When Your Race Sucked

What to do when your race sucked.

So you had a terrible race, now what?

This situation can be even more painful for a half  or full IRONMAN due to the amount of time and money invested to even just get to the starting line.

When the results turn out terrible, it’s time to take a real hard look at your training log over the previous 2-3 months leading up to the race. Now sometimes there are situations that are out of your control, like tacks on the road, bad weather etc. But you can usually prevent most of your races from going south.

 

You need to look and be honest with yourself. Did you really put in the volume and intensity that your training program called for? Did you do those hard intervals that your coach had in your Training Peaks? Did you hit the minimums for long course racing that include 3 swims, 3 bikes, 4 runs and 2 strength sessions per week? Did you train on similar terrain and conditions to your race?  Long course racing is no joke, and it’s hard for me to see my own athletes struggle on course as I watch my IM Tracker.

 

My goal as a coach is to actually make  training  a little bit  harder than the race will be so that you can handle all the race day stress and logistics; saying to yourself, “So that’s why she made me do 25 bridge repeats, etc.”

It takes a lot of mental and physical fortitude to toe the line at a triathlon (long course and short course)  believe it or not. You hear people talk about it like its no big deal. But, not everyone comes out of the womb swimming, biking and running!

If you have not been challenged and had to work hard to overcome set backs in your training, success on race day is unlikely. It’s really all about the journey and race day is the test. Did you do your homework? Most of the time all the reasons why your race sucked are right there in the training log, where you skipped that swim, bike, or run. Decided to take 10 days off instead of two, eat pizza and drink beer.

If you made the commitment to sign up for the triathlon race, you might as well do everything you can to get it right! Listen to your coach!

So now, I know you are super motivated to get it right next time! Recover well, write out the whole painful experience, so you can look back before your next race and remember not to let that happen again!!!!

Happy Racing!!!

Wishing you well,
Coach Erinne

 

If you can relate in any way, 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.

I’m About to Blow Your Mind

I’m about to blow your mind…

O.K. are you ready for this?  This is so crazy!
Research shows that what you believe to be TRUE about foods largely determines how foods affect your body.
There was a study done where two groups of participants were given the SAME milkshake, but one group was told that it was ‘a 620 calorie indulgent shake’ while the other group was told it was a ‘120 calorie diet shake.’
The result was mind-blowing.
Those who believed they were drinking the indulgent shake felt more full and reported feeling how you’d expect someone to feel after a high calorie meal.
The other group did not report the same appetite suppression or feelings of fullness.
This goes on to widely apply to how foods affect our bodies over the long-term. If we believe we’re making ourselves fat despite consistent good choices, there’s a chance your thoughts can actually make that a reality.
And this is precisely why you can’t carry guilt with you over foods you eat. When you’re making the right choices 80% of the time, there’s no need to feel guilty about your 20% foods.
As this study shows, that negative thought process can actually have a greater negative impact on your body than the food itself.  So, consider this next time you go to beat yourself up over a “wrong” choice.
I hope this is as fascinating to you as it is to me! Hit reply and share your thoughts or if you’ve ever experienced this phenomenon yourself!
Yours in Health,
Coach Erinne Guthrie

 

If you can relate in any way, 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.

Time Isn’t The Issue

Time Isn’t The Issue

Here at FULL CIRCLE COACHING, we’ve most often seen TIME cited as the biggest challenge for people around sticking to a fitness and nutrition program.

 

But you see, time as the obstacle is simply a myth.

 

I get that you are busy. So is the rest of the world. And every person thinks they are simply the busiest one.

 

So, why is it that some people are able to make time for health and fitness and others are not?

 

Simply put, it’s an issue of priority.

 

It takes no more time to consume a healthy meal than an unhealthy one. And it takes simple rearrangement, scheduling, and commitment to make fitness happen.

 

You can pick up healthy fast food as quickly as unhealthy fast food.

 

When it comes to exercise, instead of saying “I don’t have time,” we should rather say “it’s not a priority for me right now.” Because that’s the more accurate and hard truth.

 

Take an honest look at yourself. Are you currently prioritizing fitness and nutrition or are you falling victim to the time excuse?

 

We’ve helped so many clients overcome this! Once you fall in love with what we do here at FULL CIRCLE COACHING, you see your body start to change, and you become part of our amazing community, you’ll always find the time!

 

Are you falling victim to time? Hit reply, and let me know so that I can give you some support!

 

Wishing you well,
Coach Erinne

If you can relate in any way, 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.

