Something Bigger

Something Bigger

I know I’ve been going on and on about my Ultimate Tri camp or bragging about all the amazing accomplishments of my Rockstar Triathletes, but this is bigger because it’s not about me or Full Circle Coaching. This is about abused and neglected children being able to find a safe home in the USA and how there is a solution.  And just because you are reading this you are actually helping. Keep reading to find out how.
In June 2020, I have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) of riding my bike with 3 team mates across the United States to raise awareness to this solvable problem. It’s called Race Across America or RAAM. and

I’m going to donate $10 from every athlete I coach every month January to June for this cause “4Cyclists4KIDS Race Across America” www.4kids.us/amazingrace2020

I have been looking for a cause to align with. One that fills my heart and gives me more reason to be of service and have a purpose. I learned about 4Kids from Nick Vajucic at a talk he gave about not letting physical limitations stop you. If you don’t know him, he is an absolutely amazing human being – no arms or legs – married with 4 kids of his own and he helps 35 or more children through the 4 kids organization. He surfs, sky dives, swims and sweeps the floor – all with help but that’s the point! Help.

So, I’ve decided to help too.  So thanks for being a part of my BHAG for 2020. If you are interested in helping me out in other ways besides just being one of my athletes, there are lots; 

  • Invite me to bike with you, I need to bike a lot in the next 7 months, I can use some company. I just started a cycling streak, I’m riding every single day in the month of December. Join me!
  • Buy raffle tickets for your chance to win some pretty awesome prizes including a free entry to Ultimate Tri Camp ($999 Value). Look for upcoming details.
  • Donate a few extra dollars if you feel so inspired for Giving Tuesday- http://www.4kids.us/amazingrace2020

Now that you know one of my BHAG’s (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), I would love to hear about yours! Please post in the comments a big intention you have for 2020, or share a cause you are passionate about. Can’t wait to see your replies!

If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call/text 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, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.

Are You Having Fun?

Are You Having Fun?

If not, then what’s the point?

Are you competitive to the point that you just aren’t having fun anymore?

Do you train alone and miss out on the friendship, camaraderie and fun of training with others?

Are you so busy comparing yourself to others that you are missing out on the journey?

Gabby Bernstein’s new book Super Attractor was a gentle reminder to me that “it’s good to feel good.”

Triathlon makes me feel good. It shifts me from any negative feelings to positive ones in the moments I’m training and racing because there is no time to think about anything else when you are in the moment.

Being around other athletes training and racing is part of the fun. Every athlete I coach actually performs better in this environment.
Yes, solo training is necessary too but the energy of others carries you much further.

We all benefit from celebrating the successes and supporting each other in the struggles to accomplish the big goals we set for ourselves. It isn’t always easy so this is when it’s important to remember “its good to feel good” and have fun!

In honor of having fun, I invite you to our Bring a Buddy week of training December 9-14.

I promise we will have a ton of fun training but at the same time making it fun.

Register for BUDDY HERE!
if you are not friends with anyone currently in the Full Circle Tribe, please accept my gift and be my buddy for the week!
And remember, it’s all about feeling good. “It’s Good to Feel Good!”

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 breakthrough 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, Member of Team USA and Competed in over 150 races. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Level 2 Master’s Swim Coach, Metabolic Efficiency Expert and Motivational Speaker, Mom, and much much more.

Rockstar Triathlete Alex Holland

Rockstar Triathlete Alex Holland

Coach’s Notes:
Alex reached out to me 12 months ago and set his goal for Ironman Florida 2019. We got to work, but honestly not much work was getting done. His skills were improving because he would show up to classes and do the drills and form work but, the volume of training was lacking to be successful for Ironman.

He did great at a Sprint, then at Olympic, but I knew it would take the 70.3 to wake him up to the reality that some work needs to get done to be successful at Ironman Florida. It worked, I knew he had enough of a base that he just put in a super serious 5 weeks, he could finish well. I was not about to let him quit, NO WAY! He totally stepped up, he dug in and hit all the training. It was so great to see him finally step up and his accomplishments were growing.

