Testimonals
Here at Endure IQ, we promised structured training, workouts and performance tracking for our Training Squad members. Our goal has always been to provide an efficient pathway for the optimization of your performance. However, the proof is always in the pudding. We’ve asked some of our members to share their stories. Have they seen progress? Was the Squad enjoyable? Allow our members to answer some questions for you.
Patrick McDeed
“I came into the Squad with a good foundation and a strong work ethic, but the well-structured plans have really taken my training and racing to the next level."
Patrick McDeed
“I have been competing in triathlon at the age-group level for almost four years now. I joined the Endure IQ Training Squad one year ago in the lead up to my first full distance Ironman event.”
Patrick, have you seen any progress since joining the Squad?
I came into the Squad with a good foundation and a strong work ethic, but the well-structured plans have really taken my training and racing to the next level. I have made huge gains on the bike especially, owing in large part to the increased volume and properly checking in on the different energy systems at the right time of the season. I’ve spent 18-20 hours on average over the year. More than previous but have built up the average volume each year in the sport.
What were some key benefits of joining the Training Squad?
The comprehensive plan and workout libraries are fantastic, the community is knowledgeable and supportive, and the access to experts is an amazing opportunity to improve my training and racing. This past September I completed my first full distance Ironman, coming in just under 10 hours, good for 2nd in my age group and Kona qualification. I've been working towards this Ironman goal for a little over two years in earnest. It was a long process that continues today. Putting all that hard work into action on race day and crossing that Ironman finish line was a real benefit of joining the Squad. I felt accomplished and excited to continue to progress toward the next one.
Why choose Endure IQ?
The training principles align with my own. The plans and workout libraries are extensive. Relatively affordable and great value compared to other similar offerings across the industry.
Samantha Bradley
"There is so much information out there, but I chose EndureIQ because of Dan's knowledge/expertise and English sense of humor. I had followed/stalked him for years reading his research/articles. I have been around the sport for a while but there are not a lot of people I trust. I am a mum; a coach and I don’t get a lot of time/hours to train so I want to put the hours I got to make them count."
Samantha Bradley
“I have been competing since 2000. Had a great career as a Pro in ITU and 70.3's. Won IMNZ. Never appreciated my career, till I look back on it now. Still passionate and love the sport, just a lot older and slower. So now I'm just an age grouper.
How about Progress?
If I look at the progress from when I started, It is the consistency and the explanations of why I am doing each block. I just enjoy the structure and specifics to follow. Just glad to be enjoying it again as I'm never going to win IMNZ again or hold course records for the Tauranga Half again! Or go to the Olympics, to be honest.
Why choose Endure IQ?
There is so much information out there, but I chose EndureIQ because of Dan's knowledge/expertise and English sense of humor. I had followed/stalked him for years reading his research/articles. I have been around the sport for a while but there are not a lot of people I trust. I am a mum; a coach and I don’t get a lot of time/hours to train so I want to put the hours I got to make them count.
Did you spend more or less time training with Endure IQ?
Oh my gosh no, less! But that is because I compare myself to Sam Warriner the triathlete! I wanted to be the best I could be! Different aspirations and goals
What benefits have you seen since joining Training Squad and what was your favorite moment?
The benefit to joining the Training Squad at Endure IQ were the zones and simplicity of what to do. My favourite part of it all was meeting Dan in person!
Leighton Phillips
“I started using the squad in Today’s plan last year - provided excellent structure relative to the 70.3 race I was targeting. Was great to know you were using a trusted proven approach, and the progressive ramp of volume and intensity was really well done."
Leighton Phillips
“I Started using the squad in Today’s plan last year - provided excellent structure relative to the 70.3 race I was targeting. Was great to know you were using a trusted proven approach, and the progressive ramp of volume and intensity was really well done. Today’s plan helped provide the flexibility to move training around relative to my work/life situation. I was hoping to go under 5hrs for my first half Ironman and ended up finishing it in 4hrs 34. … so now the new bar is TK break 430! Will be using Dan's squad to get me there.”
Why choose Endure IQ?
I've been a member of the Squad for over a year. My goal was to have a known structured training load to support my desired racing result. Mys best time was in Panama City FL beach, finishing a 70.3 Ironman 2st 70.3. 4hrs 34mins.
Has Leighton seen any progress?
Yes, much string power on the bike, and the structure of the program drove the right volume and intensity in the pool. At about 6 weeks into the 12-week program I had a turning point where I could see my progress. Here I was training 11-15 hours a week. I found the low cadence power bike sessions super beneficial along with the volume and mixed intensity in the pool. My most memorable moment since joining the Squad was surprising myself at the speed, I was riding in the Panama race, through to the halfway point and still feeling great to finish the bike and run strong.
Mike Quinn
“I'm a Dad, husband, business operator, Physio and a Yorkshire expat living in Adelaide, Australia. I joined Endure IQ Squad as a founding member i.e. whenever it started and have enjoyed it ever since. I've been competing in triathlons since giving up soccer in 2016 moving up to a longer distance focus over the past couple of years.”
Mike Quinn
“I'm a Dad, husband, business operator, Physio and a Yorkshire expat living in Adelaide, Australia. I joined Endure IQ Squad as a founding member i.e. whenever it started and have enjoyed it ever since. I've been competing in triathlons since giving up soccer in 2016 moving up to a longer distance focus over the past couple of years.”
Have you seen any progress since joining the Squad?
Yes, particularly with running and swimming. The bike is still a work in progress in terms of threshold output (if anything this has gone backwards slightly) but durability has improved massively. Well-structured swimming sessions with high frequency and volume increase have seen PB's set in this fairly regularly (and I really enjoy swimming now). Running has improved because I was probably going a bit too easy before (see turning point).
Did you have a turning point where you began to feel more confident in your training?
My first 8-months with the squad was a bit of a mix between squad and my local club sessions as I'm quite heavily involved in the local tri community. On reflection, this wasn't the best prep/option for Cairns IM 2020.
After Cairns I organized lab tests following Dan's protocol and had follow-up with Ed Maunder. The report and dialling in of training zones has been a big turning point. Durability in my riding has improved massively and I'm hoping this next big 20-week IM block can help to lift the output a bit as well (although I did a sprint tri yesterday and averaged >40km/hr feeling in control showing power: speed is not necessarily a big problem I'd just like to lift it so I have a bit more range). Discovering my run threshold is a lot higher than I thought has meant a lot more running at higher speed and over the past few months this has really started to show in results e.g. a 1:23 ROB in a 70.3 in 32˚c heat, compared to a 1:31 ROB in 33˚c heat a year ago.
Why did you choose to join Endure IQ?
I joined after finishing the LDT 101-103 courses in 2020 mainly because I'm fairly ambitious/ driven and the training philosophy sits well with me. There are too many coaches and platforms out there that (at least in my opinion) give false hope that getting really good at long-distance tri can be achieved on a) low volumes of training (maybe it can for a few very talented athletes) and b) in relatively short periods of time (for most of us it takes years). The fact that EIQ is honest about the required training commitment to be at the pointy end in races for 70.3 and Ironman is actually refreshing. In the past, I'd average training 9-12 per week. Now averaging 17-20 and feeling good about it.
Have you reached a Personal Best in swim, bike or running since joining the Squad?
Yes. PB's at all triathlon distances. It took about 6-months to see significant improvements, but this also ties in with it taking about 6-months to consistently lift the volume and be able to cope with it.
