Marathon Training Plan Emails

I recently had some email correspondence with a reader who was following my 20 week marathon training plan, which was published by Competitor in their September issue. For many of you who may have read it online only, the webmasters forgot to include the key to the initials in the plan, so I wanted to re-post it here, along with an email I received and my responses.

Here is the plan, as an image, click on it to enlarge:


Here is the key to the plan:

E - Easy jog
A - Accelerations of 15-20 secs at high speed, with quick turnover, plenty of recovery between each.
S - Steady paced run. Not easy, not hard.
F - Fartlek - Speed bursts as you like, from 1 to 3 minutes in length, unstructured. Allow time for warm-up and cooldown.
MGP - Marathon Goal Pace - Time spent running at goal pace for the marathon is in parentheses. (MGP 90) means 90 mins run at marathon goal pace.
T - Tempo Run - Hard effort at faster than marathon pace, around 10K to half-marathon intensity. (T30) means 30 mins of tempo.
TT - Time Trial test - 30 mins HARD, with average pace and HR measured for the last 20 mins. These should improve over the course of the program.
XT - Cross Training - Your choice of cycling, elliptical, stairmaster or swimming, as well as any weight training you might enjoy.
Off - Rest day - Focus on recovery techniques, (hydration, stretching, massage, nap, etc.)


I did a quick Google search on the plan, and found it listed as a plan on the Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon website, under their training guidance. That was a suprise to me!

Recently, I recieved the following email, along with my replies, for any of you who might be interested in something similar....

Hello Jim,

I found your 20 week training program in the Competitor So Cal magazine I picked up from a Jamba Juice facility. It was in the September 2008 issue titled " 20 weeks to your first Marathon". All I have to say is THANK YOU!! This training program is very amateur friendly and i love it!! I have one question though, i am on the 14th week of the 20 week program but I need to go one more week since I signed up for Carlsbad Marathon on Jan 25, 2008. So....my question is do I repeat any week in the 20 week course to help make it to 21 weeks or rest for a week? I am at a loss and need your assistance. Once again thanks for this great training program i could not have done this without you!!

Alice

My response:

Alice,

Thanks for the great email. I'm always happy to hear how my work helps people who need it. Believe it or not, I don't hear much, so sometimes I wonder if anyone takes my advice. :-)

Here is a week I've come up with which should placed between weeks 18 and 19, that helps stagger-down the taper a bit more. I call it week "18a".
Monday - off
Tuesday - 75 XT
Wednesday - 60 (T 30)
Thursday - 50 E
Friday - 60 A
Saturday - 90 E
Sunday - 120 (MGP 60)

The abbreviations are the same from the original plan. I think this is the best adjustment for adding in a week toward the end.

Let me know how the race goes, and good luck!

Jim

Her response:

Thanks for the feedback, i will definitely let you know how it goes.... your program changed my whole outlook on running,,, thanks again!

If you're following my training plan, I'd love to hear how it's going, as I'm always looking for ways to improve things, or see if something works for a lot of people.

Coach Vance

WKO+ Software Consulting

For those of you out there who read this blog and like what you see from the charts and articles regarding WKO+ software, I also offer consulting on the software, to help set up the charts, athletes, read files etc. This is available for $80 for a single 60 min session, to help you learn all you need. TrainingBible clients and coaches get discounted rate.

Contact me at jvance at trainingbible dot com.

Coach Vance

New Video Training Plans Available - Core and Leg Strengthening

If you saw one of my earlier posts, you know I've been working on training plans which are iPod video compatible, for athletes to take with them to demonstrate the skills or exercises they are doing.

I have now completed my latest training plan, which is for core and leg strengthening exercises, which can be done at home or a gym, with minimal equipment.

One of the things I notice when I go to the weight room is how many people are using an iPod to entertain themselves as they work out. Now, with these plans, athletes can use the iPod not only for entertainment, but as a coach for certain exercises as well.

This plan consists of 30 exercises requiring only a swiss ball, medicine ball or just body weight.

