t2coaching

 I have a collaborative, athlete-centric, coaching style. We work closely together to determine the training plan, methods of communication, goals and more.

Coaching is more than just a training plan. Coaches are an athletes accountability partner. We are on your journey to better health, fitness, and sport. My role is to educate each athlete. Empowering each athlete to make decisions, to understand what the intent of the workout is so they can hold themselves accountable. I build a personalized training program with specific KEY training sessions based on the athlete’s current fitness level and supporting sessions, skills and drills and endurance to facilitate recovery and provide to the key workouts. I scale the workout time based on the athletes time availability to train. I educate each athlete with solid nutrition and recovery protocols and within the training plan, integrate strength and conditioning.

Communication is the key component to a successful athlete/coach relationship. I prefer communication via training log comments, email. Text and facebook message is fine. If you want to chat on the phone call, we set up a call in advance.

I want athletes to develop a level of autonomy, to make decisions on the fly for themselves. For example,  adding a mile to your run or riding extra because it is a nice day and or you are riding with friends, or maybe cutting out part of a workout due to time or a nagging pain/injury. You don’t need to ask, just do it and log the changes in training peaks. A confident and empowered athlete, to be able to self-manage, make smart decisions on the fly, and understand your training journey, will lead to your success.

You should strive to achieve at least 80% of the workout frequency, duration, and intensity. If you are not able to get in a scheduled training session or have to cut a workout short,  don’t sweat it! Let me know in your training log and I will update TP appropriately. Often the best thing to do is just move forward with your schedule as planned.

Although I am a huge fan of using the technology heart rate, GPS, pace and power, while monitoring the Rate of Perceived Effort, RPE. I started this sport in 1992 when no technology was available and got my first Polar HR monitor when I was swimming in college.  I had no idea how to use it and wore it 24/7. To this day, I still prefer to race with RPE (I don’t like my racing to be dictated by numbers) and train with power on both the bike and run (Stryd).

When you complete and upload data, I receive a notification. I wait until the athlete provides subjective feedback.  This gives me an opportunity to review the workout data along with athlete comments and then I give feedback in a timely manner. I coach the person, not the Garmin. Longing comments let me know what you are doing, how your body is responding to the training load, and how you are progressing with the program.

Provide timely feedback. Types of things to comment in your training log and anything else is great. I thrive on feedback.

• What you ate and drank pre-, during, and post workout.
• Which workouts you like, which workouts you don’t like.
• Explain any your time constraints
• What was your perception of first to the middle to the last repetition of an interval workout?
• What was your self-talk like at different points?
• What was the weather like (headwind, change in temperature, sunny, rainy, etc.)?
• Was there anything you did differently that would lead to this performance or the feeling that you reported on this day?
• Any life stressors occurring?
• Your motivation starting or lack thereof.
• How your energy was once you started or post-exercise

With the trainingpeaks app, as well as the metrics icon,  it does not take much time to log it and jot down some notes. Reviewing how each session went, and any personal observations or questions will help you progress. For example, if your power is really low and your RPE is high, just by looking at the downloaded data does not tell the entire story.  It could be due to sleepless nights or lack of nutrition. Context is everything. Elements of success include nutrition, functional strength, and recovery.

“Being a great coached athlete is not about punching the clock and simply checking off workouts. Life is not a spreadsheet, and therefore, neither is training. I often giggle when an athlete reports a great week of training simply because they did every session. Effective training is that which facilitates positive physiological adaptations, so ensure you and your coach maintain a dynamic mindset when it comes” -Matt Dixon

My background is swimming age 4-college. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up and pursued that career at Eastern Michigan Undergraduate.  My summer jobs in high school until I graduated from Colorado State University with my Masters in Exercise Science, were lifeguarding, swim coaching as well as Aquatics and Fitness Coordinator at the Fort Collins Club.

My philosophy of triathlon coaching stems from my time management skills I developed as a being an age group- collegiate swimmer and my learning the sport of triathlon on my own when I started in 1992.

When I started Triathlon in 1992, for 8 years I trained and raced. I did not have a purpose of technique, endurance, strength, power, and speed. I picked my workouts from various magazines and added them to a scrape-book.  My cycling friends advised me to implement how I trained as a swimmer into triathlon. I trained at least  20 hours a week high school through college what seemed like mostly threshold workouts. I just did what my coach advised. I often set the best times during training vs racing, lots of high volumes, high intensity and moderately high effort.

When implementing that mindset into 2 other sports, I took my work ethic as a swimmer and continued swimming 6 days a week with riding and running 4-5 days a week lead to illness and injury the first 10 or so years of competing in a triathlon.

Fueling? Negative eating patterns happened in college when I went home after my freshman year my coach told me to lose 5 pounds. Due to surgery that summer, I came back 10 pounds thinner which eventually leads to my disordered eating and my thesis topic “Eating, Training, and Prevalence of Disordered Eating Among Triathletes”Negative eating patterns, limiting caloric intake, athlete starvation, not emotionally, compromised my performance, lack of recovery and sleep. Victim of not knowing what I did not know. 

Along with continuing education, trying to apply what I learned to coach myself, born my triathlon coaching career.  Because of my struggles as a high school and collegiate swimmer, I would train but when it came to competition I flopped, I am really into the psychology of training and racing. I have been labeled a “mental band-aid” by many athletes I coach in Turkey. 

