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Carl Alleyne Official Coach Thread

@Carl Alleyne


Here's your personal Coach Thread, as promised. This is where you'll return to post all your "coach" questions as responses; I'll see them and reply. This first post is here to guide you through your first year on EN, so you can always come back here. 

As you'll see in this forum, I handle all manner of edits and changes.  So post away, know that I reply here usually M/W/F each week.


Power User Tip: Click the Star icon by the Title of this thread to subscribe, and you'll get email updates when I do reply. 


Your Notes

I did 3 triathlons last year. A super sprint and two sprints. I'm currently take a two week break from running to rest my right calf but still am biking and swimming. I would like to start training on a real regimen and race the AC half. Maurice Matthews and Derrek Sanks suggested I sign up with Team Endurance.


Your Races

  • 05/06/2018 (Super Sprint) Westfields Triathlon
  • 06/02/2018 (Olympic) Rock Hall Triathlon
  • 08/25/2018-08/26/2018 (Triple Challenge) Chicago Triathlon
  • Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City (2018-09-23) #703atlanticcity_18


Season Outline

These are your recommended training plans, including the date you should start each one (sometimes you won’t complete a full plan but transition to another one).  You can change your plans on the Training Plan page by clicking the Move / Change button. Learn more about each plan on the Training Plan Central Page.


  • Last updated by Coach on January 30, 2018
  • On 2/5/2018 Load the OutSeason (Bike Focus) Plan, L2 workouts, 14wks to end on 5/13/2018
  • On 5/14/2018 Load the -- Swim Camp to end on 05/27/2018
  • On 5/28/2018 Load the Intermediate Get Faster Training Plan, 10wks to end on 8/5/2018
  • >> Transition Early << 
  • On 7/2/2018 Load the Intermediate EN*Half to end on 9/23/2018
  • On 9/24/2018 Load the -- Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 10/7/2018
  • On 10/8/2018 Load the -- Run Durability 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 11/4/2018

 

Coach Notes

Carl, great to have you on board! You are just in time to jump in with our February OutSeason Plan Training Cycle which begins on Monday 2/5. Until then you can get used to the site, and take a bike test (if you think that's alright). 

Olur goal with the OutSeason Plan is to lay the foundation of strength that you will build upon for the the remainder of your season. We focus mostly on the bike (intensity) and the run (frequency). There's time to work harder on the run, but first let's get the basic flow of your week into place. 

When you are ready, you can schedule a call with me online here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min  and we can talk goal setting, training equipment and much more.

Great to have you here!



 

Coach Homework

Tell Me Your Season Goals

  • What will make you consider 2018 a success?
  • What's your biggest limiter right now?


Contact Points

As part of your journey to becoming a Self Coached Triathlete inside TeamEN, we are prepared to give you excellent support for your first 90 days. Our goal is to transition you from live, in-person support to using our digital resources and the Team to help you continue your progress as you execute your Three Year Plan.


These are all the key points in your first year where we must talk. Please remember to include your phone number.


  • Welcome Call in Week One (set it up here)
  • Coach Call in Week Two to talk about your season (set it up here)
  • End of Trial Call -- We review your experience & Unlock Year One / Race Execution for you (set it up here)
  • End of Season Call -- We review your year & Strategize for your “gap” and Year Two (TBD in this Coach Thread)


Questions


Coach Questions - Right here in this thread. Always reply to this same thread, it keeps a record for us as we evolve together!

General Questions - Simple stuff can go to the Q & A Central Forum for the Team to answer. For example, Best Bike? How to improve run cadence? How to flip turn?

Need Help? - Please check the EN Help Site first!

Admin Questions - Billing or orders or whatnot? Use the red chat button at the bottom of the Members Site (not forums) or email us here.

Specific Questions about a Race or Power, etc? - You can post those into the targeted forum for that topic. Power questions to the Power and Pace Forum. Race questions to your specific race forum, etc. Not sure where to post? Put it in the General Discussion forum and we’ll sort it out. Whatever you do, PLEASE ask your questions!!


