COACH FORUM: Questions Surrounding How to Personalize Your Today's Plan Calendar
Hi Purple Patchers,
On Monday, I discussed ways to personalize your Today's Plan calendar, but let's dive in deeper. Let me know of any questions you're having regarding Today's Plan customization.
Cheers,
Liz
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Hi Liz,
How are you? I have 3 questions after listening to this week's office hour.
1. The first question is about swapping workouts in Today's plan. I understand the rule of thumbs, but I would like to double-check. For example, this week, if I need to do the swim on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Is it a good idea to swap the Wednesday and Thursday workout? In this case, I will have three bike sessions in 3 consecutive days - One key, one support and one artery.
2. The second question is about backing down the volume. For Saturday and Sunday, I typically do a ride on Saturday and a run on Sunday. However, sometimes, I ride with a group. Instead of a 3 hours ride as prescribed in the training plan, it may become a 4 hours ride. In this case, should I back down the volume on the Sunday run? Should I adjust my training plan?
3. In the past 2 weeks, I have been following the training plan without a rest day (12 hours version, all time starved workout). My body usually can manage the load and recover well for the next day training. Follow up on the conversation about the rest day, should I stick to the current plan, or allow myself to have a rest day (or an active recovery day)?
Thanks a lot!
David
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Hi David,
I am well, thanks for asking - how are you?
Thanks for the questions this week. Let me go through them systematically.
1. In short, yes, you can swap the Wednesday and Thursday sessions. However, If today you do both the Key Bike and the Supporting Run, be sure to gauge how you are feeling tomorrow during the Supporting Bike. Since the goal of tomorrow is more rejuvenation instead of hard intervals and deeper fatigue, I would caution you against going too hard or long if the body is pushing back. Better to cut tomorrow short (think the Time-Starved scaling version) and be more ready to execute on Saturday. This is when thinking pragmatically about what the goals of the week are and what to prioritize.
2. If you are going to extend into a longer ride, like 4 hours instead of 3, I would aim to keep the extra time relatively low-stress and to not tax the system with extra hard work. I did this when training last year and kept the last additional parts conversational. Again, decide what the goal is for the session.
3. Short story - yes. Find a rhythm that works for you and is sustainable. Diving in deeper, I would advise that this also depends on the week, your fatigue level, any niggles you are feeling, or what the phase of training you are in dictates. For example, say it is a transitional week which is lower intensity, so you can use it more as active recovery and might not need to take a rest day for the body, but might want to as a mental break. Ensure you are doing everything as prescribed and not going too hard. That is a common pitfall! During a hard week (work weeks 1 & 2), you might be well-suited to build in a rest day during the week to allow the body to really push itself on key days. I personally, for body and mind's sake, always take off Sunday and shift the important sessions from that day to a different day (usually pushing eveything up a day) and reserve it for rest or an easy workout with friends or family. Some take off Monday since they have more time Sunday to get it in and want to have a break on a work day.
If you are overly fatigued or sick, build in a rest day! Recovery, sometimes total recovery, is absolutely necessary. One caveat would be if you are in a race prep phase and some fatigue is to be expected because of the load and intensity. My rule of thumb is that if the body is calling for sleep and I cannot seem to execute the session, that is a red flag. Being overly fatigued leads to bad form and injury from it or overuse. We aim to empower and educate all athletes to know the signs and allow themselves recovery - active or complete rest.
Hope that helps,
Liz
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Hiya!
1. I'd like to take advantage of using intervals on my Garmin for running like we do biking for some of the workouts. Can you point me to good instructions on how to do that on our own in the TP tool?
2. When should you start ramping up your Saturday longer rides leading up to a 70.3, specifically when you can't make it outside due to weather for an extended period of time leading up, when should you start making them longer in the lead up?
3. By Fridays I feel like I am in need of more recovery (mostly one day to sleep in), but I am finding I skip that bike then only do 2 bikes a week (which won't be enough since I'm training for the longer distances. How would you recommend I rearrange my week (i.e. movement of the workout types to different days), knowing that Saturdays I will always do a bike/brick (and sometimes a swim) and Sunday i would always do a long run (or + a swim if I didn't do it Saturday). I hate to keep missing that Friday bike and also don't want to always be tired.
4. Is there a specific reason why Thursdays are heavy loaded (two cardio and a strength)? I don't have the time to do all of that in one day. What do you suggest I move to where?
Thanks!
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Hi Liz,
Almost every weekend I need to move the Sunday swim to Saturday due to pool hours. I'm assuming that's not a big deal? The Saturday bike gets done on the trainer in the early a.m. and the pool session starts around 11:00 a.m. Of course, I'm bringing some bike fatigue into the swim, sometimes it's noticeable, sometimes I feel OK. This doesn't seem like a big deal now but maybe it is as the weekend workload ramps up?
Also, one specific question about this upcoming weekend. I'm riding three hours inside on Sunday(charity event for stroke victims) and will include the artery bike inside that time frame. I'm assuming I should keep the balance of my bike time conversational? It's remarkably easy to get caught up in the energy that fills the room and participate in the intervals suggested throughout the event.
