Poor FTP testing?

I received this email from an athlete with a common question about what to do if you just don't tend to be a good at testing for FTP, with results that seem to match what your race performances show.

Happy New Year Sir,

I've recently gotten through Triathlon 2.0 and Run with Power and have found them to be quite helpful. I was familiar with most of the concepts in 2.0 but you provided a lot of additional context that I was missing before. 

The question, or problem that I have really, is an inability to FTP test well. Over the past few seasons my FTP hasn't risen above 228 (averaged 240 in 20 minute test) but my overall fitness and endurance has steadily improved. Is there a way you would recommend "backing into" threshold power based on a long ride, etc? I'm getting more fit, just not any faster. Comparable 40 mile rides from 2015 and 2016 are done at the same speed, avg power, etc, but my avg HR is 18 bpm less.

I raced Ironman Mont Tremblant in August and while only my second fastest Ironman, it was by far my most complete and well executed race. I knew my FTP wasn't right so I rode race day by feel with an occasional glance at HR. Based on an FTP of 228 my NP was 174, IF was .76, Pw:HR was -0.84% and TSS was 350.2. That amount of stress should have ended my day but I followed that up with my best and first sub 4-hour Ironman run. Clearly my feel for the bike was spot on, but the numbers are not. Is there any way I can derive a more accurate FTP?  

I've recently FTP'd again to assess where I am as I prepare for IM 70.3 Puerto Rico and my test numbers were even worse (avg 217 watts for 20 min) but my average power / heart rate is close IMMT values when I do 1.5-2 hour moderate effort rides.

My apologies for such a long email and I sincerely appreciate your time if you've made it this far.

Thank you,

Steve

My response to Steve:

Steve,

Thanks for the email. You're not the only person who has struggles testing, as that intensity is definitely a bit higher. I tend to find the older the athlete, or the longer they have been doing longer, aerobic training, the harder it is to test well. 

I think part of it also can be how well an athlete responds to a taper. You might be responding very well to a taper, which raises your FTP more than you realize. Also, you need to make sure you are using the same protocol to test, especially in the days before the test, so the results are reliable and the test is repeatable. So if you take a day off in the 2-3 days before the test one time, you need to do that each time. If you don't do this, then you're not comparing apples to apples, as the fatigue you carry into a test can affect the result. 

In general, you are on the right track, using your perceived exertion to better handle the raceday intensity, especially if you feel comfortable with your sense of the intensity, so you can better maximize your performance. 

Hope this helps!

Coach Vance

Guest on IM Talk - Run With Power

I was a guest this week on IM Talk, the most popular Ironman Triathlon podcast there is. I was discussing my new book, Run With Power. You can check out the interview here.

http://www.imtalk.me/home/2016/9/12/imtalk-episode-533-jim-vance.html

Have a listen, and let me know your thoughts!

Coach Vance

Run With Power E-Book Now Available

Many of you have been asking, and it is now out and available. Should help many of the international athletes on here who have been waiting. You can find it here: http://amzn.to/28UGzoo

And I am always appreciative of a review on Amazon or other online retailers for the book. I want honest feedback, as the planning for a 2nd version, or a more in-depth sequel will begin soon.

Thanks, and good luck!

Coach Vance

What a triathlete can learn from US Soccer in Copa America?

Tonight, (Tuesday, June 21st, 2016), I watched the US lose to the #1 team in the world, Argentina, in the COPA America Centario Semi-Final, which is one of the most prestigious soccer tournaments in the world. (I know many may say the UEFA Cup is better, but the US can't play in that, since they are not in Europe.) Tonight the US lost 0-4, to a team which was flat out better than they were. There is no shame in losing to a team that's better than you. But it is an opportunity to review.

As the game went on and I was frustrated to watch as a fan, I realized so many of the feelings and things I was saying out loud at the TV were things I see in triathletes, and frustrations I have with many of them, from elites to age groupers to elite juniors. I can make it very clear in 2 simple concepts, which if you are a triathlete, you need to seriously consider if you value your performances in the sport.

