From Spin Bike to Ironman (Case Study)
Progress through Endurance Sports
The idea for this article came to me while creating a podcast exploring the focal points of my client’s endurance careers and deciding when it was time to make changes to their goals and programming.
Many of my clients began working with me as beginners, and one particular client, let’s call her Natalie, immediately came to mind.
Listen to Training to Race podcast
Before we began, Natalie’s past athletic endeavours were confined to cardio classes. Fast forward three years, and Nat now has one Ironman under her belt and is currently training for her second.
Working with Natalie made me ask myself, “What are the nuances in the way I approach her current training program compared to when we first started?” The coaching process has largely remained the same, however, the focus has shifted.
3 tools every athlete needs during their endurance journey
#1 – Essentials
For athletes in any endurance discipline, it always comes down to education, expectations and goals. This ensures both an understanding and enjoyment of the process. The emphasis placed on education remains constant, because if you’re not learning then you are not progressing! The mental expectations won’t change, but the specificity and analysis do. Lastly, mapping out a route to success is a must for all athletes; blind trust will get you nowhere fast.
For Nat, our initial route saw her complete a sprint distance triathlon. I coached her on what training principles would get her there and what the focus points would be within each session.
#2 – Continual feedback
Once the principal routes to success are understood, feedback systems need to be set up to ensure that each training block’s goals are met. The importance of a feedback loop is twofold; it creates consistency while utilising the appropriate systems that cater specifically to each individual's ways of learning.
At the start, Natalie’s feedback included basic instructions and only a few focus points. We continued to follow the same process when she began training for her Ironman, however, with a larger skill set and increased level of knowledge, we could now expand upon the detail found within her feedback loop.
#3 – Promoting mental toughness
Endurance sports are hard at the best of times, and no one will ever pass go if they don’t have the right mindset. For Natalie, failure was never an option. Each event was purely a learning experience. Creating an environment and mindset where there is no failure is a method I use with all of my clients.
It’s simple mental maths really. Removing the ominous question “what if I fail?” also negates fear, thus allowing athletes to push themselves further. Through this process, I was able to expose Natalie to more hardship and test her limits, thereby creating a more mentally resilient athlete.
Final thoughts
These tools, like a lot of coaching standards, are ever present within training systems. The focus will always depend on each client’s level and duration in the sport, but it must be done from the start. It will take time, patience and mindful application that is driven by the athlete.
Fun - Honesty - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - HARD WORK
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NEW TIMINGS, DAYS & CLASSES! PLEASE CHECK MINDBODY FOR THE SCHEDULE AND CLASS DETAILS!
ENGINE
We are putting into practice the pacing strategies we learned in the last two weeks' EMOM style. This week, we will ski, Bike, and row.
GYMNASTICS
Hanging from the bar and getting upside down is what is happening in gymnastics this week. We will be breaking down the bar muscle-up and focusing on the movement technique; then, we will move to some handstand walks again, breaking down the movement and spending some time walking on our hands!
HYROX
For all levels: learning to recover on the run after a hard station. Hyrox Strength work into short runs.
MOBILITY
This week we continue with hip mobility moving into ankle mobility & foot stability drills, with shoulder mobility finisher.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with some deadlift doubles and some heavy single-leg work and finish off with a “Rump Pump”. Wednesday, we will progress in loading the Close Grip Bench Press and work through a little t-shirt filler to end the session.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week, the focus is on Clean and Jerks, where we will be hitting some clusters and then Clean Doubles into 1 Jerk!
Track Tuesday
We begin set 1 of our over/under block. This is all about threshold!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
We return to outdoor intervals this week! Some strength work into Vo2 max, 90min session!
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
A fartlek session into some 8min blocks this week. A tough run that will deliver some big stimulus!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Brick
Start time: 5:29 am
Our tri season opener! Get in touch with tw@innerfight.com to find out the plan.
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Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
This week we will be holding that 7/10 feeling for 8 min blocks with a 3 mins recovery.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
800m of over/unders is on the menu today. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
Today we will cycle through 1 min on/off intervals. Keep the 1 min off nice and easy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
After some strides we will have some longer tempo blocks for you here.