My goal as a coach is to help you reach your athletic goals through education, mentoring, and creating highly customized training plans for you. In order for you to show positive growth in the direction of your goals, there are several things that will help us work together most productively. Here are some ideas for making the most from my coaching.

COMMUNICATION
The better I know how you respond to your training, the better I can create the best training plan for you. My coaching services are set up to allow, encourage, and foster high levels of communication. I will frequently check in with you via email and text. Communication is a two-way street. To make the most of my coaching, I encourage you to actively keep me posted on how you are doing, and to be as honest as possible with yourself when doing so.

For example:

• If your schedule changes and you alter your training, let me know. If you have questions about how to make such alterations I will help you.

• If you know in advance, even a day or two that work or other factors may take up more of your time, let me know and I can help you to adjust your training in a way that will best keep you on the path to your goals.

• If you are feeling tired, DEFINITELY tell me. Fatigue is NOT a sign that you are training well, you are NOT on a good path to athlete improvement. Growth as an athlete is a function of the wise application of both training stresses and opportunities for recovery. An athlete who is on a good course should feel strong, energized, and eager to train. One of the most important things you can do to help me make sure your ongoing training load is appropriate for you is to tell me if your energy levels are low, especially if you are becoming sick.

HELPING YOU HELP YOURSELF
A training plan does not make great athletes. I take pride in putting thought into your training plan, ultimately it is up to you to go out and make your goals and dreams reality. Trust that you are receiving the highest quality training program designed to maximize your performance. However, it is WHAT YOU DO with the training information and other suggestions that really count. If you receive a plan that recommends, X, Y, and Z you should do X, Y and Z unless you are too tired to do so, the conditions are too dangerous, or your schedule has changed and will not allow it. It is the EXECUTION of well-design training plans that will help you progress towards your goals. I welcome and will always use your feedback together with my knowledge and experience to create a plan that will best help you attain your goals. My role is to help you help yourself in your process as an athlete.

IT’S IN THE DETAILS
Pay attention to the details of your training plan. Your monthly plan is developed with a larger picture in mind. Each workout is intended to establish specific aspects of your performance potential. The details, the type, duration, and intensity of training are important.

If you tell me that you feel like the workout is too easy or you are not doing enough of a particular kind of training I want to work TOGETHER with you to create the best course of action that takes you to your goals. If you are unsure why you are training a particular way, let me know and I will explain more clearly the reasons for the workout.

Please ask “why” if you don’t understand something. Informing you of “why” you are training a given way empowers you to execute your training with the greatest quality you can. This will create the best results for you.

If you decide on your own that the training plan is not right and slightly alter what you do, then you should know that you are not getting the most from my coaching. I recommend specific types, durations, and intensities to help you train to reach YOUR stated goals. You will be cheating yourself by not paying attention to the details of your prescribed training. Pay attention to the details and you will get the most from my coaching.

HEALTH IS YOUR #1 PRIORITY
There is NO way to perform at your best without optimal health. Health requires you to manage all the stressors in your life while allowing the optimal function and harmony of all your bodies systems. NO training program will foster ideal development or ideal performance if a person is stressed and unhealthy. This could be the result of a rough work situation, family life trouble, school trouble, poor nutritional habits, commute stress, or similar factors.

If you want to maximize your development and performance as an athlete and make the most from my coaching, then make sure you do everything in your power to live as healthfully as possible.

I make a big effort to go way above and beyond simply the training aspect of conditioning for a sport. I encourage you to do all that you can to create and continually improve your overall health. I am excited at the opportunity to work with you help you to pursue your athletic goals.

Our approach to coaching is simple and honest. We design our programs based on your current level of fitness, your goals, and your needs.  Using a variety of assessment tools we gain an accurate measure to determine your starting point, health challenges, preferred activities, and personal goals. Then we design a personalized plan for your success.  And finally, we offer training and support to help keep you motivated and on track.

If interested in t2 coaching, please fill out the Client Intake and Athlete Profile forms.

Client Intake Form

Athlete Profile Form

• I use training peaks to load the details of your program in 2-week blocks and make changes when needed and update each block based on your progression and feedback.
• I track progress (metrics) with power, HR, pace and RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort) with data you upload and subjective feedback in your training log
• The athlete starts with a series of a swim, bike and run test wearing their power and heart rate monitor to determine specific training zones.
• I analyze swim and run from the video you send me and prescribe drills based on your technique limiter
• I respond to text and email. Phone call set up by appointment.
• I will modify your plan to your specific needs along the way so you can be as successful as possible.

Monthly Online Coaching/ 12 months prepay $2400

Monthly Online Coaching / 9 months prepay $2025

Monthly Online Coaching / 6 months prepay $1350

Monthly Online Coaching: / 3 months prepay $750

Phone Consultation via SKYPE: $75  

Whether you are getting started or getting serious in the sport of triathlon, it can be quite a task trying to manage three different disciplines, juggling jargon like base training, tempo runs and lactate threshold, and for many, working a full-time job. A consultation over the phone, SKPYE, with Wendy for 60 minutes to discuss your current and future health, fitness, and sports goals. I will help you:

• Set personal goals for the season
• Decide which races to go for
• Determine goals for individual disciplines
• Create an annual training plan outline

DON’T SEE A PROGRAM FOR YOU, CONTACT ME AND I WILL HELP YOU DECIDE AND CREATE A PACKAGE TO FIT YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS