LPC Triathlon Camp - Day 4: Lake Louisa State Park Brick/OWS

Today was a fantastic day at camp - set in the beautiful confines of Lake Louisa State Park - a perfect training ground for triathlon, especially on a Wednesday morning during a week that isn't March Break (although last year it was perfect too, so time doesn't seem to matter much).

One of the best parts about this camp is the fact you can get camp transportation. This meant that I just dropped my bike off at the LPC Camp House and it got loaded in the coaches' custom-made trailer (for lack of a better word, they've set it up to rack bikes in a very stable and safe way)...hopped in one of the cars, and then picked up my bike at the park...so awesome. (They also transport the bikes to and from Florida, which makes my life a million times easier as well)

This year, the coaches also managed to squeeze in transition racks (maybe they have a secret TARDIS), making our transition practice and brick workout at the lake incredibly realistic. It was awesome.

We rode one loop of the resort (11km) and ran 1 mile as a warm up before getting into the transition practice. As a part of that, we had a couple of demo transitions before we did our own transition practice. We started at a line and pretended we were coming out of the swim, got onto our bikes at a "mount" line, rode around the parking lot to a "dismount" line, then transitioned to the run and then ran a hundred meters. It's such a good way to get familiar with transitions, especially for the beginners in the crowd. But I always need more practice given I've managed to waste a lot of time in transition at races - usually because of trying to get my watch working, but still: practice makes perfect.

After the transition practice, we got into the main workout...3 reps of a brick workout - the 11km ride around the park, and the 1 mile run (same as the warmup). My goal from Coach Mark was to descend the bike workouts effort-wise (the last one should have been the hardest) and to keep the run segments fairly steady.

In reality, I ended up taking the first set too hard...I don't have the exact bike time, but it was definitely the fastest of the 3 reps...and then I followed that with a quicker than I was aiming for run (~4:45km pace). In my defence, I had my watch in bike mode at that point so couldn't see my pace...so I wasn't trying to run hard.

The second rep of the bike was pretty close to the first rep I think (23:00), while the second rep of the run was more around what I was supposed to be running at (~4:57 pace)

On the third rep of the bike, I started to have issues. While I managed the second half of the rep pretty well, the first half of the rep was slower. I am not sure if that was just accumulated fatigue, biking after running, or what. Probably a bit of both. Either way, the entire rep was a fair bit slower (around 24:30). Interestingly, my last run rep felt much harder, but I was better able to keep the pace consistent with the second rep...ending up with the exact same pacing.

BUT, on the cool side, that last bike rep was still faster than my fastest bike rep from last year! How awesome is that? And last year I only did 2 main-set reps...while this year I was able to do 3. So I've definitely come a long way since last year. Not to mention my fastest rep today was a good 2 minutes faster than my fastest rep from last year.

Here a few of us are posing for a "Hey we did it" selfie (which turned out terribly). Thankfully one of the other campers caught the attempt on camera. LOL. Thanks Beth!

Originally, we were going to do yoga right after the interval brick workout, but we were pretty much all scorching hot (It was about 89-90f) from the runs so Coach James and Mark decided that we should do the open water swim first.

I have to say, while putting on my wetsuit while sweaty was a little challenging (and hot!), the swim itself was amazing. I will admit, I love swimming in open water. I don't know why, but it is just so much better than swimming in a pool.

For the swim, Coach Mark and Coach Nissim lugged some buoys out for us to use. (Really, the whole day felt like going to a race it was so well set up). We swam a quick lap out to one of the buoys for a warm-up and then were given the option of doing 2 or 3 loops (out to one buoy, across to the other and back into shore) of the "course." I decided to do 3 figuring it was a great day for a swim. After those loops, we did a 4th loop with a partner so we could practice drafting, and a 5th loop just because we had the time.

The water was pretty much as nice as you could make it. It was a bizarre colour (apparently the trees in the area turn the water a murky red-brown), but otherwise calm and quite warm.

Here we are starting the swim (Coach James took this one). I'm already in the water, so you won't see me here.

Following the swim, we had a nice relaxing yoga session led by one of the other campers who is also a yoga instructor. It was really helpful for loosening up all the muscles I'd been working all day long. Also, lying in the heat after a cold shower was quite pleasant...although I think a few people who didn't have the chance to shower found the heat a bit harder to handle.

Coach James of course caught us on camera. Yes, that's me in the white shirt. I would've worn a tank top, but I used that as a replacement towel since I didn't bring one...so long sleeves it was. On the plus side, I wasn't going to get burned.

On the way back to the house after yoga, Coach Mark mentioned the possibility of getting a late lunch/early dinner at an all-you-can-eat pizza place called CiCi's. For $9, we got all we could eat pizza, salad, pasta and dessert...plus pop.

Would hungry triathletes go for such a deal? What do you think?

At the end of the meal, Coach Mark even went for a joy ride. Yes, the car made noises and the lights flashed.