.jpg)
We are kicking off the week with some technique work on the Hang Power Snatch before diving into a triplet of Wall Balls, Rowing and Burpees. Tuesday is focused on our strict pulling strength and some heavy Jerks in the skill and the workout. Wednesday will be a tough leg day with the Zercher squat and a heavy Dumbbell workout. Thursday, we have some TTB skill work and then an ascending and descending AMRAP to get through. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Deadlifts into a savage workout with the barbell!
Monday:
Strength:
A) Snatch Grip DL + Hang Snatch Pull + Hang Muscle Snatch
B) Hang Power Snatch
Conditioning:
In a 12-minute window 3 rounds
21 wall balls
15 cal row
9 burpee over the rower
Max cal row in the remaining time
Tuesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B Push Jerk & % of Pull-Ups from Part A
Conditioning:
3 min amrap
3 STOH ( 60/45)
10 pull-ups
15 box jump
rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Strength:
Zercher Squats
Conditioning:
22 mins AMRAP
16 suitcase reverse lunge (2x50/35)
50 DU
8 dual DB Front Squat
Park Run
Thursday:
Strength:
A) TTB
B) Incline DB Bench Press & % of TTB from Part A
Conditioning:
9 min Amrap
3 push-ups on DBS
3 Alt renegade rows (2x50/35)
3 cal ski
(+ 3 reps on each movement each round)
Rest 3 mins
For time: AMRAP in reverse
Friday:
Strength:
A) Deadlift
Conditioning:
Therapyyyyyyy, we carry over the barbell into a savage workout! One you do not want to miss!
The idea for this article came to me while creating a podcast exploring the focal points of my client’s endurance careers and deciding when it was time to make changes to their goals and programming.
Many of my clients began working with me as beginners, and one particular client, let’s call her Natalie, immediately came to mind.
Listen to Training to Race podcast
Before we began, Natalie’s past athletic endeavours were confined to cardio classes. Fast forward three years, and Nat now has one Ironman under her belt and is currently training for her second.
Working with Natalie made me ask myself, “What are the nuances in the way I approach her current training program compared to when we first started?” The coaching process has largely remained the same, however, the focus has shifted.
3 tools every athlete needs during their endurance journey
#1 – Essentials
For athletes in any endurance discipline, it always comes down to education, expectations and goals. This ensures both an understanding and enjoyment of the process. The emphasis placed on education remains constant, because if you’re not learning then you are not progressing! The mental expectations won’t change, but the specificity and analysis do. Lastly, mapping out a route to success is a must for all athletes; blind trust will get you nowhere fast.
For Nat, our initial route saw her complete a sprint distance triathlon. I coached her on what training principles would get her there and what the focus points would be within each session.
#2 – Continual feedback
Once the principal routes to success are understood, feedback systems need to be set up to ensure that each training block’s goals are met. The importance of a feedback loop is twofold; it creates consistency while utilising the appropriate systems that cater specifically to each individual's ways of learning.
At the start, Natalie’s feedback included basic instructions and only a few focus points. We continued to follow the same process when she began training for her Ironman, however, with a larger skill set and increased level of knowledge, we could now expand upon the detail found within her feedback loop.
#3 – Promoting mental toughness
Endurance sports are hard at the best of times, and no one will ever pass go if they don’t have the right mindset. For Natalie, failure was never an option. Each event was purely a learning experience. Creating an environment and mindset where there is no failure is a method I use with all of my clients.
It’s simple mental maths really. Removing the ominous question “what if I fail?” also negates fear, thus allowing athletes to push themselves further. Through this process, I was able to expose Natalie to more hardship and test her limits, thereby creating a more mentally resilient athlete.
Final thoughts
These tools, like a lot of coaching standards, are ever present within training systems. The focus will always depend on each client’s level and duration in the sport, but it must be done from the start. It will take time, patience and mindful application that is driven by the athlete.
Fun - Honesty - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - HARD WORK
Track Tuesday
We begin set 1 of our over/under block. This is all about threshold!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
We return to outdoor intervals this week! Some strength work into Vo2 max, 90min session!
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
A fartlek session into some 8min blocks this week. A tough run that will deliver some big stimulus!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Brick
Start time: 5:29 am
Our tri season opener! Get in touch with tw@innerfight.com to find out the plan.
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
This week we will be holding that 7/10 feeling for 8 min blocks with a 3 mins recovery.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
800m of over/unders is on the menu today. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
Today we will cycle through 1 min on/off intervals. Keep the 1 min off nice and easy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
After some strides we will have some longer tempo blocks for you here.
