you’re going to be alive one way or the other. Do you want to get deeper into this illness, let it take over everything, or do you want to do what you can in each moment to try and get your health back?”

In that moment everything changed, and it has been different ever since. I was still sick. But I AM a fighter. I do not want my illness to define every piece of me. It’s taken too much already & tries to take more every day. So I made the decision that I wasn’t going to give up. I was not going to allow it to make me someone I wasn't.

Let me give you a little perspective about some things, and I'll do it through race history.

TRIATHLON
I did my first triathlon in 2000. Then in the middle of training for my next one, I got ill. I wasn't able to do my second tri. 

It was six years before I was healthy enough to do that second triathlon. Did you get that? I spent six entire years working on my health before I could reach that second race.

There were a lot of tears during those years. They were dark years with a lot of physical suffering. And, each season realizing my body wasn't strong enough, yet again there was disappointment. But I never forgot that day at the gas station and kept doing what I needed to do to gain back at least some of my health. That goal helped keep me going. Maybe that's why these races are important...

The struggle is real, folks!
But the celebration is great.

During that time I never lost my sights on my goal. I talked about it, had photos hanging I’d printed on local races & kept in my head that I will be healthy enough to do this again. 

Today those times are a distant memory. I've done countless triathlons since including sprints, Olympics & even 70.3 relay! I am not back to my original health but I got well enough to race. The experience is not something I would wish for but it has given me a grateful heart.

MARATHON

It took me at least three attempts over several years to cross the marathon finish line. 

My first try was when we lived in Indiana. I'd chosen my race, the Space Coast Marathon in Florida. Attempt one was a big giant no go. My body wasn’t strong enough to endure so many miles. 

When we moved to Arizona in 2013, I started feeling much healthier so I picked up my marathon goal again pretty quickly after the move. I hit only mile 8 in training before my body said no way. Attempt two was gone. 

The following year I tried it again. My mileage got higher but yet again, I couldn’t stay healthy long enough to train.

I took a couple more years to gain strength before trying again.   

We had since moved to Hawaii and since it was my first year there I decided to run to get to know my new city. I was going to keep going until my body said no or I crossed the finish line of a marathon.

After at least five years and three solid tries I finally crossed the finish line of my first marathon! I'm here to tell you that was a good day.

My happy face after my 1st marathon

The entire training season through race day was one of the greatest experience of my life, definitely the best training season. I felt healthier than I had in as long as I could remember, my body responded wonderfully to the miles & race day was a celebration of the many years of struggle. It was a wonderful gift from God.

I'm a lot better now than those first years. But I still have my chronic illness. It comes & goes as it pleases, and I could have months of feeling bad. There are still tears sometimes. But I always go back to that day at the gas station & keep going. Every race I see as a gift & blessing because even though I don't perform as well as I would like to, I'm able do it! That means so much.

You may be in the tough years right now. I encourage you to take care of yourself FULLY. Get healthy, get things right for yourself and never give up. Your dreams can be goals, something that IS going to happen. Believe that they can happen even if you don't really see how right now. Choose to be the person that fights & struggles & cries & gets help & if the person you ask for help doesn't follow through find someone else. Fight for yourself, trust in the fact that things get bad, really bad, but they get BETTER TOO. 

Keep your vision in front of you & let it be one of the reasons you keep going through the hard times. You may feel things won’t get better. They won’t get better if you give up. They can, and will, if you keep going. So keep going! - coach Emily Collins www.ontrackfitness.net

Get the best results from your endurance training

Years ago I ran a lot. I didn’t really have a goal in mind other than enjoyment. I’d head out on a run & they usually ended up being quite long. Just kinda running for the sake of running. Weekly mileage topped off at 40miles, all the same pace. This was a year round plan with very little variation. Nothing wrong with that for fun & fitness.

Then I started training for my first sprint triathlon. I now had a goal that helped me change the way I exercised. I was now “in training.” The number of workouts I did per week stayed the same but I cut mileage at least in half, each one now having a purpose. One or two were for speed, one would be longer. I added short bikes & swims to reflect the sprint distance race.

To my surprise I dropped two pant sizes & got ultra fit. I understand now why but at the time I was just surprised that doing less gave me more.