JUST DO IT! Says Rockstar Triathlete Jennifer Rico; You’re never too old, too fat, or too broken to try something new that will change your lifestyle for the better

JUST DO IT! Says Rockstar Triathlete, Jennifer Rico;
You’re never too old, too fat, or too broken to try something new that will change your lifestyle for the better.

Coach’s Notes:
Jenn although you ended up doing a duathlon FOR NOW, triathlon is just around the corner as your swim is getting stronger by the day.  Thanks for being a part of my first Couch to Tri program and proving that it works!  TWO, podiums in 8 weeks…….. Amazing!  I can see how hard you worked to accomplish your goals.  Way to go girl!  See you at training! – Coach Erinne Guthrie

 

Age:
40

Profession:
Finance Manager for the Department of OBGYN at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?
I was in an exercise slump and wanted to do something different to re-energize my workout routine.  I was about to rejoin a Crossfit gym right around July 4th, by chance, we had some friends over for dinner and the conversation of triathlon came up (he competed in ironman and such).  Training or even doing a triathlon had never crossed my mind, but after that night I thought why not!!! So for the next few days, I contacted different training groups and Erinne provided the best coaching advice and strategies, and she invited me to try it out for a week.  After a few days of training, I was hooked!

 

What is your “A” race for this season?
Since I didn’t start training till mid summer, I’ve only had the chance to compete in 2 duathlon races; Trilogy #3 and Trilogy Bonus.  I’d say Trilogy #3 was my “A” race this season because that was my first race, EVER! All I wanted to do was to finish the race.  But when I ended up on the podium in 3rd place of my age group, I just couldn’t believe it!

Please share your BIG goals:
Within the next 4 years, I want to take first place in age group in the Trilogy race series

Tell me about your successes so far:
2 for 2 on the podium and PR all around, notbad for a newbie!  3rd place in my first duathlon race and 2nd place in my second duathlon race (I was 25 seconds behind first place finisher, need to work on my strategies).

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: 

Swim I started out as a non-swimmer and could barely doggie paddle my way across the pool.  After 2 months with Full Circle, I now can swim freestyle properly and successfully swim 50-100m without stopping.

Bike – I knew how to ride a beach bike but training on a road was a different story.  The nuances of constantly changing gears and the tricks to balance on the bike while taking a drink a of water, all new to me.  After the first race, I realized that I needed to work on my cycling speed because I was only averaging 14.1 mph. I Worked hard for the following 4 weeks and improved to 16.5 mph on the second race.

Run – Running was something I picked up about 7 years ago (all thanks to Crossfit), I used to hate running before that.  I knew I could do the sprint distance, I just needed to work on my pace.  Because I have a dance background, turning my feetoutwards was natural for me.  However, to be a proper and more efficient runner, I’ve had to be more conscience about keeping my legs and feet parallel (which feels super weird). And the difference on the 2 races were 9:07/mi to 9:01/mi and 10:13/mi to 10:10/mi, which cut the total running time down by 17 seconds. And my T2 on the second race was 1:17, that’s definitely one for the record book!

Nutrition/Health – I’ve been on Paleo/Keto for a while, so instead of the gel packets during the race, I use almond butter packets. 

Name 2 or 3 things that have made the biggest difference in your journey: 
1. Training with the Full Circle Tribe that have the same goal and are there to help/cheer/support/motivate/inspire/push/encourage each other!
2. Visible improvement of my skills in all 3 sports
3. Already planning for next season’s races

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?
That rush of adrenaline at the starting line and seeing fellow teammates pushing to PR.

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?
JUST DO IT!  You’re never too old, too fat, or too broken to try something new that will change your lifestyle for the better.

 

 

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

Don’t forget to visit us on your favorite social media where we post tons of videos, information about triathlon events and training and nutrition tips.

Why They Sabotage You

Why They Sabotage You

If you’ve ever been on a powerful mission to get healthier, eat better, and be consistent with your exercise routine, you may have noticed that certain friends and family aren’t in love with your new-found dedication.

And it’s not because they don’t love you. It’s because it’s hard for them to see you change.

Maybe they think you won’t be able to have as much fun because you’ll stop being as social. Maybe they’re irritated by your refusal to eat something they just baked. Maybe they’re upset that you declined Saturday morning mimosas in favor of hitting the gym.

I’m here to tell you that this is normal, that you can’t give into the pressure, and to

help you understand why this is happening.

First, when your decisions aren’t aligned with what they desire from you, people can get upset. But this isn’t about you, it’s about them. Hold your ground and lovingly explain WHY you’ve made your choices. It’s then up to them as to whether or not they choose to accept it.

