Tag: recovery

Rockstar Triathlete; Raul Aliaga

by fullcircle, posted in ROCKSTARS

Rockstar Triathlete; Raul Aliaga

Coach’s Notes:

It has been so amazing watching Raul’s belief in his own abilities improve literally session to session. Learning about the the details of pacing yourself and as you say not BURN OUT” these are the keys to success my friend, and you have come so far. Super excited to help you on your triathlon journey there is so much more to learn! see you in 2019 for the 70.3!!! cant wait.

 

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?
I joined FCC because a friend was a member. I found out there was a lot more to becoming a triathlete than I expected. The push, the drive and encouragement I receive from the coaches combined with the great support from the rest of the team and my desire to push my limits made FCC an easy choice.

 What is your “A” race for this season?
Although I always try to improve in all races and give them an “A” race,   my A race was MiamiMan Olympic distance.

Please share your BIG goals:
Since training with FCC I have realized that anything is possible and aspiring to reach higher goals is feasible. For now I have set my next goal as 70.3 during 2019. Maybe late 2019. Or maybe early 2020. Or maybe November 2020…I mean, eventually.

Tell me about your successes so far:
From being able to complete a sprint triathlon to first place in my category at MiamiMan, I have been able to podium twice this year in my category: First place in the Trilogy 2 Sprint, first place in MiamiMan Olympic. I got an honorable mention 4th place in Escape to Miami Olympic.

One of my biggest successes this year was completing the Escape to Miami swim without burning out, having a panic attack or being eaten by a shark. Overall, my 2018 goal was to complete at least one Olympic distance triathlon and I completed two, so I am ahead of the game.

What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for the each of the following? Swim: Bike: Run: Nutrition/Health: Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved:
My biggest improvement definitely was in my swimming. I have seen my form, speed and endurance improve exponentially and every day it seems I reach a PR – I went from a rough 2:20/100 yards to 1:38 (just yesterday). I hope to continue seeing improvements in the water.   My form on the bike has improved and it immediately translates into more overall speed on the course. Coming off the bike it’s always hard to run, therefore practicing bricks is most important. My run after bike has improved and I have been able to pace myself without burning out towards the end.

In nutrition and health I have been able to maintain a constant  program without chronic injuries and physical setbacks due to training.

Name 2 or 3 things that have made the biggest difference in your journey:

1.  Belonging to an awesome team
2.  Having awesome coaches
3.  Being awesome. Or believing I am awesome. If you can believe it, you can achieve it.

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?  

Coming out of the water strong and focused, realizing that it’s no longer as difficult as it used to be, reaching high speeds on the cycle and finally crossing the finish line.

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?  

It’s quite simple: Do you wish to participate in a triathlon or do you really wish to live a triathlon with a supportive group of teammates, friends and coaches? With the FCC crew, there is no question that you will enjoy every minute, from training to crossing the finish line.


P.S.  This could be you!  If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call us at 786-586-6057 today or click this link to schedule a complimentary triathlon strategy call:  http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU

Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997.  She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much much more.

Turn Stress Into Success

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Mindset

Turn Stress Into Success

Have you ever felt crazy stressed about a big to-do? Whether it’s taking care of your home, losing weight, or just doing one of the many seemingly insurmountable projects or tasks life throws our way, I know you KNOW what I’m talking about.

The normal reaction when facing what feels like a mountain of a task is to stall, to procrastinate.

We’ll get to it “later.”

What ends up happening in our minds is that the “to-do” becomes even bigger, more insurmountable. It gets pushed farther into the future.

And as we blow up the magnitude of the thing at hand, achieving it becomes further from reality.

Instead, here’s what to do…

Take action immediately. Don’t talk about it. Don’t think about. Just act.

You see, motivation to complete the task at hand won’t EVER come without action.

Action first, then motivation follows.

I think it’s so important to highlight this part of the motivation cycle. So many people sit around waiting for motivation to strike before acting, and they end up waiting forever.

This is why 95% of people fail to reach their goals. It’s sad but true.

