Is there a better way?

October 11, 2022October 11, 2022 by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Mindset

Is there a better way?

What’s up, you guys? Coach Erinne here. And I wanted to talk about the possibility of doing things a little differently.

I have so many athletes that sign up with me, and they give themselves enough time to achieve the goal and then life happens.

We have a certain amount of time for each distance of race.

For a sprint race, you need six to eight weeks. Olympic, typically eight weeks to 12 weeks is the minimum amount of time to train so that you show up at the race and you feel good across the finish line.

For a 70.3, four months minimum. And that’s with a base of training before that four months starts. That’s four months of focused training.

And then for an Ironman, you can get it done in four months. But six months to even a year is preferable.

And so why do I recommend all of that time? The reason is, because it’s just human nature that you get started, they’re super motivated. And after the first month to six weeks, things start to fall apart.

Whether they couldn’t control themselves and start as slow as I asked them to perhaps. Or they just pushed too hard too fast too soon. Whether they’re with me or with another coach, that’s a very common thing. You want to do better, you want to get faster. And you have this giant goal at the end of this time period. And your ego’s like, “You need to go faster. You need to do this better,” right?

But there is definitely a better way, okay?

So you guys have heard me talk about Strong before Long, and Fast before Far. But you can’t even go fast until you’re strong. You have to be strong first.

So what if you guys … Or you guys and gals who are doing triathlon and you’re tired of showing up to the race, all patched together with KT tape all over your body, because you’re hurting.

You’ve changed your time goal because you haven’t really put in the time training.

You procrastinated that first two to four months, and it was six weeks till the race. And then you finally kicked in and started training and doing what was required. Is this you??

It’s not those occasional, big giant workouts that help you cross the finish line. (they can help but) It’s actually the day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month training that gets you to the goal.

And the goals are different for everybody. If you have a goal just to cross the finish line and barely survive (I don’t really like to train people to do that). I’d rather have you cross the finish line and be like, “Hell yeah! I just kicked ass on that race. And I am ready for more. I am super proud of my accomplishment!”

Don’t get me wrong, every time you cross the finish line is a win.

But what if you could cross the finish line having done the work leading up to it?

Yes, Ironman, triathlon takes work. You can wing a sprint, you can wing an Olympic. But you cannot wing a 70.3. And you cannot wing an Ironman. I was at Cozumel 70.3 a few weeks ago and it was SO hot during the run. Everyone was suffering, but the ones who suffered less, trained more.

It’s just the truth! 70.3 and Ironman is hard, you guys. It is fucking hard. Excuse my French.

If you don’t put in the time, it’s harder. Right?

So what if you decided to do it a different way?

What if you decided to show up and start doing your strength training now?

You get that video analysis and you get that strength assessment and mobility assessment.

You start stretching, you start doing your strength training specific to Swim, Bike, Run.

You start aerobic, building your aerobic base by keeping your heart rate low. And just improving your fitness, right?

Then as four to six weeks go by, we start to test you. We create your training zones. Then you start to do your intervals. You’ve been consistent, you haven’t had a setback.

You’re taking care of your nutrition so you didn’t get sick. You didn’t get a cold, you didn’t catch that cold because you’re actually recovering when you’re supposed to.

You’re sleeping eight hours a night every night. You’re taking care of the whole body, the whole mind, the whole process to help you feel fucking amazing across the finish line.

And I’m proud to say it that at Full Circle Coaching, that’s what we strive to do for you guys.

We want you to have the whole package. The nutrition, race day nutrition, as well as day-to-day nutrition, immune boosting, making sure your sleep is dialed in. Supplements, yes. You can’t supplement your way into a healthier body. So nutrition comes first. But definitely, you need supplements to help support your journey. Triathlon is a big stressor in your life.

So from there, strength. As I said, strength and mobility are specific to the sport. And also make sure your strength is in other directions besides just going front and front forward like triathlon is.

Then put in the time to train. Show up to the track, whether it’s with me holding your hand or not.

So triathlon is a lonely sport. And sometimes people get upset when they have to do 100-mile bike rides on their own. Or they have to do an 18-mile bike ride. But you’re not racing with friends. Yeah, they might be at the same race, but it’s your race. It’s you against you. You compete with yourself, right?

So I’m here to ask you if you’re ready to try doing it a different way. And if you are, I have a great way to set yourself up.

So, I’m starting my Nutrition Essentials course this fall. Along with a strength training program to help you guys set up your year to have an epic year in 2023.

So that is two months, two to three months, the end of 2022 is going to allow you to have a kick-ass spring into the whole 2023 season, whatever your races are.

So I have athletes signing up for Puerto Rico 70.3, for Clash Miami in March. Guess what? The training starts now. And it doesn’t mean you can’t do a triathlon in the meantime. There’s Key West, right? There’s Miami Man that you can still keep up your Swim, Bike, and Run. But the focus is going to be on nutrition and strength.