We are kicking off the week with some technique work on the Hang Power Snatch before diving into a triplet of Wall Balls, Rowing and Burpees. Tuesday is focused on our strict pulling strength and some heavy Jerks in the skill and the workout. Wednesday will be a tough leg day with the Zercher squat and a heavy Dumbbell workout. Thursday, we have some TTB skill work and then an ascending and descending AMRAP to get through. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Deadlifts into a savage workout with the barbell!
Monday:
Strength:
A) Snatch Grip DL + Hang Snatch Pull + Hang Muscle Snatch
B) Hang Power Snatch
Conditioning:
In a 12-minute window 3 rounds
21 wall balls
15 cal row
9 burpee over the rower
Max cal row in the remaining time
Tuesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B Push Jerk & % of Pull-Ups from Part A
Conditioning:
3 min amrap
3 STOH ( 60/45)
10 pull-ups
15 box jump
rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Strength:
Zercher Squats
Conditioning:
22 mins AMRAP
16 suitcase reverse lunge (2x50/35)
50 DU
8 dual DB Front Squat
Park Run
Thursday:
Strength:
A) TTB
B) Incline DB Bench Press & % of TTB from Part A
Conditioning:
9 min Amrap
3 push-ups on DBS
3 Alt renegade rows (2x50/35)
3 cal ski
(+ 3 reps on each movement each round)
Rest 3 mins
For time: AMRAP in reverse
Friday:
Strength:
A) Deadlift
Conditioning:
Therapyyyyyyy, we carry over the barbell into a savage workout! One you do not want to miss!
NEW TIMINGS, DAYS & CLASSES! PLEASE CHECK MINDBODY FOR THE SCHEDULE AND CLASS DETAILS!
ENGINE
We are putting into practice the pacing strategies we learned in the last two weeks' EMOM style. This week, we will ski, Bike, and row.
GYMNASTICS
Hanging from the bar and getting upside down is what is happening in gymnastics this week. We will be breaking down the bar muscle-up and focusing on the movement technique; then, we will move to some handstand walks again, breaking down the movement and spending some time walking on our hands!
HYROX
For all levels: learning to recover on the run after a hard station. Hyrox Strength work into short runs.
MOBILITY
This week we continue with hip mobility moving into ankle mobility & foot stability drills, with shoulder mobility finisher.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with some deadlift doubles and some heavy single-leg work and finish off with a “Rump Pump”. Wednesday, we will progress in loading the Close Grip Bench Press and work through a little t-shirt filler to end the session.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week, the focus is on Clean and Jerks, where we will be hitting some clusters and then Clean Doubles into 1 Jerk!
The idea for this article came to me while creating a podcast exploring the focal points of my client’s endurance careers and deciding when it was time to make changes to their goals and programming.
Many of my clients began working with me as beginners, and one particular client, let’s call her Natalie, immediately came to mind.
Listen to Training to Race podcast
Before we began, Natalie’s past athletic endeavours were confined to cardio classes. Fast forward three years, and Nat now has one Ironman under her belt and is currently training for her second.
Working with Natalie made me ask myself, “What are the nuances in the way I approach her current training program compared to when we first started?” The coaching process has largely remained the same, however, the focus has shifted.
3 tools every athlete needs during their endurance journey
#1 – Essentials
For athletes in any endurance discipline, it always comes down to education, expectations and goals. This ensures both an understanding and enjoyment of the process. The emphasis placed on education remains constant, because if you’re not learning then you are not progressing! The mental expectations won’t change, but the specificity and analysis do. Lastly, mapping out a route to success is a must for all athletes; blind trust will get you nowhere fast.
For Nat, our initial route saw her complete a sprint distance triathlon. I coached her on what training principles would get her there and what the focus points would be within each session.
#2 – Continual feedback
Once the principal routes to success are understood, feedback systems need to be set up to ensure that each training block’s goals are met. The importance of a feedback loop is twofold; it creates consistency while utilising the appropriate systems that cater specifically to each individual's ways of learning.
At the start, Natalie’s feedback included basic instructions and only a few focus points. We continued to follow the same process when she began training for her Ironman, however, with a larger skill set and increased level of knowledge, we could now expand upon the detail found within her feedback loop.