So, what’s your big “to-do” that feels a little overwhelming? How can you take action TODAY in order to become motivated and get it done?

Let me know!

Wishing You Well,

Coach Erinne Guthrie
786-586-6057

 

P.S. If your health and fitness are currently your big to-do, let’s chat. I know we can help you take action, get motivated, and see it through to the finish line! Just click here! http://www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU

 

Lean Habits

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Mindset

Lean Habits

One of the major differences I see between chronically fit people and those who aren’t is that fit people have developed something I call “lean habits.”

A fit person has typically developed enough discipline over time to make the choices that best serve them and their goals regularly, which is what allows them to stay fit.

For example, a person with lean habits can choose water over soda with lunch. They can drive by fast food restaurants and not be tempted to pull over. They can say “No” to dessert most of the time without a second thought.

Are lean habits easy to develop? Well, honestly, no. But they absolutely can be developed with consistent commitment over time.

Perhaps you work on developing your lean habits first with creating rules and parameters to slowly change your current habits.

It could be:
• Limiting soda to 1x/day if you normally drink 3 – or trying a healthy replacement like Kombucha
• Eating out only 2x/week instead of 4 times
• Going to the gym 2x/week consistently rather than not at all

There are no hard and fast rules around how to develop lean habits, it’s simply about doing what works for you.

So, how will you start to develop your lean habits?

To Your Success,
Coach Erinne Guthrie

Need help putting it all together?  Send me a text message 786-586-6057 or follow this link to schedule a call with me personally! www.scheduleyou.in/5ZIsVaU

 

Growth and Change

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Mindset

Growth and Change

In order to grow, we must be willing to accept change in every area of life. And given that our brains are designed to resist and protect us from change, these choices must be conscious! Pay attention to the reasons “why not” your brain likes to trick you with and make those conscious decisions to accept change and do things differently.

Where are you on a scale of 1-10 in your willingness to accept change?

To determine where you are on the scales, you can consider:

– What are you willing to give up to get what you want?

– What are you willing to spend to get to where you want to be?

– Are you willing to let go of truths you might hold and see things from a different perspective?

The above combined with our willingness to accept change and our willingness to learn make up the Teach-ability Index.

Here’s the thing…

It’s OK if you’re not 10/10 on both scales!  We aren’t going to be there 100% of the time. It’s a place to strive to be because that’s where new levels of success are reached. Bringing consciousness to where you are will allow you to determine the actions you need to take and the ways in which you need to adjust your thoughts to move higher on the teach-ability index, the place that we have tremendous growth.
I’d love to know if you have questions about this or how it resonates.

Let’s talk, schedule a call NOW!

Wishing you well,
Coach Erinne Guthrie

Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997.  She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much, much more.

Metabolic Testing; Which is Best for YOU?

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Testing

Metabolic Testing; Which is Best for YOU?

Our recent webinar about Metabolic Testing was co-hosted by Connie Sol, PhD, of the Science of Fitness.  Find out which test is best for you by watching this recorded webinar.  It has all the details you need to decide.

Our webinar was so well-received that I decided to share the information publicly.

Use this link to watch recording:
https://zoom.us/recording/share/a3Gdbos_wLKeW0UV_On6BpYSTaRi81DdYjfKVS25RPGwIumekTziMw

Click HERE to learn more and select your package.

Triathlon Package $499
Bike to Run MEP; Obtain MEP on bike, rest then obtain MEP in run to determine fueling efficiency and supplementation needs.

Blood Lactate Threshold $299
Determine lactate threshold to obtain maximal heart rate, lactate threshold, training zones.

Combo VO2/MEP $449
Both tests in one session.

Combo MEP & Blood Lactate $479
Both tests in one session.

Metabolic Efficiency (MEP) $399
Measures efficiency of energy burning; ratio of fat to carb as the intensity of exercise increases. Guidance provided on how to implement findings to your training.

VO2 Max $299
Measures maximal capacity to deliver blood to working muscles. Includes lactate threshold & training zones.

