Below the Base: foundation training for 2020
by Campfire Head Coach Chris Bagg
Hey! You survived your offseason. Nice work. Haven’t taken your off-season yet? Go back and read the first part of this series: Why you Need an Offseason (Even a Short One!). Once you’ve hit the goals of that slice of your training year (rest, enthusiasm, acute training load almost to zero) it’s time to turn your attention to the first part of the year, which I call Foundation Training. One issue with teaching in general, and endurance training specifically, is that few standards in vocabulary exist throughout the particular subculture. What I call “foundation” someone else might call “base.” What I call “base” someone else may call “early season.” The issue truly gets thorny once we begin discussing training intensity (I’m looking at you “tempo,” you chameleon), but as with any issue of nomenclature, the goal of any piece of writing that aims to educate and edify is to move past the labels and provide understandable frameworks so we all can move forward productively. It matters little that I call something foundation that someone else calls base—we both can probably agree that this type of training returns a resting athlete to motion safely, setting him or her up for a productive remainder of the season.
Campfire athlete Bridget F. rocking her off season in New Hampshire
OK, credibility lift out of the way, what does a season look like, anyway? Well, I like simplicity, and I think a season consists of at most two macrocycles that each include most of the following phases (the second yearly macrocycle most likely omits the phase we’re going to talk about today). Those phases are:
foundation—checking and preparing the engine
base training—building the engine
pre-competition—sharpening the engine
competition—maintaining and tuning the engine
transition—mid-season break or offseason
Depending on your particular level and your goals, the competition phase may be short or quite long, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Today we’re going to talk about part one, the Foundation Period. Some coaches may include this period in their Base Training. That’s fine, and I can understand why they would do that. I separate them because the Foundation Period carries with it more flexibility than the Base Training, allowing athletes to train as they feel on a given day, provided they hit their weekly targets in terms of number of workouts and volume of training. It is a more unstructured period that allows the athlete to discover his or her ideal, repeatable, and sustainable weekly structure of training, something that will become crucial in the heavier Base Training period.
Campfire athlete Becky B. re-entering with a cold run in Massachusetts
Frequency, Consistency, Fun
When you’re starting back up (or starting out for the first time) your primary goal is frequency—that is, the number of times you can engage each discipline over the course of your training microcycle. For some people this is the seven-day week, but for others it may be as short as four days and as many as ten. Let’s stick with a seven-day week for simplicity, and you can extrapolate in either direction, depending on your needs. I think 11 sessions per week is a good number for the vast majority of athletes, broken down as follows:
3 sessions of your strongest discipline
3 sessions of your second strongest discipline
4 sessions of your weakest discipline (for 90% of triathletes, this is the swim)
1 strength and mobility session
OK, now the question that’s already on your mind: how long should each session be? Here’s the trick about the foundation period: as long as its longer than 20 minutes, it doesn’t matter. Remember, the first goal here is frequency, which we’ve already established. The second goal is consistency, and to achieve that goal, the workouts must excite and engage you, rather than daunt you. Since an athlete’s weakest discipline is most likely the swim, here’s how you decide how long those are: as long as you can swim while still enjoying yourself (and making it over the 20-minute time boundary). So if that means four 20-minute swims during this period, I’ll take it, as long as the athlete is enjoying him or herself in the water. If that’s too much time in the pool, it may be time to consider duathlon, or…checkers. For me, the run has always been my weakest sport, so here is what my foundation week looks like:
bike (or skate ski): three one-and-a-half to two-hour sessions
swim: three one hour swims, totally around 10k per week
run: four runs: one 30-minute, one 45-minute, one 25-minute, and one 60-minute
strength (another weakness): one 45-minute session, outlined at the bottom of this article
What if your enthusiasm is through the roof, and you want to do four-hour rides and 15-mile runs right off the bat? Remember, again, that our second goal is consistency, both now and later in the year, and starting off aggressively only leads to burnout later. Here are some limits I would impose upon my more gung-ho athletes.