#3 – Promoting mental toughness
Endurance sports are hard at the best of times, and no one will ever pass go if they don’t have the right mindset. For Natalie, failure was never an option. Each event was purely a learning experience. Creating an environment and mindset where there is no failure is a method I use with all of my clients.
It’s simple mental maths really. Removing the ominous question “what if I fail?” also negates fear, thus allowing athletes to push themselves further. Through this process, I was able to expose Natalie to more hardship and test her limits, thereby creating a more mentally resilient athlete.
Final thoughts
These tools, like a lot of coaching standards, are ever present within training systems. The focus will always depend on each client’s level and duration in the sport, but it must be done from the start. It will take time, patience and mindful application that is driven by the athlete.
Fun - Honesty - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - HARD WORK
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
This week we will be holding that 7/10 feeling for 8 min blocks with a 3 mins recovery.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
800m of over/unders is on the menu today. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
Today we will cycle through 1 min on/off intervals. Keep the 1 min off nice and easy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
After some strides we will have some longer tempo blocks for you here.
We are kicking off the week with some technique work on the Hang Power Snatch before diving into a triplet of Wall Balls, Rowing and Burpees. Tuesday is focused on our strict pulling strength and some heavy Jerks in the skill and the workout. Wednesday will be a tough leg day with the Zercher squat and a heavy Dumbbell workout. Thursday, we have some TTB skill work and then an ascending and descending AMRAP to get through. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Deadlifts into a savage workout with the barbell!
Monday:
Strength:
A) Snatch Grip DL + Hang Snatch Pull + Hang Muscle Snatch
B) Hang Power Snatch
Conditioning:
In a 12-minute window 3 rounds
21 wall balls
15 cal row
9 burpee over the rower
Max cal row in the remaining time
Tuesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B Push Jerk & % of Pull-Ups from Part A
Conditioning:
3 min amrap
3 STOH ( 60/45)
10 pull-ups
15 box jump
rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Strength:
Zercher Squats
Conditioning:
22 mins AMRAP
16 suitcase reverse lunge (2x50/35)
50 DU
8 dual DB Front Squat
Park Run
Thursday:
Strength:
A) TTB
B) Incline DB Bench Press & % of TTB from Part A
Conditioning:
9 min Amrap
3 push-ups on DBS
3 Alt renegade rows (2x50/35)
3 cal ski
(+ 3 reps on each movement each round)
Rest 3 mins
For time: AMRAP in reverse
Friday:
Strength:
A) Deadlift
Conditioning:
Therapyyyyyyy, we carry over the barbell into a savage workout! One you do not want to miss!
NEW TIMINGS, DAYS & CLASSES! PLEASE CHECK MINDBODY FOR THE SCHEDULE AND CLASS DETAILS!
ENGINE
We are putting into practice the pacing strategies we learned in the last two weeks' EMOM style. This week, we will ski, Bike, and row.
GYMNASTICS
Hanging from the bar and getting upside down is what is happening in gymnastics this week. We will be breaking down the bar muscle-up and focusing on the movement technique; then, we will move to some handstand walks again, breaking down the movement and spending some time walking on our hands!
HYROX
For all levels: learning to recover on the run after a hard station. Hyrox Strength work into short runs.
MOBILITY
This week we continue with hip mobility moving into ankle mobility & foot stability drills, with shoulder mobility finisher.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with some deadlift doubles and some heavy single-leg work and finish off with a “Rump Pump”. Wednesday, we will progress in loading the Close Grip Bench Press and work through a little t-shirt filler to end the session.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week, the focus is on Clean and Jerks, where we will be hitting some clusters and then Clean Doubles into 1 Jerk!
Track Tuesday
We begin set 1 of our over/under block. This is all about threshold!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
We return to outdoor intervals this week! Some strength work into Vo2 max, 90min session!
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
A fartlek session into some 8min blocks this week. A tough run that will deliver some big stimulus!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Brick
Start time: 5:29 am
Our tri season opener! Get in touch with tw@innerfight.com to find out the plan.
The idea for this article came to me while creating a podcast exploring the focal points of my client’s endurance careers and deciding when it was time to make changes to their goals and programming.
Many of my clients began working with me as beginners, and one particular client, let’s call her Natalie, immediately came to mind.
Listen to Training to Race podcast
Before we began, Natalie’s past athletic endeavours were confined to cardio classes. Fast forward three years, and Nat now has one Ironman under her belt and is currently training for her second.
