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Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon
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Anyone read this and/or have any thoughts on Matt's approach? I like his approach so far about scaling around a busy life of work & family and not just scaling a pro's routine. I'm getting older and can't seemingly just throttle myself daily physically or from a time standpoint with a small business, baby & wife.

I was a bit skeptical buying a triathlon training book because after 10+ years in the sport (some years more than others) I figured I know it all but my performances and motivation have been waning over the last couple of years and figured something new was needed for 2019. Sadly, I can't afford a coach but I like everything I'd heard or read from Matt and Purple Patch.

Reading this, you'd think I have some affiliation with Matt or a reason to help him sell his book but sadly, I don't and wouldn't know the guy if he walked into my home.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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I have the book but have not yet read it. I have been hoping to absorb the material through osmosis but that has not happened yet.


.

Once, I was fast. But I got over it.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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I used this for my IMAZ training this year. I think it’s a great plan. I guess a coach would give you more detail and structure tho. I’ll see in a week if it was good.

The only issue I had was that I work early and have to do brick workouts during the week to keep up.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [hblake] [ In reply to ]
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hblake wrote:

I have the book but have not yet read it. I have been hoping to absorb the material through osmosis but that has not happened yet.


.

I've been doing this for years! I'm basically a walking encyclopedia by now.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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I read it and got some good nuggets. My big takeaway is that AGers try to cram in too much training in order to get as close to a "pro-like" volume and would be better served to make sure they are getting the rest they need.

Better to be under-trained and ready to rock on race day than overtrained and divorced with supervised visitation of your kids.*

*Haven't done a triathlon in 3+ years. Have spent a fuckton of mornings/nights/weekend time with my family with no regrets.

/kj

http://kjmcawesome.tumblr.com/
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [kjmcawesome] [ In reply to ]
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It has quite a bit of detail in the workouts imo. Especially bike workouts.

I've followed it (although not to a tee), and find it a good guide and useful. My wife still didn't like how much time its ironman training plan suggested though...and I've recently put on hold my half ironman plans as we have our first kid due in Feb.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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I read the book. The approach -- including global life stress into training load -- resonated with me, so I put it into practice and started coming back to life after years of burn-out and overuse injuries. I hired one of his assistant coaches for custom coaching. Best coaching relationship I've ever had. This year was my first season in a decade where I wasn't plagued by overuse injuries. I set a 70.3 PR in tough race conditions, and managed to feel like a sane human being the whole time. Perhaps most importantly of all, my wife is happy -- all is calm on the domestic front. Looking forward the 2019 season, racing fit and fresh.
Last edited by: wintershade: Feb 8, 19 14:03
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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I used his plan for Waco 70.3. during training, my wife was diagnosed with a health issue. So, obviously, I defaulted to Matt's minimally-necessary workouts. Helped me stay sane, and spend my time where I was needed. The workout options, by time, helped a lot. I did fine in Waco. Buy it.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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I read both Well Built Triathlete and Fast Track Triathlete in early 2018 to help me prepare for Ironman Maryland. I read The Well Built Triathlete first and found the information to be of more value to me in my training compared to FTT. I cant commit a lot of time to training. I work about 55 hrs per week, working 6 days per week. My kids are older so I dont have much in terms of hands-on parenting duties. I did IMMD in 12:48 and trained an average of 8 hours per week in the 14 weeks leading up to the race.

The information I gleaned from these books is to develop a thorough IM race plan for all 3 disciplines, as well as for nutrition/hydration. Dont forget the mental aspects of the event....the books gave good advice about being mentally prepared. For my peak training period, I focused on the weekly long workout for each sport, and tracked my workout times and distances to my training plan. This worked for me.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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As a coach and listening to Matt on his podcast and reading his book, his message resonates with my approach.

I specialize in the busy life style endurance coaching. With 3 kids, full time working wife, busy day job with travel myself, I have experimented and learned how to piece a plan together working around real life and Matt's philosophy has verbalized and confirmed a lot of what I have learned.

I don't have the endurance engine to KQ, but I have noticed the need for recovery and proper nutrition as I have matured. I'm able to complete full IM events and not be injured and not sacrifice the family AND keep my sanity in less training hours that meets my schedule.