 

Originally, we were going to do our swim video analysis today, but Coach Mark got caught up discussing things with another camp house, so we decided to postpone our swim video seminar until tomorrow - which is good, since it gave me this time to write my blog entry for the day. Phew! Wouldn't want you to miss out!

 

Tomorrow, we had back to the Lazy River for a decidedly not-very-lazy swim. In the afternoon, we'll be doing the infamous Sugarloaf climb, which Coach Mark wants me to try and do 2 times. We'll see how that goes since the second rep will be entirely dependent on whether there is enough time for me to do so. But either way, it's bound to be another amazing day.

LPC Triathlon Camp Day 3: Awesome ride with a wee brick run

We had the chance to sleep in today - not that I did. I was wide awake bright and early since I didn't sleep all that well. Isn't that always the way? ::laugh::

After breakfast, we all met at the main camp house at 9am for a bike maintenance seminar, including a reminder of what to carry on your bike to change a tire, plus a walk through of how to change one. Having now changed one tire (for my Dad during his epic 64k ride on his 64th birthday), I felt I knew the basics - but then there was a great discussion about how to get the tire back on the rim when you don't have the strength to just push it over.

A couple of methods were showcased, including using your palms and re-fitting the tire around the rest of the wheel to loosen it a bit more (and potentially enough to get it back on the rim).

Thanks to Coach Ryan for the demo.

 

Following the demo, one of my House of Dreams housemates got a flat and had the opportunity to change it. That was good timing, right?

 

As I mentioned yesterday,  Coach Mark and I decided I should ride with the intermediate group for today's ride. This worked out much better than I expected and I was easily about to keep up to the group's speed.

 

I was very excited because we took much less busy roads than we did last year thanks to one connector road getting paved in the interim. They also put a crosswalk at one pretty scary corner. This meant that my two biggest "scary bits" were taken out of the equation!

 

I am finding we're not riding as much this year (i.e. I rode 34km compared to 43 the first day, 17 compared to 22 the second day, and 63 compared to 73 today), probably because there are more groups than there were last year. I will be honest - from a mental perspective, I really don't like riding less because it kind of feels like backtracking.

 

But, truth be told, I think the quality of the riding has been a lot better. Today for example, thanks to the new routes, I was able to ride faster - and that's a skill I really need to develop: comfort with riding faster outside. Coach Mark keeps telling me I have the potential to ride a lot faster than I do (according to my FTP test) - I just need to get comfortable and confident doing so. So riding less miles with more miles at higher speeds is much better learning/practice for me than just getting regular miles. And I certainly did that today.

 

Our group did a number of loops around an empty subdivision where we practiced paceline switching and cornering...and our group was regularly breaking 30km/h, and even were up around 35km/h for very short stretches with the wind at our backs. Being able to ride that fast in a group outside was kind of great because it shows I can ride pretty decently, especially when there aren't cars wandering around.

 

During the circles, Coach Mark noticed I was still breaking around corners (yes, I'm afraid of falling), so I tried to make sure I kept my fingers spread back away from my breaks around the turns from that point on. I still slowed down and had to catch back up to my group, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was for the first few rounds.

 

After the practice, we went off to a couple more out-and-backs and even made a trip to Walt Disney World...well, the sign at least!

 

I was still feeling really good when we turned to head back home, but Coach Mark had us all slow down for the last 10-15km or so - so the ride back to the resort was really easy. Given how warm it was getting, that probably wasn't a bad thing since we still had the brick run.

Once back, I quickly changed into my running shoes and one of my housemates (Lisa) and I went off on a brick run. We did one loop of the resort (3km) at a moderate pace - and it was more than enough. I think it was hovering around 90 degrees around that point.

Back at our camp house, we cooled off in the pool. Just dunking my head under the water a couple of times made a huge difference. I felt re-energized.

We (several of my housemates and I) spent much of the rest of the afternoon lounging around the pool and chatting (okay, there was some beer involved too), while being entertained by Marlon (a fast triathlete from Trinidad) trying to get into the pool. Apparently it is boiling hot in Trinidad most of the time, so he finds cold really, really cold. It took him a good 20 minutes to get totally immersed in the pool and it was quite a performance throughout. The rest of us gave him a good round of applause when he finally got his head under.

Kudos to him since I was only in the pool for 5 minutes (It was pretty chilly).

After enjoying the patio heat (mostly from the shaded part of the backyard), we joined a few folks from one of the other houses for dinner at Orange Grove Resort (where the lazy river is). We got more patio time there, along with some good food and a bit more beer.

I finished the night with one of Terry Linseman's absolutely incredible homemade cookies (Terry is Coach Mark's Dad), which he warms up for a few sends in the microwave to make even more delicious. He's promised to send me the recipe at some point - which is good since I think they might become my recovery food of choice.