Also, listen in to this recording of an actual Metabolic Efficiency and Lactate Threshold Results and Review as well as details about how to use the test results and nutritional timing.

https://zoom.us/recording/share/xtJL7vm7SV7gy4C99HfqXZ85HYsF_Ocl4BUF9GxVPKawIumekTziMw

I invite you to schedule a call with me today or, text me at 786-586-6057 to request an appointment.

Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997.  She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much much more.

Recovery vs. Activity

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Recovery

Recovery  vs. Activity

There’s no denying that the world of 2018 is one of chronic stress and pressure to achieve.
Sometimes it can be challenging to get it all done – family, friends, exercise, daily movement, work, managing a home, Triathlon – whew! That’s a lot of demand.
So, I want to invite you to get in better touch with yourself today. We all know when we make excuses and talk ourselves out of getting in a workout or preparing a healthy meal.
But sometimes it’s deeper and more intense than that. Your body is screaming at you, begging for you to care for it.
When you hear that voice and feel that exhaustion, I want you to know it’s OKAY to listen.
Here are some of the BEST self-care and recovery activities I suggest for you:
  • Writing, reading, or something creative
  • Getting in a spa or sauna
  • Walking barefoot in the grass or on the sand
  • Listening to or playing music and even dancing
  • Getting physical affection from a loved one or cuddling with your pet, child or significant other
  • Spend time with your pets
  • Take a nap
Listen closely to yourself. Are you just not in the mood to be active or
do you genuinely need recovery time?
Be 100% honest with yourself, make the right choice, and do it all guilt-free. You actually do everything better when you are refreshed rejuvenated and recovered.
I’m here to support you!
Wishing you Well,
Coach Erinne Guthrie
I invite you to link here and schedule a call with me today or,
text me at 786-586-6057 to request an appointment.
Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997.  She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much much more.

Online Triathlon Training to RockStar Triathlete; Urs Brunner, Visualization and Strong Mental Plan

by fullcircle, posted in ROCKSTARS

Way to go Urs, I am so happy to have the chance to get you stronger and faster despite your injuries.  On a tough day and with way worse conditions than previous years, you killed it!  Way to go!  Super impressed with your ability to squeeze everything out of the training plan and apply it to your life; that takes a special kind of athlete.  Looking forward to the big Miami Man goal with more continued success!

Wishing you well,
Coach Erinne Guthrie

Urs Brunner is part of my online/weekend group.  I have never even seen him swim and he still followed the program to get the results.  This program isn’t for everyone but at a lower price point if you are motivated you can get these kind of results too.  It includes online, video group conference calls every 2 weeks, daily training in Training Peaks and weekend workouts with the team.  Please reach out if you want these kinds of results!

Age: 56
Profession: General Manager North America at Pro Med Instruments

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey? I saw Erinne present at the Miami Man 2017 and I was totally convinced that her energy and her experience would help me get faster and stronger.

What is your “A” race for this season? Miami Man Half Iron

Please share your BIG goals: My biggest goal in triathlon and life in general is “beat yesterday”. Meaning that I want to better myself in all aspects; sports, professional and personal life.

Tell me about your successes so far: In 2017 I did my first long course Tri (Miami Man International Distance). Unfortunately I got hurt and had to plan my training accordingly. I set a new goal of improving my time at the South Beach Tri (Classic) and I did achieve that with the help of FC.

What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for the each of the following? Swim: Bike: Run: Nutrition/Health: Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved:

In swimming I gained confidence in Open Water. I have always been a pretty good pool swimmer and with all the open water swimming, I feel much better prepared for the ocean races.

I have done a lot of biking with EBC and feel good in groups.  What I have learned since I joined FC is to fight the wind by myself (not drafting).  It has strengthened my power.

Running has been the discipline I have done the most.  It is easy to do and I can always do it when traveling.  That said, I have gained in endurance as of late mainly by adding specific strength training.

Nutrition/Health is somewhat new to me.  I have always eaten carefully and now I am even more conscious of the food choices I make.  I haven’t started with supplements yet but already had some conversations with FC and want to look more at this side of preparation.

