FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Find Your Answers Here
WHO IS TRICONQUER COACHING?
Triconquer Coaching is a coaching service provider, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We specialize in long distance endurance sports (swimming, cycling, running, duathlons & triathlons). We exist because we want to help our athletes achieve the best versions of themselves through data-driven, structured training programs.
I HAVE NEVER DONE A DUATHLON/TRIATHLON EVENT BEFORE. IS THIS FOR ME?
Yes! We create programs tailored to suit where your fitness level stands. No matter if you’re amateur or professional, proper training and advanced preparation is key, and having a coach can help a novice navigate the challenges involved. We have coached IRONMAN Triathlon finishers over the last several years, as well as IRONMAN 70.3, Marathon, Half-Marathon and Olympic Distance Triathlon finishers. This includes a great number of beginner triathletes, many of whom we’ve worked with over a period of several years and different types of events, from short distance to longer distance.
DO YOU ACCEPT JUST TRIATHLETES? MY MAIN INTEREST IS ONLY CYCLING.
Nope! We work with many athletes for various long distance endurance sports such as ultra runners and cyclists. Majority of our work requires a strong understanding of each sport and how to maximize an athlete’s performance on all of them: swimming, cycling and running. It’s not uncommon for us to be contacted by athletes who wants to join a duathlon event (For instance: Powerman Championships - no swimming involved!), Century Rides, Grand Fondo and even a 5K run. But If you are looking for a Gymnastics coach, you have to look somewhere else!
DO I NEED TO HAVE STRONG BACKGROUND IN SPORTS TO JOIN?
Absolutely no! We cater all kinds of athletes, including those who have zero background in swimming, cycling, running or triathlon. Having a sports background is NOT a pre-requisite.
WHY SHOULD I HIRE A COACH?
Hiring a coach is important - not just to give you a training plan, but much more than that. We ensure you are motivated to do workout sessions that we prescribe. We keep track if your body is adapting to the training load from the training sessions. We monitor your rest, stress & fatigue. We take note that you are not under-training, or worst, over-training. We give advice on how to perform a workout, without getting injured. We provide guidance on pre-race strategy and post-race discussion. We also help you avoid making mistakes that other athletes have done.
WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE TRICONQUER, OVER OTHER COACHES OUT THERE?
There are PLENTY of coaches out there. And of course, it is difficult to choose a coach. What makes us different, is our dedication. You can ask any of our athletes – they all agree that our knowledge, dedication, attitude, accessibility and availability differentiate us from the rest. Imagine if you had a really bad indoor training session, and you would like some motivation on how to proceed (Do you repeat the workout, or should you continue follow the training plan, or should you just quit?), we will be there for you.
HOW LONG SHOULD I JOIN?
There are no contracts with us. Athletes may stop and start our coaching service at anytime. However, we recommend to stay with us for a minimum of one season (defined by you) so that we can assist you in each and every step towards your goal for the season.
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
We are based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
I AM NOT BASED IN MALAYSIA. CAN I SIGN UP AS WELL?
Yes! The beauty of working with the internet is that we are available to work with athletes from all over the world. Email, Skype, FaceTime, iMessage, WhatsApp, you name it. As long as you have a smartphone, close communication with our Athlete is not an issue at all. Also, when you sign up with Triconquer, you will also get a free Training Peaks account (if you do not have one already). This will be the platform in which we deliver your training plans, as well as receiving feedback on how the sessions went.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
Just click on "Contact" on the top toolbar on this website. We will reach out to you, asking you about your goals and targets, along with your strengths, weaknesses and expectations. We will ask more information on your previous race or training experience. We also ask about your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly schedule, identifying opportunities to optimize training, while maintaining adequate recovery along the way. We will then create a training plan, customized to your goals. Take note the training plans are dynamic, in which they can change and differ depending on your available training hours, to other training setbacks (injuries, illness etc). Training Peaks account will be set up for you (if you do not have one already). We use Training Peaks to deliver your training plan, and get feedback from your training sessions.
WHAT IS YOUR COACHING PHILOSOPHY?
An athlete’s ability to train consistently is the key for fitness improvement to the next level. Setbacks such as injuries (which is extremely common), illness, lack of motivation as well as lack of recovery are your main enemies. We believe in long term relationship, and communication is key so that your adaptations to training load, recovery and other sources of stress are monitored and considered when we prescribe you with a training plan. Long distance endurance sports (such as running a Marathon, or even a Triathlon) are challenging and require long, meticulous and complex preparation to guarantee race day execution. We are committed to each individual athlete aspirations to be the best versions of themselves.
HOW DO YOU TRACK MY PROGRESS? WHAT EQUIPMENTS DO I NEED?
At a bare minimum, you would need a fitness watch/tracker than can track Heart Rate (HR) data. This is important, as your HR will give us (and you) indication on how the session went. We formulate your training plan according to HR zones, as this is a proven method to achieve the right stimulus for your training and overall fitness improvement. If you have the budget, you can get a sports watch with GPS, which will give you even more data and metrics to look at (pace, speed, cadence, distance, time etc). Garmin is one of the popular brands out there for long distance endurance athletes. We also recommend an Indoor Bike Trainer, if possible. Good, high quality bike session is best done indoors, as you only need focus on hitting your HR/Power Targets, instead of worrying about the traffic/weather conditions. If budget is not a constraint, we would recommend getting a Power Meter for your bicycle, as power-based training can be extremely helpful for an athlete and our coach, especially for pacing during training session & pacing during race day. After each workout, you can sync or manually upload the data to your Training Peaks account.
WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
Our coaching services are renewable on a month to month basis (30 days). The level of training program you signed up for will determine your monthly coaching fee. We only accept payments by PayPal and Funds Transfer (GIRO/IBFT). We do not accept any cash for payments.
WHAT ARE YOUR FEES?
As goals and needs of different athletes vary, we have different fee structures to accommodate those different needs. For Remote Coaching service, this starts at USD $ 50 / month. Special discounts are available. Contact us for more information on the fees.
WHAT IS A BRICK SESSION?
A brick session is usually a cycling session, then straight into a run. This can also be run, bike, run or just bike and run. We incorporate Brick Sessions as part of your comprehensive training plan.
I DID NOT COMPLETE MY WORK OUT TODAY DUE TO WORK / PERSONAL REASONS. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
We are all adults, and sometimes life gets in the way. For many of our athletes, family and work commitments take priority over. We completely understand challenges to adhere to your training plan, and adjustments are completely normal. Through our regular communication, an athlete only can let us know if something comes up and we will revise your workouts accordingly.