Lesson #1 - Fundamentals are Key
Passing a soccer ball isn't cool on the playground. Scoring is cool. Being the best passer on the field isn't cool. Saving shots from the goalie position are cool. Headers into goals are cool. Passing isn't cool, that is, until you see a team that has such a basic fundamental skill down so well, they make it beautiful. Argentina passed the ball like it was effortless, while the US passed like they didn't know where it was going. It was such a clear depiction of what the difference of what the best do and what the US does, that I had to write about it, in relation to triathlon. It's a fundamental skill.

What are fundamentals in triathlon? They are bike fit, proper run shoes, basic swim skills, pacing skills, basic aerobic conditioning, injury prevention and therapy, race nutrition, equipment maintenance and its preparation for race day, proper rest and recovery, and of course, consistency of training.

So many triathletes are chasing the highest goals against the stiffest of competition, and don't bother making these fundamentals a focus. They are more concerned with hours of training or their FTP. And it's no surprise when many don't reach their potential or even close to their goals when they haven't addressed the fundamentals! I've literally had athletes supremely prepared and ready to perform exceptionally, only to get in an Ironman and realize they didn't charge the battery of the Di2, and they can't shift! There's no training plan or world renowned coach who can overcome that basic fundamental of making sure your equipment is ready for race day!

There are no nutritional plans which can overcome poor pacing. If it could, then whoever ate the most would win! You can't run your first few miles off the bike at 10K pace in a long course triathlon! There's no way I can help you with training to perform at a high level if you don't have a proper bike fit, giving up effective watts. I can't help you if you treat the swim and transitions as times for photo opps with the family or warm-ups for bike and run, instead of opportunities to close the gap on the best in your Age Group.

There is no training plan a coach can write, or workouts you can do, which can make up for a lack of consistency in your training. You must be committed, and you must put in the work, EVERYDAY.

These are the fundamentals of triathlon, which too often get overlooked. They aren't sexy, like a power file, or bike split, or even passing in a major soccer game, but as Argentina proved, the best in the world are masters of fundamentals.


Lesson #2 - It doesn't matter how good or bad your competition is, if you are your own worst enemy

This concept is related to Lesson #1, but it needs to be stated by itself. If you're ignoring the fundamentals, you are your own worst enemy. If you think you can brush over the fundamentals, as though they are just fodder for a blog, then you will be exposed, especially as your goals get higher, and you face stiffer competition.

There's no way around it, you need to address the fundamentals. If you don't know what they are, or feel like you're never racing to a level which is indicative of your performance potential, then you need a coach, and they should address the fundamentals with you. You can even watch the best, and notice they have the fundamentals down. They don't screw up the basics, they are well beyond them.

I'm pissed off to see a US Men's National Team perform so poorly on the biggest stage, against the best in the world, in a way which shows they lack the fundamentals. I would be embarrassed as a coach of a triathlete if they did the same.

In the postgame, Alexi Lalas stated, "The number of times the US lost the ball, clear unforced errors which have nothing to with the fact you're playing Argentina..." What he was saying is it doesn't matter if they are more talented than you if you give them the victory anyway. Think about that. How much are you giving your competition just because you are not addressing or doing the things which are basic?

Address your fundamentals, stop being your own worst enemy.

Coach Vance

Run Power Based Training Plans Now Available on TrainingPeaks

If you've picked up my new book, Run With Power, or are using a power meter for your run training, and are looking to use it with TrainingPeaks, I have run power-based training plans now available in TrainingPeaks. 

These plans are from the book, and are in Appendix B, so they are available there, but if you'd like them pre-loaded into your TrainingPeaks account, this offers you the chance to do that.

The current plans are all 14 weeks long, and are for the specific phase, where the workouts are designed to simulate the demands of the race, not a base training phase. The plans are:

Sub 16 min 5K
Sub 18 min 5K
Sub 32 min 10K
Sub 40 min 10K
Sub 1:20 Half-Marathon
Sub 1:40 Half-Marathon
Sub 2:30 Marathon
Sub 3:30 Marathon

All these plans can be found here: https://www.TrainingPeaks.com/RunWithPower

Hopefully you'll have a great experience in using one or many of these plans, and your running power meter!