I would actually add another topic, which is mental strength.  It is an area I feel I am good at.  I do a lot of visualization and putting things like work-life balance in context.  Having a strong mental plan I think is very critical to conquer these tough longer courses.  I always try to see the positive and the opportunity.

Name 2 or 3 things that have made the biggest difference in your journey: 
1.A training plan (Training Peaks)
2.Positive encouragement and being held accountable
3.Being surrounded by other like-minded people

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?  I like the challenge of endurance racing and I also like the technicality of the different transitions.  My other hobbies are mountaineering and regatta sailing.  Both of those also demand endurance and technical savvy.

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?

Just do it!  Sounds like a cliche but it is so true.  There is nothing to loose.  If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.  Beat yesterday.  Carpe Diem!

An Important Concept to Create REAL Change

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Mindset

An Important Concept to Create Real Change

I’m always on a quest for self improvement and I wanted to share a key concept that will determine your ability to grow.

The concept of the Teachability Index is something I’ve been exploring, and I think it’s really relevant and fascinating for people looking to change their bodies and lifestyles.

So let me explain…

Two primary factors play a role in determining how teachable and susceptible to growth we are at any given time:

1. Our willingness to learn
2. Our willingness to accept change

Both the willingness to learn and acceptance to change things are massively important to understand and check in with if you really want to create long-term change.

In each area, rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 (1 being absolutely NOT and 10 being ALL IN!)

Willingness to learn – How much time, money, and serious effort do you put into reaching your health and fitness goals?

Are you trying to go it alone or do you have a coach? Are you trying to figure it out yourself or do you seek support in areas that will help you grow? Do you find yourself spending time and money in areas that aren’t essential or do you even know what areas are essential to focus on?

Where are you on a scale of 1-10 in your willingness to learn?

Willingness to accept change – You can learn and know things all day long, but until you commit to true change, it’s irrelevant. Maybe it’s spending that money you’ve told yourself you don’t have to get the coach you know you need. Maybe it’s changing your approach that just isn’t working. Maybe it’s tuning out the noise about what works and what doesn’t and not doing the diet/training program just because your friend is or some fit person posted it on Facebook.

In order to grow, we must be willing to accept change in every area of life. And given that our brains are designed to resist and protect us from change, these choices must be conscious! Pay attention to the reasons “why not” that your  brain likes to trick you with and make those conscious decisions to choose to change and do things differently.

Where are you on a scale of 1-10 in your willingness to change?

To determine where you are on the scales, you can consider:

  • What are you willing to give up to get what you want?
  • What are you willing to spend to get to where you want to be?
  • Are you willing to let go of truths you might hold and see things from a different perspective?

The above combined with our willingness to accept change and our willingness to learn make up the Teachability Index.

Here’s the thing…

It’s OK if you’re not 10/10 on both scales! We aren’t going to be there 100% of the time. It’s a place to strive to be because that’s where new levels of success are reached. Bringing consciousness to where you are now will allow you to determine the actions you need to take and the ways in which you need to adjust your thoughts to move higher on the Teachability Index, the place that we have tremendous growth.

I’d love to know if you have questions about this or how it resonates. And if you’re ready to scale up your Teachability Index, I am here to help. Simply click here to let me know, and I’ll be back in touch ASAP.


Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997 and is currently taking a recovery year after two consecutive years racing at Long and Short Course World Championships.  She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim COach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much much more.

Wishing you well,

Coach Erinne
Full Circle Coaching 786-586-6057
Where Performance Meets Balance

 

How Many Days Do You Need to Recover and Why? The Difference Between a Taper and Recovery Days

by fullcircle, posted in Bike, Blogs, Recovery, Run, Swim, Ultimate Tri Camp

How Many Days Do You Need to Recover and Why? The Difference Between a Taper and Recovery Days

Many triathletes get really excited about training and tend to train, train and train until they get injured or sick or both.  Training can get addictive especially after you start to see results.  It just feels so good when you have a hard workout and see your times getting faster. However, it is equally important to rest and recover on a regular basis.  By scheduling in planned recovery days you allow your body to absorb the training you have been doing and then get back to training and ramp it up a little more. By having recovery and taper days planned ahead of time, you won’t run into the common problem of getting sick or minor over use injuries.