For short or last minute questions, we recommend you use the Red Chat Icon on the main Members website

 We have also organized a complete chart of the best ways to contact us online here


Your First Month on the Team

You have quite a few things to do when you start up. There are instructions on the top of the website, but you can review them under Resources / Trial Member Welcome.  

 

Your First Year Inside Endurance Nation

This will be unlocked after your trial expires.


Looking forward to working with you this year,


~ Coach P

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Comments

  • I tried loading new plans. My traininig plan page wouldn't allow to me to deselect the free two plans I already have loaded and load new ones. Can you direct me in the right direction?
  • I am on this today!!!

    ~ Coach P 
  • @carl alleyne - I fixed it for you...and I checked...you now have full access!!


  • Hey Coach Patrick, I have a impromptu team meeting today from 1-2pm. I'm free now until then and after 2pm. Can we change the call time?
  • edited February 6, 2018 10:46PM
    Carl - 

    Great to talk today! I am pumped you are on the OutSeason Plan (Bike Focus), I think it will really help you up your bike game!

    Here are some of my follow up notes for you:

    • How to handle the early sprints...Go week 12 of the OutSeason®  and then skip ahead to Week 14. Don't test during that week, we'll use that Sprint to get your final test values. If it's cancelled we can adjust, but that's the plan right now. 
    • PowerTrainer...Zwift Workouts last 4-5/week...how to get with the Team. You can learn more about how we do Zwift here: Getting Started on Zwift .  You can also join the Group Text to connect re events / riding, just introduce yourself: GroupMe EN Zwift Chat 
    • Just got a tri bike...needs to get fitted...be sure to find someone local to you who comes recommended...ask around!
    • Cannondale Slice...  Accessories to consider for the bike include: Torpedo Aero bottle with straw (Profile Design A2 works well) so you stay aero. That's the biggest up front addition you'll need. Also, be sure to check the rear cassette so you know what type of gearing you have. 
    Background: 
    • Runner background - 21:10 5k in a sprint. We just want consistency now, no flash, especially for the first 10 runs right now. Short and sweet and STEADY running is the key right now as we add Bike work, etc, and we let your calf heal. 
    • Bike is getting stronger...the OutSeason Plan will really help with this...so no need for extra stuff unless you want to join for a weekend ride!
    • Swim is weakest, but already going 3000 now...let's keep this steady right now. 

    Please set up your next call with me for the last week of February! https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min 

    ~ Coach P



    PS - Let's update your profile picture when you get the chance…it really helps the Team to "get to know you" a lot better.

    You can do that by following this animated GIF (below)…good luck!

    image
  • @Coach Patrick
    Hey Coach Patrick, dumb question. I noticed the bike focused plan "only" calls for 3 bike trainings per week. What's the rationale behind that? I would've thought it would be more. Also, how should I handle making up missed runs/swims during this plan? Thank you. 
  •  Carl –

    Great question! Intervals and work associated with the bike focused plan is harder than the run focus plan. And the runs in the Run focus plan or more costly which would inhibit your ability to improve on the bike. I promise, there is a method to the madness!

    I am not worried about missing this one is it all right now during the plan, so don’t stress on those. If you get one in a week whenever it happens is fine.

    In terms of the runs, I still would like you to get in the frequency. So if you have a 4 mile run plan today But don’t have the time, could you get an a 1 mile run instead? Alber looking for us to get the total number of runs in at this time of year. As we get closer to your bigger races then we will need to pay more attention to what the weekly mileage works out to be. Worst case scenario, if you drop a run another option is to divide it up and add 1 mile to each of your remaining runs. 5 4-mile runs, for example, could become four 5-mile runs.

    The big thing is just not to dump all the runs into a single day and turn it into some massive work out.


    Keep me posted!
  • Hey Coach P, still having trouble getting adjusted to my new tri bike. I raised the stem and raised the angle of the aero bars and that seemed to help. But even decreasing my ftp score from 276 to 256 on zwift I’m still having difficulty riding at ftp for longer than a couple min. On my road bike I could do 2x20 min ftp sessions at 276. 