Tomorrow we are off to Lake Louisa State Park - which has been my favourite day of camp the last two years because of the chance to bike on the beautiful in the park where there are almost no cars. I'm really hoping tomorrow will be just as awesome - although there is the slight possibility of a thunderstorm in the forecast. Here's hoping it waits until the afternoon if it needs to rain though!

LPC Triathlon Camp - Day 2: NTC Clearmont

On Day 2 of the LPC Florida Triathlon Camp, we got up bright and early to head over to the National Training Centre in Clearmont, Florida for a number of sessions. By early, I mean that I set my alarm for 6am because I don't like numbers that start before that if I can help it!

The first session we had was a warm-up run, including a short game of soccer, followed by a whole series of running drills (As, Bs, Cs, Karaoke, etc.). I knew the running drills already, but I actually got a great piece of advice about the Bs that finally made me be able to do them smoothly (I've always done them terribly in the past). The piece of advice was to pause when you lift a leg and before you kick it outward. You don't pause for more than a micro-second, but enough to feel it and then shift into the next movement.

Oh wow, what a difference. Suddenly I could do the Bs without any problem!

Here we are doing the drills.  I believe this picture is from Coach James (at least I "borrowed" it from his Twitter post).

After the drills, we went to the long hill and split into two groups for some hill repeats. Those of us training for longer distances worked on reps of the hill that had a lower incline than those training for sprints/Olympics. Mind you, I'd have done the lower incline anyway given I'm only now starting to run harder again following my calf injury.

And on that note, Coach Mark's instructions included going no harder than steady, so I did my best to keep it that way on the hills and I think I did a legitimate job of trying to do so (maybe not perfect, but a legitimate attempt). It's so hard when people are passing you, but I just focused on what I was doing!

After the run, we had a bit of time to change and eat a quick snack before heading to the pool for our swim workout. The NTC has a fantastic outdoor pool that is an utter joy to swim in. Here we are (another picture courtesy of Coach James).

Can you find me? I can, but I know what my swim cap looks like! If you want a hint, well - I was right in the middle pace-wise during the lazy river session, and that was right for this as well.

The swim was really well done. We had 4 coaches, each of whom led a 20 minute session with a group of 2 lanes. That worked perfectly for getting advice on different technique and drill sets while also getting the benefit of everyone working with each coach.

Coach Mark led our group off with some open water exercises (like trying to catch the person ahead, and different sighting drills (head-up free, eyes out of the water free with side breathing, and then full sighting). I actually quite like sighting, but head up free is really hard.

Coach Nate (Nate Kortuem is Sarah Haskins' Coach. He came by to lead part of the swim session) has us working with bands around our ankles. I found this much easier this year than I did when we tried it last year. I didn't sink nearly as much, nor did I feel quite as dead afterwards.

Coach Alexandra had us doing a range of swim drills focused on rotation. Including kicking on side,  dog paddle, shark, and shark with the hip lead roll. I realized I've been doing the hip lead roll wrong all the time and finally figured out how to do it right.

Coach Karsten had us doing a main set...but that's right when I had to get out to go do my swim video with Coach James so I missed much of that part. Isn't that terrible? I came back just in time for a descend 1-3 100s, but to be honest, I was already pretty toast so I think it was more like 3-2-2. But I gave it my best.

After the swim session, we had time for a bit of a break (and a shower) before we met up in a conference room for a great lunch (sandwiches and smoothies), and 2 talks. The first session was a Q&A with Sarah Haskins. We had Sarah at camp last year, so it was great to hear what she had to say about this past year. She actually had a great year (won a bunch of races), but then got a stress fracture. It was interesting to hear her talk about her recovery and lessons learned given my own recent calf strain. Makes me think I shouldn't have spent two months thinking the pain would go away and waiting for it to stop me in my tracks during a workout. Umm yes.

Following Sarah's talk, Coach Mark gave a session on nutrition and hydration. Every time Coach Mark gives a talk I learn something new - today there were a few things, but partly it was about the possible benefits of beet juice before a run. I'd heard it was good, but always interesting to hear more about the why. He also touched on the benefits of caffeine (which is good, since I like my coffee).

The discussion with Coach Mark overflowed his session and continued during the car trip back to the resort and I got a few more interesting tidbits about carbohydrate and marathon running...including the fact that getting faster at the marathon (or maybe just more experienced) doesn't mean you can run with less carbs...but rather you should get better at taking in more carbs which will, in turn, help you get better.

Oh, before I left the National Training Centre, I had to get a pic!

Once we got back to the house we had a short break before meeting up again for a technical focused bike session.

This session was different from last year in that we both broke up into groups - and the entire focus of the session was on technique. Our group (the beginners of course!) focused on cornering, riding slowly, making sharp turns and also a bit on drafting.

I was happily surprised to gain additional confirmation that I've gotten better, at least compared to the last two years. I managed most of the beginner drills without any issues and I actually felt pretty comfortable. My only issue (and it is a big one) was my problem making left U-turns. Every single time I tried with the group, I failed. I was so annoyed, when the session was over, I spent an additional 20 minutes working on the turns. In the 20 or more that I tried, I made the left hand U-turn exactly once. Yes, once. But I'm trying!