A Taper week is a week or few days to reduce training volume leading up to a race.  During this taper week, you want to reduce volume to as little as 25% -75% of normal training volume depending if this is an “A” race or “C” race, or a long course or short course race (“A” race means that it is a really important race that you want to peak for and really do well.  “B” and “C” races are less important and can be used for training).

The shorter the race, the shorter the taper.  This is also athlete dependent.  Some athletes do better with longer tapers than others.  The key is to try different length tapers and see how you perform on race day.  It may take a few taper weeks leading into races to find the right recipe for you.  I’ve had athletes do great on a 2 day taper for a sprint race but need a whole week for a half Ironman® and as many as two weeks for a full Ironman®. Age is also a factor here. The older you are the more recovery time you tend to need but not always!

The 2 things to keep in mind during all tapers is to include a little intensity in the workouts and to resist the urge to do completely nothing!!!

You will actually feel worse and come back weaker if you take an entire week off and eat crappy.  Aim to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep each night as well!

For taper week training  get 20-45 min of movement in during the 5-6 of the 7 days leading up to the race.  Include a few pick-ups in intensity which I like to call ORPS – Over Race Pace Pick-ups to prevent your body from feeling stale and sticky.

A typical taper week might include the following:

Monday– Full day off of cardio but include 40-45 minutes of foam rolling and stretching, or some yoga and working IN and  lots of water with a pinch of sea salt in each glass along with clean eating, good protein and veggies.  Write out your race plan and send to your coach. (see other blogs to see what a race plan is). Visualize and imagine the details of your successful race daily to ensure the results you desire.

Tuesday– light 30 minute swim around 1200-1500 yards- Include some fast 25’s and 50’s with lots of rest.

Wednesday– 30-45 minute easy spin on the bike, stretch use your compression socks after and get a full body massage.

Thursday– 20-30 min run with 4 x 1-4 min at over race pace intensity with lots of recovery after each one and an easy 30-45 min spin with 4 x 1-4 min ORPS again.  Drop your bike off for tune up and maintenance.

Friday- mental and physical rest day-  finalize your race plan pack for your race etc.

Saturday– pre- race brick-  15 minute swim, 20 minute spin on bike and 15 minute run, all very easy with 1-4 min ORPS.

Sunday- Race Day; get a good warm up in pre- race, shorter races require longer warm ups.

 

A Recovery Week or Few Days – Is when you reduce volume, similar to taper week but there is no race.  It’s just a few days of rest and recovery to help your body assimilate all the training and then go back to training for another 2-3 weeks, typically ramping up the volume and intensity to get you ready for your next race in a few more weeks or months.  Again, you don’t want to be completely lazy during this time.  Doing yoga or a few days of really light intensity can make a huge difference in your mental and physical ability to handle the next training block.  Recovery days are essential and must be taken and planned for so your body doesn’t break down and dictate the recovery by getting sick with something much worse than a little cold or minor injury.

I can speak first hand of this.  I trained my way into 18 months of recovery because I went 6 months on 5 hours of sleep, while working full time, training hard- 12 hours a week, breast feeding and just plain over doing it.  It took me way too long to recover because I was not getting adequate sleep and taking those planned recovery days as often as I needed to!  I didn’t want to miss out on training hard but, I learned my lesson.  Now I have planned recovery days and will take them sooner than later if my body is telling me to.  So, do yourself a favor and take the recovery and taper week or days and watch and feel your body respond with more energy. strength and speed every time!

Please let me know if you liked this Blog and if there are any topics you’d like me to write about in the future.

Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997 and is currently taking a recovery year after two consecutive years racing at Long and Short Course World Championships.  She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim COach, Motivational Speaker, Mom and much much more.

Coach Erinne
Full Circle Coaching
Where Performance Meets Balance