He had 2 goals for race day, just finish feeling good and sub 14 hours; Guess what, he did a 14:02. I am so proud of him for so many things, the most important one in believing in himself and trusting me that he could do it! Congratulations Alex, you indeed are a Rock Star Triathlete, Way to go!

Age: 32

Profession: Owner of a Pool Service / Real Estate Company

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey? End goal was to complete a full Ironman (in 12 months), needed major help… especially the basics like learn how to swim, bike long distances and then be able to run.

What is your “A” race for this season? It was IronMan Florida 2019

Please share your BIG goals:  My ultimate dream/goal was to complete a Full-Iron Man

Tell me about your successes so far: I just did a full Ironman over the weekend… it was an indescribable feeling.

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:

At Augusta 70.3 I had a bit of a wake up call. I was really under prepared in my training but Erinne suggested I still participate as a training day. I ended up cramping after the bike and bombed the run, which is my strength. I was really defeated and wanted to quit, thinking there was no way I could do a full Ironman. During our post race call, Erinne assured me I could do it if I stayed disciplined, and hit every training session for the next 5 weeks. So I went balls to the wall and started taking training seriously, dialed in on my nutrition and went long on the weekends which ultimately got me there.

Biggest improvement – learning how to swim and bike. Erinne helped me so much. Nutrition was a huge part of the bike and run. The biggest improvement was being able to increase my distance over time, listening to Erinne’s game plan for interval repetitions and nutrition.

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

1. Nutrition for actual races switch to bloks instead of gels, and electrolytes in one of my water bottles.

2. Cutting tennis completely out of my life (which I love) and then alcohol, one month before to focus only on triathlon.  

3. Recording stuff in my training peaks and actually committing and doing the works outs… especially long stuff on the weekends leading up to races.

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?  Sense of personal achievement, committing to an IronMan and completing it.

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?  There is no better program. Just show up. Worth every penny. Eternally thankful for Erinne / Dennis/ Dany and what they did for me to help me achieve what I set out for. 

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, Member of Team USA and Competed in over 150 races. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Level 2 Master’s Swim Coach, Metabolic Efficiency Expert and Motivational Speaker, Mom, and much much more.

Rockstar Triathlete Claudia Abreu

Rockstar Triathlete Claudia Abreu

Coach’s Notes:
Claudia is extremely dedicated to everything she does. We started with working on lifestyle to get sleep and nutrition dialed in so she had the energy for the training and racing.

Being a great mom is her number 1 priority and I created a program that fit around her schedule with her son. Having to train alone sometimes can be a little more difficult to hit the intervals and be consistent, but this was not the case for Claudia. Every lap was hit based on the testing we did, and the zones we created and she really knows how to deliver on race day- She is hyper focus and gets the job done! Having a Personal Record at both 70.3 and Ironman in the same season is amazing – SO proud of you girl- Let’s get to World’s even stronger!!!!!

Age: 40

Profession: Fitness model and mom

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?

This past year and half has been a very tough time for me.  I battled depression and anxiety that came from my divorce.  Finding a healthy healing place to build a stronger me was crucial and necessary.  I found that in Full Circle.  Erinne guided me to find healing through nutrition, exercise and meditative exercises.  

What is your “A” race for this season?  I think I had 2 “A” races.  The first one was the Augusta 70.3 and Ironman Florida.

Please share your BIG goals:  

My big goal was to qualify for the 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand in 2020.

Tell me about your successes so far:  

My successes so far have been qualifying for the 70.3 World Championship in New Zealand and achieving a PR of 40 minutes in IM Florida.

What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for the each of the following? 

Swim: Being able to control my fear while swimming in a race and not to panic when getting smacked around by other swimmers.  

Bike: Being able to consistently hold higher wattage for longer. 

Run: The track workouts have significantly increased my speed. 