Watching back the coach Q/A's. The training plans. Getting a good grip of Today's Plan to adjust sessions where needed. The lab testing/ follow up. As an extended note/ feedback/ ideas: Having the education course knowledge makes understanding the training a million times easier. Consider a bit of education on the coach calls (once per month) that covers off some of the practical education (leaving the more in-depth science for the education community/ potentially leaving squad members wanting to learn more). E.g., why training volumes are set high relative to other platforms, how to effectively execute different types of sessions, race execution/ planning. Or 'simple' things like how to prepare for a race from a logistics perspective and things that might ease stress- if this was put out in advance it could be a presentation from a coach but then community members could chip in with their tips. All the training info is amazing but to build a tighter community you could try approaching some of the softer things that impact race execution outside of physiology/ training. I regularly see the panic as athletes scramble for flights, don't consider things like booking accommodation with a kitchen so that they can cook, don't look at where they are staying relative to the race village, haven't really looked at course maps in detail, travel with family and keeping them engaged for a full day or more while you're on the racecourse. These types of topics might also get people to share a bit more about themselves e.g. I've got two kids, this is what I do . . ., how can you better integrate family into the journey with different approaches to training sessions. These things sound simple (and, maybe the majority of EIQ athletes have it nailed) but getting them wrong can have a huge impact on both training and race execution/cause anxiety and stress where it's not needed.
What has been your most memorable moment since joining the Squad?
Completing Ironman Cairns. It wasn't perfect but I'm so grateful for the EIQ support and I've already set a new 70.3 PB this year!
Lewis Ryan
“I’ve been competing in triathlons for around 6 years now. With the last year as part of the SQUAD. Prior to joining the SQUAD I was fortunate to have the guidance of Plews & Prof for my career racing as a professional on the Xterra World Tour.”
Have you seen progress in your training and performance since joining Endure IQ?
Definitely a massive improvement to my performance since adopting the Endure IQ methods. The biggest change was converting to the LCHF approach and since adapting I noticed much better training consistency and improved ability to handle larger volume blocks without breaking down. Because Xterra has a mountain bike component, I was initially nervous about losing top end power. And while I might have lost a couple watts off the top number, I gained an ability to make more repeated efforts than my competitors. Which actually ended up working in my favor on the high power bike courses. I’ve been a member of the Squad for over a year now.
Did you have a turning point where you felt more confident in your training and when did this occur?
The turning point was when I never felt scared when I looked at my training programme. Probably about 4 months into my journey I got to a point where I knew that I could handle the load and intensity comfortably. Which meant I could focus on the quality and making meaningful gains.
Why did you choose to join the Endure IQ Training Squad to help you achieve your racing goals?
For me personally, I think the philosophies from long-distance tri was something that hadn’t really been applied in Xterra racing. So I felt like the style of training and diet gave me a competitive edge over my competition. I felt like it was an opportunity to do something different from everyone else and it paid off massively. The best way to summarize it for me was “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got” and I knew I wanted more. So I had to do something different to continue improving as an athlete.
How many hours did you train per week with Training Squad? Was this more or less than your previous training?
Average of 24 hours. Which was a lot more than my previous training load. But that time also included my 8 hours of swimming per week which we needed to do to make a big improvement there. As well as the 3 hours I would spend in the gym. The typical weekly breakdown was; swim 8 hours, gym 3 hours, bike 9 hours and run 4 hours. This was the same bike & run load as before. Just additional swim and gym hours.
Have you had a personal best time in swim, bike, run or a complete triathlon since joining Training Squad? If so, when did this occur and how long did it take you to reach this PB?
I had PB swims, bike and runs about 4 months after adopting this training programme. With most of these gains coming together to win a world championship and professional world tour title. Swim PB improved from 19:12 to 16:47 for 1500m (long course) bike FTP improved from 342w to 361w at the same weight and run 5k improved from 16:04 to 14:58 on the track.
Which aspect of Training Squad have you found particularly beneficial for your personal success?
The consistency in the training programme. You get into good routines during the blocks but still have enough variation to keep it interesting. It’s easy to see and feel yourself progressing which is a massive confidence boost. Training with the Plews has been my favorite aspect of joining the Squad.