bike: no longer than 90 minutes on the weekdays, and up to three hours of easy riding on the weekend (but only one of those)
run: no longer than 45 minutes on the weekdays, and up to 90 minutes on the weekend (but only one of those)
swim: no longer than 60 minutes, with a possible exception of up to 90 minutes if I’ve got a real swimmer on my hands
Finally, our third goal is fun, and to most athletes this means their weekly dose of intensity. Intensity is enjoyable, because most people are drawn to this sport in order to go fast and to feel fast. Intensity also feels hard (well, it is hard), and many athletes correlate that feeling with improvement and with the endorphins that hard exercise releases into our bodies and brains. The problem with intensity is that it is tiring, and we want to be careful with anything that makes us fast in February but jaded in June. What’s the upper limit on intensity during this period, and just what constitutes intensity? This is a far more nuanced topic than I can get through here, but the whole point of an article such as this one is to avoid complexity, so here goes. First of all, how intense? There are many ways to calculate intensity, but many studies show again and again that an athlete’s own rating of “hard” correlates closes to his or her second lactate threshold. If you’re a numbers person, “hard” usually shows up at seven out of ten on the standard rating of perceived exertion scale (RPE) or 15 and higher on the more useable 6-20 Borg scale of perceived exertion. For each sport, limit yourself to no more than ten minutes per seven-day microcycle at or above 7/10 or 15/20.
Gettin’ re-entry rides done on the Wahoo Fitness® KICKR trainers
How Long and What Order?
I would suggest 30 days of this style of training, which is enough to ease you back into the sport, give you a chance to reconnect with your training partners (which is probably the most important part of this period), and touch some of those higher intensity windows. At the end of those thirty days, you’ll be able to look at your training log, and you’ll be surprised at how much training time you’ve racked up, with ideally little logistical effort or stress. In terms of when the workouts fall during the week? I don’t really care. As long as you’re hitting the number of workouts required, you can put them in whenever they work. At the end of thirty days, look at your log for patterns—this is most likely your regular sustainable training calendar, arrived at organically based off of your schedule—not an arbitrary decision imposed upon you by your coach. For me, here’s what my sustainable foundation week looks like:
Monday: strength, 30-40’ run (Mondays are usually my second-busiest day of the week, and this is about all I can get in)
Tuesday: 60’ swim, 90’ ride
Wednesday: 45-60’ run, 60’ ride
Thursday: 60 minute swim, 90’ ride
Friday: 60-90’ swim (Fridays are my busiest day of the week, spent all day on the phone talking with athletes, and all that is possible is an early morning swim)
Saturday: 90-180’ ride or skate ski, 25’ run
Sunday: 60-90’ run, 60’ recovery spin
Once you’ve settled into your schedule over the course of a month, you and your coach can simply begin to turn the dials of duration and intensity as the year progresses and your fitness builds, all while sticking to the skeleton you’ve established here in the foundation period. The goal is to make training habitual and easy to begin (if you start a workout, you’re likely to finish it), and routine goes most of the way to achieving that goal.
This dynamic warmup is essential for the following strength training sesh
Keep the Strength Simple
I’m not a strength coach, but I’ve had the privilege of working with many great physical therapists and conditioning coaches over the years. Strength work in the foundation period focuses on improving durability of connective tissue and waking up dormant or unused muscle fibers. Coordination is key, as movement quality in your strength sessions will make for improved movement quality in your swimming, cycling, and running. Every session you do should have a warmup, some lower leg pushing actions, some lower leg and upper body pulling actions, and some work designed to improve your core’s ability to limit rotation during action. Here is a sample session, below, with vid links to demo the more unusual ones:
2x8 Romanian dead lift or hex bar deadlifts
50-100 med ball rotations
2x8 front squat
3 sets of pull-ups to failure (you’ll very likely achieve a total number in the single digits, even over three sets)
Campfire athlete Annick A. religiously practices the above routine
So, remember that lethargic feeling you had during your off days, when you panicked you were losing water-feel or speed? Find new, fresh, excited energy for your first workouts of 2022. Envision your first race (do you know the course?), and remember: frequency, consistency, and fun!