Thank you.
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Liz,
I’m on East Coast time, so just watched the office hours from Monday. Great presentation, thank you, and I really am learning a lot from the forum too. I’ve got two questions I haven’t seen answered and I’d appreciate your thoughts please.
1. You mentioned that assessment week is coming March 30. I suspect that like many other squaddies, that week will be my first week in a race build for Chattanooga 70.3. Assessments at the start of a race build seem worthwhile. Any suggestions on integrating those assessments into the start of my 7 week race build?
2. Thanks for the general guidelines on shifting workouts around. I have to do it a lot. I am wondering about moving the strength sessions. Because I generally schedule them in the evening, they are the most likely to get shifted around for my work. Sometimes I end up, for example, with day 2 strength on Friday evenings, facing a key ride or artery ride on Saturday. Is that a bad idea? Are there particular sessions that the strength workouts should or shouldn’t precede?
Thanks,
Greg
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1. I'd like to take advantage of using intervals on my Garmin for running like we do biking for some of the workouts. Can you point me to good instructions on how to do that on our own in the TP tool?
2. When should you start ramping up your Saturday longer rides leading up to a 70.3, specifically when you can't make it outside due to weather for an extended period of time leading up, when should you start making them longer in the lead up?
3. By Fridays I feel like I am in need of more recovery (mostly one day to sleep in), but I am finding I skip that bike then only do 2 bikes a week (which won't be enough since I'm training for the longer distances. How would you recommend I rearrange my week (i.e. movement of the workout types to different days), knowing that Saturdays I will always do a bike/brick (and sometimes a swim) and Sunday i would always do a long run (or + a swim if I didn't do it Saturday). I hate to keep missing that Friday bike and also don't want to always be tired.
4. Is there a specific reason why Thursdays are heavy loaded (two cardio and a strength)? I don't have the time to do all of that in one day. What do you suggest I move to where?
Thanks!
Hi Caletta,
Great questions!
1. This one is pretty clear cut, we do not offer structured files for running (as of now) like we do for bike sessions. This is a direct decision by Matt Dixon as it is not as easy to do for running, nor as safe, as indoor training sessions. You can use the manual interval feature on your Garmin watch to track intervals.
2. 7-8 weeks prior to your race. So, if you are on the race build, this is adequate time. The caveat is if you have been doing very low bike volumes prior to the race build, you might want to increase your volume the month leading up to starting the Race Build so as to prep the body more incrementally.
3. I would do this:
M - swim + strength
T- run (option for strength #2)
W- Bike + run off (option for strength #2)
Th - Supporting bike + swim
Fri - off (option for strength #2)
Sat - long bike + brick
Sun - Swim + run
4. See above!
thanks,
Liz
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Hi James,
As to your first question, yes! You can absolutely move that swim. Be sure to fuel properly and stay hydrated.
As for the second question, you can integrate the artery session into your ride, however, if you get caught up in the session and enjoy yourself (with those hard intervals), DON'T SWEAT IT! It is one session and with it being a charity ride, I hope you kept it fun and enjoyable. No need to stress over one session. I would, however, be mindful of your body and if there is any lingering fatigue from the session be sure to fuel and recover properly.
Sounds like a blast!
Thanks!
Liz
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Liz,
I’m on East Coast time, so just watched the office hours from Monday. Great presentation, thank you, and I really am learning a lot from the forum too. I’ve got two questions I haven’t seen answered and I’d appreciate your thoughts please.
1. You mentioned that assessment week is coming March 30. I suspect that like many other squaddies, that week will be my first week in a race build for Chattanooga 70.3. Assessments at the start of a race build seem worthwhile. Any suggestions on integrating those assessments into the start of my 7 week race build?
2. Thanks for the general guidelines on shifting workouts around. I have to do it a lot. I am wondering about moving the strength sessions. Because I generally schedule them in the evening, they are the most likely to get shifted around for my work. Sometimes I end up, for example, with day 2 strength on Friday evenings, facing a key ride or artery ride on Saturday. Is that a bad idea? Are there particular sessions that the strength workouts should or shouldn’t precede?
Thanks,
Greg
Hi Greg!
Yes so, I would replace the key Wednesday bike with the assessment, a key run with the assessment, and the Sunday assessment with the Sunday swim. The rest of the sessions can stay as the normal build. When you get closer to the assessment week, shoot us an email and we can switch those sessions out manually for you as they will NOT drop due to you having a race build on the plan (the system sees it as already scheduled so it will not populate the baseline)
With the strength sessions, I would try to move them earlier in the week on two days instead of one. Such as Monday evening and Wednesday evening. With the double session Friday and the big bike Saturday that does not set you up well to be able to execute strongly on Saturday. Or you could do the strength (one session) earlier in the day Friday with a load that won't leave deep soreness.
Hope that helps!
Liz
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