Nutrition/Health: I finally learned what foods work for me.  I cleaned up my act and let go of my favorite “toxic” drink, my beloved Red Bull.  

Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved:  My personal record was completing Ironman Florida in 11 hours and 22 minutes. 

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

1. Training with an amazing group of people that I’ve met through Full Circle. They’ve been so welcoming, supportive, kind and so much fun to be around. 

2. The nutritional advice from Coach Erinne has been instrumental to my success. 

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?  

I love the excitement of racing and the endorphins.  However, my absolute favorite is that I can eat whatever I want that is gluten free, sugar free and dairy free…haha

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?  I would say “Do it!”  Seriously, it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.  Grateful to have had Erinne’s guidance.  She’s truly someone that genuinely cares about her athletes and is incredibly knowledgeable about nutrition, wellness and training. 

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, Member of Team USA and Competed in over 150 races. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Level 2 Master’s Swim Coach, Metabolic Efficiency Expert and Motivational Speaker, Mom, and much much more.

There Are No Rules

There Are No Rules

I use this saying a lot. And I believe it. I truly believe each one of us has to figure out personally what works us as individuals. We are different, have different needs within our training, racing, relationships, lifestyle and of course nutrition. Have you noticed how many diet fads and trends are currently circulating the market?

And ask any person who is ALL IN with one of these ways of eating, and their philosophy behind eating that way is nothing short of dogmatic.

And I’m sorry, but that is NOT how nutrition should ever be.

Because there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to eating healthy.

Of course, common sense tells you broccoli is healthier than potato chips…that’s not what I’m talking about.

I’m talking specifically about the dogma of nutrition.

  • Keto is the ONLY way.
  • Intermittent fasting is THE way to lose fat.
  • Count macros or be overweight forever!

These are the kinds of philosophies that are circulating, so I wanted to acknowledge the ridiculousness of it all.

If you focus on eating lean proteins, some good fats, plenty of vegetables, and drink lots of water…and you don’t overdo it on portions, you’re good.

Seriously…it can be that simple.

There are plenty of countries around the worlds that practice simple diets without the dogma, and because of what’s available to them in that culture, it just works.

People are lean effortlessly.

At the end of the day, the amount of choice we have when it comes to food is overwhelming.

My best advice? Keep it simple. Focus on what I shared above, and watch your body lose fat effortlessly.

If you still need help understanding what real food is; I’m offering a gift just for the holidays, now through Dec 2, 2019, receive $100 off my 1 month Simple Nutrition Program, all the details can be found here and use this discount code HOLIDAY100 at checkout.

Wishing you well,
Coach Erinne Guthrie

If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call/text 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, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.

 

Rockstar Triathlete Mary Liz Olazabal

Rockstar Triathlete Mary Liz Olazabal

Coach’s Notes:
Mary Liz is so awesome to coach and has made me better. She is a teacher and a good one because she asks me the why and how for everything I give her. I love it. It reinforces my skills as a coach and makes sure I’m giving the information in an understandable way either visually or through my words. She then takes the information and gets to work.

It doesn’t have to be hard but there is a necessary understanding required to get faster. What a gift for both of us. Her consistency and drive are what have allowed for some great improvements in swim and bike, while she is healing from running injuries. She won the overall Trilogy series Aquabike to prove it! Way to go Mary Liz – Another great Rockstar Triathlete!

Age: 51

Profession: Teacher

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?
I’ve never trained with a group before or been coached. Friends from work, in particular, Vicki Koller, decided to compete in the Mighty Mujer race in April. I hemmed and hawed, having trained several years ago for triathlons. I couldn’t figure out how to fit in the morning workouts and get to school on time. Did I really want to jump back into this fitness world? I watched over the few weeks as they managed to get it all done. They were so fresh faced in the morning, full of excitement about their morning practice. I felt like I was missing out. About a week before the race, I did a trial week with Erinne. I raced Mighty Mujer and it was fun. What made it particularly special were the others from Full Circle who were competing, too. I loved feeling part of something beyond myself.