So are you ready to do it a different way? I’d love to have you join me. DM me if you’re interested in the details. I have an application I can send you to see if we are a fit. Let me help you get there by doing it a different way.

October 24-27, is my Nutrition Reset Challenge join us Free!

Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. Creator of Triathlon Transformation. 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, Mermaid and much much more.

From Brain Tumor to 70.3 Finish line; Rockstar Triathlete Neil Solomon

October 7, 2022September 19, 2024 by fullcircle, posted in ROCKSTARS

From Brain Tumor to 70.3 Finish line; Rockstar Triathlete Neil Solomon

Coach’s Notes:

Neil and I go WAY back. But I had not heard from him in quite a few years. He told me his Ironman goal and I did say it was possible, but we may want to take a bit more time to get stronger and faster since he had taken so much time away from sport.

We decided to forge ahead with a caveat to change of course as needed. So he joined my Triathlon Transformation Program and we got to work with my Nutrition Essentials and Strength and Mobility Essentials.

Neil lost over 30 lbs, and even got his 6-pack abs back! We did identify a few imbalances in his strength and mobility assessments and are happy to say most of those were corrected despite a few strains along the journey.

Next was dialing in his biomechanics on the swim, bike, and run with video analysis and testing. His massive improvements across the board are impressive.

Some of his other big wins were switching from fear to speed on the bike, struggle to enjoyment on the swim, and injury to strong and steady on the run.

It is never a straight line from start to finish in your training journey to long-course triathlon, but I have methods to keep the fitness improving while athletes recover and continue to progress.

I could not be more proud of Neil’s success at the Cozumel 70.3. Coming within 10 minutes of his predicted race time, given the conditions, with a 6:41 is impressive. This kind of success after recovering from a brain tumor and not much fitness is pretty EPIC!

Way to go, Neil, you are a true Rock Star Triathlete! So excited for what’s next…

Thanks so much for choosing Full Circle Coaching for your triathlon Journey! Congratulations!

Age:

Profession:

CEO – PropertyForce – A real estate investment company.

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

I go back a long way with FCC to when I was doing my first sprint triathlons in my late 20s or early 30s. Erinne brings tremendous knowledge and unparalleled expertise to any athlete looking to excel in all three disciplines. Beyond the sport itself, but directly related, Erinne’s understanding of nutrition, supplementation, a healthy lifestyle, and a holistic perspective is extremely valuable to any training regimen.

What is your “A” race for this season?

Cozumel 70.3 was my “A” race for the season.

Please share your BIG goals: My big goals in life or my big goals related to triathlon?

My big goal in life is to be the best husband, father, family man, friend, and businessman I can be. To make a positive impact on as many people as possible every day – to coach.

My BIG goals in Triathlon are to become a competitive Age Grouper, challenging for podium positions regularly whether competing in Sprints, Internationals, or Olympics. Also, to push my limits in 70.3s and significantly cut my time to under 6 hours towards 5 hours. Finally, to complete at least 1 Full Ironman140.6. Along the way, to get, remain, and stay emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy through improvement to reach these triathlon goals.

Tell me about your successes so far:

This year has been unique.

Not to get dramatic, but most of my athletic focus and training stopped six years ago when I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A combination of factors post multiple surgeries led to some weight gain, and while I got “back to the gym,” it was the first time I had ever gone multiple months, let alone multiple years, without any cardio training.

So, to kick off 2022, I decided that would change. A friend motivated me to get started on an old bike, and as that got a little traction, I added some light running. By March, I reached out to Erinne and Full Circle Coaching to begin training for a long course race. A lifelong goal!

Success 1, committing to a healthy lifestyle, and to that end, I dropped over 30 pounds, and my blood work went from not-so-good to perfect. My body changed significantly, my clothing fit (smaller sizes), and I looked and felt healthier and more energetic.

Success 2, learning to be patient, mainly as aches and pains arose that I had never dealt with before. Again, I had never gone so long without training, so the joint pain and the slight muscle pain, the reduced flexibility, and deteriorated muscular strength, let alone severely less cardiovascular capability, all required a level of patience that took some getting used to. Attention to little details mattered, which required a change in mindset, which was fully supported and inspired by Coaches Erinne, Ollie, and Jac.

Success 3 was competing in a couple of sprints and an Olympic in the spring and early summer while recovering from a nagging calf issue.

Success 4 was an exceptional experience and achievement this past weekend at my A race – Cozumel 70.3…which brings me to:

Success 5 is my decision to postpone IM Florida 140.6 and acknowledge that patience is a virtue. To have a positive experience in a FULL Ironman, with all that I am contending with pre/post-Cozumel, and that thing called life requires a bit more training and an even more significant commitment to consistency and attention to detail in the training sessions. As I have said for years, you can’t fake a full Ironman. I know that, I believe that, and I am proud of myself for putting whatever ego and pride aside to reset and refocus my training to accomplish that FULL goal in 2023.