 

Me before a big race

I have athletes ask me about this all the time. How to train? How much, how often, how long...

Here’s a breakdown of how to plan training to get the best results.

  1.  Plan the races you’re doing labeling them as A, B or C (A top priority to peak for, C is like a training session). Believe me if you haven’t thought of this you aren’t alone.

  2.  Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) for said race – let’s stick with the A race from here.

Tips:
-As you plan your goals draw in what level you’re starting from – beginner, intermediate or advanced. 
-Do you want to just finish & create a lifestyle or take it to the next level & have some pace goals? 
-Take into consideration how many weeks you have (increase slowly is best). 
-Consider your age, fitness level, the current volume (frequency x duration), duration of your race & strengths/limiters.
-What athletic background is, what other commitments you have & how much support you have.

Think it through & be specific.

Our athletes after finishing the Honolulu Marathon

3.  Periodization. Think of planning in terms of blocks going from building a base to specific skills to peaking for competition. The base phase (or general prep) works on gaining endurance, muscle memory & limiter work. For example working on swim technique, getting used to being on the bike over longer distances, endurance vs speed. For beginners this is the biggest block of your season.

    Then move on to adding more race specifics (specific prep) like bricks, hills & speedwork etc. Continued limiter training & easing into strengths work.

    The last few weeks before tapering is the competition phase. You’ll do more higher intensity work plus race day readiness sessions, maybe a short practice race. This is where you peak for optimal performance.

    Planning your general prep, specific prep & competition phases sets you up for the what comes next...

4.  Decide the volume of training (frequency x duration) – what’s your max volume just before you taper for the A race, and what’s your initial volume of training. Then fill in the weeks in between.

So where DO you start with volume planning? Good question. 

    1.Think key (priority) & non key (optional) sessions.

Key Training Sessions - At a minimum for each discipline, athletes should have one key higher intensity training session and a key endurance session per discipline per week (microcycle). Start with the volume you’re doing now & increase through the season depending on your race distance.

You may find this minimum is enough for your body to elicit adaption for your goals. Anything more & your body starts showing signs of over training. If so hold here no matter what the next guy is doing. If you’re a beginner, hold here. You will see results with this if each workout has a purpose. In this scenario if do more you risk over training and won’t see a positive response. The workouts will suffer, you’ll end up with mediocre sessions & in turn have mediocre results.

Maybe your body can do more & is adapting like crazy. Ok, slowly add in some non key sessions. You can work on your limiters or strengths: limiters in base/specific prep phase, strengths in competition. Work on getting more time in the saddle, doing swim drills or add a mid distance run etc. Your coach can help figure this out. 

I think the question of how much volume confusing a lot of athletes. How do you know if you can do more? I'll be writing more on this in future posts.

     2. Keep in mind our bodies respond to “loading” then “unloading.” This is a balance of training then resting to allow for gains. If you train hard all the time with little to no rest, the potential will never be fulfilled. The body strengthens during rest, not during work so give it time to make those gains. This can be a struggle. It's counterintuitive to take time off but science trumps logic here.

Science says as least one day recovery per week is necessary. Incorporating a full week of recovery during training season is also a good idea, especially when training hard for a big goal.

Struggling with comparison? Keep your perspective. Maybe you’re training for your second sprint while they’re training for their fifteenth. The more advanced athlete that’s training is obviously going to have more intense workouts & most likely can handle a higher volume.  

Like I mentioned before there’s also a difference in how much training an athlete’s body is going to respond to. My husband & I can have the same race, same goal yet his body responds to way more volume than me. Mine starts breaking down long before his. I've learned to train the way I need to in order to get results. This comes with experience, so learn your body & track your metrics. 

We see so many people getting confused and I can understand why. It can be really confusing! Hopefully this has helped give you some direction. Happy training! 

-Coach Emily

Triathlon: coach athlete relationship

I appreciate my athlete's, whether they are in a group or train individually with me. They sacrifice their time to train with OnTrack Fitness. They change schedules for months or years on end to meet up for a training session. Week after week they do this, and it's not always meeting for a fun filled jolly time. 

Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of fun. But I ask them to push their boundaries, make new comfort levels and do things they don't think they can do. Mentally tough! There's physical suffering that happens too. Sometimes they don't much like me, I know this and I get it. 

Hitting my own milestone -
my first marathon

We train smart but there are times that a training session extends their endurance levels or pushes them to work just a bit harder than they can keep up with. It's how we get stronger and fitter. Oftentimes the only thing they go off of to do this effort is the trust they have in me that yes they can indeed do this! 

This training deal is personal. We work on these big, crazy goals. Goals that are close to the heart. The kind that you're afraid to say aloud. That's scary! Yet they come to me to get it accomplished. There's a moment every athletes has that they must let go & take a leap of faith when coach says do something they think impossible. There's something really special about the give and take of coach & athlete that stems from that very big, scary goal. Working on that goal day in and day out for months or years. It's a big deal. I take it seriously & I take their faith in my coaching seriously. 

I've been there! This is me at my
first Honolulu Triathlon

Sometimes I'm the only one in the bunch that really knows how much this means. Simply stated, I can stand back & see their dedication, drive, faith. I know what it takes to reach this goal. I specifically know what they are doing, the effort level it takes & how far they've come. I know not everyone has the drive to get it done, and not everyone has the ability in the moment to say "I don't think I can, but I will believe you if you say I can." Wow! 

I've been there. I know the fears, frustrations, disappointments, sacrifices, and joys that come from training and reaching a goal like triathlon, half or full marathon.  It's painful and it's thrilling. It's scary and it's exhilarating! There are milestones hit that once seemed ludicrous. Now they're warmups. Simply amazing.

To my athlete's I want to say thank you. Your goals are my goals. Your disappointments, frustrations, milestones and joys - I feel them too! When you see me excited about what you're doing it's real. When you're disappointed I feel your pain & I'm here to help put things into perspective. I am beyond proud of you, thankful for you and ready to help you reach your next goal! 

Written by Coach Emily, certified triathlon coach, Ironman Certified Coach, endurance coach & ACE certified personal trainer

Triathlon training and goals

As triathletes our focus is always on gaining speed. How can we get faster, better, stronger? It makes sense. After all we're training hard for a race and want to see results.

What if instead of always focusing on tougher, harder training sessions we shift our outlook? Let me suggest that there is more to being a triathlete than an intense training session. 

For myself because of my health, I don't see much in terms of gaining speed. It can be...annoying to put it nicely. So I've readjusted my focus and taken a look at my stats to see what I can improve instead of looking at what doesn't (& may never) improve. Let me share what I'm improving upon. You can take part in it too. 

Swim: 

•  Stroke rate. Mine is lower than I want & lower than it should be.
  FYI - In hip driven swimming, which is what I believe is best for triathlon, the stroke rate will be lower than shoulder driven, which can be 70-90 strokes per minute. I'm working with my tempo trainer to increase stroke rate.
• Balance. My balance is way better than it used to be. But I'm not satisfied with it & know I can improve.
• Head position. Again, it's not bad, per se. But I find myself sometimes moving my head or lifting it up a bit more than I want. So, down it goes & that's definitely something that can improve.

  

  What a great place to train!

Bike: 

• SLD. Single leg drills on trainer for full use of pedal stroke. 
• Pedaling. Focusing on quick, even pressure of pedal during rides & especially on hills 
• Less is more. For me, guilt free less cycling because I don't enjoy the pain. My scoliosis & cycling don't like each other.

Run:

• Ground contact time (GCT). It's too high! I've actually been having fun working on quicker, lighter steps.
• Cadence. My legs tend to want to go slow. Kind of goes along with GCT.
• Form. My form is good, but by paying very close attention to it as I run, I can tweak for the absolute best technique.
• Hills. Short quick hills to build fitness but not to tire me out.

Strength: 

• Heavier weight less reps. This is fun, which motivates me to do it!
• More sets on days I feel good. On days I'm not feeling well, still do it but less. Keeps things consistent.
• A third day on appropriate weeks. Which I'm loving!

Many of these have stats attached to them that I can clearly see progress on. 

My challenge for you is to instead of feeling discouraged about your progress, shift your focus and keep moving. You will see results, you might even find a renewed love of the sport!