The Endurance Nation "Four Keys" To Ironman Execution

I'm flying home from IMFL, the last Ironman of the 2007 season, and the end of a long season of Ironman coaching, speaking, clinic-ing and spectating. I'd like to take this time to deliver to you, one last time, the end-all, be-all of how you should race Ironman. Frankly, because after six years of full-time Ironman coaching I'm tired of seeing people screw it up! We're absolutely, 100% convinced that what we're going to share with you works. Our observations this season -- and the results of our athletes -- speak for themselves. Note that we're writing this a little tongue in cheek, using humor to get our point across. This is the style of our live schtick, delivered to you in pixels.

First, our CVs...
Rich: Ironman coach since 2001, has personally coached 200+ Ironman finishers. Over 800 athletes have used Crucible Fitness training plans since 2005. I have delivered pre-race talks at 2-4 Ironman races per year since 2003 to about 50-70 athletes per talk. This year alone I've:

• Conducted race specific training camps (ie, how to train and racing Ironman) on the IMLou, IMLP, and IMWI courses for over 70 athletes.
• Delivered pre-race talks at IMCDA, IMLP, IMWI, and IMFL to over 200 athletes.
• Ridden motorcycle support for IMCDA and then stood at the turnaroud at mile 7 for three hours. Rode the IMLP course backwards during the race, then stalked the run course on my bike. That is, I've seen, first hand, hundreds of athletes hammering up a hill at mile 60, and the same athletes walking at mile 10.
  

Patrick: Triathlon coach since 2002, with over 150 one-on-one athletes and 400 training plan athletes sucessfully hitting the finishline in the last five years. I have conducted over 15 race-specific and epic training camps. My personal best is a 10:01 at IMUSA and a 10:37 at Kona 2007.

In short, we have a lot of experience with what works, what does not work, and we've honed this message through the results of our athletes, our observations while being ON the course during the race, and the feedback we've received from pre-race talk attendees.

This is the official Endurance Nation Ironman Kool-Aid, we hope you enjoy it. Help us help you!

The Four Keys

1. Execution, not Fitness. All you've done for 9 months is build a vehicle. Ironman racing is about how you DRIVE that vehicle, it is NOT about the vehicle. The majority of athletes on race day are fitness-focused (look at my T-shirt, look at my abs/veins/etc, look at how fast I can go in the first hour of the bike, etc.) As coaches we can make you stronger, but we can't fix stoopid if you decide to race your own way.
   
2. The Line. Nothing on race day really matters until you reach The Line on the run. The Line is the point at which continuing becomes very, very difficult. You define success as simply not slowing down at The Line. EVERYTHING before The Line is simply about creating conditions for success for when the Line comes to you. Additional Kool-Aid flavored thoughts we'd like to put in your head regarding this point are:

• A successful race = a good run. There is no such thing as a good bike followed by bad run, period. In our world, if you showed up with solid run fitness, had a "good" bike and a poor run, we will ALWAYS assume you boogered your bike pacing unless you are missing a limb or are in the ICU with an intestinal parasite.
• If you think you can ride faster than we're telling you, prove it by running well off the bike first (preferrably not attempted for the first time on IM race day).
  
• Ride your "should" bike split vs your "could" bike split. Your Could split is what you tell Timmy you could ride on a good day, when you're out together for your Saturday ride. If you say you "could ride a 5:50," your Should split is likely 6:00 and defined as the bike split that yields a good run (see above).
• Don't eat the paste. Ironman in general, but especially the bike leg, is at best a special ed class: you only have to show up with your C game to be at the head of the class. If you find yourself doing the opposite of everyone else, you're doing the right thing. If Jimmy and everyone else is in the corner eating the paste, don't join them! Sit down, do what we're telling you, and don't eat the paste! Lots of people passing you in the first 40 miles? That's good, don't eat the paste. Going backwards through the field on a hill? That's good, don't eat the paste.
• Think you made the mistake of riding too easy? You now have 26 miles to fix that mistake. Make the mistake of riding too hard? That mistake now has 26 miles to express itself, to the tune of X miles at 17-18' walking pace vs X miles at 8-10' running pace. Do the math. How is that bike split going to look as you are walking/shuffling the last 10 miles of the run?
• Every time you feel yourself about to get stupid, look at where you are. Are you at The Line? No. Then sit down, shut up, do what you're told and don't be stoopid. Please. :)
  