    Any suggestions? Or am I getting a little ahead of myself being that I’ve only been riding on a tri bike for a week. It’s crushing have high hr bpm at lower watt outputs haha. 
  • edited February 26, 2018 6:21PM
     Of all the things to adjust in training, the ego is the hardest! :-)

    I would give it two weeks to adjust, but out of curiosity are there any other elements in the system that could be out of order? For example, is there something different about your trainer? Is there a crank length discrepancy? Remember, you can ride sitting up on the tribe bike is well and only spend one minute every 10 in the aero bars. Every week, you can move another minute to the air of our side as 8/2 7/3 6/4, etc.
  • The trainer and trainer settings are the same for both bikes. The crank length in my road bike is 172.5mm and the crank length in my tri bike is 170mm. Could be the issue other than the normal, expected decrease in watts?
  • Yes, it’s very possible that you will experience a difference because of
    this change. There are many different reasons why it’s hard to match
    between the two outside of the aero position. In general, most translates
    enjoy sure the cranks in the aero position for the additional room it gives
    btw their thighs versus the torso.

    In your case, could be a cadence related issue in terms of power output and
    peddling efficiency. Let’s give it a little more time and see what happens…
    It’s just good to know that this is one likely Variable.
  • @Carl Alleyne

    Welcome to your SECOND MONTH  inside Endurance Nation!


    To help you continue your progress, we have a few short questions for you. You can copy the questions and put your answers in your reply to this thread (no need to copy the questions, just keep the numbers the same!).


    ** Rankings **

    Please rate the following items on a Scale of 1 to 3 (1 = Unsatisfactory,  2 = Satisfactory,  3 = Great!):

    • Swim Fitness:

    • Bike Fitness:

    • Run Fitness:

    • Weight / Body Composition:

     

    ** Subjective Information **

    • What is Your Biggest Improvement So Far?

    • In What Area Do You Need Additional Support?

    • Would You Recommend Endurance Nation to a Friend?

     

    ** Additional Learning **

    Now that we are beyond the initial learning curve of Endurance Nation, it's time to give deeper into some additional resources that can really help you out.

    You have several options:


    ** Need Coach Input? **

    Don’t forget you can schedule a check in call with Coach Patrick online here: https://calendly.com/pmccrann/15min


    We are looking forward to your answers!


  • edited March 5, 2018 3:55PM

    @Brenda Ross


    ** Rankings **

    Please rate the following items on a Scale of 1 to 3 (1 = Unsatisfactory,  2 = Satisfactory,  3 = Great!):

    • Swim Fitness: 2

    • Bike Fitness: 2

    • Run Fitness: 2 

    • Weight / Body Composition: 1

     

    ** Subjective Information **

    • What is Your Biggest Improvement So Far? Biking endurance 

    • In What Area Do You Need Additional Support? Swimming technique. Now that my achilles is healing up, I'll be able to run more and get up to speed in that area.

    • Would You Recommend Endurance Nation to a Friend? YES

  • Carla, thank you for the feedback. I am excited to see your progress and I look for to talking with you this week during our scheduled call. Hoping you can give me some more good insight on what works for you so we can improve the experience for other new members!
  • @"Carl Alleyne" - 

     Here are our 03/06/2018 call notes: 

