New Athlete Guide

Training Peaks SetUp

🟢 TrainingPeaks Startup

1. Create your account

  • Download the TrainingPeaks app (free version is fine, don’t let TP trick you into paid. I pay for your acct).
  • Make your account, then I’ll send you an invite so we’re connected.

2. Connect your watch

  • Sync your Garmin, Coros, Suunto, Polar (etc.) to TrainingPeaks so workouts auto-load.
  • Here’s a quick how-to from TrainingPeaks: How to Connect Your Device.

3. Syncing workouts

  • Once connected, workouts I load for you will show up on your watch.
  • Get familiar with your lap button — some workouts will require this.

4. Saving workouts

  • Always hit save after your run/ride. That way the workout uploads and I can see it.

5. Feedback after workouts

  • Leave me a short note after session:
    • How it felt (easy, hard, “I think I might barf”).
    • Any pain, niggles, or issues.
    • Energy levels, mood, or anything weird with fueling.
  • The more I know, the better I can adjust your plan. Communication is key!

Rate of Perceived Effort – RPE

🟢 What is RPE?

RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Effort. It’s a 1-10 scale that measures how hard you feel you’re working, from “easy stroll to the fridge” to “running from a bear.”

🟢 Why I use RPE

Heart rate can be thrown off by heat, stress, caffeine, or lack of sleep. RPE keeps things simple and keeps you tuned in to your body. It helps me coach you based on how you actually feel – not just what your watch says.

👉 Don’t worry, I’ll still be keeping an eye on your heart rate too. RPE just gives us a clearer picture when the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Communication

🟢 Communication Made Easy

Life’s hectic, so I keep things flexible. You’ve got options:

  • TrainingPeaks – leave me notes right on your workouts (my favorite place for daily feedback).
  • Email or text – quick questions, updates, or “hey, my watch exploded.”
  • Marco Polo or WhatsApp – for those face-to-face vibes without having to actually meet in person.
  • Google Meet or bi-weekly phone calls – when we need to dig deeper, plan races, or just talk it out.

I aim to respond within 24 hours (unless something wild happens, like vacation or spotty Wi-Fi in the woods). If I’ll be out of reach, I’ll always give you a heads-up.

👉 If you’ve got another way you’d rather connect that’s not listed here, tell me – I’m all ears.

Common Questions:

What if I miss a workout? Message me! We’ll adapt. Life happens – just don’t let ‘life happens’ turn into your training plan.

Should I move workouts around on TrainingPeaks? I’d prefer you don’t – moving workouts yourself can throw the whole week off. Just shoot me a message and I’ll play workout Tetris for you.

Do I need to run a certain pace, or go by RPE? RPE always and if Training Peaks give you a pace, ignore it, sometimes it’s dumb and I can’t control that!

How much strength training do I need to do? Enough so you don’t break. I’ve got a strength app I recommend (and come on, I don’t charge much – you can totally add it on). I’ll even tell you exactly when to do it, so no excuses.

What if I feel pain or get injured? Pain? Tell me right away – we fix it before it turns into injury. If something does happen, we hit pause. No injury heroics here.

How far in advance do I get my workouts? One week! I usually drop them on Sundays. You will get a rough idea when you are working out and have a normal schedule that will not change all that much unless in a taper or recovery. Why one week? I base it on your numbers to keep you injury free.

Do I need fancy gear or can I use what I already have? Running is cheap; you just need a pair of shoes! LOL Shoes and a watch please!

What if my watch doesn’t sync or my data looks weird? Please see the link on set up, your watch should be listed. Please no apple watches!

How do I pay you?

PayPal is my preferred method. If you are dead set against PayPal, I can also do Venmo, but PayPal works much better for me because I can set up automatic invoices for our planned coaching duration.

After your race, our fun little coaching adventure ends and the payments stop. No awkward breakup required. 😂

That said, some runners choose to stay on after their race, while others come and go as they have new races or goals they want help with. Either works for me!