3. The Box: all day long you are going to race inside a box defined by what you can control. Ask yourself "What do I need to do right NOW to create the conditions for success at The Line? Is what I'm doing right now counter to this goal? From what we've seen first hand on the IM courses this season, we believe you should ask yourself "Am I participating in some short-term tactical masturbation?" If yes, STOP!!

On the swim, the Box is the space your body occupies in the water: focus on your form and the rest will come. On the bike, the box is probably about one aid station long. On the run, the box begins as 2-3 aid stations long but often diminishes to "from here to the next lampost/manhole cover/mail box." Regardless:

• Keep the box as big as you can for as long as you can.
• Keep in the box only the things you can control. Let go of the rest.
• Exercise this decision-making process inside your box: Observe the situation, Orient yourself to a possible course of action, Decide on a course of action, Act (OODA Loop).
  

4. The One Thing. If you swallowed the Kool-Aid we're serving you here, you will show up at the Line, in your Box, ready to git'erdun and simply not slow down. But we're not done yet. There is still some psychological stuff you need to address.

During the course of your race day, expect your body to have a conversation with your mind: "Look, Mind, you've had me out here slogging away for 132 miles. This is really starting to get old and very painful. You need to give me a good reason to keep going forward. If you can't give me a good one, I'm gonna slow down and you can't stop me!" Before the race, you need to ask yourself "Why am I doing Ironman?" In other words, you need to determine what is the One Thing that put you in this race? To finish in the daylight with a smile on your face? To run a 4:10? Whatever your One Thing is, be absolutely clear and rehearse your mind/body debate beforehand. But be warned: your body can be a helluva good negotiator at mile 18, especially if your mind hasn't prepared its rebuttal arguments beforehand.

Unity of purpose creates clarity of focus, yielding breakthrough performance.

What have we not talked about so far? The things you are likely most torqued about: heart rate, pace, speed, watts, how to eat, what to drink, etc. We believe that if you can keep yourself focused on the Four Keys above, the rest of the day is relatively simple and you don't need to worry about these relatively small details. In other words, all the whizbang guidance in the world can't help you if don't have your mind right about the Four Keys above.

But because you're a Type A Triathlete and you want the details, here they are:

• The Swim: Swim only as fast as your ability to maintain form. When you feel your form go, slow down. Counting strokes is an excellent technique for bringing your mind out of the race and into the Box of maintaining your form.
• The Bike: JRA (Just Ride Along) for about 45-60'. Then shift from JRA to Easy (5:45+ should split) to Steady (sub 5:45 should split). Guage how well you're doing by how well you're NOT doing what everyone else is doing. REMEMBER: Don't eat the paste!
• The Run: Jog for 4-6 miles, with a jogging, do-no-harm pace and heart rate cap. Jogging is defined as a pace you could sustain for hours if we kept feeding you. After 4-6 miles, shift from jogging to "running," running comfortably, getting what you need, and preparing yourself for the Line, where things become very uncomfortable. At the Line, just suck it up and giterdun.
  

Conclusion
That's it, that's as complicated as racing Ironman needs to be and we can't say it any more simply. We've basically given you a Vegas betting strategy, having managed and observed many rolls of the dice. If you sit down, shut up, do what we tell you, you will have a good day. But as you stray towards the Ricky Racer side of the execution scale, you begin to rattle the dice.