Coach Vance

Free Copies of Run With Power with Power Meter Purchases

If you're interested in running power meters, there are some great limited time offers from the two power meters on the market, Stryd and RPM2, which come with FREE copies of my book, Run With Power, to help you get started on understanding how to use the tools.

RPM2 is offering $100 off their insole power meter, and an autographed copy of Run With Power. You can get the details here.

Stryd is offering a free copy of Run With Power with the purchase of one of their power meters, or packages. You can get the details at: https://store.stryd.com/

Keep following my blog to find out more and learn more about using power meters for running, and other cool offers!

Coach Vance

Interview on Triathlete Training Podcast

I was recently invited to be a guest on another top triathlon podcast, Triathlete Training Podcast, conducted by Eric Schwartz. Eric does great work, and it was a great conversation, from my swim coaching to the books I am releasing this year, and a few laughs even!

You can listen to the podcast here:



You can also download the interview from the site:
http://triathletetraining.com/tt072-triathlon-2-0-data-driven-performance-training-wjim-vance/

If you read this blog, I know you'll love Triathlon 2.0 - Data Driven Performance Training, as it takes what I talk about on here to another level, and completes the picture. As of the date of this post, there are 7 reviews on Amazon, with 6 being 5-star, one being 4-star. You can order a copy here.

Enjoy, and please feel free to reach out to me on social media, via Twitter, @jimvance, and Instagram, @coachjimvance.

Coach Vance

The Best New Cycling Power Meter

Many people ask me what power meter they should get. That depends on a number of factors, including budget, but also transferability, ease of installation, and user friendliness.

Probably the best new power meter on the market, in my opinion, is the new Power Tap Pedal power meter.

These pedals are very user friendly in the install, and also provide the ability to swap from bike to bike, as well as come from a company which has been doing power meters for a long time!

You can find the pedals here:
http://amzn.to/1LrZGoU

I must state, I am NOT sponsored or endorsed by PowerTap in any manner. I simply use their products.

If you're using these pedals, please share your review here. I am excited to learn how others are enjoying using them!

Coach Vance

W/kg at FTP of Elite Ironman Triathletes

A few years ago, I asked myself, "Just what type of rider has it historically taken to be a top level long course triathlete?" When I sat down to find the answer, it lead me on a journey that ultimately lead to writing the book, Triathlon 2.0: Data Driven Performance Training. The goal was to see what the data says the performance requirements are to be at the highest level. This eventually led me to wondering what the different levels of performance requirements were for different genders, ages and goals, thus the book.

The elites I gathered information on, I wanted to know what their FTP was on the bike, (bFTP), and what their w/kg @ FTP was. I even took some non-long course triathletes to see how they compared. I always wondered if there was a power profile for triathletes, that could be created, like Coggan had created for cyclists. It became clear it wasn't that simple, as the population of triathletes is much more diverse than cyclists in terms of strengths/weaknesses, but that w/kg @ FTP still matters. So I am going to share some of the items from my book in the coming posts, which help show what the level of the sport is for Ironman triathletes, from age group males and females to elites.

But before I share the age-group power profiles, I will share the elite profiles. Some of these are from publicly available information, such as power files, blogs, websites, and more. Some of these are estimates, but based on many known variables, so I am confident they are very close. (Even those that are estimated are only a few.) This table is a few years old, but I haven't shared it until now, so it could have some changes, especially in the accomplishments category. It's also possible athletes could have lost or gained more mass, and even raised or lowered their FTP. For example, it is quite possible and believable based on Tim O'Donnell's 2015 performances that his numbers on this chart have improved. This was really just a snapshot in time, but a good picture of what it takes to perform at the highest levels.

The Power Profile Ranking would be where the athlete would rank on Coggan's power profile as a cyclist. I didn't list each athlete's ranking, just highlighted a few thresholds where the categories changed or were most important. You'll notice I also included women, highlighted in blue, and some of them have better w/kg values than the men. This shows how some of the top women are very competitive, sometimes even against the men.

(Click on image to enlarge)

What does this chart mean for you? If you're looking to compare yourself against the best, you now have a barometer to measure against. 

Is it all about w/kg @ FTP? Not necessarily, as it depends on the course. If the course is flat to rolling, maximal FTP relative to aerodynamic drag matters most, but this drag value won't vary significantly would be my guess, making max FTP the most important. If the course is extremely hilly, w/kg matters much more. 