Our Front Line Triathletes: heroes above all
by CBCG athlete Amy VT
“I may be late tonight. I am either going to swim or cut off a toe.” Dr. John Seddon kisses his wife Kyla before embarking upon another heroic day full of training, working, changing the world, and almost always: surprises.
Harbingers of hope, our CBCG Athletes who are front line heroes have all received their second round of Covid-19 vaccinations. We have always marveled at their dedication, dashing from the Operating Room to the pool, or driving home an hour after a race to begin Emergency Room rounds, but this past year places them on a special sort of podium: one that makes a difference.
Here are a few snapshots of a few of our remarkable CBCG athletes who serve their communities, our country, and the whole world while somehow managing to train as triathletes. Their days-in-the-life will make you grateful for those extra minutes in the shower after a swim sesh, and their dedication will inspire you, fo sho.
John Seddon, M.D.
Orthopaedic Surgeon, UC Health Orthopedics Clinic
Colorado Springs, Colorado
THE QUOTE
“I’m honored to continue to serve our community the best we know how. Now that we’re vaccinated, I cautiously predict a light at the end of the tunnel.”
THE HERO
John is a fixer of bones and joints. He specializes in foot and ankle surgery, lower extremity trauma, and deformity correction, which is more than most of us can fathom, let alone understand, but it’s clear that he literally gets people back on their feet, and changes patients’ lives for the better.
At the onset of the pandemic, Dr. Seddon’s elective surgical volume decreased substantially as resources and equipment were reallocated to assist with Covid-19 units. Trauma volume has remained steady, however, which at times meant doing double-duty caring for Covid-positive patients.
THE TRIATHLETE
John could easily compete as a pro. You wouldn’t necessarily know by hanging out with him (unless you challenge him to a bike ride), since his nature is so kind, humble, and chill. Don’t be fooled. He’s a ferocious competitor, standing on the podium after nearly every race, and handily winning local events. He’s out of the water in a half-iron distance in 25 minutes, and basically presents no weaknesses.
No slave to his athletic ego, however, Dr. Seddon chooses a lifestyle that prioritizes his medical work and his family. His amazing wife Kyla supports him and their kiddos: their toddler daughter Ellie, baby son Cameron, and chocolate lab Kona.
DAY IN THE LIFE
4:30 - wake up
5am - hour trainer ride
6:10am - 30’ run off bike
6:40am - shower
7:00am - breakfast - coffee, protein shake with cereal
7:30am - arrive at hospital, see a few patients
8am - headed to clinic, saw around 20 patients
11:15am - left for pool
11:30pm - lunchtime swim
1pm - headed back to the clinic and saw another 20 patients
1:30pm - squeezed in lunch between patients - sandwich and fruit
3:30pm - second cup of coffee
5:45pm - left for home
6pm - arrived home, had a quick dinner with the fam, and to put the kids to bed
8pm - left for hospital
8:15pm - arrived back at the hospital to fix a hip fracture on a Covid-positive patient, then a washout and external fixation of an open tibia fracture
1:45am - left for home
2am - arrive back home, lights out, then do it again the next day!
Andrew Langfield, M.D.
Hospitalist, Highland Hospital
Oakland, California
(Oh, and Professional Triathlete)
THE QUOTE
“I mostly feel extremely fortunate to have a job I love that is useful right now. I don’t consider myself a ‘front line hero,’ though; this is why I became a doc.”
THE HERO
What’s a “Hospitalist?” Glad you asked. Andrew is an internist, an inpatient physician who coordinates care for admitted patients. That flavor of doctor is certainly an intense and impressive one as it is, but Andrew has the added layer of working in a “Safety Net Hospital” (one that is federally supported to care for uninsured patients), in an infamously underprivileged county. “Highland has been hit by this pandemic in all the ways you might expect. We’ve been at capacity for weeks on end; we’ve seen patients improve miraculously, and lost them unexpectedly; we’ve sat with families in their grief - virtually, because they rarely are allowed to visit (truly the worst thing about this pandemic). The best moments are those where you get to be a part of or witness genuine human connection.”
