1. When is the last time you personally raced/did the distance you will be coaching me for?
Your coaches, Rich and Patrick, race iron-distance and half-iron events exclusively, several times a year. Your Team EN peers also race frequently — roughly 50% of the team did an IM in 2008; between us we have competed in almost every single long course triathlon event in the world.
2. What are the big trends in training/racing long course triathlons that you see coming in the next 2-3 years? How can you help me take advantage of these trends?
First and foremost is the move to power (bike) and pace (run). We have pioneered training systems for both disciplines and are advancing/improving them with every race our athletes finish. Second would be a tie between the rising popularity of the 70.3 series and the increasing competitiveness if qualifying for a World Championship. We have had multiple people qualify for the World Champs this year and, as a result, have the inside scoop on what it takes to make it to the starting line of your ultimate A race. The third and final trend is the influx of trackable data (gps, etc) that links people up and allows them to train together in person or virtually; EN is built on the notion that community rules all and is positioned to make sure you remained connected to and in touch with the most relevant parts of our community.
3. How have your training protocols changed in the last year or two?
We added protocols for training and racing the run with Pace (modified Daniels running formula), we updated our cycling guidance to ensure athletes were able to properly execute the threshold components of each/every workout. We have rolled out a new Swim eBook to help folks get up to speed in a shorter timeframe feasible. We also created a unique off-season training program (aka OUTSeason) that embodies our Fast before Far training approach, helping 82 athletes in 2007 get crazy fast in a few short months. Most importantly, by being in constant contact with and accountable to hundreds of age group athletes, that we have made many small tweaks and adjustments to our methods, as we have responded to their excellent feedback.
4. Can you give me a sample annual plan — or structure — so I can see how you work with athletes on a macro level?
Please view our unique season maps online here to see how we recommend athletes structure a season in relation to a specific event. You can also read our free 120+ online training manual to see our season structure and read three case studies. Finally you could also sign up for a 1:1 consult if your plan/season has too many moving parts.
5. What are the top three mistakes you see people in my situation make…and how can you help me avoid them?
Hard to say without a real person, but in general, top AG mistakes are:
- Too much aerobic volume, not enough LT / Hard work to boost fitness. Our philosophy is to build Fast before Far and our results prove the validity of this approach.
- Poor bike fit, never touched by a pro, means poor aerodyamics and potential discomfort as well. We have a relationship with TTBikeFit.com to help you.
- Too much training; noobs consistently do more than is required to complete the event (your #1 goal) and end up burned out, overtrained, or injured. Our training plans are in their sixth generation of constant refinement through their application to the real world training of real world athletes. In short, we’ve figured out what you do and do not need to do. Join the Team and save yourself years of experimentation!
- Over-emphasis on training or preparing for an event and under-emphasis on learning how to properly execute on race day. You will not find another team more focused on race day execution. See question 7 below.
6. I will be racing on a course I have never seen before — how can you help me prepare for this event if you haven’t done it either?
See #1; you can research our results database to see who has done a race (and their results) and then connect via a forum to ask questions and learn more. You could take advantage of our online race maps as well, or just ask people in the forums! With over 400 members…pretty sure we have a least one person who has done your race!
7. All of our hard work together will come down to a single day of racing. How will you prepare me for this one day? Do you have a strategy that you can outline for me now?
Our focus on teaching you race day execution skills truly separates us from every other coaching organization. Between race rehearsals, reading race reports, the experience of your teammates, the Four Keys DVD, and much more, the Endurance Nation athlete is a well-drilled race-execution machine…so much so that in only one year our athletes have developed a reputation on the course as the race day ninjas with a plan! Their fellow competitors have actually told them they are shadowing our members because they know that a TeamEN athlete is an well-prepared and disciplined athlete! For a small sample of the importance we place on race execution, please read the Endurance Nation Ironman Racing System, in four parts.
8. Will you be on site at my A race to support me? Do I have to pay extra for that?
If it’s a NA Ironman race, we’ll be there. No extra charge, we love to connect!
9. I am your typical Type-A triathlete — I work, have a family, and have high athletic goals. How you can craft my training to make sure that I can get faster without taking time away from my other personal, professional and social responsibilities?
Our plans are built specifically for age group athletes who don’t have a ton of time to train; they are focused and powerful programs that direct your training time and efforts to the areas where you can get faster without sacrificing huge swaths of personal or professional time. Triathlon is just a game! And if you do get stuck or need a quick solution to a problem, we and the team are there for you in the forums, offering unlimited feedback and advice.
10. I would consider myself to be a Middle to Back of the Pack athlete. It seems that most online coaching organizations either focus on uber fast guys or make a point of dumbing things down for folks like me. What do you offer for me?
We believe it’s never too early, or you are never “too slow,” to train and race like a fast doode. The coaches focus on teaching you the skills and knowledge you need to advance several years up the training and racing curve. The net is that ALL of our athletes, regardless of speed, experience, or natural (in)ability, train and race at the graduate level compared to their middle school peers. Between ebooks, podcasts, videos, and blog posts, we’ve created a ton of learning resources for you and have organized them in the EN Train Map (coming Dec 2008).
And if you are satisfied with the answers to the previous 10 questions, assuming the coach even contacted you back, then you can ask #11:
11. How much does your coaching cost and what do I get for that price in terms of contact, revisions, support, instruction, etc?
Please visit the Join EN page for a discussion of our coaching style and costs, as well as a comparison to traditional one-on-one coaching.
Please check out our competitors to see their pricing, support, and content offerings:
* Carmichael Training Systems
* D3Multisport
* Ironguides
* Peaks Coaching Group
* Training Bible Coaching
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