Second, it holds up a mirror to them. It makes them consider their own shortcomings or failure to stick with routines or focus on healthy habits. This is very uncomfortable for people when they aren’t ready to receive it.

As a friend, lover, or family member, one of the best things you can do for others is take care of yourself and become the best version of YOU. The next best thing you can do is invite them along for the ride.

So, does this remind you of anyone in your life right now? Is there a conversation you need to have?

For those of you who are already working with us here at Full Circle Coaching, we want to make life easier on you and better for them. Bring him or her in for a workout with you. We promise to care for them and give them an amazing experience. And hopefully, we even give them an “aha moment” that gets them excited about pursuing goals similar to you.

If you’re training with us, hit reply and tell us a little bit about how this resonates (if it does), and if you aren’t training with us, we’d love to have you in for a free week/session. Just reply and let us know you’d like to take advantage of this. We’re here to support you and those you care about!

Wishing you well,
Coach Erinne

If you can relate in any way, 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.

Don’t Practice Positive Thinking

Don’t Practice Positive Thinking

In his book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker talks about positive thinking vs. power thinking. He is one of my favorite motivational speakers and authors.

 

Positive thinking is our default when we want to improve an area of our lives. We journal, recite affirmations, and work to build our positive thoughts. What Eker points out is that positive thinking implies that we accept our own thoughts as truth.

 

Instead, he suggests focusing on power thinking, which is an extension of positive thinking in that you are working to build your belief, but instead, you acknowledge that things only have meaning because we give them meaning.

 

You can attach a particular meaning to anything but that doesn’t mean it’s real.

 

For example, just because you’ve fallen off the wagon in your fitness and nutrition dozens of times doesn’t mean that you’re incapable of success. But that’s the meaning most people give it.

 

I bring this concept up in the hopes that the next time a situation arises where you feel “less than” or defeated that you stop and ask yourself “what meaning am I giving to this situation?”

 

By understanding this, you then have the power to change the meaning you assign for the better and propel yourself to new levels of commitment and success.

 

I’d love to know your thoughts on this!

 

 

Wishing you well,
Coach Erinne

If you can relate in any way, 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.

Buffer Foods vs. Trigger Foods

Buffer Foods vs. Trigger Foods

When it comes to dealing with cravings there are two approaches I like to take with clients (in addition to simple prevention strategies).
I want to make you aware of two food classifications that can either make or break your ability to stay on track with your nutrition and avoid giving into cravings: buffer foods and trigger foods.
Buffer foods are foods that allow you to, with a small amount of indulgence, get rid of the cravings and thereby take in far fewer calories than you would have if you gave into the craving. Buffer foods typically include things like peanut butter, green smoothies, extra dark chocolate (or other items with cocoa). Think foods that give you the sweet or fat sensation but that you don’t want to eat a whole lot of.
Trigger foods typically increase cravings and caloric intake. For example, if you give into a craving for pancakes for breakfast in the morning, your blood sugar will spike and crash. You’ll get hungrier faster, eat more throughout the day, and have stronger cravings for starches and sugars.
Try replacing your trigger foods with buffer foods and see how your cravings and hunger are affected. Another option is adding more nutrients to your trigger foods. For example, make your pancakes with almond flour or add grass fed collagen, or greens powder to your normal pancake batter. See a recipe below on what I like to do.
What buffer food or added nutrients  are you going to try?
Eat with grass fed butter and real maple syrup or raw honey instead of synthetic sweeteners.
For added blood sugar stabilization have 1-2 capsules of  Himalaya bitter melon extract
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.

P.S. I am putting together a 6 week Holistic Lifestyle Online Workshop. Please reply here if you want to be notified when I send out the information.

Should I Go Long?

Should I Go Long?

That is always the question of many newbie triathletes after their first season of triathlon or even after their first sprint. Well…… It depends…….. on a lot of things.

If you are looking to get faster in a sprint distance triathlon then the answer is no and yes!

If your main goal is to get faster for a sprint triathlon riding over 50 miles and running over 8-9 miles is kind of over kill and can actually lead to undue fatigue so that you are unable to get the speed work that is necessary to actually get faster at the sprint distance.

Every once in a while, going longer is great but there are guidelines. If you go too long too soon you can suffer and injury which will then set you back.

So, when you are not racing long it’s a is a waste of precious time and effort that could be spent on more quality training to go too long.