THE TRIATHLETE
When the world was normal(er), you likely saw Andrew running through the pro field at a major race. He’s placed in the top ten at full- and half-iron events, and in the top 15 at countless major pro races. Most significantly, he never once whined about balancing it all. In fact, word to the wise, here are few things you should never say to a professional triathlete:
“Well, it must be easy for you since you don’t have kids.”
“Well, it must be easy for you since you’re so skinny.”
"Well, it must be easy for you since you don't have a normal 9-5 job."
Not only are those futile questions in a chicken-and-egg capacity, but many pros hold down “real jobs,” and some, like Andrew, hold down immeasurably taxing and impressive ones. Here is a classic day from the before times. I just love how he puts his meals in all-caps.
THE DAY IN THE LIFE
5:10am - alarm goes off, snooze too many times
5:25am - finally out the door on the commuter bike
5:35am - late to the pool for Masters, miss most of warm-up
6:20am - out of the pool 10 minutes early (45' is better than nothing!), finish the commute in to work
6:40am - hit the door of the hospital, put on scrubs, first cup of coffee
6:50am - get sign-out from the night team on my patients (any overnight events, new admissions, etc.)
7am - pre-rounding on the computer (vital signs, morning labs, imaging studies, specialist recs, etc.)
8am - start seeing patients
8:30am - BREAKFAST! best part of the morning, usually an omelette +/- a big ol' pancake, second cup of coffee, banana for later
8:50am - finish seeing patients
9:30am - formal rounds begin (meet with rest of team, go see the entire census starting with the sickest)
12:15pm - LUNCH! and noon conference, chow on a sandwich + yogurt + fruit + cookie + milk while getting some knowledge, third cup of coffee
1pm - finish rounds, start working on all the to-do's (phone calls, orders, consult questions, discharges, procedures, etc.)
5pm - SNACK! usually bowl of cereal + granola bar
6:30pm - ride home, 6:30 is always the goal but of course some days this doesn't happen, other days done earlier but stay to catch up/work ahead
6:50pm - home, decompress
7:15pm - evening session, usually 45-60' run, or trainer session, or strengthening (kettlebells and plyos)
8:30pm - DINNER! I'm lucky that my wife loves to cook, but she's arguably busier than I am, so we usually try to cook a big meal for the week
9:30 - DESSERT!, or beer, or both
10pm - bedtime
Becky Matro, MD
Gastroenterologist, Scripps Health
San Diego, California
THE QUOTE
“Basically, I'm proud of being able to provide safe care and reassurance, and to encourage patients to prioritize their health, even during a pandemic.”
THE HERO
Becky does a true hero’s work of specializing in inflammatory bowel disease. Both Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease fall under this category, proving that the world is a better place because of Dr. Matro’s work. She performs procedures like endoscopies and colonoscopies for outpatients, and every 7-8 weeks, she hits the hospital for rounds, consulting for patients who may’ve been admitted with a primary GI problem, or something else such as a heart attack, or Covid-19. Like Andrew, she humbly doesn’t consider herself a true “front-liner,” but we do, since she’s right there in the hospitals during these dangerous times, doing hero things.
THE TRIATHLETE
In the past four years, Becky has achieved major PR’s in four disciplines! Through hard work and dedication to her program, she shaved hours off of her iron-distance split, posting an 11:32 at Challenge Roth, and qualified for the Boston Marathon and Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Not enough? She posted a successful Everest attempt on her bike last year, spending over eighteen hours on the bike.
Becky was elected to the Wattie Ink. Elite Team, a few years ago, and has recently been able to race for them despite the pandemic via their weekly online Zwift races including team time trials. Her coach says, “Becky’s determination to improve is remarkable, and she puts her money where her mouth is, steadily improving and setting new personal bests each year. She is a coach’s dream come true.”
THE DAY IN THE LIFE
5am - wake up
5:15am - on trainer for 90’ sesh
6:45am - shower
6am - walk my dog, Koha breakfast/coffee
7:10am - breakfast and plenty of coffee
7:30am - work
5pm - hopefully left by now for my swim reservation!