Still not convinced?
The results and feedback of our athletes speak for themselves:

"First, the things Rich and Coach P preached were a lot of common sense, but somehow they seemed to hit home.

1. There is generally not failure to train, but failure to execute an effective race plan. Test your plan prior to race day, know it, use it.
2. Don't get caught up in other people's "stuff", e.g., trying new things 24 hrs before the race. Do the things you have tested long before race day
3. Race your race. If the other guys want to blow past you on the bike, let them. You WILL see them again. Know your training data and use it.
4. Prepare yourself mentally for the arguments your mind and your body are going to have toward the end.
5. Swim: only as fast as form stays good.
6. Bike: pace within your ranges (power/hr) ignore "speed"
7. Run: start SLOWLY, you don't want to have to walk 26 miles,the real "race" starts @ mile 18
8. Enjoy what you've worked for and know that while you are suffering Rich and Coach P are somewhere sucking down a Starbucks!!"--Gina

"I passed 20% of the field in my first Ironman marathon, and I am far from being an elite runner. I credit the EN masters with allowing this to happen. Simple, repeatable concepts & key words helped me to remain patient, focused, and detached from other competitors. Look out, ‘cause I’m taking another sip of their Kool-Aid in ’08." -- Dan

"Pre Kool Aid - I had completed 3 previous IM without Kool Aid. They were each about survival rather than completing the event with confidence. I walked the majority of the marathon in each of these events. I honestly thought that maybe I wasn't cut out to run the IM run.
Post Kool Aid - An hour run PR. I ran the whole run. Finished with confidence and absolutely "flew" on the second half of the run. Thanks to the EN pacing guidelines, I ran a 10 minute negative split. It seemed surreal, to think I could actually enjoy the IM run. What an incredible experience! More coaches need to preach execution just as much, if not more than the training phase." -- Alex

There has been a lot of talk in the forums and emails in our inboxes re: off-season training options, when will the resources of EN be made available, etc. Patrick and I are also at that time of year where we review what we've learned this season and consider how to improve the training of our athletes for next season. Add to that the transition to Endurance Nation and you have the perfect conditions for a paradigm shift in the coaching world. We would like to use this momentum to offer to you a unique training opportunity...

ENGroups: Off-Season '07-'08

Dates: Oct 8, 2007 thru Feb 3, 2008 (~18 weeks)
Cost: $189 (~$10/wk)
Register: Register Here

How will it work?

• We will publish the schedule to the group 4-weeks at a time, as a shared Google Spreadsheet or Calendar (TBD).
  
• Support will be provided via a private forum at Endurance Nation. This is where we will answer questions, issue guidance, and collaborate with you all to tweak each subsequent block of training. In other words, as the group gives us feedback on how things are working, we will incorporate this feedback into the next training block.
  
• Likewise, as we learn from your and our own training and have valuable discussions with other coaches and clients, we will push information to you via the forum. In fact, we will be right along side of you, virtually, doing the training ourselves and pushing our feedback to you.
  

The Coaching Method?
Very simple: if you want to bike/run fast, you need to bike/run fast. Wherever possible, we will write workouts according to an evidence-based coaching philosophy: (1) you will test, (2) we'll determine pace or wattage results, and (3) together we use those results to frame your training. Want to ride 21 mph in your next race? Spend a lot of time at 22-23mph. Want to push 250 watts? See where you are now and frame your training in reference to your current and goal strength on the bike. Do you run 8:30 pace for a 10k? Use that to determine your optimum pacing for endurance and tempo runs. This is not rocket science.