    Training Elements:
    • Streaking on the Run - let's keep that rolling. Nothing too crazy, just consistent miles daily. Even 2 miles is a good day (and sometimes required!).
    • Bike 1 - Let's get your cadence up...not for whole rides but every 5' spend 1' at like 90 rpms. Then go back to normal...we'll eventually "lift that up."
    • Bike 2 - Remember, "steady time" is just as important as "quality / interval time". Let's modify your plan such that every 3rd weekend you get in a FOURTH ride, just steady for time. 
    • Swim - Not worried here...just maintain.
    Changes:
    • Bike Fit on Friday…need to dial that in. Keep me posted.
    • Bottle on aerobars / other bike elements. 
    • Run consistency means check in on "life" of you shoes. 350-400 miles is likely tops for them, so don't over do it without a new pair. 
    Body Composition
    • 5/9, 200 lbs means you have room to lose. We use ration of weight in lbs divided by height in inches. You are 2.89 and we'd like to get you (EVENTUALLY) down to 2.5. .... That's right around your target of 175lbs. 
    • Fix the easy stuff first…we need something else vs skittles at night. So maybe a protein shake (I do water + chocolate protein + ice in blender for "dessert") or something to curb the craving. Once a week isn't bad...it's the every night stuff. 

    Bike fit "Before" picture below for reference!!




  • Hey Coach P,
    I looked at my infinit solution. I have a 269 calories and 403mg of sodium per bottle (I TRY to drink one bottle per hour). I'd have to take an official sweat test to be sure but I'm pretty sure I'd have to up the sodium intake per hour. What are your thoughts give my body composition (5'9"/200 lbs). Also, I have some before and after vid of my bike fit. What's the best way to get them to you?
  • @“carl Alleyne” - The point of the sweat test to determine the actual thing… Not the amount of calories or sodium. For example, you might lose 32 ounces of fluid which means you need one and a half bottles of fluid per hour… That will get you 675 mg of sodium which is pretty good.

    So we start with the sweat test to determine fluid needs and then can we look at your fluids solution to see what that will give you as you replace the fluid that you typically lose.

    I wouldn’t really change the amount of sodium you get per bottle, if we need more we can always supplement with salt stick pills — “the best brand”.

     PS the best way to get me those videos he’s to email them to me if you can— patrick.mccrann@gmail.com 

      If they are too big to be emailed when we might have to upload them somewhere. 
  • @Coach Patrick
     
    I tried your suggestion of adding a 4th ride on Sunday every so often. I went a little too hard considering I'm not the best climber. Ended up doing ~58 miles and 3,100 ft (I think part of it not being used to back to back long and high effort rides). I didn't do the full 90 min Sunday run per the plan but did get a couple miles in after. Still a little sore today, the day after. 

    I'm not really worried about being ready for the super sprint on May 6th but just to ensure I'm not over worked should I still move along as planned with the outseason weeks 12 and 14 considering I haven't fully recovered from yesterday's ride?

    If I'm supposed to a lil sore then cool. Just wanted to get your thoughts.
  • @carl alleyne - some work is good...but that was a lot of work! Especially that first hour (you guys were flying), maybe not the best way to start the first "big" go climb a mountain ride of the season!!! :smiley:

    I think you can do this week normal (when you feel better) so you are ready for the race...once you are through the race, we can try another week with more biking...just maybe on more of a flatter, boring course. Save the epic for when it's july and you are super fit!

    ~ Coach P
  • Hey @Coach Patrick

    Looking at the training plan you set for me below. You modified it by skipping week 13 of the bike focused outseason plan to coincide ending that plan with the super sprint I'm doing on 5/6. After the super sprint on 5/6, what do I do for the week of 5/7-5/13? My races are listed again for reference.

    Races:
    • 05/06/2018 (Super Sprint) Westfields Triathlon
    • 06/02/2018 (Olympic) Rock Hall Triathlon
    • 08/25/2018-08/26/2018 (Triple Challenge) Chicago Triathlon
    • Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City (2018-09-23) #703atlanticcity_18
    Training Plan:
    • On 2/5/2018 Load the OutSeason (Bike Focus) Plan, L2 workouts, 14wks to end on 5/13/2018
    • On 5/14/2018 Load the -- Swim Camp to end on 05/27/2018
    • On 5/28/2018 Load the Intermediate Get Faster Training Plan, 10wks to end on 8/5/2018
    • >> Transition Early << 
    • On 7/2/2018 Load the Intermediate EN*Half to end on 9/23/2018
    • On 9/24/2018 Load the -- Post Half Iron Transition Plan, All Levels (2wks) to end on 10/7/2018
    • On 10/8/2018 Load the -- Run Durability 1 (9 months out) -- 4 weeks to end on 11/4/2018
  • @Coach Patrick

    Another newbie question. I got a seat bottle cage and was wondering if it was as aero as the profile design one that places the bottles a little higher. Thoughts?