I took a very well earned shower after that, and then had dinner with a number of people in my house - Mostly Coach Mark, his dad and sister, and Simon (a nice guy from Halifax), although Marlon (a speedy guy from Trinidad joined in for the fun). We chatted right up until 10pm when I realized I needed to hurry up and get this blog done so I could go to bed.

Tomorrow, we have a longer-bike with a short run after. I was chatting with Coach Mark tonight after dinner and we agreed that I should ride with the intermediate group. I might be one of the slowest in that group, but it should be good experience. And, like swimming, I'd rather be the slowest by a little in one group, than one of the faster people in another. I figure it might be scary and more challenging, but it is also better for me in terms of long-term improvement.

And in case you're keeping track of the weather, it was great for our run, a bit chilly for the swim (the wind and cool air temperature, and then became warm and sunny for the bike (AKA: Perfect!).

See you tomorrow!

Special thanks: A special "Hello" to one of my readers - Lisa Atkins. Gia tells me you've been following along! Thanks for reading! You make me happy knowing someone other than my mother reads my blog! ::grin::

LPC Triathlon Camp 2015 - Day 1: A run, a swim and a bike

After a whirlwind trip to New Orleans (I had a travel voucher that was going to expire, so I went to New Orleans a few days), I landed in Florida yesterday for the LPC Florida Triathlon Camp.

This is my third year at campLPC, so I felt pretty good coming into camp. I still think I'm a pretty terrible biker, but when you compare me to the me of three years ago - I'm made miles of improvement. Mind you, I've also biked something like 5000km since that first day of camp 3 years ago.

Aside: If you want to know where I started...check my posts from camp in 2013. While a bit awkward, I suggest starting at the bottom and working your way up so you'll see the progress over the week. You can also read my posts from camp in 2014....when I did my longest ride ever 3 times. Same suggestion...start at the bottom and work up...although the first March post from last year is unrelated.

My goals for the camp were (and are) pretty simple this year:

1. Have fun
2. Don't crash (a noble goal, right?)
3. Don't get injured (during camp or on the way home)
4. Get yet more experience riding my bike (this will be my goal forever)
5. Do all the running without hurting my calf again (I strained my calf in January and have been going to physio and running basically easy for 6 weeks. Finally got permission to run properly again, but can't be too much of a doorknob trying to do it all today).

There are a lot of people at camp this year - with a ton of new faces. I love that because there are lots of new folks to meet and to learn from. I'm staying in a different camp house - the House of Dreams - with some great people from all over the map - from Sarnia to Halifax and Trinidad to Toronto. At camp, we also have folks from Yellowknife, Germany and lots of other places. How cool is that? There's also a crazy mix of folks from beginner to elite - from 11 to mid-sixties. We even have an expert paratriathlete here. You can't say it's not a diverse group that's for sure!

In terms of what we did on Day one....well, funnily enough, we had a swim, a bike and a run - although not in that order.

We started the day with a short, easy run in Orange Lake Resort as a warm-up, followed by some dynamic stretching and some yoga core work.

I figure the run would be good for testing my calf out. Overall, it felt great. Not even a twinge (fingers crossed it stays that way). I was better than last year at keeping the run easy...although it was a bit harder than I probably should have gone. But when a run is only 20 minutes long, it's hard to not go a little faster than you should.

I really needed the core yoga and stretching since I've been finding my shoulder a bit tight the last few days, so that was good to get ready for swimming.

Here's a great pic Coach James took of the yoga. Can you find me?

 



In terms of the swim groups, I was right in the middle pace-wise, so Coach Mark suggested I join the fast group. What that meant is that I worked hard the entire time to keep up because I was one of the slowest in that group.  But that's why I'm here. I'd rather push myself than take it too easy.

 

We worked on a number of skills during the swim, which was in a 350m lazy river (great for triathlon training since you don't have any walls but you do need to make turns and sight and keep on course. We did some dolphin diving, a lot of drafting, and some sculling, before doing a longer tempo rep (2 loops).  It felt pretty hard to me, but I think that's because I haven't swam since Tuesday this week.

 

After a leisurely dip in the hot tub, we headed back to the camp house via the grocery store.

 

After a bit of a break and some lunch, we headed out on an easy bike ride. Here's a pic of a few folks getting ready to ride. Those are Janice and Helen in the middle. I can't quite tell who the others are. Sorry guys!

 

 

 

Given the number of people we split into 3 groups. I was happily surprised to find myself at the top end of the beginner group, which was kind of crazy (crazy awesome!). Guess all the hard work Coach Mark has had me do on my trainer is paying off! It could also be that there weren't very many cars on the road today so I didn't feel very nervous. Mind you, being a bit quicker has nothing to do with bike handling. I am pretty sure I'm still one of the worst bike handlers at camp - although I am getting better slowly (very slowly). I used my camelback and had no issues with water. Love that thing!

