Endurance Nation | Triathlon Coaching, Ironman Training, Half Ironman, Beginner Triathlon

We have done a great deal to outline how we train differently inside Endurance Nation. As you know by now, we favor intensity over mindless miles…quality trumps quantity every single time. To learn more about the science behind this approach, please refer to the Endurance Nation Long Course Training Manual.

For many folks, just getting to the point where they can follow our plans as outlined is a huge leap of faith. Type A triathletes find it hard to believe that they can be fast without doing extra miles, epic workouts every weekend, etc. We see it in the Forums all the time; people asking our members whether or not the plans are effective. While the answer is usually a resounding “YES”, even our members experience friction when transitioning to our new approach. I am talking about Fatigue.

Before I begin, let’s remember that it’s not just the work you are doing that counts, it’s how your body processes the “work” that really matters. To go back to the weightlifting example, our standard primer, it’s not the lifting 200lbs in a bench press 10 times that makes you stronger. It’s going home, getting sore, recovering, and returning to the gym to do it again. The cycle of work –> recover –> repeat happens with all of the sports we do, and in the case of the active triathlete, the cycles for swim/bike/run all overlap with one another as you progress through each training cycle.

To keep things simple, let’s limit our exploration of Fatigue inside Endurance Nation to two general types of fatigue that you can earn — the softer/shallower fatigue (Pre-EN) and a hard/deep fatigue (Post-EN). 

Pre-EN Fatigue
In your personal old-school training days, you would put in lots of miles and training time. The majority of this time would be in Zones 1-2 — your race specific zones. You would train with arbitrary goals like “improving fat utilization” or “staying in your zone”. 

Since the intensity was capped, your only means of manipulating the training load was to add more time. And you did. You would go super long on Saturdays (bike and run) and long again on Sundays (long run). You figured out how to add more time during the week by getting up crazy early for Masters, squeezing in lunchtime workouts when the boss wasn’t looking and organizing the odd evening session as well.

By spending 10/15/20 hours a week in Zone Two, you built up a basic level of Fatigue that I would characterize as “shallow.”  You would be tired before a workout, but never really too tired to not workout. Overtraining could be generally characterized as boredom, a mental unwillingness to actually get stuff done. If you started a workout tired, your HR would be suppressed and it would take a while for your aerobic system to come around // get warmed up, but once it did, you’d be all set. That’s it.

Post-EN Fatigue
Inside our world, you are working out for a shorter amount of time but are earning the same (if not more) fatigue by simply working harder.  This means that in the course of a 20-week Iron-distance training cycle, you will be carrying significantly higher amounts of fatigue. I have seen this in my own data/charts — it’s striking to see the difference.

With more work comes the need for more recovery. In other words, our overall weeks are lower by time not just by design, but by necessity — most folks can’t handle this stress and do long training hours. They’ll just pop (been there and done that already).

In our world, fatigue manifests itself as more muscular than aerobic. This fatigue is “deeper” than Pre-EN fatigue. When you start a workout now your muscles will probably ache — in addition to the suppressed aerobic system. We don’t mind the lower HR since most of you will be training by pace and power; if you can’t hit the Watts at the start of a workout, then we know you need more time (note: most folks take a while to be able to hit all the benchmarks in our longer bike workouts, including the final hard stuff,  this is typical). In other words, overtraining in our world means you have really done too much — and you have to stand down.

Over-Reaching + Mental Engagement
In fact, let’s call it over-reaching, not over-training. Inside EN our training is all hard work — you’re supposed to be tired. An important part of the training process is learning what your personal and physiological limits are, and then pushing/testing them on a regular basis. We control this by providing you with training plans and support based on Power and Pace.

It’s also important to note that by manipulating the intensity of your program and limiting overall exercise time, we are placing you in a new endurance space. This new space requires you to be an active participant in managing the work/recovery portions of your program. The “old school” model of training in Zones 1-2 was essentially a Do No Harm approach; after all, anyone can ride their bike in Zone 1-2 for a long time. Your only requirement was to keep going easy — not a very big challenge.

