endurance-coach/reference/assessment.md

Athlete Assessment Guide

Foundation vs Current Form

These are two different things:

Dimension	Timeframe	What It Tells You
Athletic Foundation	Lifetime / 2+ years	What the athlete is capable of; training history; race experience
Current Form	Last 8-12 weeks	Where they are RIGHT NOW; starting point for the plan

Why this matters: An athlete who completed an Ironman last year but has barely trained in 10 weeks is NOT the same as a beginner. They have:

• Muscle memory and movement efficiency
• Mental toughness and race experience
• Knowledge of pacing, nutrition, transitions
• A body that has adapted to high training loads before

Their plan should focus on rebuilding (faster progression possible) rather than building from scratch (conservative progression required).

Interpreting Foundation vs Form

Scenario	Foundation	Current Form	Plan Approach
Ironman finisher, 10 weeks off	Very strong	Low	Rebuild: faster progression OK, body remembers
First-time triathlete	None	Moderate	Build: conservative progression, everything is new
Marathoner doing first tri	Strong run	Moderate	Build swim/bike carefully, leverage run strength
Consistent trainer, no races	Moderate	Strong	Peak: maintain and sharpen, add race specificity

Interpreting Strength Signals

Signal	Interpretation
Long sessions at low HR	Excellent aerobic base in that sport
Low suffer_score per minute	Sport feels easy to them (strength)
High suffer_score per minute	Sport is hard for them (limiter)
Historical peaks >> recent activity	Dormant fitness, will return quickly
No historical data for a sport	True beginner, needs careful build
Consistent high volume	Sport they enjoy and prioritize

Limiter identification: Compare suffer_per_minute and average HR across sports. The sport with highest relative effort for similar durations is the limiter.

Example Interpretation

"The athlete's swim data shows 5000m sessions at avg HR 125 with suffer_score of 45. Their runs show 10km at avg HR 165 with suffer_score of 120. Swimming is clearly a strength (low effort, long duration). Running is a limiter (high effort, shorter duration). Even though they haven't swum in 4 months, that fitness will return quickly with a few weeks of swimming. The plan should prioritize run development while maintaining swim fitness with modest volume."

Event Requirements Reference

Event	Swim	Bike	Run
Sprint Tri	750m	20km	5km
Olympic Tri	1500m	40km	10km
70.3 / Half Ironman	1900m	90km	21km
Full Ironman	3800m	180km	42km
Marathon	-	-	42km
Ultra (50k)	-	-	50km

Gap analysis: Compare their longest recent/historical sessions against these requirements.

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Validating With The Athlete

IMPORTANT: Before creating the training plan, always share your assessment and validate it with the athlete.

What to Ask

1. Race history / athletic foundation: "I see you completed an Ironman in [year] and have [X] years of triathlon history. Does that match your background?"

2. Reason for time off: "You've had lower training volume recently. Was this due to injury, life circumstances, or something else?" (Injury = more conservative; life = faster rebuild OK)

3. Strengths assessment: "Based on your data, swimming appears to be a strength—you've done 5km sessions at low effort. Does that match your perception?"

4. Limiter identification: "Running shows higher relative effort for shorter distances. Would you say the run is your biggest area for improvement?"

5. Dormant fitness: "I see you haven't swum in 4 months but had strong swim fitness earlier this year. Do you expect that to come back quickly?"

6. Constraints: "Any injuries, schedule constraints, upcoming travel, or equipment limitations I should know about?"

7. Goals: "Do you have a time goal, or is finishing the main focus?"

8. Preferences: "Are there workouts you love or hate? Sports you'd rather emphasize?"

9. Long session scheduling: "Which days work best for your long ride and long run? I see from your data you typically do long rides on [day]." (Check their historical patterns first—look for rides >2hr and runs >1hr to infer preferred days)

Inferring Long Session Preferences

Before asking, analyze their Strava data to identify patterns:

-- Find preferred days for long rides (>90 min)
SELECT
  strftime('%w', start_date) as day_of_week,
  COUNT(*) as count
FROM activities
WHERE sport_type = 'Ride'
  AND moving_time > 5400
GROUP BY day_of_week
ORDER BY count DESC;

-- Find preferred days for long runs (>60 min)
SELECT
  strftime('%w', start_date) as day_of_week,
  COUNT(*) as count
FROM activities
WHERE sport_type IN ('Run', 'Trail Run')
  AND moving_time > 3600
GROUP BY day_of_week
ORDER BY count DESC;

Day mapping: 0=Sunday, 1=Monday, ..., 6=Saturday

Use this data to make an informed suggestion: "I notice you typically do your long rides on Saturday and long runs on Sunday. Should we keep that pattern?"

Example Dialogue

Based on your Strava data, here's my initial assessment:

**Strengths:**
- Swimming: Your 5000m sessions at HR 125 suggest excellent swim fitness.
  Even though you haven't swum since August, this should return quickly.

**Limiters:**
- Running: Your runs show higher effort (HR 165+) for shorter distances.
  Your longest run is 12km; we'll need to build toward 21km for the 70.3.
- Cycling: Moderate—you're doing 60-80km rides but we'll need to push toward 100km+.

**My recommendation:** Focus training time on run and bike development.
Maintain swim with 2x/week sessions; it doesn't need major building.

Before I create the plan:
1. Does this assessment match how you feel about each sport?
2. Any injuries or constraints I should know about?
3. Do you have a time goal, or is finishing the focus?

Why Validation Matters

• Data can mislead: Low recent volume ≠ lack of ability
• Athletes know their bodies: Prior injuries, what causes burnout, what they enjoy
• Buy-in matters: Athletes follow plans they helped shape
• Context changes everything: A "weak" run might be due to recovering from injury, not lack of fitness

Never finalize a plan without athlete confirmation of the assessment.