 

We biked out to a sub-division and then rode loops around this very circuitous course that had a lot of cul-de-sacs. This meant I really had to work on my left U-turns. We had more room than a normal U-turn would give (thank goodness since my U-turns are terrible) and I managed to do them all with only a bit of slowing.

 

At the end of the first loop, 2 of us decided we wanted to do a second loop of the cul-de-sacs, so we joined the slowest group of the intermediate bike be group for another circuit before heading home. That loop was a bit quicker, but also quite manageable. More proof I'm in better shape than I was last year.

 

Throughout the bike we practiced paceline (drafting one by one), and switching leaders by peeling off the front and letting the group pass. What I realized is that sometime between last year and this one, I've learned how to look over my shoulder without veering! Whoohoo! Finally, some real progress. Last year, I couldn't even do that much. I still can't take my hands off my handlebars, but being able to turn my head is huge progress for me!

 

When we got back to the house, I took a shower and then relaxed while watching other people make their contributions to the pot-luck dinner (I made my one-pot dinner from Our Fresh Kitchen to bring yesterday after grocery shopping). Then we all headed over to main camp house for the pot-luck dinner and to celebrate Coach Mark's 30th birthday. His sister got him a triathlon themed cake! (Both Coach Mark's dad and sister are also at camp this year)

 

 

 After a lot of food and drink, it was time to head back to the House of Dreams and to get a good night sleep. I came back, wrote this blog...and now am headed to bed so I can wake up bright and early tomorrow for a fun day at the National Training Centre! 

 

My perspective on coaching: one year later

Following my interview with Coach Mark, I wanted to share my own thoughts about working with a coach over the past year and a bit. If you want to know more about why I hired a coach in the first place, you can read my original post from 2013.

 

Overall, it’s been an amazing experience. But I thought you might like a bit more insight on what coaching has meant for me. Before I decided to get a coach, I went looking for information. While a lot of articles dealt with the value of having a coach, not many spoke to the detail of it. I thought I would.

 

Planning

 

One of the best aspects of working with a coach is someone else gets to worry about the planning. Much as I’ve read numerous books on triathlon training (and still read everything that comes out on the topic), I don’t really have the experience to know what I should be doing and when I should be doing it.

 

Enter Coach Mark, who designs my workout schedule to fit my needs and my goals. And because he sets out what I need to do each day, I rarely make excuses unless I really, really need to. Not to mention I like seeing the workout boxes in Training Peaks turn green when I complete them. It might be silly, but it works for me.

 

How has this helped? Well, in 2013, I think I swam once a week on average - maybe twice a couple of times right before the Toronto Triathlon Festival. In 2014, I swam 2-3 times a week. In 2013, I didn’t bike much at all after the Toronto Triathlon Festival and before my first marathon. This past year – I biked 3 days a week almost every week leading up to Mississauga. In the summer, I often biked 4 times a week.

 

In other words, I became consistent with swimming and biking, whereas previously I was really only consistent with running. No doubt that helped a lot for Barrelman…but it also helped with Mississauga. I ran less while preparing for that race than for my first marathon - but with all the cross-training, plus more tailored-to-me run workouts, I was better prepared.

 

Coach Mark, of course, did all the planning. I just tried to listen to his directions and execute each workout the best I could! It worked.

 

Communication
 

Most of the time, I work with Coach Mark online. He’ll post my workouts in Training Peaks and then I’ll do them and comment about how they went. He’ll read my commentary and comment back when needed or when I ask a question. I expect this is how most coaches work – and it’s been pretty seamless with Coach Mark.

 

Thankfully, he’s also been great about explaining things when I’ve been confused – which was a lot, especially early on, given I didn’t have much experience with planned workouts. He’s also sent me articles to read and videos to watch so I can get a better sense of what he’s trying to teach me. I think he’s figured out how much I like the “why?” element of training so will pass things on when they’re relevant.

 

We talk on the phone on occasion – usually planning related or in advance of races. Before Barrelman, for example, we had quite a long call about race planning and coming up with time goals for each segment of the race. These have been great discussions and really useful to me (also good for keeping me from getting too nervous). I know I could technically arrange calls more often, but I find email works really well most of the time and is a lot quicker for both our schedules.

 

Face time

 

Technically, I work with Coach Mark online - but I’m lucky to be able to get some face time as well. Chief among these, of course, is the LPC Florida Triathlon Camp. Before I was coached, I went to that camp and thought it was fantastic. As a coached athlete, there’s the added benefit of having people there who really know me, what my goals are and how I’ve been training. Coach Mark tailored several of my workouts at camp last March to suit my needs. I think he also purposely put me in faster groups than I might have “self-selected” which made me work harder, challenged me more and no doubt helped me get faster.

