A busy one this week! With a lot in transition, we begin toward the end of the hard graft of ‘normal’ season, and into the preparatory phase of training that I just love so much. Instead of a single theme for this week, this is a quick-hit list of important topics to review. Please enjoy:

• Stay Safe: As we enter a holiday week in the US, please do all you can to remain safe, and protect those around you.  A lot of emotion stirs in weeks like this, but it is a worthy reminder to take care of yourself and close ones, and do all you can to protect those in your community. With the highly encouraging news around the vaccines, this is the very best time to be a great member of your community and take on a selfless lens of approaching things in a pragmatic way. If we buckle down now, we have a much brighter 2021 ahead of us, including a full series of racing options and viable BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)

• Well done to the 70.3 Folks: I think we can all agree the Fall Challenges were a big Purple Patch success (despite a little frustration with the IRONMAN approach to the VR club champs - that fizzled rather, didn’t it?). The mission was accomplished, with a lot of invention, commitment, sharing and a lightning rod of focus for our training progression. It will have really helped your progression and set up for longer-term performance, and it was terrific to see the big charge put on this last week with the IRONMAN 70.3 effort. Well done to all who participated. We plan to build out many more internal challenges of the coming year, in parallel to the real racing of course!

• Staying dry and out of the swim. Many folks are starting to experience the closure of local pools for the foreseeable future, as we continue to manage this virus-thing. While this is full of frustration, we will manage and set up training to support this. In the coming weeks, we will build out an extended library of programmed StretchCordz workouts, and plan to have some live / post produced sessions to follow. Let’s double down on strength and swim bands to support short-term prevention of regression, and enjoy swimming in the pool if able! 

• Planning for the Preparatory Phase. Our plan for training ahead, with the classic ‘post season’ commencing a little later in the year than normal, is to enjoy a holiday period that has high flexibility, but a focused series of work that is preparatory in nature. We want to build tissue resilience and focus on technical development over the winter months. You can expect a more patient build in the early part of next year, as we aim to shift back toward a normal training calendar. Stay tuned for a live overview session with me, and a few group season planning sessions with the coaches. The coming month is a good time to schedule a coaching consultation to plan your season! They are at a ‘gift price’ of $30 only for a limited time, as we want to support you with some individual planning. Register HERE.

• Performance Reset 2020: Many of you folks missed out.  You were given the chance and you bypassed. Well, you missed something really special, but I still love ya! For you folks that attended the magical Performance Reset - you can review the sessions over the coming two months. So much inspiration and education for the path ahead. Please let us know if you didn’t receive an invite for access to the recordings. If you did miss out - we are planning more events such as this over the coming months - and you will have the opportunity to purchase the sessions from this Performance Reset soon. Keep an eye out!

• IOG in town in December: Ivan is heading this way, last chance this year to set up the path to comfort and performance on the bike, so come and see the new Purple Patch center and secure your slot HERE.

• Connect with your purpose. As we edge toward 2021, we are calling for a commitment to some BHAGs in the coming year ahead. We are not just going back toward normal, we want to excel.  Driving behind these should and will be a great sense of purpose - of what version of ourselves to hope to drive toward. Who can we help and lift up, who will you inspire, what will the outcome be of the journey you embrace? For me, I am likely going to chase another 50-miler, while also training for a gravel race (I don’t even own a gravel bike currently), despite thinking I was one-and-done. This time, I will recruit friends to join me, whether competing in a 14 mile, 26.2 mile, 50 k or 50 mile version. We will amplify the community and accountability feel of the journey. The purpose is for me to commit to a journey that helps me be vibrant and healthy, an example to Baxter (and present with him), and pursue being the best leader I can. I realize that the lightning rod of the goal helped me through the adversity of 2020, so believe that the goal will enable me to thrive in somewhat less turbulent times in the middle of next year. I look forward to hearing your BHAGs and the purpose driving behind them.

Lucky seven messages this week! 

I would like to end this week’s Sunday Special by giving thanks of our own on behalf of Kelli and myself:

Thank you to Team Purple Patch: We have a massively committed team who continue to come together to achieve great things and support the community of Purple Patch. The last 6-week charge into Performance Reset 2020 was a great example of teamwork and passion, and Kelli and I truly appreciate you all.

Thank you to the Purple Patch Community. You guys! Yes, you. We appreciate your trust, commitment, results and for being such passionate members of the Purple Patch community. We love helping you achieve performance, and are constantly inspired by the individual performances and stories. Let’s drive into 2021 and thrive.

Frontline workers, teachers and more: All the folks who have stepped up, been brave, worked the frontlines through this crazy year. Every emergency service, the nurses, the doctors, the teachers and more.  We appreciate it.

Have a super week folks.

- Matt and Kelli