We encourage you to accept personal responsibility for your own training (ie, don’t follow a training plan, even ours, into a brick wall), modify the plan as needed and find a mix that works for you. Ideally you will use the EN forum, coaches, and members as a resource.

Moving Forward
To recap, inside EN you will have a greater sense of fatigue, one that most would consider “deep.” This doesn’t mean that the workout goals we have set forth are too much, it just means that you need to put your energy into nailing each workout (EN style) instead of saving energy for putting in extra time/another workout. There is no double top-secret plan that we aren’t sharing with you.

More importantly, make a note of your transition from “getting stuff done” (old-school, logging miles) to “Doing Work” (The more you do, the more you CAN do). Your body will adapt to this new approach pretty quickly (probably faster than your brain will!) and within a few weeks/months you’ll be able to do easily what might very well kill you now . Do the work, be patient, it will come. 

Happy Training!

Coach Patrick

Popularity: 9% [?]

Committed to helping it’s members achieve maximum results for a minimum of time and money investment, Endurance Nation has formed a partnership with TTBikeFit.com to bring high quality, unbiased, affordable bike fitting to Endurance Nation members and the general public.

Using proprietary bike fitting methods and video technology, Todd Kenyon, founder and owner of TTBikeFit.com, brings expert triathlon-specific bike fitting services to everyone. Quality triathlon fitters are few and far between, and the majority of athletes do not have easy access to one…until now! The affordable TTBikefit online bike fit service simply requires the rider to video themselves riding on a wind trainer. No longer do athletes have to engage in time consuming and expensive travel to get a good triathlon bike fit. No longer do athletes have to endure bike shop fits of questionable quality conducted by fitters of unknown experience who are frequently more focussed on selling whatever they have in the store than providing the best fit and advice possible.

With an online TTBikeFit, you will receive a narrated video analysis of your current before and after positions along with comparisons to appropriate elite athletes. You will understand exactly why changes are recommended, and what the outcome should be! And, you will have the opportunity to interact with a knowledgeable athlete with over 16 years of racing experience, and nearly as much bike building and fitting experience, to help you get the best setup possible for your budget and needs. Thinking about buying a new frame, but don’t know who to trust for unbiased advice and sizing recommendations? Now you do!

TTBikefit uses body angle analysis while the rider is in motion and under load to help riders find the best combination of power, aerodynamics, and comfort. Several examples of before and after fits can be seen on TTBikeFit’s website.  Interested in our virtual fit service but afraid to wrench on your own bike? Visit our website to find video demonstrations of simple mechanical adjustments. It’s easy! All you need is a $10 set of Allen wrenches and the ability to loosen or tighten a bolt!

Get fitted today! Visit TTBikeFit.com for complete instructions and more information, or email Todd directly. Online fits are priced at $150 which include any needed follow-up video analysis and email discussion.  Members of Endurance Nation receive $25 off a TTBikeFit.com bike fit!

TTBikeFit.com is the original online bike fit service for triathletes and time trialists. TTBikeFit employs dynamic body angle analysis via motion analysis software to the special needs of athletes riding in the aero position. Years of trial and error along with countless hours of studying elite athlete positions has resulted in TTBikeFit’s proprietary fitting system underpinned by an ever-growing database of athlete body angles. With over 16 years of triathlon and time trial racing experience, TTBikefit’s fitter Todd Kenyon knows what works and what doesn’t. TTBikeFit provides unbiased advice with the sole aim of improving the athlete’s riding experience and race times.

Endurance Nation is a unique online community where triathletes come to get smarter, get faster, and have fun doing both. Learn how we coach age group triathletes. Review how our members are doing. Examine the value we’ve provided for ALL of our athletes since our launch in November 2007. Read what our athletes have to say about us, or just read their blogs. Membership in Endurance Nation is only $99 per year. That’s $1.75 per week. You will not find a better triathlon coaching value, period. Start your free two-week trial today!

Popularity: 14% [?]