 

LPC also runs a bunch of training days in Guelph. Last winter, their schedule meant I could get the bus to Guelph once a month for an in-person swim/run session. These were awesome because I got to really chat with Coach Mark on several of the runs.

 

Aside: Two of these runs were in the snow and very cold. If you know me, you know face time with my coach is about the only way you’ll get me to run in the snow.

 

I also got swim video analysis at a couple of the swims which helped me (and Coach Mark) see where I needed to work on my stroke. I find swimming technique very hard to visualize, so having video helps.

 

While the timing of the winter sessions didn’t work for me this year (too early in the morning to catch a bus), I am looking forward to going to Guelph later this month for an FTP test. I don’t have a power meter, so not sure how helpful this will be for my actual day-to-day training. To be honest, I am mostly doing it because I am curious about how Trainer Road’s estimates of my FTP differ from the real thing (I expect my coach is too). I’ll do a blog post afterwards discussing it for others who might be interested.

 

Aside: I am sure the FTP test will make me want a real power meter…but I can’t see that happening anytime soon. Unless…Does anyone want to loan/give me a power meter in exchange for article writing or blog posts?

 

Problem solving

 

One thing I can’t thank Coach Mark enough for is thinking outside the box on my behalf. I might be easy to coach in some ways – but am probably quite challenging in others. Not that Coach Mark would say so.

 

For example - you probably all know that I’m a tentative cyclist. I hate riding on roads (and I live in Toronto). I’m afraid of traffic (and I live in Toronto). I can’t ride in the aero position to save my life (alas, nothing to do with living in Toronto).

 

In reality, I can barely take my hands off my handlebars (and I’ve been trying…and trying…and trying). The fact I no longer ride clutching on for dear life is an improvement – but I have a (very) long way to go.

 

These are pretty big limiters when it comes to triathlon – especially when the bike is the longest part of any race. Given I plan to ride 180km next November sandwiched between a 3.8km swim and a marathon…well, you’d think I was crazy.

 

But Coach Mark didn’t laugh. He didn’t tell me I was a doorknob for signing up for long races despite not being able to drink from a water bottle. Nope, last summer he just helped me figure out how to get nutrition on the bike without needing to reach for a bottle (i.e., he recommended I buy and learn to use a Camelbak….which took two months of trial and error - but worked perfectly at Barrelman). He figured out workouts I could do to build strength/speed outside when I hate riding on roads (except in races: I love riding in races!). He’s also the one who suggested Trainer Road to focus my indoor bike workouts.

 

And that’s just one example…the tip of the iceberg.

 

Results

 

Most people hire coaches because they want to improve their results. So I figured I should mention those too.

 

When it came to my two big races this past year, Coach Mark helped me achieve a 3:50:56 finish at the Mississauga Marathon (a 25 minute PB over my first marathon) on an incredibly windy (~40-50km/h) day. He also helped me to finish my first half-iron triathlon in 6:13:12 - smiling and a couple of minutes under my goal time. At Barrelman in particular, I finished the race feeling good – so unexpected! That to me was the most important result that day.

 

In addition to doing well at my two goal races, I PB’d at every race distance I did last year – from 5k, 10k, half marathon (during Mississauga), and 30k (during Mississauga), to both Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. Okay, the sprint I did technically had a shortened swim…but I PB’d both the run and the bike for the course, so I figure it counts.

 

Sure, some of that can be chalked up to more experience. Given I just started running 3 years ago, I (hope) I still have a lot of room for improvement. But getting a little faster and getting a lot faster are two different things…the a lot faster is thanks to Coach Mark I am sure.

 

Joining a community

 

As an aside, one thing I didn’t expect from hiring a personal coach was just how much of a community I’d be joining. The athletes who make up teamLPC are so diverse. Young and not-so-young, elite to newbie, from Canada and from around the world. But they are all awesome. Everyone I’ve met – whether at the Florida Triathlon Camp, the group training sessions in Guelph, on Facebook, or at races – have always been amazing.

 

As much as I learn from Coach Mark every day, I’ve also learned a lot from – and been incredibly inspired by – other members of teamLPC.  That’s one of the reasons I plan to profile some members of teamLPC in future posts. I’m sure they’ll inspire you too.

 

Verdict: Having a coach can make a huge difference

 

For me, hiring a coach was exactly the right decision. Coach Mark has helped me achieve my goals and then some – and done it in such a way that just makes me eager to see what else I can do.

 

Now, I will be honest. Having a coach is my biggest training expense. But, it’s a price I’d recommend paying over pretty much anything else (besides a basic gym/pool membership if you need one) if you can afford it.

 

Why? Because a good coach will help you improve across the board: Swim, bike and run – and improve on them together (that’s what triathlon is all about, after all). Plus they (well, Coach Mark does anyways) can provide advice on nutrition, core/agility work to keep you healthy and everything else in between.

 

Really, if you’re on a budget, a good coach can be an incredible value – because you likely don’t need to spend any more money to get better. You might want to (and can easily spend a fortune if you have it!), but you don’t need to.