  • @“carl alleyne” -  congratulations on your race, you did great!

    Working backwards, I think that water bottle holder is fine. Remember, your legs and torso will be in the way so it’s not as much friction as you might imagine. The key thing is making sure that you have the right size bottles in there so they don’t come shooting out if you hit a bump. Also, you have to figure out how to attach your tool bag to that.

    The end of the OutSeason should coincide with some testing, so theoretically if you need to test then that’s what you do this week. If you feel like some of your efforts from the super Sprint are indicative of the work you can do Then we can use the data from that as your training zones.

    If that’s the case, you can start to get faster plan a little earlier. You will do that Olympic while following to get faster plan, so you and I will have to create a taper at some point during the next few weeks. Then we transition a little earlier into the half plan in July to start building the Endurance for the big day.
  • @Coach Patrick

    Yea, I may test on the tri bike this week. Was disappointed in my race NP (232 watts on my tri bike) compared to my road bike FTP (295 watts). But, I've never done an FTP test on my tri bike and it could've been due to the face the race had a lot of turns for being a two loop, 12-mile course. I found myself having a slow down and speed up quite a number of times. I don't think the swim would've affected me much because it was only a 250 yd pool swim. If I subtract 25 watts from my road bike FTP (would give me a tri bike FTP of 270 watts) my race NP would give my .86 IF. I guess that's not bad but I was expecting a 1 for IF considering the short distance. What do you think? Either way we'll have to figure out to taper a little bit before my June 2nd oly race.

    I do feel like the swim is pretty dead on for what I can do at 250yd (1:45 pace). I think I left a little bit on the table during the run. I got bored and had to remind myself to pick up the pace a couple times (6:35 pace) lol. I guess that's what happens during a self-seeded swim start and the faster racers are in the front but your swim pace places you a little farther back.
  • edited May 11, 2018 2:17PM
    Take a look at your variability for the ride, your VI. The more variable that is, as in 1.06 to 1.1 or higher, the less Watts you’re putting into the road to stay moving forward. A course like that becomes more like a bike race. How are you corner, break, and accelerate  out of the turns. Do not be disappointed.

    Right now we just want to get back on it for you and get into the rhythm of training. We can talk taper in the future, but maybe you go ahead and try and find a map of that Olympic race? Would be nice to know what the course will be like for you.
  • @Coach Patrick

    Here is a link to the bike course for my oly on 6/2. Wayyy less turns so that VI number should be a lot lower. That area is flat as well from what I remember from last year's sprint. Thanks for the explanation of that metric. I'll do some research on what the other metrics mean to gain further insight on that race.

    https://kineticmultisports.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Rock-Hall-International-Course-Maps.pdf
  •  Carl – I agree, that does look much better. But if you want to be a real gig, you should Google the race course. I did it and found it here on map my ride.com: http://www.mapmyrun.com/us/chester-md/rock-hall-international-triathlon-bike-c-route-30600774

     This allows you to see not only the course but also the terrain associated with it.



    We can see here that after a brief start, or you get your heart rate down in the first five minutes, you have a decent climb that you’ll need to set up and use a slightly higher cadence for. Once you’re over the top, you’ll have some initial speed but two tight turns which will limit that. Your goal will be to really push the effort over the last 10 miles through the rollers and then to the downhill finish or there’s lots of free speed.

     Since it’s a short race, you can also just start pushing it on the hill as well. This would be more of an advance strategy, Where you get your heart rate down then push over that hill, recover through the descriptive sent in a tight turns, and then pick it up again on the rolling section in the down hills. This probably includes an extra 20 to 25 minutes of higher intensity work and is really dependent on your confidence in your run.

