So I have been going at this being coached thing for a few weeks now, and it's been extremely rewarding. A few times it has been hard, but no matter what, I have felt like I have been doing things right. Sometimes getting training in can be tough with two kids and making sure I spend all the time I can with them and help out my wife as much as possible. Especially when she is doing most of the child care being on maternity leave.
Since starting my coaching with Patrick Brady Coaching, I have been all-in. Each workout has been performed to the best of my abilities to fit to the parameters of what has been laid before me. Whether it means pushing my limits or holding myself back. Below you can see an overview of my training and get just a little bit of an idea of how Training Peaks lays out when you are using their premium functions with a coach. Something I highly recommend.
For the most part, I can fit in one training session per day. Usually between 60-90 minutes. With the right game plan, this can work very well. But I have to show up every session and make it count. This week I have been fortunate to have some extra time with my wife traveling to see family with the kiddos I can fit in some extra sessions. I am paying for it on one end. Being extremely fatigued and wanting nothing to do but eat and sleep between sessions has been the norm.
Being the 'off-season' I have been able to concentrate on my weaknesses and having this type of feedback from each workout, my coach can really get into what I need to work on as we progress. For now, the sessions are very bike and swim focus with a few easy run sessions for building an aerobic base. Both my swim and bike sessions are leading with a good warm-up and lots of technique styled drills. For swimming I am doing much more kick drills than I ever had, and to have my CSS (critical swim speed) accounted for, he can build sets out on prescribed sets. Or as he puts it, efforts given for rest. Most of my sets are 'leave on 1:45' or something like that. Meaning, the harder I work in each rep of a set, the longer rest I get. On the other hand, for the bike he has had me doing a lot of technique drills. Mostly built around single leg isolated pedaling for 30-60 seconds each leg for 4-6 reps, as well as max cadence drills for 30-90 seconds with rest between. Not max effort and max cadence. The max cadence drills are built for building up the ability to spin naturally at a higher cadence, opening up my muscles to flow more oxygen instead of building up lactic acid so fast working slower and bigger muscles.
Needless to say, I have seen drastic improvements in just the first 2.5 weeks of training, even with no days off yet. Nothing necessarily in the form of speed, but my technique in swim and bike has come a long long way in such as short time. I am feeling much more well-rounded in those two sports and can feel these efforts are going to pay off in the long run.
-Dave
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