After much hemming and hawing, I finally broke down and got a new bike. My old bike (4.5 years old to be exact) was an Once Limited Edition Giant TCR-1 frame. Too many component changes to name, but I was running a forward seat post and seat adapter to get my brawny self into some kind of proper aero-position. Good enough to get me to Kona, but I knew it wasn’t right. For one thing, so much weight on the front wheel meant steering was totally dicey. I was also stretched out and of course, I am looking for as much free speed as possible.

So I went to see Todd Kenyon of TTBikeFit.com, a local bike guru, with my new P3C. The outcome? See the video for yourself — I went from a crappy 10cm DIY bike fit to a 15cm killer position that had me riding 22mph @ easy pace today. Man, am I stoked!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWNHXKpIHAw[/youtube]

Popularity: 10% [?]

We’d like to share with you our double top secret squirrel race day hill climbing technique. We’ve learned this method through having training and raced with power for years, and having guided thousands of athletes through successful half and full Iron-distance races.

The key is understanding that 90% of the field will be working too hard on the hills. These aggressive efforts express themselves on the run as dramatically slowing down in the second half, usually giving up any of the small gains made on these hills. If you follow our guidance below, you’ll find yourself doing the opposite of everyone else in the hills…and running better at the end of your day!

But don’t take our word for it. Between now and your next race we strongly encourage you to ride a hilly course using our techniques and perspective with your typical group ride. Pay attention to where they gap you and how it is easy for you to make that difference up simply by making better choices about where to spend your effort.

The Problem

If you ride with a powermeter and “just ride” on a hilly course, you will see how anyone naturally tends to ride a hill. We unconciously seek to maintain the same, comfortable cadence at all times on a hill. At the bottom this creates a sharp, upward power spike. At the crest the opposite occurs, as we dramatically decrease our power:

1. When you first enter the hill, your natural tendency is to maintain the same cadence you were holding on the flat. If you start to climb but maintain the same gear and cadence, you have dramatically increased your work output. Even as you shift down through the gears, this work output remains high. If you ride with a powermeter, you’ll see your watts spike in this first third of the hill. If you are riding with heart rate, you won’t initially see this increased effort, as heart rate lags work output by about ninety seconds. A Zone 4 effort might take 90 seconds or more to be reflected as a Zone 4 heart rate. Depending on the length of the hill, you may only see Zone 3 and think you’ve properly paced the hill. In most cases, you would be wrong.
   
2. In the second third of the hill, you naturally compensate for this initial spike by backing off the power quite a bit. You will typically hold more watts than you were on the flat, but your power drops off considerably from the spike at the bottom of the hill. In addition, your heart rate begins to catch up to your effort. Usually, your HR rises to a level higher than you would like, as it finally reflects that initial spike at the bottom of the hill. This high HR is usually taken as a signal to back off your effort again. Then again, the hill may be too short for heart rate to rise to reflect your true effort. If this is the case, the damage has in fact been done but your heart hasn’t had enough time to let you know it!
3. When you reach the crest, remember that your body wants to maintain the same, comfortable cadence. As the hill flattens out and you maintain the same gear and cadence, your power output drops dramatically. Even if you shift up through the gears, the tendency is to back off the power and begin to rest on the crest of the hill, usually because you worked too hard on the hill and actually need the rest! However, by reducing your effort and speed at the crest, you give up the opportunity to accelerate to your top speed as quickly as possible and fly down the hill and across the flat into the next hill.

In summary:

• Entrance to hill: power spike, as your body seeks to maintain a constant cadence. Very little to no tactical gain achieved.
• Body of hill: after this initial spike, you drop off the power considerably. Heart rate now begins to catch up to effort, until it rises above where you would like to see it. You back off the power again.
• Crest: downward power spike, as your body seeks to maintain a constant cadence or senses the opportunity to rest NOW after the hard climbing effort. You start to rest at the crest and on the initial portion of the downhill.

Three Tools to Fix Your Race Day Climbing
We encourage you to use anyone of three tools to figure out a better way to climb. The best tool is a powermeter, such as a Powertap or SRM. These devices tell you exactly how hard you are working at any point in time and allow you to smooth out your power application over the hill. If you don’t have one of these, you can use your feet as a guide (no joke!).  Lastly, you can use your competitors as a spatial frame of reference.