    If it’s a hot day, I might use the more conservative strategy. But it’s up to you, that’s the best part of racing!
  • Hey @Coach Patrick

    I felt silly writing a race report for just an oly but did want to give you a synopsis for your thoughts.

    The swim didn't really have any currents and was 76 degrees. I didn't swim good at all. Couldn't get into a rhythm until halfway through. I believe I zig zagged the whole time as my total swim time was ~1900m compared to the 1500m the course called out. My official time was 36:54 which set me far behind the leaders in my AG. I was 14th out of the water.

    Bike was better but I still can't hit the power numbers on my tri bike that I'm expecting. NP was only 202w with 1.05 VI (my westfields supersprint was 232w and 1.07 VI). I was expecting around 230w-240w on my tri bike this oly given a road bike FTP of 295w. I'm going to get my fit looked at again and just get more tri bike seat time. Thoughts?



    The run actually went better than expected with a 6:55min/mile avg. This was better than the 7min/mile avg I planned. My left hamstring was a little tight which was expected due to a little over use and my right achilles is still giving me tightness issues (which I just found out today is due to achilles tendonitis). Those will get better so I expect a little bit of improvement there. Overall time was 2:39:57 which is decent for a first time oly racer I guess.
  •  I have a few questions for you.

    Were you able to warm up for the swim? That sensation of not getting into a rhythm until midway is usually due to the “shocked“ of going from zero to all out swimming. Some races will allow you to warm up in the water next to the start which I recommend for 10 to 15 minutes.

    I’m not surprised that your tribe bike power is lower, but I am surprised that it decreased over the course of that entire ride. You were putting out less and less Watts as the race went on. That is strange to me. I agree that getting your fit checked out  is a good idea. I would also make sure your tribe bike is on your trainer and that you are riding at 100% of the time now that you are in season. It could just be an adaptation thing, but more than 100 W difference is very suspect. How do you measure the white differential between those bikes? And other words, what is the power meter use and are you transferring it or are they two different power meters?

    You must be writing a lower watts because you overachieved on the run! On the positive side there’s nothing like finishing strong on race day.  Not much to argue with your other than figuring out that bike so we can get more speed for you at less cost physically.
  • @Coach Patrick

    no i didn’t warm up. I can’t even remember if they gave us the opportunity to warm up. I got to the race 15 min before transition area closed Smdh. I’ll def try that out next time. 

    My powertap meter actually died the day after the race. I think the weak battery may have had an affect on my power stats on my tri bike lately. I replaced the battery and will do an FTP test to find some watts ground truth. 

    I think im going to do some open water swims to practice siting as well as do a sweat test to figure out a nutrition strategy for longer rides. I don’t think I’m getting enough calories on 40+ mile rides. I know I should be getting at least 300+ calories based on my weight. 
  • Success favors the prepared, even Triathlon. There’s no way you can just jump into the day and be successful without a proper warm-up. Next time suck it up and set that alarm a little bit earlier. Better to be sitting around in transition stretching then stressing out in your car!

    I agree the battery could be an issue so I’m glad you replaced it

    Yes, I recommend as much open water swimming as you can in season so let’s put that on the agenda. And a sweat test is always a good idea. Especially as a bigger guy, you have  success favors the prepared, even Triathlon. There’s no way you can just jump into the day and be successful without a proper warm-up. Next time suck it up and set that alarm a little bit earlier. Better to be sitting around in transition stretching then stressing out in your car!

    I agree the battery could be an issue so I’m glad you replaced it. Use your iPhone right now to set a reminder to change it again in six months!

    Yes, I recommend as much open water swimming as you can in season so let’s put that on the agenda. And a sweat test is always a good idea. Especially as a bigger guy, you have a unique set of nutritional demands that you have to fulfill. They are in mission critical in an Olympic from the calorie perspective but fluids are always important. Keep me posted as you check off these boxes.
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