Ability levels?
Intermediate and Advanced. If you have a season of consistent training under your belt, for any distance, you're good. However, this is not a "get in shape" plan. A relatively early off-season start means that you've maybe taken a few easy weeks at the end of the season but you're not a complete physical wreck. :-)

Volume?
No thank you! All training will be extremely time-efficient, incorporating only the training you need to achieve your fastest shape ever by early February. The workouts will be delivered as the Main Set of the workout. For example, the Main Set for your Tuesday interval bike session might be 2 x 15' (3') @ L4 (for now, don't worry about what that means!). That's it, that's the workout. What you do around that set, as warmup, cool down, whatever, is entirely up to you as a function of the time you have available to train. This is how real coaches train real people in the real world. That said, the run training will be focused on a half marathon PR so you an expect a 1:30-2hr long run. But that's about the only volume goal that we - as coaches - have for you.

Testing?
In line with this evidence-based coaching philosophy, we will measure and record metrics whenever possible. For example, the dates of the program are chosen as bracket events that Rich will use for his own training, below. You will be required to duplicate similar events on your own.

1. 9 mile climbing time trial on Oct 13 followed by a 10k run on the 14th, to establish a w/kg and time baseline for the bike and a pace/hr baseline for the run. If you don't have a local hill like this, all you'll need is a trainer or a stretch of road where you can get about 20' of continuous hammer time, times 2.
   
2. Repeat of the climbing TT (end of January) and a half marathon on Feb 2.
3. Baselines for weight, pullups, pushups, crunches, etc, with testing repeated when you exit the training program.
4. You will be strongly encouraged to enter your metrics into a public document / info sheet. This will help to keep you accountable and will help us keep track of your progress.
   

Equipment?
Heart rate monitor at a minimum, though we will push you to break out of the box of heart rate based training. A powermeter and GPS device are HIGHLY recommended. In fact, we will use the training group as a tool to bring your knowledge of how to train and race with these devices several years up the learning curve. If you don't have either of these, you will need a track or measured road for testing. Measured run courses for training would be great, so you can determine average paces. Again, we will resolve this with you once you are "inside" the Group.

Required reading?
Everyone: Scientific Training for Triathletes, Jack Daniels Running Formula, Off-Season Training, The Perfect Season
Powermeter Users: Must have a copy of CyclingPeaks, must read Training and Racing with a Powermeter.

Results?
In the last 12 months over 500 athletes have trained with our training plans. We've had many HIM and IM podium finishes and Kona qualifiers with a $150 training solution, but our athletes speak for themselves:

• Training plan success stories
  
• Browse some race reports

Ready to step up, do the work, and lay the foundation for a breakthrough 2008 racing season?
Register today!

Additional Questions

How will ENGroups be different from the other training plans already offered? The training methods we will use will be cutting-edge stuff that has not yet made it into the training plans featured on TrainingPeaks. We don't want to confine ourselves to the tools available through TP.com. We see ENGroups as a pilot program to explore the possibilities of a completely new and unique service tier within Endurance Nation: training groups with a specific start and end date, efficient support provided through a dedicated forum, podcasts, etc, using simple tools that allows us to collaborate with the participants to continually improve the training plan and training process. In short, if you have a CF Off-Season training plan, for example, it's an excellent solution. This is just a completely different service and product.

How is this different from ENCoach?
ENCoach is a customized training plan: your goals, your fitness, your schedule, your races, your everything, all incorporated into your individual training plan. Your relationship with your ENCoach is continually evolving, with feedback flowing both directions. The ENGroups Off-Season program is very different: no individual customization, no direct feedback or exchange with a coach, clearly defined start/exit dates, etc...However:

1. The methods we use and the lessons we learn with this group model will be used in your training.
2. ENCoach athletes will be allowed to participate in the closed Group Training forum.
   

Will I need a Google Account to access the training plans?
Yes, you will. If you already have a Gmail or other Google Service related account, you will easily be able to add the training resources to your gLife (or whatever you want to call it!). Folks who have not be Google-ified yet can easily sign up for a FREE basic account here: www.google.com/accounts/

Where can I track my daily workouts?
ENGroups is not a workout log (at least not yet!). As this is the off-season, there is no need to go crazy tracking everything you do. That said, data-conscious athletes are strongly encouraged to track their daily metrics using a desktop tool such as CyclingPeaks or by using another online solution (there are many quality free programs out there).