5:15pm - 45’ swim, due to restrictions
6:30pm - take Koha out again
7pm - dinner, unwind with some Netflix or a book
9pm - bed
Cameron Wynhnof
Volunteer Firefighter, Banks Fire District
Banks, Oregon
(Oh, and also Engineering Manager at Intel)
THE QUOTE
“Emergencies always happen, and the community will always need help. I am just thankful I can be there with the time I have.”
THE HERO
“Cam Bam the Tri Dad” manages a team that works on semiconductor equipment that produces CPUs (Computer Processing Units) also called chips. Wait. What’s that got to do with fighting fires? Oh! That’s his career at Intel. He is also an ERT (Emergency Response Team) leader responding to emergencies at a moment’s notice.
At Banks Fire, an hour west of Portland, Oregon, he is part of the TOD (Tour of Duty) Firefighter/EMT program, attending weekly training sessions, and serving weekly 12-hour shifts at the station from 7pm-7am, also responding to incidents at a moments notice. The pandemic introduced a boat load of changes at both Intel and at Banks Fire, the most significant of which being the PPE such as respirators and suits required when responding to calls. How he does it all and still spends tons of quality time with his totes adorbs toddler, is a wonder, and he’s often seen dashing out of the pool to pick her up in a matter of minutes.
THE TRIATHLETE
If you’re spectating a race and swimmers are coming in, watch out for Cam! His high school swimming days have stayed with him, despite a four year diversion playing soccer for Westminster College. He’s nailed both the half- and full-iron distances, as well as XTerra, and is a recent recruit to the CBCG athlete roster This year his eyes are set on at least Ironman 70.3 St. George, Ironman Coeur d'Alene, and Maple Valley 70.3, “at least.”
THE DAY IN THE LIFE
6am - wake up
6:45am - at Intel...grab a coffee
7am - it all starts
11:30am - lunch
1pm - meetings including interviews for 2 hours
3pm - emergency call (asERT leader) to evacuate an entire factory building
3:10pm - run out to rush to the building, assemble teams, and search buildings occupied by people on SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus), coordinating with electrical teams and other Life Safety teams
4pm - all searches come back with no injuries,
6pm - everything is back to order, and running fine
8pm - back home
8:15pm - ZWIFT ride of 4x10" FTP/Z3
9:30pm - hip strengthening, mobility band work, weights for the arms
10pm - shower
10:15pm - bed
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Doctor Alison Siepker, LCSW, BCD
2nd Marine Division
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
QUOTE
“When the pandemic hit, my OSCAR team and I knew we needed to keep our services obtainable, and managed to launch entirely new procedures really quickly, despite limited resources. In the military we often take pride in doing more with less.”
THE HERO
Apparently her friends call her Ali. Phew! That moniker is much simpler than the letters, accolades, decorations, and titles that formally accompany her name, all of which are very, very well-deserved. LCDR Siepker is Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy currently assigned to the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. She serves as an Operational Stress Control and Resilience (OSCAR) Provider, which is pretty cool, as is her background. Read on, it’s worth it!
Born in Newcastle, England, Ali’s family moved to Dubai when she was eight-years-old (her dad was a chemical engineer), and she graduated from Dubai College. She then began her military career in the U.S. Marine Corps. “After I got out, I used my GI Bill to graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa while my husband (also a marine) was stationed there with an infantry battalion. I subsequently pursued my degree as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, empowering me to serve as a psychotherapist for active duty Marines and Sailors, as well as to advise Commanders on anything mental health related that may impact their Marines, Sailors, or their units, in general.”
THE TRIATHLETE
Fortunately, the U.S. Navy promotes fitness, so if Ali goes for a run in the afternoon, it’s pretty much considered part of her job. A few years ago she tacked-on the extraneous community of the Wattie Ink. Hit Squad, and recently joined the Gravel Collective. She qualified for Ironman 70.3 World Champions at the Japan 70.3, and began gravel riding in earnest after racing Haute Route Rockies. This year she’s got some serious events on the calendar: Unbound 100, Gravel Worlds, and Leadville. ”I like riding the Tank Trails on Camp Lejeune, which you sometimes have to share with tactical vehicles, but it beats riding in regular traffic.”