Working with Natalie made me ask myself, “What are the nuances in the way I approach her current training program compared to when we first started?” The coaching process has largely remained the same, however, the focus has shifted.
3 tools every athlete needs during their endurance journey
#1 – Essentials
For athletes in any endurance discipline, it always comes down to education, expectations and goals. This ensures both an understanding and enjoyment of the process. The emphasis placed on education remains constant, because if you’re not learning then you are not progressing! The mental expectations won’t change, but the specificity and analysis do. Lastly, mapping out a route to success is a must for all athletes; blind trust will get you nowhere fast.
For Nat, our initial route saw her complete a sprint distance triathlon. I coached her on what training principles would get her there and what the focus points would be within each session.
#2 – Continual feedback
Once the principal routes to success are understood, feedback systems need to be set up to ensure that each training block’s goals are met. The importance of a feedback loop is twofold; it creates consistency while utilising the appropriate systems that cater specifically to each individual's ways of learning.
At the start, Natalie’s feedback included basic instructions and only a few focus points. We continued to follow the same process when she began training for her Ironman, however, with a larger skill set and increased level of knowledge, we could now expand upon the detail found within her feedback loop.
#3 – Promoting mental toughness
Endurance sports are hard at the best of times, and no one will ever pass go if they don’t have the right mindset. For Natalie, failure was never an option. Each event was purely a learning experience. Creating an environment and mindset where there is no failure is a method I use with all of my clients.
It’s simple mental maths really. Removing the ominous question “what if I fail?” also negates fear, thus allowing athletes to push themselves further. Through this process, I was able to expose Natalie to more hardship and test her limits, thereby creating a more mentally resilient athlete.
Final thoughts
These tools, like a lot of coaching standards, are ever present within training systems. The focus will always depend on each client’s level and duration in the sport, but it must be done from the start. It will take time, patience and mindful application that is driven by the athlete.
Fun - Honesty - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - HARD WORK
The idea for this article came to me while creating a podcast exploring the focal points of my client’s endurance careers and deciding when it was time to make changes to their goals and programming.
Many of my clients began working with me as beginners, and one particular client, let’s call her Natalie, immediately came to mind.
Listen to Training to Race podcast
Before we began, Natalie’s past athletic endeavours were confined to cardio classes. Fast forward three years, and Nat now has one Ironman under her belt and is currently training for her second.
Working with Natalie made me ask myself, “What are the nuances in the way I approach her current training program compared to when we first started?” The coaching process has largely remained the same, however, the focus has shifted.
3 tools every athlete needs during their endurance journey
#1 – Essentials
For athletes in any endurance discipline, it always comes down to education, expectations and goals. This ensures both an understanding and enjoyment of the process. The emphasis placed on education remains constant, because if you’re not learning then you are not progressing! The mental expectations won’t change, but the specificity and analysis do. Lastly, mapping out a route to success is a must for all athletes; blind trust will get you nowhere fast.
For Nat, our initial route saw her complete a sprint distance triathlon. I coached her on what training principles would get her there and what the focus points would be within each session.
#2 – Continual feedback
Once the principal routes to success are understood, feedback systems need to be set up to ensure that each training block’s goals are met. The importance of a feedback loop is twofold; it creates consistency while utilising the appropriate systems that cater specifically to each individual's ways of learning.
At the start, Natalie’s feedback included basic instructions and only a few focus points. We continued to follow the same process when she began training for her Ironman, however, with a larger skill set and increased level of knowledge, we could now expand upon the detail found within her feedback loop.
#3 – Promoting mental toughness
Endurance sports are hard at the best of times, and no one will ever pass go if they don’t have the right mindset. For Natalie, failure was never an option. Each event was purely a learning experience. Creating an environment and mindset where there is no failure is a method I use with all of my clients.
It’s simple mental maths really. Removing the ominous question “what if I fail?” also negates fear, thus allowing athletes to push themselves further. Through this process, I was able to expose Natalie to more hardship and test her limits, thereby creating a more mentally resilient athlete.
Final thoughts
These tools, like a lot of coaching standards, are ever present within training systems. The focus will always depend on each client’s level and duration in the sport, but it must be done from the start. It will take time, patience and mindful application that is driven by the athlete.
Fun - Honesty - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - HARD WORK
One-Hour Workout: Revving Your Swim Engine
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