Matt's philosophy works in harmony with that.

Ryan
http://www.SetThePaceTriathlon.com
http://www.TriathlonTrainingDaddy.com
I got plans - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/...dotcom#trainingplans
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [hblake] [ In reply to ]
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bahahaha. I keep thinking if I put the book next to my trainer it will magically get into my brain. I'm still on page 1.


hblake wrote:


I have the book but have not yet read it. I have been hoping to absorb the material through osmosis but that has not happened yet.


.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [kjmcawesome] [ In reply to ]
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I also liked his idea of training for triathlon as being ONE sport rather than 3 individual sports. As a former collegiate runner, I don't think I'd ever really thought about it that way. It was always more of working on my swim and/or bike to get to the run.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [wintershade] [ In reply to ]
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wintershade wrote:
The approach -- including global life stress into training load --

Does he provide a quantitative model for this, or is it more observational?
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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I followed this plan for Augusta 70.3. No issues for me.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [brando] [ In reply to ]
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Observational. How to measure life stress (eg cross country travel, red eyes, up all night with sick baby, etc) seems rather had to quantify?
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [wintershade] [ In reply to ]
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The initial sense that I get is almost that you have to create your own scale or at least factor these things in. Everyone is different so it's hard to put a scale on it. I'm not all the way through it yet so maybe it's explained more later.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [brando] [ In reply to ]
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brando wrote:
wintershade wrote:
The approach -- including global life stress into training load --


Does he provide a quantitative model for this, or is it more observational?

He does not. I don't think he would want it to be either as the observational model makes the athlete more self-aware potentially as well (case by case). It challenges them more as well, then just to rely on the numbers.

It fits his model as well, he is not numbers specific, think opposite of Kropelnicki.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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I have enjoyed the book. Good balanced perspective which is good for me now that I am getting a little older. The workouts and training plans included are solid. I have been doing workouts from the half Ironman schedule and have really enjoyed the way that they are structured. I plan to use the training schedule from this book to prepare for the Gulf Coast Triathlon in May of next year.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [kbd] [ In reply to ]
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Maybe I’m the exception. Bought the book based on how much I like the podcasts (lots).
Thought it was an ok read but I haven’t picked it up since finishing it. Nothing there to get me away from:

Swim - Masters group
Bike - TrainerRoad
Run - Barry P

However, I’d say for the price you can pick this book up for just give it a read and see how it suits you.

Dan
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [DanCT] [ In reply to ]
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[/url]Hi all ! Glad to be here among you!

Currently I’m following the 14 weeks Half Iron plan from Fast Track Triathlete. I like the general approach of “training in real life circumstances” and the idea of using more RPE than strict intensity metrics for daily workouts.

The training plans are described in Zones (1 to 5, easy to hard) for the bike and run and I find easy to use RPE and review the output with information from the devices (as Matt recommend at some point)

However, for the swimming, there is another approach, describing efforts with percentages. For example 2 X (100 y/m at 70%, 100 y/m at 80%, 100 y/m at 90%) or even 2 X (100 y/m at 75%, 100 y/m at 85%, 100 y/m at 90-95%).

This is very hard for me to fallow, because it is harder to judge intensity in water, not to speak about making the difference between 80% and 85% efforts. Additionally, 80% intensity for 100 y/m is different from 80% intensity for 200 or 300 y/m.


Any advice, please? How do you managed to apply the swimming intensity for the swim workouts from the book?
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [Marius] [ In reply to ]
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqPkHxtWMqY


Listen to this tower26 podcast. Gerry Rodrigues was Matt Dixon 's coach and their training methods are very similar.
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [amenbreak] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you very much for your help !
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [hblake] [ In reply to ]
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hblake wrote:


I have the book but have not yet read it. I have been hoping to absorb the material through osmosis but that has not happened yet.


.

Got it last summer! Trying the Osmosis thing as well! For some reason it is not working. Wonder what I`m doing wrong!

In a serious note: I will read it for my next HIM cycle ( that is already behind schedule )
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Re: Fast Track Triathlete - Matt Dixon [pacco] [ In reply to ]
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Balance is key to a happy life. This book does a good job of balancing the stresses of family, work and triathlon. I have the book and like it.
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