But notice the amount of wins, podiums, etc, and the prestige of the accomplishments are concentrated near the top. Want to get better? Raise your w/kg @ FTP. 

Anyway, the point was to share this type of information and data with the triathlon community. If this is the type of stuff you love, to measure yourself and use data, I am pretty sure you'll love my book. 

Enjoy, and good luck in your training and racing!

Coach Vance

TBC Podcast on Running Power Meters

If you're looking to learn more about running power meters, the boys from TrainingBible Coaching, Scott and Adam, had me on their show to discuss the new book coming out in May on this new technology. You can listen to it here:

Title: Part 3 Running Power Meters
http://trainingbible.libsyn.com

It was a great interview, where I begin to explain some of the cool features, as well as complexities of this new technology. The book will help answer more questions in depth, in terms of the application of how to use your running power meter to train more effectively. I even discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different products out there currently.

You can pre-order the book, Run With Power, here:
http://amzn.to/20YXfO5

I will be sharing more info on the technology and how to use it, at the TrainingPeaks blog, the RunwithPower.net blog, and here at this one as well. If you have specific questions you would like me to address or discuss, please comment here, or email me at j vance at training bible dot com.

Coach Vance

Triathlon 2.0 - Data Driven Performance Training Now Available

I am happy to announce that a book I have been working on for almost 4 years has finally come to fruition. Triathlon 2.0 - Data Driven Performance Training is a book for those athletes who want to use numbers, data and technology to maximize performance. If you use a power meter for cycling, and a GPS for running, this will help you maximize it.

The idea of this book is not to be a numbers drone, training without creativity. In fact, it's the exact opposite. This book is about identifying what metrics are most important to you, as an individual athlete, based on your strengths and weaknesses, and then following those metrics to see how you are responding to the training plan you create. This book will also help you set up some goal thresholds to meet, and ways to assess how you're racing, what your training might need to address.

There's never been a book like this. It doesn't have training plans, it lets you be the coach and learn to be better at coaching, whether coaching other athletes or yourself. I am sure you will enjoy this book, and learn at least a few things you can use and learn to better examine your power and run data. The better you train, the more confident and fitter you are at the start line. 

You can order the book by clicking on the image, or going to this link: http://amzn.to/1Kcgks3

Good luck! 

Coach Vance

Finding Your Run FTP & Setting Up in TrainingPeaks

The first of many writings on running power meters, this one posted at TrainingPeaks....

Running With Power: How to Find Your Run FTP

If you are now currently using a power meter for running, like the new Stryd or RPM2 products, you likely are wondering how you can utilize the tool to maximize the benefit of the technology in your training and racing. Power meters for running are a very new technology, and there is still a lot to learn ahead. However, to begin using it effectively to learn about your training and training response, you should begin as you would if you were using a cycling power meter.

Collecting Data

The first thing you should be doing is simply performing your normal training and observe the data as you train. Track the data and see how the numbers fluctuate or correlate with different intensities, different inclines or declines, and more. Don’t try to control your training based on the power numbers, as you don’t have a baseline for what they truly mean yet. At first, collect the data from your normal training and see how the numbers are trending.

Testing

When you feel you are ready, you can then test for your run Functional Threshold Power (FTP). Now, if you’re a triathlete who uses power on the bike, this number will not likely be the same as on the bike for you. In fact, it is likely larger than your cycling FTP. So don’t try to use that value. Be specific and set your run functional threshold for power, or what I call, rFTPw. If you’re a runner, you likely already use threshold pace in TrainingPeaks, or what I call rFTPa. I use these terms so not to confuse them with cycling, and especially not to confuse both pace and power when comparing or discussing FTP.

You can read the rest here:

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/running-with-power-how-to-find-your-run-ftp

You can also find more info on my book on power meters for running, at www.runwithpower.net

Coach Vance

Data vs. Perception - An Example of the Relationship

One of my athletes logged a bike workout this week where he said...

"Loved the workout tonight. I feel like my power is going the wrong way."

But when I looked at the workout, and how it compared, it was his best session under me, for the type of workout it was, and his best 6 min power output in a year. When I replied to him with this info... 