What is your “A” race for this season? Competing in all four of the trilogy races in the Aquabike, was my goal. The swim was something I always feared and I never felt strong on the bike. The run was always my savior. Committing to an entire summer of swimming and biking was going to be an accomplishment.

Please share your BIG goals: My swim time came down by nearly 5 minutes for the International distance. My bike time decreased by almost 8 minutes. It felt good to see progress.

Tell me about your successes so far. 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:
I’m still working on my swim stroke. Sometimes I feel it’s a one step forward and two steps backward kind of thing. It’s certainly a work in progress. Yet, some of the drills and speed work now seem doable and while I still have a lot to learn, I’m making progress.

On the bike, I’m happy to keep up with the heavy hitters and survive some of the long rides. At times I’m amazed that I ‘m now able to pass people on Key Biscayne when I’m biking. This was never the case before.

Looking forward, I’d like to improve on nutrition and strength and continue to work on my swim stroke. These are my goals for January, as well as, getting rid of my Tendonitis so I can start back to running.

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

  1. Consistency is definitely helpful. When I take a few days off it makes both getting up harder, as well as having an effect on performance. The coaching during practice and the focus during drills on technique, have also vastly improved my swimming and biking.
  2. Seeing everyone work so hard is motivating. And the fact that everyone cheers each other on and posts the small victories as well as the big ones, makes it exciting.
  3. Lastly, I like the way I feel when I leave practice. It’s as though I’ve taken it upon myself to make it the best possible start to the day.

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?
I love being part of a group and showing up at races and seeing all of the other athletes. Whether it’s my day to win or not or have a great race or not, I’m excited to be a part of the experience. I also feel that showing up, stepping up to the start line, and overcoming the fears and nerves has crossover into so many other aspects of life.

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?
I would tell them that Full Circle provides not only a great group of coaches but a terrific team of athletes. Like I said, I never had a coach. I always thought it was simply about getting from start to finish in as little time possible.

There’s a vast difference between training for stamina vs the coaching at Full Circle. At Full Circle it’s about the mechanics of the sport, the nutrition, the mindset and the camaraderie. You’re never alone. The coaches are right beside you as coaches and athletes themselves.

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, Member of Team USA and Competed in over 150 races. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Level 2 Master’s Swim Coach, Metabolic Efficiency Expert and Motivational Speaker, Mom, and much much more.

 

Rockstar Triathlete Hunter Tully

Rockstar Triathlete Hunter Tully

Coach’s Notes:
Hunter lives in Weston, Florida, so even though we train together mostly online, he is able to make it down occasionally for us to get some video analysis to improve form and technique.

Since he had already raced the distances before, I needed to analyze him to find out where we could get performance gains through form and technique. Video does not lie and gets straight to the point of any inefficiencies an athlete has. It is essential to be able to get faster.

If you can swim, bike and run better with form and technique you will be faster with the same effort. Then we focused on the actual training of his energy systems above and below his race distances. We also did some mental skills about what he thought was possible. If you don’t believe you can do it faster, you are right!

He is now a believer in his own potential and that is a huge accomplishment besides the actual race PR’s.

Way to go Hunter. You are a true Rockstar Triathlete. Let’s go get some more!

Age:  52
Profession:  Small Business Owner

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?  
I had been doing triathlon on my own for several years and wanted to find a coach that could help me in all aspects – all 3 disciplines plus nutrition and strategy.  Erinne and her team are one of the few that can do that.

What is your “A” race for this season?  
My A race for 2019 was 70.3, Wilmington in October.  My A race for next year will be RAAM 2020 and at least one 70.3.

Please share your BIG goals:  
My goal this year was to PR at both Olympic and 70.3 distance as well as earn enough Ironman points to be ranked as an AWA by Ironman.  My other goal was to be healthy going in to each race this season as I have dealt with a lot of nagging injuries training on my own.