There is a lot more information on the plans at: www.trainingpeaks.com/JimVancePlans

If you're a coach, the two plans, (swim drills/skills and core/leg strengthening), are available as one package, for you to buy and add to your file library on Training Peaks, and use with your clients for years to come! You can also just purchase one plan if you're more interested in that.

If you've been looking for some new strength exercises in the weight room, at home, or are worried about not having quality instruction, this strengthening plan is for you!

Check it out and let me know what you think. Best of luck!

Coach Vance

More Season Review Interesting Findings

This image I sent to a client of mine, who was pretty amazed at what he saw. In our talk, he told me this was the chart which showed him the most impressive aspect of coaching and his training.

This gentleman came to me about 2 weeks before Ironman Arizona in April. Because there was little we could do to physically prepare, we focused more on his race strategy, and I gave him some guidelines on designing his taper. I really didn't want to interfere with his training and his routines so close to the race, so there was no training plan written from me basically.

In the above image is the combined weekly TSS scores from bike and run workouts, (click on the image to make it larger), from when he first came to me before IMAZ in April, until now. As you can read in my comments, he was training at such a high level of TSS on a daily and weekly basis before, that when he started training me we were no where near the same TSS levels. He stayed very healthy all season long, and the result was a three and a half hour improvement!

In fact, I was able to show him power files from his bike workouts that were actually much better than what he did at IMAZ in April, despite the lower TSS scores. We were able to better balance the intensity and volume to get him to improve so dramatically.

When we talked, he said it best, "Just goes to show that more is not necessarily better." Well said.

Coach Vance

Coaching Lesson Learned

I recently read an interview with Joel Filliol, who is the coach of the successful BAMF group, (Simon Whitfield - Olympic Silver Medalist, Tom Evans - 2 Ironman wins this year, and many more). He talked about being a development coach at the NTC in Victoria, BC. One thing he said which really resonated with me was, "as development coach I was working with a number of other coaches and didn't have the autonomy to make and be accountable for my own decisions."

I really appreciated this, because the way you learn is in the mistakes you make as a coach. (Show me a perfect coach, and I'll show you a coach who doesn't have any clients).

So many coaches don't take responsibility for their decisions with athletes. Because it's a two-person dance, it always seems easy for coaches to say the athlete was responsible for the performance when it wasn't as good as hoped. It's also easy for me to know what I'm doing right, but I think it's more important to know what I'm doing wrong. Most coaches will also never publicly expose their mistakes, so it makes it hard to learn from other coaches on what not to do.

It is the end of the season, and I feel it's important to look back on the season with my athletes, and see where I, the coach, went wrong. Where did I make mistakes? What could I have done better to prepare my athletes. I have sent some of my athletes these year-end reviews, but not all yet. (Be patient if you're reading this, these take some time!) These are becoming invaluable to me, especially for those athletes who gather data via power meters and speed-distance devices for running.

One athlete I finished the season with I was especially disappointed about, because they are the first athlete I've ever had who was not able to compete at their A-priority race. This athlete was doing extremely well, improving to levels which were surpising even me. Then in one big day on the bike, the back tightened up so bad, they were unable to move for a few days. We were about 4 weeks from the start line of IMAZ. It only seemed to get worse, and it became clear the race would not happen.

There were some signs of nagging tension with the back, and perhaps the athlete didn't communicate it well enough to me to make me take notice, but I had a sense something could have been done by me to prevent it. Or even worse, that I contributed largely to the injury.

When I went back and looked at the Performance Management Charts, it became evident that when I spiked the stimulus too much, the athlete did not respond well. I was too aggressive in this athlete's training.

Click on this image, the PMC, with my notes that I sent to the athlete:


This was a great tool for me, in seeing that I got too aggressive, and need to be more aware of the risks I am taking with an athlete's health and season. I've certainly had an excellent track record, as again this was the first athlete not to compete at their A-priority race, but sometimes you need to be reminded.

This is just another advantage of collecting data, not only as an athlete, but as a coach. I'm glad it's helping me "be accountable for my own decisions" as a coach.

Coach Vance

Oceanside 70.3 and SuperFrog Half Training Plans

I have created a few new training plans for local San Diegans, who are training for the Oceanside 70.3 and SuperFrog triathlons. The plans are designed to help Tri Club of San Diego members who are registered for either race, and are looking for training guidance.

You can find the training plans available for purchase at: http://www.trainingpeaks.com/JimVancePlans

The cost of the plans are $125, for the 4 months. If you're a Tri Club of San Diego member, then you can get a discount on the plans. Email me at jvance@trainingbible.com for your discount code, which gives you a 20% discount. This means the cost of the coaching will be only $25 A MONTH! I repeat, $25 A MONTH for the 4 month plan! You won't find a better deal for a plan specific to those in San Diego. Even if you're not a Tri Club member, the deal is still only slightly more than $30 a month!

The training plans begin on December 1, and include all of the monthly tri club races and events for athletes who want to include those, and alternative workouts for those who can't or do not want to do the club races in their preparations. The plans conclude just after their main events.

Also, I will be monitoring the Training Peaks account of each person who purchases one of these plans, to help them adjust and modify the plans as needed to their schedule, on a once-a-month basis. A Training Peaks account is free with the purchase of each plan, so there's nothing holding you back!

Best of luck with your goals for 2009, and let me know if I can assist you.

Coach Vance

New Video Training Plans Available

I've been working on some new pre-built training plans, on Training Peaks. These plans are new and different than the standard plans you find though, as I've focused on swimming skills, using drills for technique and coordination improvement. The fact the plans are focused on developing skills, not just fitness, allows athletes to use the plans as they choose, and when they choose.


The biggest difference in these plans are I have attached videos to each of the drills to help people see and understand the drills better. (For example, try explaining sculling to someone, with just words. It's hard.)

Another unique aspect of these plans and videos are that they are iPod video compatible! This will allow athletes to take the videos to the pool with them, and not have to memorize them. Coaches can also use the videos on deck, when working with athletes. This will allow them to stay dry and clearly demonstrate the drills.


TrainingPeaks.com has even done a blog post about the new plans, which you can read here. I'm the first person to do this, so I hope I'm setting new trends in the coaching industry. Stay tuned to some more video training plans.

You can purchase one of the plans here, or at my link to training plans on the right. Check it out, and let me know your thoughts if you purchase it.

Coach Vance

Race Ready?

I was reading a recent athlete's training log online, (via TrainingPeaks, which I use with my clients), and when I read something in it, I took quick notice.

It was the day before the Clearwater Ironman 70.3 Worlds, and the athlete had three short, simple workouts, of easy swim, bike and run, each with a few accelerations to race intensity for about 30 secs or so. The main point of the workouts is not to fatigue the athlete, but to keep them fresh and sharp, use up some nervous energy they'll probably feeling, etc.

The athlete had completed the bike and run portions, but when I read the swim portion, it said, "didnt get to the swim, as is often the case." I was floored! I believe I even said something outloud, such as, "what the hell???"

Now, it may not seem like a big deal, and physically speaking, it probably isn't. But what this represents to me is a bigger issue which needed to be addressed with the athlete, (more on that soon.) This was the World Championships! What in the world can be going on which is more important? Even worse, what is consistently happening at race events, the day before, that the athlete "didn't get to the swim, AS IS OFTEN THE CASE"?

To be fair, I only started working with this athlete in the 2 weeks prior to the race, so I am learning a lot about him. After the race, he called me, and it did not go as he had hoped. Most of this was probably due to racing Kona, and feeling pretty drained mentally after that. I listened to everything, before I asked about the swim, and what happened. He began to take me thru the day, and running around for this person and that person, here, there, everywhere.