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

First and foremost, I learned a lot about training. About HR, POWER, ZONES, etc., etc., stuff that MATTERS! Particularly as you start going long course.

With regards to the SWIM, Cozumel’s SWIM was the biggest positive delta I have ever achieved in any athletic endeavor concerning expectation vs. performance. All through training, while my swim technique improved, I remained relatively slow vs. my peers, swimming long swims at around 2:30 per 100 yards. As such, I anticipated a swim north of 50 minutes, and my goal was to break 50 minutes. I swam Cozumel in 35 MINUTES (1:53 per 100); never did I think that was possible. And even more impressive, yards 1000 – 1500 were at a 1:38 per 100-yard pace. I was blown away. All the frustration and struggle with technique both in the pools and in the open water paid off in Cozumel as I finally found my form and “felt the water”!

The Bike journey has been spectacular. Highlighted by my first 55 and 75-mile rides and then multiple 50-60ish mile rides in training. What started as struggling to maintain 15mph became comfortable and strong at 20mph. What was being dropped by groups riding at 22mph became me pulling for those same groups at 24mph—all driven by better technique, better fitness, and, yes, a better bike. I went from the guy afraid to train in cycling because it is dangerous and uncomfortable to the guy who prefers cycling over the other two disciplines and looks forward to improving further.

My sub-3-hour Cozumel 70.3 56-mile ride and my Loggerhead Sprint ride of 13 miles averaging almost 22 mph are the highlights of this season.

With regards to the RUN, just being able to complete Loggerhead and then Cozumel was a huge achievement, considering the calf issue. That said, learning about techniques such as dry needling, flossing, and others, are valuable pieces of information. Running Loggerhead well under 9-minute miles without pain was a tremendous achievement. I was also proud of training 8-10 miles several times at roughly 10-minute miles, considering how long I was away from running. And while the Cozumel run was brutal, my legs, lungs, and heart held up for 2:48 in 100-degree temperature, and I also take tremendous pride in that. Knowing I tested months ago at a 6:30 minute mile and likely could break 6:00 today bodes well for future training and races as my body recalls the 11 marathons and multiple half marathons. I have run and know that to go 13 miles sub 7:30 is possible, as are the correlated speeds at the shorter distances. Been there, done that… will get back there again.

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

1. Eating clean.
2. Being FULLY committed to the high-quality training days that I can get to consistently. This year it was Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I hope to add another day or even two as I close the year. But those four days, I was religious about them. And quite honestly, that schedule allowed me to rest and recover, which was probably appropriate for this past cycle.
3. I had and have lots of fun! I trained with a smile the VAST MAJORITY of the time!

What excites you the most about being involved in triathlon?

The people – I have said for 25 years, “You will not meet a nicer group of people than those you will meet involved in endurance sports!” Cozumel did not disappoint, as has happened often at the end of past races of mine; as I was struggling through mile 12 of the run, some pro or top age grouper, I guess doing his cool down two hours later, comes running the opposite way with nothing but words of encouragement, even ran with me for like 20 yards. It’s a special group of people! The Full Circle Tribe fits that description, “a special group of people,” as well or better than any team out there.

Also, I love to test myself. And triathlon allows you to do that in ways that I would have thought were done for me when I left high school and that portion of my athletic career. Mentally, physically and emotionally, triathlons of any size, shape, or form test your abilities, your conditioning, your strength, and most of all your discipline!

What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our training program?

Whether a true beginner, a novice, an intermediate, or an experienced accomplished triathlete, FULL CIRCLE Coaching has a program for you. That said, be prepared to take in A LOT of information quickly. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Be willing to ask lots of questions. It is not, “Hey, let’s go for a little swim, a casual bike ride, or a Sunday jog.” It is a sport, but it is very much a science, and FC focuses on the science of it. So be prepared to learn a lot and even be a bit intimidated by all the data and tech. Just know it is all there to keep you healthy and make you better!

This could be you! You too can become the triathlete you always dreamed of! APPLY Here!

P.S. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Full Circle has teamed up with Property Force to help promote the fundraising Bike Ride Event on OCTOBER 15th. Click REGISTRATION for details.

Rockstar Swimmer: Tim Skladzien

September 30, 2022February 13, 2024 by fullcircle, posted in ROCKSTARS

Rockstar Swimmer: Tim Skladzien

Coach’s Notes:

I was psyched to hear from Tim when he reached out to me to train for Alligator Lighthouse swim.

He joined my Swim Essentials virtual training program since he lives in Illinois and we started with the video analysis and swim testing.

From there I gave him specific drills to correct his form along with swim specific strength and stretches as well as his online training program to reach his maximum potential for the 8-mile open water swim race.

Seeing him in our biweekly group coaching calls and checking in on his form monthly allowed him to achieve success despite never having swum in the open ocean for a race like this. He had a personal record in his 5k in Lake Michigan along the way to success in a very wavy open ocean Alligator Lighthouse swim. Super Proud of you Tim. Congratulations – You are a Rockstar Swimmer!