Do I need a coach?
Working with an experienced coach gives significant benefits compared with a do it yourself downloaded training plan that you can find on the Internet.
PLANNING: A coach will work with you to schedule your season around your A and B races. The dates of your races are the priority and training blocks are designed to work up to the date of your race.
EFFICIENCY: Coached training schedules are the most effective way to make use of training time that is limited by work, education, family commitments or even injuries. Being efficient with your training will also lead to less injuries because you are training smarter.
FOCUS: Through regular testing, the training schedule can be tailored to help you develop your strengths and address any weaknesses.
MOTIVATION: Having a coach can help with motivation, make you more accountable for your training and providing encouragement.
SUPPORT: Being coached will help you deal with injury, illness and other problems that may crop up and get in the way.
EXPERTISE and EXPERIENCE: A coach provides the expertise that you may lack, so that you can focus on your training and not worry about scheduling. An experienced coach will have many years experience and has been through the highs and lows of racing. At Plan B Coaching we have been competing at a very high level for over 30 years enabling you to benefit from that experience.
I have contacted you about coaching – What will happen now?
Once you have made your initial contact with through the website or by email, we will send you a questionnaire that you need to complete and return to us to review. Once this has been filled in and returned to us, we will contact you to let you know what we think we can do for you as an athlete.
If I decide to go ahead with the coaching package what is the next step?
Once you are happy with our feedback and what we think we can offer you, we will organise an initial consultation over the phone to discuss everything in more detail. Things like best day to do certain workouts can be discussed, best days for recovery as well as planning strength and conditioning sessions.
Once you are happy with everything that is discussed, we can start the training programme after the consultation.
How do I pay for my coaching?
Once everything is agreed, you can simply signup for your relevant package on our website. This is all managed through Stripe Subscriptions so you can literally cancel at any time. No Contracts. No ties. All very simple.
How is my training progress tracked and do I get feedback on my workouts?
We use Training Peaks to manage your training and to track and monitor the progress you are making. Our plans are delivered on Training Peaks, but if you prefer to use google docs, we can set that up as well. If you cannot complete the training that is scheduled for you, just drop a message to us and we can rearrange your plan for you. Training Peaks also allows you to move the workouts around if need be. Every 6-8 weeks we will schedule swim, bike and run tests. The results will be used to track and monitor progress over time to make sure your fitness is going in the right direction. Once the tests are completed, we will input them in to Training Peaks for you so that you are working in the correct zones. We take care of all of this for you so you do not need to worry.
What do typical training weeks look like?
There are no 2 weeks or athletes that are exactly the same. All training plans are worked out with your A race as a priority. We do not copy and paste multiple workouts but we do work on training blocks so you can see what you current block focus is.
What special equipment do I need?
We encourage all athletes to wear a proper Heart Rate Monitor so we can track fitness over time. For running we work with pace to make sure you are getting the most from every workout. For biking we would encourage the use of an Indoor trainer such as a Wahoo Kickr. This allows us to perform tests on the same bike you are training on. Saying that, there is nothing wrong with utilising your local gym equipment such as a Wattbike to perform your indoor workouts on. Swimwear and goggles are the only requirement for indoor swimming but if you are going to do an outdoor triathlon, a wetsuit is needed. We can advise on the best off the shelf wetsuits as well as custom wetsuits. Drop us an email or a message.
Do you have branded Kit that can be purchased online?
Yes. We have a Nopinz shop where you can purchase top of the range triathlon, running and daywear merchandise. Please drop us a message for login details of our Shop.
Will a Triathlon / TT Specific Bike make me Faster?
Short and expensive answer is YES. But, and here is the big But. There is no point investing thousands in a Triathlon/TT bike if you havent even completed a Sprint Triathlon. Race entry Fees, Nutrition and everything else associated with Triathlon can be very expensive to suddenly decide “It is not for me”.
Use your road bike, buy some clip on Bar Rests and enjoy your first experiences. Then buy a TT bike and start thinking about Bike Fits.
What do I do if I have any concerns about my coaching?
If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact us directly at support@planbcoaching.co.uk We will respond to you personally to resolve any concerns you have.