Is ENGroups: Off-Season '07-'08 only for long-course athletes?
Not at all. The off-season training focus is on speed and fitness - qualities applicable to triathletes looking to improve racing abilities at any distance. Note: The only distance requirement will be a half-marathon test in February.

I won't sign up until after 10/8/2007...will my plan shift accordingly?
Nope. The plan runs as is. If you want to mix the dates around on your end, that's fine. This set up is applicable for 95% of the folks our there, save for those racing Kona, Clearwater, or IM Florida. And if you are racing, all you have to do is rest up for a bit and you'll be fitter than most of us in the group!

I won't sign up until after 10/8/2007...will the cost be adjusted?
Nope - the registration is for full access to the plan. Sign up is available here: Register here

"How much improvement with a powermeter?"

A training plan athlete emailed me his thanks for a good race at Canada and the discussion turned to "what next," which lead to powermeters and how much improvement can I see with one of these things. Here is my response:

Bill,
That's a good question. This is what I've typically seen with a number of athletes over the years:

• Typical triathlete comes to me, to the program. About my height and weight (165lb, 5'8"). In my experience this athlete, if he's been training pretty much like everyone else in the tri world, will have a Functional Threshold Power on the bike of about 220 watts. Think of this as a bench press of 220 pounds.
• At the end of one season of hard work, we can usually push this number up to around 250w or so. Your friends would say "Bill's a solid rider," meaning you can definitely hold your own in a group ride.
• End of the off-season of the first year and going into the second year, we can push this up to 270-275w. Your friends now definitely pay attention when you go to the front of the group and you can make them hurt for several minutes at a time.
• End of second, into the third you can push it up close or just over 300w. At my height and weight, 300w is the realm of top AG bike splits, you're ripping the legs off of training partners, can really turn the screws to a group of triathletes for a good while, etc.

How do you get from 220 to 250 to 275 to 300w? It's just WORK. There is no easy way. All that a PM does is help you measure, define, and analyze WORK, in all it's forms. Having that little number under your nose, all the time, makes work a little easier (or maybe self-motivating) because it's always there, rewarding you on a good day, reminding you of your bad days.

However, in the end it's just a tool, a hammer. You wield the hammer. How much work you get done with that hammer is a function of motivation, discipline...lots of things that are up to you, not the hammer.

Rich

Ergomo as a Training and Racing Tool

Powermeter discussions usually focus on hardware, installation, weight and, yes, even appearance. But as I am in the unique position of being both a powermeter retailer and a full-time triathlon coach, I'd like to share with you my thoughts on why the Ergomo is the best power training AND racing tool on the market today.

Before I begin, I have to clarify one thing: The most important component in any powermeter system is YOU, not the powermeter. Any powermeter is only as effective as your committment to making the investment to learn how to operate, train and race with it properly. This will require a good bit of work on your part. If you can't be bothered to wade through user manuals, books, articles, forums, learn how to use software tools, troubleshoot comm port issues, perform pre-flight checks on your powermeter, or even what buttons to push, then no powermeter is right for you. Powertraining requires you to work, on several levels, to yield a good return on your investment. There are lots of people out there with $3500 cyclecomputers, that look remarkably similar to SRMs, on their handlebars. They simply don't know how to use tool they've invested a lot of money in. Don't be that guy!

Software trumps Hardware
Having said that, the major selling point of the Ergomo for me (as a coach first and retailer second) is the software, not the hardware. The Ergomo's close integration with CyclingPeaks sets it apart from the competition. CyclingPeaks is the gold-standard of power analysis tools, having created a universe of terms and tools we use to analyze and understand power data. Ergomo has integrated CyclingPeaks into it's powermeter in two powerful ways: on your desktop and on the powermeter itself.