Tell me about your successes so far:  
So many improvements.  1)  My overall health and diet has improved tremendously.  Erinne has helped me recover from injury and understand how to stretch and recover to avoid recurrence. 2)  My performance has improved dramatically – especially as it relates to sticking to my race plan and nutrition.  I PR’d this year in both Olympic and 70.3 distance – improving my 70.3 performance by over 30 minutes.

What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for the each of the following? 
Swim: I am much more confident in the water and just had a personal best 32 min 70.3 distance swim.
Bike: improvements here are related to sticking to my race plan and nutrition to conserve energy for the run
Run: my run form was terrible when I met Erinne.  Slowly I have improved my form and testing.  My last 70.3 was a 15 improvement from race to race.
Nutrition/Health: I have learned a tremendous amount about race nutrition, healing my gut, overall diet and body health.  I am fully healthy for the first time in years and attribute that to what I have learned from Erinne.  I know I have a lot still to learn but wow what a difference.

Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved:
PR Olympic Distance PR and sub 6 hour 70.3

Name 2 or 3 things that have made the biggest difference in your journey:
1.  Better understanding of health and nutrition
2. Experienced coach to help me when I have questions
3.  Solid training plan to follow that forces me to vary my workouts and challenge my status quo.

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?
I love the feeling of training hard, the camaraderie, and the challenge of beating yourself.

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?
You don’t know what you don’t know.  I was only able to get so far through sheer effort and determination.  Joining FC made me smarter, stronger, healthier and able to achieve my goals.  Coach E, and the team are top notch coaches – they invest time and energy in you one on one.  They will help you achieve your goals as a racer and person.
 
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, Member of Team USA and Competed in over 150 races. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Level 2 Master’s Swim Coach, Metabolic Efficiency Expert and Motivational Speaker, Mom, and much much more.

 

Long Course 70.3 & Ironman Race Day Nutrition Blog – Zoom Recording

Long Course 70.3 & Ironman Nutrition Blog – Zoom Recording

This was a recorded call I did with my long course athletes who are racing Ironman and 70.3’s in the next few weeks.

There are suggestions for meals the day before the race, caffeine recommendations, and brands I personally use and recommend.

A few athletes asked questions that are important for everyone.

Here’s the link to access the recording:
https://zoom.us/recording/share/eN17Uv_V-_w5ZoibrV0qbGWLcE42vWTEIfn4_OwtG3awIumekTziMw

If you need additional support please don’t hesitate to reach out to schedule a call with me!

If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call/text 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, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.

 

Rockstar Triathlete 3x’s Daniel Kaminstein

Rockstar Triathlete 3x’s Daniel Kaminstein

Coach’s Notes: Daniel holds a special place in my career as a triathlon coach because he was already a super fast athlete who was on the podium in almost every race he participated. But he wanted to be 1st overall and go to World Championships. We met at the race I have every year (The Ride On Ryan Triathlon in honor of my deceased boyfriend Ryan Williams) and he was 3rd place overall.

We connected over the phone during our Discovery Session and got to work long distance. Daniel lives in Georgia and I’m in Miami, so I train him online. I will tell you a huge part of Daniel’s success with my training program is our communication and his attention to detail. He is a full time physician, husband and father to 4 kids under the age of 12!

He asks the right questions, never misses a coach call or video analysis review and every week all you see is GREEN in Training Peaks. We have tweaked every detail of his training and equipment and video analyze several times every year. The improvements Daniel has made over the last three years is really amazing and I am super proud of these accomplishments as I know he is, although he does not mention any numbers below, I will!

1:15/100 for a 1500 Meter swim test 2 weeks before Switzerland World Champs, 23 MPH average speed on an extremely hilly and technical 40K bike course and running a 39 min 10k off the bike to come in 1st American in the 40-44 age group! Way to go Man, I know you have more, Ready when you are!