Bruno Belfort
I joined the EndureIQ Squad last April. I'm from Brazil and based in Germany. I did my first triathlon in 94 in Brazil with a borrowed mtb. That day I won a road bike as a spot prize. Since then I have been doing triathlons, with some breaks, way too long in some cases, due to studies, work or family. Done various types of races, from short to long. Unique ones were a couple of a "Night Triathlon" in Rio, usually under a tropical thunderStorm, on pretty much the same venue as the Olympics in 2016. Also the Team Time Trials in Germany Racing Leagues are almost always fun. From a racing perspective, my highlight is definitely Kona in 2009. I was still tired from the debut Qualifier in July, when I nearly broke 9h, but really enjoyed the time there. Then kids came and took a longer break from Sport. After moving to Stuttgart in 2018, joined a local tri club to get to know people here. They invited me to join the master team and slowly got some taste for racing again. Club lives from members' work and I also began doing coaching for hookies and juniors. One of the tube guys in the team planned to go to the 2021 HalfIM Worlds in Taupo. It is a race I've done a few times and I feel very connected to it. I loved the idea. Heard about EndureIQ from a T.Bozzone interview. You are in NZ; have outstanding qualification, an offer to structure my training and courses to support further coaching qualification. On top of that, the LCHF approach is something that I was curious about. Joined!! The WC in Taupo is history now, but when international travel allows, I may be able to go back for a standard version. It might be even better. I’ve been with the Squad for more than a year now.
Have you seen progress in your training and performance since joining Endure IQ?
The best is still to come. Just joined last April and I havent found the best routine so far. It's been an uncommon time due to restrictions. Got a setback with a calf injury. Triathlon is a long game and hopefully I can get a couple of years of good training. I spent an average volume of about 8-10 hours of training with the Squad. Before it was perhaps 15% less.
Have you had a personal best time in swim, bike, run or a complete triathlon since joining Training Squad? If so, when did this occur and how long did it take you to reach this PB?
No. It is also not the goal, although I still believe that I could beat my younger version.
Which aspect of Training Squad have you found particularly beneficial for your personal success?
Like the Webinar, it helps to navigate through the program and also learn from questions from others. Zwift group sections, though time is a bit tricky. And of course, I like a structured program, you don't need to think too much about what to do in the section. Finally, I like the Today´s Plan graphs, and overall much better in several aspects than the Final Surge I use for Club´s coaching.
What has been your most memorable moment since joining Endure IQ Training Squad?
Really enjoyed doing the SGRAIL100 in Girona. It was the first time I went a little longer (5h) in a race in almost 10 years. It was a more relaxed environment which reflects more my approach to this sport these days. I should go again this year, but have a little bit more ambitious goal with the 70.3 Rapperswill in June. My run was rubbish in Girona, and I definitely need to improve especially on that, if I want to get any near a medal.
Kelly Kjellman
I live in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada which is at the northern tip of the Great Lakes. We get harsh winters in Thunder Bay but it hasn’t deterred me from competing in triathlon for roughly the last decade. I joined Endure IQ almost a year ago now. My reason for joining is I was trying to find a way to balance my training with the shifts and stress that comes with working as a Registered Nurse. I’ve been training with the Squad for more than a year now."
Have you seen progress in your training and performance since joining Endure IQ?
Yes huge progress! I feel like my running
especially has really improved. An aerobic pace I was having to really focus on holding for an hour or less run I was then running with no effort
at the end of the Ironman!
Did you have a turning point where you felt more confident in your training and when did this occur?
Due to COVID -19 I hadn’t raced a triathlon in two years prior to Ironman Chattanooga where I had a huge PB. I also started using Endure IQ about 6 months or so prior to that race. As I didn’t have any races to test my fitness I didn’t have a turning point per say where I felt confident in my training. Post race I have so much confidence in my training and following the Endure IQ plans. Even without the PB I just felt so strong during my race which was so awesome.
Why did you choose to join the Endure IQ Training Squad to help you achieve your racing goals?
I completed the Zwift Tri Academy workouts and really enjoyed them. I then started to research Dan Plews’ and found Endure IQ. I was attracted to Endure IQ with Dan having personal success in Kona but also a science background. I liked the option of the rolling plan for the northern hemisphere to have some guidance as to what I should aim to do during different parts of the year. The affordability of the program and the ability to
making the plans work with my schedule made joining Endure IQ an easy choice.
Have you had a personal best time in swim, bike, run or a complete triathlon since joining Training Squad? If so, when did this occur and how long did it take you to reach this PB?