"I'm not seeing that at all Ron. I expect you're a little tired, but this was one of your best workouts in a long time. See attached. 

Remember, we haven't even touched this type of intensity in awhile, and you showed you're still very strong at it. I am excited to see what you do when I let you loose soon on some harder, longer rides. "

This clearly brought a reality to his perception, that only numbers and data can do. His reply was...

"Thanks for the email!

That is why we can’t train by perception. Data doesn’t lie. Feelings do. I really enjoyed the workout tonight. I enjoy feeling a little worked afterwards."

While I agree the data doesn't lie and feelings do, I believe you can and should train on perception, BUT USE THE DATA to refine that perception. When your perception is in line with reality, you can trust it better, especially in those moments in a race or workout where you are feeling good, so the numbers don't control you, they just guide you. 

Here are two of the charts I sent him...

Use the data to refine your perception, and I think you'll find a better sense of yourself and fulfillment in your training and racing. 

Coach Vance

7 Pre-Workout Routines for Better Performance

Here's an article I wrote for TrainingPeaks, which discusses some great routines I use with my athletes.


7 Pre-Workout Routines for Better Performance

Have you ever stumbled out of bed and wondered why it takes so long for you to gain your balance or be able to walk straight? Or have you ever sat for so long in a car or at a desk that the first few steps you wonder if your legs are listening to what your brain is telling them to do?

These are just a couple examples of how the connections between our brains and our muscles are sometimes not functioning properly due to periods of non-use. In the world of physical therapy, it is called neuromuscular activation. “Neuro” comes from the nervous system, which sends the signals from the brain to the “muscular” system, to activate the muscles.

Physical Therapy

Many physical therapists work with individuals just trying to get them to utilize muscles which aren’t firing or being used in common movements which would greatly enhance the strength and stability of the person during the movements. Most athletes scoff at this idea, but the research shows significant performance differences with neuromuscular activation improvements and some simple routines prior to bouts of exercise can be very effective at improving activation. For example, most athletes have seen dramatic neuromuscular improvements in the weight room, just in the first few weeks of lifting weights. It takes six weeks for athletes to show muscle growth from strength training, so those first six weeks of strength gains from those routines is almost entirely neuromuscular adaptation and improvements in activation.

You can read the rest of the article here...

Enjoy and good luck!

Coach Vance

It's Important to Know Your FTP

I had an email discussion today with an athlete who uses power, but told me they weren't sure of their FTP. Though it is great this athlete made the leap to use power and the data to help their training, but without a baseline point to use from which to judge the numbers, they really don't mean much.

The athlete stated to me they guessed their power was somewhere around 250-275 watts. This sounds fine, but the problem is this 25 watt range represents a difference of about 10%! That is huge when talking about FTP! An athlete who can even raise their FTP 10% in one season has either stated from a point of low fitness, or done a phenomenal job of training.

Every session being off by as much as 10% in the estimate of IF and TSS changes the entire load on the athlete, and what trends can be learned, strategies for pacing can be made, and more.

It is important to know you FTP, so don't waste time with it. Here's a simple test:
Warm-up easy for 10 mins, then do 5 mins of 15 secs fast, 45 seconds easy, then 5 mins build each minute individually, easy to fast, and the fast gets faster each minute. Then take a 2 min easy spin, and start a 20 minute time-trial, of the best power you can average for the whole 20 mins. Take 95% of the average power, and that is your estimated FTP. Cool down an easy 10-15 mins of spinning.

Do this, and the numbers you use will actually begin to make sense. Without knowing your FTP, they don't mean much.

Coach Vance

Pre-Workout Preparation and Routine

Trainingpeaks asked me to write an article on things to do before a workout, and I thought it was a great topic. I think a lot of athletes just jump into a workout, without proper preparation to maximize the time and investment. Here's what I wrote....

5 Things to Do Before Every Workout

Many athletes start their workout by lacing up their shoes or throwing on a helmet, and getting right into their session. Of course just getting started can be a difficult step at times, but paying attention to a few specific preparation keys before you start a workout can mean the difference between getting the training response you want and possibly taking steps backwards.