Age: 41

Profession:  Emergency Medicine Physician 

Why you chose FCC to help you on your triathlon/health and wellness journey?   Three years ago when I was first looking for a coach I wanted someone who would help me in my development as an athlete in all three disciplines while allowing me to balance all of the other priorities in my life.  I wanted to be able to train hard but I did not have four or five hours a day to dedicate to training.   I had been a successful age group triathlete for years but I wanted a coach that could get me to the next level.  My priority was finding a coach that was personally committed to me as an athlete and could design an efficient training program that would allow me to improve without requiring massive amounts of training volume.  After meeting Erinne in person and talking to her on the phone I was impressed at  FCC had to offer.   Erinne’s investment in her athletes lives from both a training standpoint but also a health/wellness mindset is what convinced me that FCC would be the right choice for me. 

What is your “A” race for this season?  My A race this year was ITU age group world championships in Switzerland. I race the international distance. 

Please share your BIG goals:   My BIG goal was to finish as top 5 in the world in my age group.  My other BIG goal is to have the fastest bike split in my age group at every race that I do.    

Tell me about your successes so far:  I am not all the way there for either of my BIG goals.  This year I did have major success in both of these areas.  I was 15th in my age group at worlds and only 5 minutes off the fastest bike split.  I have made huge progress in the last 2 years.   It has been incredible to see the improvement and to enjoy the journey not just the destination.  Some other successes in the past three years with FCC have been several overall victories in local triathlons.  I was always in the top 10 but I am now consistently winning not just my age group but overall which is not bad for a 40 year old in my view.   I think my improvement in my bike split and swim form have also been huge successes that I am extremely proud of. 

What were some of your biggest Improvements in performance for the each of the following? Swim: Bike: Run: 

Bike – Consistently being one of the top bikers in my age group at every race – this is big step up from where I was two years ago

Swim – My technique has improved dramatically.   I was always a strong swimmer but I can feel myself going faster based on technique improvements that Erinne and I have refined over the past few years. 

Run – this has been the biggest challenge for me – my run speed has been solid but working more on staying injury free when my run volume ramps up.  This year it was down to the wire before my big race but turned out amazing.   Was helpful to have a coach who knew my injury history and could help me stay on track even when I couldn’t do all of the run workouts I wanted to. 

Nutrition/Health: Please include any Personal Records and Goals achieved:

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

1.  Eating healthier – this has been huge.  I went from a relatively healthy eater to someone who thinks quite a bit more about how I am fueling myself.  It made a huge difference in my energy levels and my ability to perform on hard workouts and race day.  I have avoided the “easy” carbs and now focus quite a bit more on good protein sources, healthy fats and a modest amount of more complex carbs. 

2.  General focus on mental skills has been a huge help as well.  Focusing on the mental side of racing at the high end of the support has made me enjoy the races more but also made me faster. 

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?  I love that it is both a team and individual support.  You can be racing someone but also encourage them at the same time.  I also enjoy the complexity of the sport.  There are so many different aspects of being a good triathlete so there is always an area to improve.  It is not just about being fast on the swim, bike, run.  Knowing your equipment, knowing the race course,  getting fast through transition are all essential components of making you faster.   No matter how long I compete in triathlon there will always be more to learn and improve on which makes it a great life-long pursuit.  I have also loved seeing my kids get involved.  My three oldest have all competed in triathlons and it is now the family sport.  

What would you say to another person who was on the fence about joining our training program?  Almost all of the coaching I have had through FCC has been remote.  I have had some in-person coaching sessions but most of what I have accomplished with FCC has been a combination of great planning, great communication and dedication to an individual approach to my training and racing.   There are lots of programs and coaches out there but if you truly want to improve in this sport you need someone who sees you as an individual and thinks holistically about your progression as an athlete.  FCC does an incredible job on all of these accounts.  If you are local to Miami you have a huge opportunity to train and race with some of the best of our sport.  If you are thinking about joining and doing most of your coaching and training remotely I can attest that Erinne and her team can make it work for you!   

