Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

$100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation?
Quote | Reply
Okay I'm going to be moving to my new house soon, which means I can drop a gym membership. It is $70 a month. I'm also going to save a bit on gas, tolls, etc., but the mortgage is going to be more.

I really don't like the idea of having a coach, because I am afraid it will ruin the fun aspect of training and triathlon, but I think some feedback and accountability for training could be useful.

So for $100 a month I can get my local coaches basic plan. His other plans all involve lactate blood testing and some really advance things that I really don't want or think I need at this stage. But would I be better off just going with EN and getting all of their plans, and coaches and other members' input as well?

Anyone that has done both or has good experience with either, then I'm all ears.

--------------------------------------------------------

You will remain the same person, before, during and after the race. So the result, no matter how important, will not define you. The journey is what matters. ~ Chrissie W.
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I'd go with door #3. HTFU

Really, this isn't rocket surgery.

What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [Printer86] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Printer86 wrote:
I'd go with door #3. HTFU

Really, this isn't rocket surgery.

You might be right. I've thought that all along and it's taken me this far.

--------------------------------------------------------

You will remain the same person, before, during and after the race. So the result, no matter how important, will not define you. The journey is what matters. ~ Chrissie W.
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I was trying to be a little funny there, but what I'm really saying is that you can probably build a better plan yourself. I always fall back on my A/B plan. Which is an alternating 2 day plan consisting of the following:

Day A: Morning Swim, Afternoon run workout
Day B: Morning easy run, Afternoon bike workout.

You can do my A/B plan during the weekdays and mix it up on the weekends. You don't even have to send me the $100.

What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
What does the local coach's basic plan entail? Will he sit down and build you something that will work within your schedule all the way from prep to base to build, incorporating everything from weight training to bricks and multi-ability workouts designed to target all your energy systems in the proper amounts with the A, B, and C races planned in that you want to do? Or is he just going to be a motivator that keeps you accountable to the basic schedule he has drawn up that you might or might not be able to follow? I don't know anything about EN, but I would compare what they offer and see which is the best value, with the local guy winning the upper hand from being able to possibly talk face to face with him occasionally and maybe even do group workouts with his other athletes among other things.

-Bryan Journey
Travel Blog | Training Blog | Facebook Page
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Lots of people swear by them. I believe they have a trial period, although short. I would try it out. If you don't like it after the trial, get a refund. If you don't like it after a month, reconsider a coach.

Lots of coaches have initial setup fees and I think it's harder to break up with a coach than with endurance nation. A coach will just be like "Give it time...the plan will work" and even if you hate him you'll feel bad you're not giving him a chance and want to keep going.

So try EN, if you don't like it, try something else!

CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [Printer86] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Printer86 wrote:
I'd go with door #3. HTFU

Really, this isn't rocket surgery.

x2 There is plenty of free info out there - figuring out what works for you is half the fun. Take your $100 per month and use it on cool gear.
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [Printer86] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
So you workout twice a day everyday? Run everyday? One week is 3 swims/3 bikes, while the other week is 4 swims/4 bikes?
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [JustinD] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The A/B plan is my guide, its not an absolute for me. I don't always hit all the sessions due to travel, races and other life events, but I know if I'm in the ballpark I'm improving.

This year has been tough on the schedule with several trips to Florida for family stuff (no biking or swimming during March and April) and a relocation to Massachusetts in May.

Here's my log: http://www.workoutlog.com/...lic/pmcgahan/log.cfm

I've got an Oly in August and possibly one more Tri in the early fall before I transition back to marathon training over the winter.

What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
here's $0.02 from my MOP perspective.

i am pretty new to this game, so i am in that enjoyable learning phase. i also am time constrained, so i feel like i need to get max value from my limited workouts. this makes me seek out plans and programs and all sorts of offerings, even if its just to learn more. i also enjoy the stoke, cammraderie, etc, from ST. it makes it fun to look into this tri community.

EN plays to that really well. it is for the enthusiastic time constrained triathlete. "return on investment" (ROI) is their mantra. that's for time, effort, and money. they deliver the product thru a online community that has forums and threads that are (a tiny bit) like ST. it suits me well. it can get a little techy; it is Powermeter and VDot centric. but you can do it without that stuff.

in my local scene, coaching programs don't look appealing until you got around $300 a month. that number transcends "hobby" for me.



if you decide you want to try EN, send me a PM. there is a referral program. good for both of us.

Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Since you are asking for input, here's mine. Save your $100 per month for other things. You'll need it for the new house.

I've been using Matt Fitzgerald's book, Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide, http://www.amazon.com/...?tag=duckduckgo-d-20, for several years.

The book costs less than $20 and has multiple training plans depending on how much time you want to spend training. I've used the plans with success for Sprint, Olympic, Half-Ironman, and Ironman distances. The plans are easily modified depending on your circumstances.