 

Key success factors

 

Hiring a coach isn’t a guarantee of success. Sometimes, the unexpected happens: a flat tire, bad weather, you get a cold – and a million other inexplicable things. But a good coach can (and in my case, really has) help you get better – which means you will be better prepared no matter what happens on race day.

 

But what can you do to get the most out of working with a coach? Here are my thoughts:

• Talk to potential coaches: People are different – and so are coaches. A coach that works for me or for your best friend might not be the best one for you. You can tell a lot from having a conversation with a coach or two…get their thoughts before you commit. Make sure they appreciate who you are and what your personal goals are. We all have different motivations. Make sure any coach you go with recognizes your motivations and will help you achieve what you want to achieve.
• Recognize that your coach can’t read your mind: If you don’t understand something, ask. If you want more information, ask.  If you want to know why you are doing a particular session, ask. Basically: ask questions when you need to.
• Respect your coach’s time: This might just be me, but I know how annoying it is to get 50 emails on 50 different topics on the same day. Respect your coach has a life. When you can, group your questions together and ask them all at once. Save the urgent text messages for things that are time sensitive (i.e.: I can’t swim today – can I do tomorrow’s bike instead?). I personally tend to make suggestions when I can’t do something (see previous example)…which makes it easy for my coach to say “Sounds good”…unless it doesn’t, in which case, he’ll suggest something else.
• Take advantage of group training opportunities: If your coach offers free group training sessions (some do and some don’t), take advantage of them. They are a great way to meet other people and to get face-to-face time with your coach. I can’t make most of the LPC sessions, but the ones I have been to have been fantastic. Same goes for camps, etc. If you’re going to go to one, see if your coach offers one first. Chances are as a coached athlete, you’ll get some sort of discount – and you’ll have the benefit of working with a coach/coaches that know you.
• Trust your coach: This goes without saying. If you hire a coach, you really should trust him or her. Why spend the money otherwise? That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask questions and that you always need to agree with what they recommend (although most of the time you probably should) – just that you need to trust they know what they’re doing and that they’re plan will help you be successful.
• Be honest: When it comes to your training, be honest with your coach. I can’t imagine any coach expects you to nail every single workout. If you do, your plan might not be hard enough. But don’t be afraid to say you can’t do a workout, or to say you skipped one. Make sure your coach knows if you’re stressed from work or feel exhausted. These things can all factor into how well you do a workout and might mean your coach suggests you do something else. Sometimes rest really is the right answer. Think of your coach as a co-conspirator…they want to help you succeed. But they can’t plan if they don’t know all the facts.

 

So there you have it. Highlights of my experience working with Coach Mark of Loaring Personal Coaching. I hope you found some of this interesting and possibly helpful if you're thinking about hiring your own coach.

Happy to answer any questions you might have about working with a coach. Just post them in the comments! 

 

An interview with my coach Mark Linseman of LPC

I’ve been working with Coach Mark Linseman of Loaring Personal Coaching for over a year now (If you want to read about why I decided to hire a coach, take a look at my original post on the subject). I can honestly say it has been an incredible experience.

To celebrate the milestone, I asked Coach Mark if he’d mind doing an interview. Thankfully, he said yes! Given how much I’ve learned from him over the year, I really wanted to share some of his perspectives on coaching and training with you.

Our interview covered a wide range of topics: from his background and experience, his thoughts about working with me, his advice to new (and not-so-new) triathletes.

I admit, I found his answers fascinating. I think you will too.

Hope you enjoy!

Interview with Coach Mark Linseman of Loaring Personal Coaching

Why did you get into coaching?

I did a Masters in Exercise Nutrition & Metabolism at the University of Guelph. My thesis examined the importance of hydration and carbohydrate intake in hockey players. We found some "significant differences" between different conditions in our group of subjects, and we published a paper. But I was even more interested in some of the things we saw on an individual level. Of course anyone who knows about human research knows you can't publish a study with only one subject. So I was looking for a way to investigate individual differences while also using the evidence-based knowledge I gained (and continue to gain) from scientific research.

Coaching was a natural fit. It is basically an endless series of experiments with an "n" (number of subjects) of 1. As luck would have it, LPC Coach James Loaring happened to be looking for an associate coach, so I jumped at the opportunity. I have also done a lot of triathlons, which makes it easier to be a triathlon coach. 

What do you think sets LPC and teamLPC apart?

What sets LPC apart is doing more than just scheduling workouts. We provide highly personalized coaching for athletes of all levels, but we also provide more than that. Swim video sessions, bike testing, weekly group training sessions, clinics, races, a week-long training camp in Florida, hydration and fueling analysis (coming soon!), and above all, we try and create a supportive, inclusive and infectious team atmosphere.

We also recently launched the Hurdle Project, a not-for-profit subsection of LPC aimed at supporting our elite and future elite athletes, as well as a few dedicated young professionals who strive to succeed in both their work and their sport. 