On your desktop, CyclingPeaks is the tool you use to download your ride from your Ergomo, configure the monitor, etc. Other powermeters come with proprietary software which is not nearly as powerful or as valuable as CyclingPeaks. So Powertap and SRM owners have to take the additional steps of learning they need to purchase CyclingPeaks, making the purchase, and then learning how to use it. In my experience, many don't make it to step #1, much less progress completely to step #3.

On the powermeter display, Ergomo puts critical CyclingPeaks-derived numbers right on the monitor. It is one thing finish your ride, take a shower, download the file and analyze Intensity Factor, Training Stress Score, and Normalized watts, turkey sandwich in hand. It is quite another to see, feel, taste, and smell those numbers in real-time, on the bike, in the middle of your ride. This allows an Ergomo user to adapt their effort during each and every ride - or race - for the desired outcome.

Learn Faster
The results of these two factors is that, in general, my own Ergomo-owning athletes leap farther and faster up the learning curve than my Powertap or SRM athletes. They are hit squarely between the eyes with these CyclingPeaks terms during their rides and then, since their download tool is CyclingPeaks, they have no choice but to learn how to analyze and manipulate their data and the software. Most of these athletes quickly reach an advanced interest and depth of understanding of powertraining that I've seen many Powertap and SRM athletes never achieve. Basically, the Ergomo is a superior teaching and learning tool (see my investment points above).

Your Best Race Day - Every Time
The ultimate expression of this Ergomo + CyclingPeaks relationship is race day. By analyzing the files of my athletes and through discussions with other coaches, I've refined my race day pacing guidance to the level that much of the guesswork has been taken out of the equation. Imagine that your legs are a bank account with a positive balance. Your goal on race day is to spend that money at a rate that leaves cash in the account so you have enough to spend on the run. The Ergomo is the only powermeter that places your spending rate AND bank balance in front of your nose, in real time. That is extremely powerful information to have on race day. And the longer the day, the higher the risk of failure, and the more valuable this information becomes.

Testimonial from Coach Patrick McCrann of Performance Training Systems; Qualified at IMUSA 2007 using Ergomo Pro
"I relied on my Ergomo Pro to make sure that I executed my race plan perfectly. I wanted to start conservative - despite the early hills - and have a solid second loop. I used my Ergomo to track the Stress Score (TSS) of each loop so I could tell the impact my effort was having on my body. Knowing I wanted to ride under 290, I could see at the end of the first loop with a score of 141 that I was in a great place to push lap two. Dialing the effort up, I was able to ride a 152 on the second lap (right up to my target number). This pacing allowed me to get my critical nutrition in early and enabled me to mitigate some of the effect that a late headwind started to have. I got off of the bike 100% confident that I could run at my high-end...and I did. See you in Kona!"

Go Ergomo, Dust the Competition
If you are truly interested in boosting your performance - and are ready to make the commitment to a tool that is just as serious as you are - get an Ergomo. I strongly suggest you purchase an Ergomo from a coaching expert because there is a serious technological - and individual - learning curve, one that you will need guidance to successfully complete. I have trained and coached with power exclusively since 2003, and have turned hundreds of athletes loose on the unknowing Ironman competition. Join the ranks of my Ergomo athletes and get ready to have your best year yet.

Update: Ergomo Releases Customization Firmware
In their continuing commitment to being the powermeter leader, the makers of Ergomo have released a firmware update and software program that allows users to customize their Ergomo display. No more staring at numbers that don't matter to you - you can swap them out for the ideal combination of real-time and cumulative-time data that you need to be your best.

Rich Strauss is the founder and head coach of Crucible Fitness, an Ergomo Coaching Center. Rich has been an Ironman-specific coach since 2001, power-specific since 2003, and has successfully trained over 200 Ironman finishers. Hundreds more have used his training plans, now in their third generation of development. Rich is also the co-founder, with Patrick McCrann, of Endurance Nation and IronCamp.