Any advice you want from EN, you can get for free from their website or the articles they put out on active.com, etc., regarding pacing. Their advice on pacing is good.

Take care.
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
AnthonyS wrote:
Okay I'm going to be moving to my new house soon, which means I can drop a gym membership. It is $70 a month. I'm also going to save a bit on gas, tolls, etc., but the mortgage is going to be more.

I really don't like the idea of having a coach, because I am afraid it will ruin the fun aspect of training and triathlon, but I think some feedback and accountability for training could be useful.

So for $100 a month I can get my local coaches basic plan. His other plans all involve lactate blood testing and some really advance things that I really don't want or think I need at this stage. But would I be better off just going with EN and getting all of their plans, and coaches and other members' input as well?

Anyone that has done both or has good experience with either, then I'm all ears.

I won't answer your question directly, because I'm in a somewhat similar position of deciding whether I should get a coach, but might give you some EN-related perspective.

I have done 3 EN plans so far. First was an 'outseason' plan for the 2010-2011 off-season. Their concept of using the off-season to hit PBs on 5k/10k run and FTP on the bike by working hard made more sense for me than trying to build base miles on lethal unlit country roads in the cold, wet and dark winter.

I then used 70.3 and short course plans for 2011 race season.

For the 2011-2012 off-season and race season I have since modified the plans heavily to suit my own schedule and limiters. EG - Swimming 4-5 mornings per week as it is my limiter, and adding 2hr and 3 hr rides at the weekend in which I will incorporate 2x20s or 5x5s as per Flanagan's FTP plan.

This has worked well for me, so I am not really doing an EN plan anymore, but a plan based somewhat on it. This is costing me $0 per month and I'm 9 mins faster on olympics and 4 mins faster on sprints than last year (1:07-1:10 for sprints, 2:15-2:20 for olympics this year, 40-44 AG).

I won't use EN directly again until I'm doing my first IM (if at all), but they have played a big part for getting me to where I am and have been the biggest influence on my training plan.

So like yourself I am at a decision point about a coach: could a coach make me better next year than I have a right to expect based on my 4min/9min improvements from 2011-2012?

My coach choices are:

1. Local coach - no power experience, younger than me, but some athletes who show good improvement. $100/mo
2. Local coach #2 - not power based I think, very experienced, has coached elite athletes racing at international events, not coaching top people at the moment $100/mo
3. Some higher-level on-line coach. Thinking maybe a trainingbible guy for $185/mo.

So, not to hijack your thread too much, pure-EN and modified-EN plans have a lot of benefit in them. Your coach would have to be pretty good to top them. No need in my opinion to sign up to a monthly EN payment. Wait until they have a sale on their individual plans.
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
It is hard to beat the product that EN gives you for that price. Plus, if you stick around for a while or send them your friends, you pay less. I think it also depends on what you are racing. If you want to do any of the WTC 70.3 or IM races, you will probably have 10-30 "team mates" at the race to get some mojo from. Try them out, you can always cancel if you are not getting your moneys worth. As for the local guy, he could be great, but what is your commitment to him if you want to just get your feet wet and try him out? There are plenty of "do it yourself" plans out there too, just make sure the plan is not running you into the ground, its hard to race when you are injured all the time. Good luck with the new house and the new coach!
Quote Reply
Re: $100 a month; local coach vs. Endurance Nation? [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
AnthonyS wrote:
Okay I'm going to be moving to my new house soon, which means I can drop a gym membership. It is $70 a month. I'm also going to save a bit on gas, tolls, etc., but the mortgage is going to be more.

I really don't like the idea of having a coach, because I am afraid it will ruin the fun aspect of training and triathlon, but I think some feedback and accountability for training could be useful.

So for $100 a month I can get my local coaches basic plan. His other plans all involve lactate blood testing and some really advance things that I really don't want or think I need at this stage. But would I be better off just going with EN and getting all of their plans, and coaches and other members' input as well?

Anyone that has done both or has good experience with either, then I'm all ears.

Thanks for your interest in Endurance Nation. How we work and what we provide for our members is very difficult for us to convey with a simple web page so we encourage you to create a free 5-day trial membership so you can decide if we are a good fit for you, your training, coaching, and racing needs, and most importantly for your budget. We will remind you daily that you can cancel before being billed, we'll refund your money, no questions asked, if you forget. We will refund your money if you decide you've made a mistake. The last thing we want on our team is someone who doesn't want to be there so we will happily make it very easy for you leave if we are not a good fit for you.

Please go here to learn more about us and to create a free 5-day trial membership.

Thanks again,

--

Rich Strauss
Endurance Nation Ironman 2013 and 2014 World Champion TriClub, Div I
Create a FREE 7-day trial membership
Quote Reply