Yes! I PB’d in an Ironman by just over an hour. This occurred in September 2021. It’s hard
for me how long it took me to reach this PB as there was two years between Ironman races
for me with no other triathlons in between. I do think that 6 month or so build up using the endure IQ program was a key component of having such a big improvement over the Ironman distance I spent .20 hours training with the Squad.This was more than my previous training.
Which aspect of Training Squad have you found particularly beneficial for your personal success?
I found quite a few things about the Squad be beneficial. The Explanation of rationale behind sessions, rolling plan for northern hemisphere and ability to drop in a plan for a race as needed were a few to be named. I also enjoyed the ease of doing the Endure IQ workouts in Zwift
What has been your most memorable moment since joining Endure IQ Training Squad?
I’ve really enjoyed the workouts and I’m so happy with all the knowledge I have gained from being a member of the training squad.
Also getting faster sure is fun!
Tianna Rockwell
Tiana Rockwell
I live in Rough and Ready, CA (a tiny gold mining town in the Sierra Foothills about an hour northeast of Sacramento, CA)
I completed my first triathlon in 2009
I am a nutritionist and endurance coach
I adopted a low carb lifestyle in 2013 after reading 'The Art and Science of Low Carb Living" and "...Performance."
I joined the Squad about 1+ years ago
Have you seen progress in your training and performance since joining Endure IQ?
Yes, mostly in swimming, general fitness and mentally.
Having learned SO MUCH MORE about data and how to use it appropriately has given me so much confidence in my training and racing. I doubt what I'm doing SO MUCH LESS after having joined the Squad. My swim volume increased when I joined the squad which has helped a lot with my swim times, but more importantly, it has really helped me with my general fitness. Knowing I can swim multiple times per week without having to spend a lot of time recovering has been great. I spent 12-18 hours training, which is about the same as I've been training for years.
Did you have a turning point where you felt more confident in your training and when did this occur?
Both full races in 2021 felt like turning points for me (Ironman Coeur d'Alene and Ironman Arizona). Not because they were PR performances, but I for once felt like I had a solid handle on the race from start to finish and knew how to modify my race plan when that needed to happen to still achieve a performance goal. The confidence I have from what I've learned from the Squad is hard to measure in numbers.
Why did you choose to join the Endure IQ Training Squad to help you achieve your racing goals?
I feel more in tune with my body now more than ever and I felt like hiring a coach to tell me what to do was going to urge me to follow a plan that is likely not going to be the best fit for me day-to-day. With everything I've learned from Endure IQ, I feel confident to use the stock training plans and modify them based off many factors (HRV, schedule, life stress, goals, etc).
Have you had a personal best time in swim, bike, run or a complete triathlon since joining Training Squad? If so, when did this occur and how long did it take you to reach this PB?
My PR 70.3 swim time was set at Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz in 2021 (:30.08). My last PR was at 2015 Worlds, so it's taken me 6 years to get a new PR. The stock training plans that I can access anytime have really aided in my success.
What has been your most memorable moment since joining Endure IQ Training Squad?
Ironman Arizona 2021. I had the stomach flu the day before, and was hooked up to a bag of IV fluids because I was so dehydrated. I could barely stand up for more than 10 minutes without being so weak I needed to sit back down. But the next day (race day), I felt better and like I knew what HR/power I needed to maintain to go on little/no food and still get to the finish line. Not a GREAT memory (it wasn't super fun to do that), but I felt more accomplished after that race than many others I've done. It felt really good to know what I needed to do to get it done. I should also add that in any other situation, I would've just DNS. But after the day of cancellation of Ironman California just 4 weeks earlier and 10+ friends and clients who desperately tried to get into IMAX and couldn't, I really felt like since I had the slot and couldn't give it to one of them, I needed to use it.
So, are you ready to become and EndureOn?
Whether you’re just beginning your training or already tackling things head on, there’s a bit of everything for everyone in the Squad. Take it from our athletes who have progressed in their remarkable journey. Perhaps you’ll be the next one to celebrate your successes with us here at Endure IQ!