Check out her typical day below, “...unless it's a Tuesday when I'll be racing the Zwift WTRL race series, with Wattie Ink., which is a highlight of my week!”
THE DAY IN THE LIFE
0630 - wake up
0700 - shower, eat breakfast and put my uniform on
0800 - arrive in office
0830 - patients until noon
1200 - lunch
1300 - work on notes, or meetings with commands
1500 - leave for training
1530 - swim, run, and/or ride!
1730 - shower
1800 - dinner, then chill watching TV or hanging out with husband Geoff
2130 - bed
Dr. Adam Goulet DC, CSCS, CCSP
Sports Chiropractor, Evolution Healthcare and Fitness
Portland, Oregon
THE QUOTE
“We are fortunate to have been able to continue providing world class care throughout the pandemic, so hopefully we have made people’s body’s just a little more resilient through the Coronaverse.”
THE HERO
Adam specializes in sports rehabilitation, using soft tissue manipulation, fasciae manipulation, and rehabilitation exercises to treat everything from shin splints, to torn knee meniscus, to spinal disc herniations. Yowza! On a great day he can utilize the crazy, fancy method of Blood Flow Restriction therapy to advance and improve the healing and rehab process. Google it!
Evolution Healthcare & Fitness is where he spends most of his days, bouncing from side to side (healthcare and fitness, get it?), seeing patients on one end, training them on the other, and squeezing in his own workouts with an extraordinary poundage of weights on either end of the bar.
THE TRIATHLETE
A member of the Wattie Ink. Elite Team, Adam is no slouch at swimming, cycling, or running - especially the Olympic Distance. He began as a collegiate All-American in Track and Field at Eastern Oregon University. He’s an internationally-ranked athlete in triathlon and duathlon, winning his AG at ITU Age Group World Championships: the ultimate podium. His quads are extraordinarily large.
DAY IN THE LIFE
6am - wake up
6:10 - breaky
7:50am - leave for pool
8:30 - jump in for an hour swimmy
9:45am - quick rinse
9:50am - quick fuel
10am - 75’ track sesh
11:30am - drive back to work, snack before first patient
12pm - first patient
5:30 - leave for home
6pm - home and snack or early dinner
7:30pm - begin paperwork on the computer
9pm - bedtime
10pm - lights OUT!
Nathan Killam
(Oh, and Professional Triathlete)
QUOTE
“I've been in structure fires where ceilings are coming down around you, fire is everywhere, and you can't see anything because of the thick smoke, and you're like, ‘Oh, it's getting pretty hot in here, eh?’”
THE HERO
Okay, Killam is not technically a CBCG Athlete, but he’s been part of our family for over a decade. And he is definitely, irrefutably a front line hero. A career firefighter in Vancouver, British Columbia, Killam has seen it all. He quips, “It’s not like Backdraft. We don’t just go running through the wall of an inferno.” Nonetheless, he has countless, harrowing stories of combatting conflagrations.
Bravery is only a component of what makes Killam’s career astonishing. Juggling life as a husbo, dad, and successful professional triathlete is a circus act to say the least, featuring a four-day-on and four-day-off cycle (is that a week?) including two 14-hour night shifts. His day in the life below will leave you wondering if he is really human, after all. (NB: I’ve often decided that he is not.)
THE ATHLETE
Google him.
THE DAY IN THE LIFE
7am - drove home from 14-hour night shift
7:30am - devoured coffee and some fuel
8am - rode my bike halfway to Whistler and back
3pm - quick run off the bike
4pm - quick shower, recovery smoothie, and kiss to the family
4:30pm - jumped in my car to head back to work
5pm - family meal at the station, and thus begins my next 14-hour night shift
Incidentally, Nathan’s first born child, Aiden, was born the next day. So next time you’re leaisurely sipping your recovery protein smoothie in your Normatech Recovery Legs, raise your cup to the above heroes, who augmented their contributions to society this past year, and will always serve as paragons of balancing it all.