Shorter and faster training you can recover from quickly will get you faster, in less time. But at the same time 1 weekly long swim, bike and run at zone 1 is absolutely essential to improve your aerobic capacity and speed but too long is not appropriate when racing short.

Now, if you are training long course which is a 70.3 or IRONMAN then yes you must go longer. However, so many athletes go too long too soon and too fast without building up strength and speed first.

Many long course athletes wonder why they can’t get faster at the long course distance and it’s because they are fatigued from all the volume.

If you never train fast you are not likely to race fast at any distance.

Adding 30 min each week to a long ride and 10 minutes to your long run can be a good rule of thumb to follow. These are meant to be easy low zone 1/2 efforts to improve aerobic capacity and aerobic threshold.

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 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.

How to Succeed

In his book Eat that Frog, author Brian Tracey suggests tackling the biggest, hardest challenge you face each day first thing– this is the FROG.

For you, it may be a work project, a difficult conversation, or something else you’re potentially less than excited about.

If that challenge for you is getting your workout in, consider doing it first thing in the morning. And if you’re not a morning person, I get it. However, if morning is the only time you are guaranteed to get it done (with a little willpower when you hear your alarm clock), it’s something you should strongly consider. Science and physiology proves that cortisol levels are highest in the morning and you will have more energy for a better quality more productive workout in the morning. See this chart to show natural cortisol and melatonin hormones in a balanced body. The key is getting to bed early enough to get the minimum 7, preferable 8-9 hours of sleep.  This is also why I have all my training sessions in the morning!

Some of Tracey’s other recommendations are to spend a few minutes pre-planning each week and each day for maximum productivity. What we don’t realize is that a little bit of planning can literally save us hours and hours every week and help us get it all done when getting it all done feels nearly impossible.

So, how can you better plan each day and each week?

Do you need to consider your workouts as the FROG you eat each morning so that it’s out of the way?
Let me know your thoughts by replying!

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 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.

Georgia Physician AND Rockstar Triathlete; Daniel Kaminstein

Coach Erinne’s Notes:
I am so excited about the outcome of this season. Daniel and I have been working together for 2 years to get to Age Group Nationals injury free and qualify for Worlds. Already a strong, fast athlete always on the podium, with no formal coaching he has so much more speed to gain. After suffering a stress fracture last year and a few months of no running we were able to get his bike up to speed with the fast guys. This year we really dialed in the run. From his last 10k off the bike with a 6:15 minute/mile average at his B race to a 5:55 min mile average at Nationals, I’d say we accomplished what we set out to do, especially off of a 25 MPH bike average. Congratulations Daniel, way to Dream Big! Now for top 5 at Worlds!  Let’s do this!!!! –  Coach Erinne Guthrie

Daniel Kaminstein

Age: 40
Profession: Emergency Medicine Physician

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey? I was looking for a coach who would help me with more than just fitness goals. I met Erinne at the Ride on Ryan Tri in Savannah and I liked her approach and attitude that FCC advocated.

What is your “A” race for this season? Just finished!- Age Group Nationals 2018, 10th place Age Group 40-44 and Qualified for World Championships in 2019 in Switzerland!

Please share your BIG goals: Being a great father to my four children. Becoming a more well rounded triathlete. Becoming competitive on the international level.

Tell me about your successes so far: My kids love coming to watch me race and three of them have now competed in kids triathlons. Tenth overall at age group nationals. First place overall among age group athletes at the NJ state championships. On the podium for all my races this season.

What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for the each of the following?
Swim: My technique has improved dramatically over the past two years as a Full Circle athlete. With lot’s of video analysis and hands on form correction at Ultimate Tri Camp. Now, each race I focus on racing the swim rather then just using it as a warm-up for the bike.
Bike: Using power to make major gains in speed. I’m now cycling with the top guys in my age group.
Run: Stronger faster run off the bike. Being able to hold a fast run consistently off the bike is definitely my strongest asset now.
Nutrition/Health: Less carbs and more protein left me feeling much better during training and racing. The nutritional and sleep changes I’ve made have been equally as important as training improvements.

Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved: First time at age group nationals and I made the podium.

Name 2 or 3 things that have made the biggest difference in your journey: Power Meter. High intensity training sets. Better nutrition

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon? Getting to inspire my four boys to be active.

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?
You can be a competitive triathlete without coaching but to really make significant advances you need someone on the outside who can give shape to your training and point you in the right direction.

This Could Be You! Are you Ready?? Reach out right now and see if one of our online or in person coaching programs will work for you.  Click this link to schedule your call NOW!

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.