Let’s climb the hill, using these three tools…

1. Entrance of the Hill

• With Power Device: Pay attention to your monitor and stop yourself from spiking your wattage.
• Without Power Device: Feel the pressure on the soles of your feet and shift down through the gears as this pressure increases in an effort to maintain a steady, constant pressure to the pedals. Why? If you have begun to climb a hill, but are maintaining a constant cadence, you are now pushing harder on the pedals and will feel this increased pressure on the soles of your feet. More importantly, you have begun to increase your power output. In our years and years of power experience, we can tell you that this initial power spike is, 98% of the time is far higher than you should be riding. Therefore, pay attention to your feet and shift down through the gears as you feel this pressure (power spike) increase. Your goal is keep a constant pressure on the soles of your feet, by shifting through the gears, as you transition from the flat to the entrance of the hill.
• Visual Cues: The athletes around you will open up a gap at the start of the hill. You’ll see them standing, grinding a hard gear, you’re hear the frame creak or the tires bite the pavement as they stomp on the gas. Remember: if you’re not doing what everyone else is doing, you’re usually doing the right thing! Having people gap you at the entrance of a climb is almost always a very good thing: they are working too hard, you’re not. They will come back to you, either on this hill, the next, or on a flat, or on the run…or not. What’s important is that you focus on the real game, the last 8 miles of the run, and don’t get caught up in fighting for 3-5 bikes lengths of real estate on some unnamed hill at mile 65.2 of a 140 mile day. It just. Doesn’t. Matter.

2. Body of the Hill:

• With Power Device: Settle into your target wattage. A good rule is to climb at about 10% above your goal watts for the race. Please visit the Endurance Nation Store for a comprehensive Training and Racing with Power Kit, with over four hours of audio and other tools to help you train and race more effectively with power.
• Without Power Device: Settle in and expect your heart rate to rise to your target heart rate, much like the target wattage above. If you have avoided the spike at the entrance, you should stay at or below your target heart rate.
  
• Visual Cues: The initial gap between you and other athletes will stabilize or decrease a bit. More importantly, pay attention to the body language. As their body realizes their initial effort was too hard you’ll see them come off the gas a bit.

3. Crest of the Hill and Downhill. This is where the fun starts!

• With Power Device: Watch your power meter and hold your climbing wattage across the crest and into the first third of the downhill. Note we didn’t say “hammer.” You’re simply making the hill a few seconds longer by maintaining your climbing effort across the crest and into the first third of the downhill. You will quickly accelerate through the gears and reach your top speed very quickly. Above about 34mph, get very aero and just coast. We recommend taking this opportunity to stretch your hamstrings Put your pedals at 3 and 9pm, then stand to stretch. Reverse the pedals, stretch again. Carry this speed across the intervening flat and into the entrance of the next hill. In effect, you begin your climb of Hill #2 at the crest of Hill #1.
• Without Power Device: Listen to your feet again. Maintain a constant pressure on the soles of your feet, quickly accelerating through the gears to your top speed, per above.
• Visual Cues: Watch as others REALLY step off the gas, while you, simply maintaining your climbing effort across the crest and into the downhill, quickly accelerate and coast by them as they continue to pedal.

In summary, your goal is to manage your effort up the hill without spending it needlessly at the start. Conserve your energy and then simply maintain it over the crest and into the first third of the downhill. You will quickly accelerate to top speed, carrying this speed across the intervening flat and into the next hill.  Congrats! You are now privy to the Endurance Nation Double Top Secret Squirrel Hill Climbing Technique! Try it out. It works!

Popularity: 28% [?]

Our new TeamEN singlets arrived this week, and they have (rightly) caused quite a stir! Not only are they high-quality technical gear…they look awesome.  A truly appropriate top for the EN member who is out to have a great race day. Members, if you don’t have one yet we have a limited additional supply available — order yours here.  Non-members, what are you thinking??? Sign up today for only $99!

Popularity: 9% [?]