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, Member of Team USA and Competed in over 150 races. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Level 2 Master’s Swim Coach, Metabolic Efficiency Expert and Motivational Speaker, Mom, and much much more.

Recover Quickly

How to Recover Fast

I have athletes that don’t fully understand the benefit of tapering for a race. They show up on race day feeling flat and tired and wonder why they don’t get that podium or personal best.

It’s definitely a skill to be able to tune into your body and feel if you are recovered from training or not. There are so many tools these days that you can track your training and use an APP to tell you if you should train hard or you need to recover. I use Garmin, HRV, TrainingPeaks to help my athletes gauge their level of fatigue but there is an inner knowing as well. I believe in just asking your body and you usually get the correct answer. But will your ego allow you to rest? That is the question. So, I say experiment with different amounts of easy/ recovery days after blocks of training days and find your own sweet spot. If you need to recover in a hurry these suggestions below work great!

Other things to consider about your recovery/ taper leading up to a race. Is it short course or long? Is it an A, B or C race? “A” priority races definitely require a bigger longer recovery leading into them , IF you want to have that peak performance. “C” races can be trained right through.

How many days you take is individual to you and your circumstance.
As a rule, the longer the race the longer the taper.

Ironman taper can be from 2-3 weeks,
70.3 can be 7-14 days
Olympic distance 5-7 days and a
Sprint 3-5 days.

Some athletes need more or less depending on age and experience level.

With all that being said, if you need to get recovered fast, here are my top recovery recomendations and tools.

Sleep: Did you see that article about how much sleep Roger Federer gets a day? 12 hours!

Studies show sleep is the absolute best, legal ergogenic aid out there. My minimum RX for fast recovery is 8 hours, but 9-10 would be better for 2-3 days minimum. You will feel like a kid again with tons of energy after you get this much sleep.

Do some Working IN (my definition of building energy instead of depleting it).
Examples of working in are taking a restorative yoga or Tai chi class. Don’t have that much time? take 10-20 minutes and walk barefoot or simply lay on the earth, on the grass or the sand on a beach. Get in the ocean, lake or even a pool and just float around (not training). Meditate. Practice silence and listen to nature.

Breath Work – 1,3,5 or 10 -20 minutes of just sitting or laying and breathing. If you type in ” Breath Work” into YouTube search there a ton of videos teaching you how to breath to improve energy. Try one. or check out Wim Hof – The Ice Man and follow his breathing techniques on Youtube.

Ice Bath- This can be uncomfortable but works sooooo well and is so worth it. As little as 2 minutes a few times a week combined with above breath work and meditation is like magic for resetting your nervous system and actually proving effectiveness against anxiety and depression! Even a 1 minute cold shower can stimulate the nervous system in a positive way. Check out my video here- on my Wim Hof Ice Bath Experience
(I am so excited to have just taken my first Wim Hoff Breath class and will be including his breath work and ice baths at my 2020 Ultimate Tri Camp! Check out the Video Here )

Massage – Getting a deep tissue massage every or every other week can really help your muscles stay supple and recover quickly. 
Contact Jeff Lindsay, he’s an FC favorite!
305-720-7920 / For a soothing or invigorating in-house massage.

Compression Socks – After a training session massage and an ice bath put on your compression wear for improved circulation and ultimately faster recovery.

Normatec or E Relax – or any other brand of segmented compression can improve circulation and help you recover quickly

Hyperice Hypervolt, Theragun Vibration Therapy or Marc Pro and Compex can all be helpful modalities to help your muscled recover quickly and of course there is good old fashion

Recovery Session
Our Amazing sponsor Athletix Rehab offers awesome recovery sessions that include many of the above suggestions, without you doing the work. They do it for you, while you just enjoy.
Contact Athletix Rehab Recovery if you need physical therapy or one of their other amazing services.
Don’t forget to ask for your Full Circle member discount. Ph (305) 501-0231.

If you are interested in learning more about Full Circle Coaching, call/text 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, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom and much much more.