What do you find to be the most rewarding and/or most challenging part of coaching?

One of the biggest challenges is trying to balance the scientific end of things with the individual end of things. The science may tell you one thing, but the individual tells you another. It's up to me to figure out when to side with the science and when to side with the individual. Or when to just flip a coin.

Coaching is very rewarding. I get to work with a lot of really great and unique people, people who are a constant source of motivation and inspiration for me. I get daily updates which show me how passionate and dedicated they are. I can't help but be inspired by that.

Your educational background is in exercise nutrition and metabolism. What's the most important thing people overlook when it comes to nutrition for triathlon?

The most important thing people overlook is themselves. Practice fueling and hydrating in your training and figure out what works for you. That may be different from what works for your training partner, or what works for that guy in that book you read.

If you are not sure where to start, come in for a hydration & fueling analysis! 

What are the accomplishments you're most proud of – in sport and in life?

My proudest sports-related accomplishment is winning my hometown race, the BluewaterTriathlon. I came off the bike in the lead, but got passed halfway through the run. At that point, I honestly felt that it was over. I wasn't going to win. Then I figured, why not see if I could keep up for a little bit? So I gathered myself and kept pace with my competitor, figuring I'd just see if I could hold on for another km. Then 1km turned into 2, and 3, and 4 – and suddenly I could see the finish. I sprinted to the line and won by a couple steps. Obviously the win was great, but more than that, I found out that I could push myself harder than I had previously thought I could.

My proudest non-sports accomplishment was completing my Masters thesis. Not only did I prove to myself that I could overcome obstacles and road blocks that at first seemed impassable, but I also learned from some very smart people how to think critically and how to apply scientific knowledge to real-life situations.

What's been the most important lesson (or two) you've learned from the coaches you've had over your life?

Consistency can help you achieve a lot of things. Success is gained not just by "working hard," but by constant gradual improvement.

What's been the most unique part about working with me this past year, compared to your other athletes?

Aside from this interview (which is great by the way!), I would have to say your attention to detail. You are impeccable in terms of recording times, paces, general comments about workouts, suggestions and questions about future workouts and planning...and you even make sure to enter future travel plans and scheduling issues right into TrainingPeaks so I don't miss them! Your commitment to improvement (and your amazing attitude) is very apparent in the feedback you give me every day.

What do you think my biggest improvements have been over the past year (recognizing you didn't work with me before that)?

 Running. 10k, half marathon, marathon, running off the bike in triathlon.

Where do you think my biggest opportunities for improvement are over the next few years?

Biking! Judging by the power numbers you've produced this winter, you have some huge potential here if you can continue to improve your outdoor riding skills.

What do you think makes a successful athlete/coach relationship?

I feel like I need to ask you the same question! From my perspective, I want an athlete who gives honest feedback, who is motivated to improve, and who strives to have their training complement the other aspects of their life.

Aside: Since he asked…my own answer is a coach who gets me as an individual (i.e., my goals, motivations and strengths/weaknesses) – who can help me improve and stretch/test my limits while having fun at the same time. For me, it’s also important to have a coach who recognizes I want to know more than just what to do training-wise. I also want to know why I’m doing it…which means a coach who doesn’t mind my asking questions.

For readers…Recognize that not all coaches/athletes share the same views of coaching, so fit is important – so don’t be afraid to ask questions about a prospective coach’s style before you decide to work with him or her. Personally, I think communication is essential – it’s one of the reasons I really like working with Coach Mark. He always provides thoughtful answers to my questions.

If you could give any advice to people just beginning their journey in triathlon, what would it be?

1.       Figure out why you like it. You can like it because it challenges you, or because it makes you feel good, or because it improves your health, or because of whatever else. You might like it for one reason at first, and then for another reason later. Either way, know why you like it.

2.      Always have a goal. It doesn't necessarily have to be performance-related, but it has to be something you can immediately point to and say, this is what is driving me to continue.

What's one question you wish more of your athletes (or potential athletes) would ask you?

It's not so much "one question" as it is "any questions." I want athletes to not be afraid to ask questions, and to not assume that I know all the answers (I know very few definite answers). In my opinion, coaching is not simply about the coach telling the athlete what to do, and the athlete doing it. It's an ongoing group project, a constant cycle of planning, execution, analysis, feedback and adjustment.

 

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I can’t finish this post without a big thank you to my Coach Mark Linseman for taking the time to answer all these questions. I hope you found his perspective and thoughts as interesting as I did.

 

As mentioned, Coach Mark works with Loaring Personal Coaching. For more information about their coaching options, Florida Triathlon Camp (I will be going for a third time this March), and athlete testing services --  click here.

 

If you liked this interview - let me know. I would love to include more interviews with athletes, coaches, and event managers on here - but only if it's something you'd find interesting!

Speaking of interesting, if you'd like to read my thoughts about working with Coach Mark over this past year (and some) -- stay tuned for my next post.