Our discussion lead to me asking him how this might have affected his preparations, not just mentally, but physically as well. He hadn't realized how much energy he was expending by making his pre-race days so busy and stressful. He fights the feeling of being selfish, and hates telling people "No, I can't. I have to focus on my race." This is something he needs to get over, as he will only jeopardize his performances even further.

When an athlete is at a major event, especially an "A" priority race, that race is the most important thing. Even during the race week, everyday should begin with a plan based on the race as the first and foremost priority. Athletes need to ask themselves, "will this possibly hurt my race?" If the answer is yes, it is possible, then you shouldn't be doing it.

Ideally, you get up in the AM, get your workouts done and out of the way, take care of the pre-race prep for the bike check-in, bags, etc, and then relax. Massage, eating, and couch time are about the only activities I would approve of. It's with this time, athletes can really relax and prepare themselves mentally for their race.

I would encourage you to look at your race week activities, and especially those in the days immediately preceeding the race. Do you tend to make this action-packed? Or do you make them calm and race-focused? Think about it, and plan accordingly.

Don't kill your race before it starts, by stressing yourself out. There will be plenty of time for stress after the race, trust me.

Coach Vance

U-turns on the bike, and power output

Recently, I raced the SOMA Half Triathlon, in Phoenix. This bike course was rather flat, but was 3 loops, consisting of 72 turns over the 56 miles. Many of these turns were U-turns, while others were 90 degree lefts and rights.

I am not complaining about the race, as each course presents its own challenges, and this is one of the great things about our sport.

One of the most interesting things I saw during the race had me shaking my head. When racing a multi-lap course, it's common to end up lapping some athletes who were in later waves, and maybe are not at the level of performance of some of the pro's, like myself. This is not an indictment against slower riders, but a statement of fact that traffic accumulates on a bike course such as this.

While coming to many u-turns on the course, I noticed a common behavior among the athletes I happened to be completing the u-turn with. I would begin to accelerate back to race speed and watts, only to see athletes clearly pull away from me. I would look down at my wattage meter and see numbers north of 400 watts, (values clearly higher than I could hold for the duration of the race), and yet many age-group athletes were still gaping me! This included males, females, young and old, lightweight and overweight. Because I was averaging over 300 watts for the race, I was with a different group of athletes for nearly every turn, and still, this behavior was common at every, single turn!

Apparently, many of these athletes are not aware of the importance of even pacing for a race like this, or were not disciplined enough to avoid the peer pressure of others around them pulling away at the turns, even if just briefly. The energy costs from this constant surging will no doubt prevent these athletes from performing at their best, unless they have specifically trained for the nearly 72 surges of 2+ times their FTP, before running a half marathon. (Doubtful).

This is just another example of the benefit of the use of a power meter, especially for the undisciplined athlete or inexperienced.

Next time you're doing a race and come to a turn, or u-turn, your goal should be to get thru a turn without losing speed, (or at least losing the least amount of speed), but also to do it as efficiently as possible. If you're struggling with this, practice these skills in your training. This includes going to a parking lot and practicing your u-turns, right turns, left turns, etc. (Chances are, you have a strong turning side and a weaker turning side. If you have a weaker side, there is something to work on as well!) This is an excellent recovery day, speed-skill workout.

Think about your racing and your movements, and try to assess what you're doing and why. Are you making these types of surges? Are you really benefiting from this type of surging?

Race smart, not just doing what those around you are doing.

Coach Vance

Chris LeMieux

Congrats to Chris LeMieux, my client from New Orleans! Take a look at his improvement after signing up with me, at Ironman Florida this past weekend, compared to last year.

2007, 2008
Time 12:47:49, 11:04:33
Place 1305, 558
Swim 59:31, 59:23
Bike 6:21:21, 5:40:40
Run 5:16:37, 4:17:30

Quite an improvement, (1 hour, 43 mins), and this was done with little to no technology or data collection. He was consistent and committed, and reaped the benefits. He called me today, and already is signed up again for next year. He is pumped to start using more technology, like power meters and GPS, to get even faster for next year!

Congrats Chris!

Coach Vance