Whenever I see my coach or chat with him via email, there are always a set of standard questions he asks me. He uses these questions and my answers to judge how my training is going (whether I am doing enough, too much, injured or just general well-being). As you read these questions/responses you might think that some of them are really personal. They are! But, I know when Matt asks these questions he is trying to get an overall impression of how I am doing which then helps him as he writes up my training plan each week. So here you go – in no particular order - 9 common questions...
Question 1: How does the body feel?
Answer 1: I feel good.
Answer 2: My legs are tired.
If he doesn’t like my answer (not enough detail), he then drills down into more specific questions about areas that are giving me problems. For example: how is the hip flexor, how is the elbow?
Answer: I then give him more detailed information.
Question 2: What did you eat today? Matt likes to check in on my diet and this question gives him a decent idea of how much/what I eat.
Answer: I had an egg and toast for breakfast (almost every day), and then the rest of the meals vary – sandwiches, pasta, leftovers… He then tells me I need to eat more! 😀
Question 3: Are you cranky/short-tempered? (this can be a sign of training too much)
Answer: I don’t think so but, you should probably ask Pat.
Question 4: How much do you weigh/how is your weight? Matt doesn’t want me losing any weight – if anything he wants me to put on a few pounds so he always checks on this.
Answer: Stable or Maintaining
Question 5: How is your crotch? This may be a TMI type of thing but, it’s an important part of the equation… Sitting on a bike saddle for hours, day after day can cause issues so Matt checks in to make sure I am ok (do I need a day or days off the bike).
Answer 1: Fine – translation - I have some pain, but, I want to continue to ride because I know it’s important!
Answer 2: Good – translation - I have some discomfort but, I can ride.
Answer 3: No issues – translation - I really have no issues – put me on the bike! 😀
Question 6: Did you clean your bike? Taking care of equipment is important too. A clean bike is smoother and easier to ride.
Answer: Yes, a couple days ago. (I usually clean my bike after every long ride because it gets sticky from all the electrolyte drink dripping out of my bottle – so 1x/week, the drive train gets cleaned every couple weeks).
Question 7: Did you eat all your calories during your bike ride? I try to average 300 calories/hour during my bike rides and it is important to eat/drink all of it in order to run afterwards, or if no run then it helps with recovery. The goal is to never get depleted during my rides.
Answer: Usually the answer is Yes. There are some times when I can’t get it all down but, I have gotten a lot better this year about consuming all my calories. I have been experimenting with different foods and drinks to find things that work in the latter hours/miles of long bike rides.
Question 8: How did you sleep last night? Sleep is another part of the equation and is important for recovery.
Answer1: Ok
Answer 2: Not well
Answer 3: I haven’t been sleeping well for the past xxx time.
I have always struggled with sleep. It takes me a long time to fall asleep, and then I usually wake up every 2-3 hours. I am used to this pattern but, when I have a hard training week, I do feel extra tired. Sometimes I try to take a nap but, usually I can’t nap – I can’t fall asleep so I just rest.
Question 9: How is Pat doing? Matt being friendly and asking about other parts of my life.😀
Answer: He is doing great!
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| My coach Matt. This is a few years ago but, we still look the same. |
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