Here are five things every athlete should do in this order, before they workout, to maximize the training session.

1. Clear Your Mind

All athletes have stresses in their daily lives that have nothing to do with workouts, training, or racing. Instead, they have life, work, family and other stresses, all which can take away from the quality of a session. If an athlete comes into a session with a focus on the negatives, it can be hard to accomplish positive things.

I have seen a number of athletes quit a session that was going well, change a session entirely simply because of attitude, or fail to execute a session effectively, because they are too distracted with the other aspects of their life. Sometimes athletes want to take their aggression out in a session, which may be the exact opposite of the purpose of the session, such as a recovery spin or technical development session.

A little bit of pause to relax, clear the mind and put 100 percent mental focus into the session will get higher quality and better training response from the session.

Read the rest of the article here: http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/5-things-to-do-before-every-workout


Coach Vance

Simple Steps for Planning Your Season

Here's an article I wrote for TrainingPeaks on how to plan your season, simply and effectively. I think you'll find it helpful if you're looking to find that breakthrough.

Admit it. You’ve seen patterns in your training and racing, and how the results are affected. There’s a time of year you find yourself “killing it” in training and races. There are other parts of the year where you struggle, battle plateaus, mentally struggle, and can’t seem to find the magic on race day that you found in other times of the year.

Phases and Concepts

It’s time to review your planning for those seasons, (or lack of planning), and try to learn from the patterns and plan your training so you can avoid the roller coaster. Ideally, a season shouldn’t have many up and downs, but sometimes a step back at the right time, both mentally and physically, can prevent big peaks and valleys. I prefer to use three phases when planning: Transition (period of recovery between seasons), General Preparation, and Specific Preparation. These will be discussed in more detail below.

In addition to planning out your season in phases, you need to look at a two key concepts that we know about training- variance and specificity. Both are necessary in order to plan your season effectively.

You can read the rest of the article here. I hope you enjoy it!

Coach Vance

Webinars with Purple Patch Fitness & Matt Dixon

Over the past few months, I did a series of webinars with Coach Matt Dixon, for his Purple Patch Fitness athletes, (PPF), teaching them how to use their power meter to maximize the information from it. I felt honored to have a coach of Matt's stature ask me to help his athletes, as he greatly respects my ability to glean insight from training and racing data, and use that to help athletes become smarter and stronger. I have worked with Matt in his coaching of top pro's Meredith Kessler, Jessie Thomas and others. It was from what we learned about these athletes from the data that got him interested in me helping his age-groupers as well. This is your chance to see what they learned.

Here's more on these webinars...

Webinar #1 -  In this webinar, I share some power files from top PPF pro's, like Jesse Thomas and Emma-Kate Lidbury, as well as other athletes, to help athletes better understand their specificity for training/racing and how to better meet that specificity thru the use of their power meter. You can get the webinar here:  http://coachjimvance.bigcartel.com/product/purple-patch-fitness-webinar-1-training-with-power

Webinar #2 - In this webinar, I share some power files from top PPF pro's, like Jesse Thomas and Emma-Kate Lidbury, as well as other top Ironman pro triathletes, and explain the process how to plan and prepare to race, using your power meter and power data, as well as how to use the power to monitor and make intelligent racing decisions on the fly, as the race progresses. The race plan system I present is excellent for Olympic, 70.3 or full-Ironman distance races. This is probably the most important webinar for an athlete to learn how to effectively use your power meter to perform better. You can get it here:  http://coachjimvance.bigcartel.com/product/purple-patch-fitness-webinar-2-racing-with-power

Webinar #3 - This webinar teaches athletes how to use a power meter to better assess how their race went. With the power data, I discuss how to use the plan that was set, and compare that with what actually happened, in order to make changes for the future for training or preparation, as well as learn how to better execute a race. You can get it here: http://coachjimvance.bigcartel.com/product/purple-patch-fitness-webinar-3-race-analysis

There will be a 4th webinar soon, so stay tuned!

Coach Vance

Stop It! - 16 Things You Likely Do and Need to Stop

1. Stop ignoring recovery. What you eat, how much you sleep, the beers, it all affects you. The intensity you go on easy workouts is also vital.

2. Stop doing everyone else's workouts, and start focusing on what workouts YOU need. Sometimes, (in fact many times), that means you need to train alone. Peer pressure is no way to train effectively. If you train with a lot of egos, let them go. Limit group workouts to those which are in line with your goals and specific needs. This especially includes recovery workouts. (See #1).

3. Stop sabotaging your training. When life gets stressful, skipping workouts because you're not in the mood only brings about more stress and frustration with training and lack of results. Training is your escape, keep it that way. Skipping that transition run because you think you're too tired, is a missed opportunity to build confidence with a great run, or to learn to better pace your bike.

4. Stop ignoring your weight. If you aren't thin, you aren't as fast as you can be. I'm not saying you should look anorexic, but to think those 10 lbs you could lose aren't affecting your performance, is ignoring the obvious. If you're 20+lbs over an ideal race weight, there is no training plan or lightweight bike that can overcome that handicap. The weight also means higher risk for injuries, which can sabotage your training. (See #3).

5. Stop ignoring your diet. (See #1 and #4).

6. Stop obsessing about volume. If it really mattered, the athlete who did the most volume would win every race. Ultraman competitors would be the best Ironman and sprint racers. It's about the quality of training you can do. You're not training for the Tour de France.

7. Stop ignoring the swim. The higher your goals, the more it matters.

8. Stop ignoring your warm-ups for your workouts and races. The older you are, and the higher your goals, the more it matters. It's like sabotage. (See #3)

9. Stop ignoring your cool-down sets, they are vital to proper recovery. (See #1) Poor recovery sabotages training and racing. (See #3).

10. Stop ignoring technology in your training. You use technology in every aspect of your life, from your iPhone/Android to your laptop and software at your job or at home. Why is it so hard to believe power and pace data can help your training and racing on a daily basis? (See #3).

11. Stop thinking you need a faster/newer/better bike. You need to get training right. (See #1 thru #10).

12. Stop paying a coach if you're not going to do the training as they write it. (See #3)

13. Stop being negative with yourself. There is nothing anyone or any coach can tell you that will supersede what you say to yourself. If you don't believe in yourself when you toe that start line, the result is pretty much already determined.

14. Stop focusing on the competition, and start focusing on yourself, and how to execute your training and racing better. (See #1 thru #13)

15. Stop doing the same thing over and over. The body responds best to variance in training. If you've been doing the same things over and over for years, and aren't happy with the results, or notice a plateau, it's time to address the real issue.

16. Stop thinking salt and electrolyte losses cause cramps, there's no scientific proof of this. The people who promote this are the ones trying to sell it to you. Get fitter, and you'll cramp less. Get training right, you'll get fitter. Stop shoving so much salt into your gut during races, and you'll likely get rid of all that GI distress you've been bothered by in races.

Bonus tip...
17. Stop thinking Ironman is the only important race in triathlon. It's far from it.

Coach Vance

CTL and Consistency of Training

I was approached by TrainingPeaks after they read some things from me on consistency, that they wanted me to provide for them. I accepted and wrote an article for them using the PMC as a way to show the affects of consistency in training, and how performance looks for an athlete with inconsistent training. This is the result, and I think if like data and training, you'll enjoy it.

The #1 Rule of Endurance Training

Amidst the intervals, data, devices, diets and all the other ways that athletes are trying to “gain an edge” in endurance training, it can be easy to forget the basics. The number one most important rule of training, which is often forgotten, is consistency. There is no training program or workout any coach can devise that can make up for a lack of consistency in training. The higher your goals are as an athlete, the more important consistency is.

As a coach, I repeatedly see the differences in performance and improvement between the athlete who is consistent in their training and the athlete who isn’t. You lose fitness at a rate of almost three times as fast as you gain it, so missing a workout or two may not hurt you, but miss a few on a regular basis and you will have a hard time making performance gains. You have to make training a daily priority.

Chronic Training Load

One of the best ways to see how consistent you are in your training is to follow your Chronic Training Load (CTL) in your Performance Management Chart (PMC). The PMC is a Premium feature within TrainingPeaks^® and is also available in TrainingPeaks WKO+.

Read the rest of the article here at TrainingPeaks.com. 

Coach Vance