# The Cyclist's Training Bible: One Year Later



## EDUC8-or

I see so many questions in this forum about how to become a stronger cyclist, I was asking the same thing just over a year ago. Quite a few people recommended the Cyclist's Training Bible so I bought the book and started planning my season. Just a little background, I started riding on the road in the beginning of 2008. Before that I would mountain bike maybe once a month and run once or twice a month, I wouldn't really say I was in great shape. I am 37 years old and I travel lots for work and work odd hours so nailing down my training schedule is tough. I don't have the next month's work schedule until about the 25th of each month so I plan from there and make weekly changes as necessary. Here is my Reader's Digest of last season:

I got the book in October of 2009 and made a very flexible plan for the season. I also bought a cheap Timex heart rate monitor and used heart rate for my zones all year. I would really like a power meter but have mouths to feed and diapers to supply for a while. Maybe when mom goes back to work that will be my gift to myself. I made some major changes to my training, before I bought the book I would always ride with other riders and I always rode hard. As far as racing is concerned I was Cat 5 pack filler at best.

Last winter I was very dedicated. Initially I found it strange riding by myself so much, but quickly discovered how much easier it was to stick to my plan and be disciplined when I rode alone. My solo rides also became a form of meditation and they really fit my busy schedule well because I could just leave from home as needed. I didn't have to try to fit my riding schedule with other riders or try to meet somewhere to ride. I did lots of easy base miles and would fall behind on the very few "easy" group rides I did because I was sticking to my schedule. I also tried bonk training to shed some extra pounds which really helped on the hills later in the year.

I began my racing season in February, I wasn’t quite sure how I would do because I wasn’t out hammering on every ride. I was competitive in every raced I entered and got lots of top 3 finishes (still waiting for that elusive win!) and set up teammates for the win with a leadout or an attack that eventually formed the winning break. I moved up to a 4 early in the season and found myself entering the 3/4 fields VS 4/5 when the option was available. I wasn’t as competitive as I was in the 5’s, but had a couple top 10’s in some large 3/4 fields and was able to work hard to set up victories for my teammates.

I did have some stretches when my riding wasn’t where I would have liked it to be. Sometimes the reason was obvious: Illness, family commitments keeping me off the bike, busier than normal work schedule. Other times the reason wasn’t so apparent, but after reviewing my training journal I could see why I wasn’t riding well. In the middle of the summer I got very busy with work and needed to help out lots at home and I wasn’t sticking to my training schedule. By August things got very busy at home because I needed to change a guest room into a room for our 2 year old and get the nursery ready for our 2nd who arrived earlier this month. At that point I more or less dropped my plan and would ride when I could, it was amazing to see how quickly my form went down the tubes.

I decided to sign up for the Tour de Tucson on November 20th. I designed a “mini” season around that ride starting the first week of September. I’ve been able to stick to my plan (a month off to help with the newborn really helps, I go back to work tomorrow so we’ll see how things go) and have seen very good results. I took a long look at my training journal and I’m using what worked best for me all year. That will be invaluable information next season.

Here’s a list of the biggest changes I made to my training:

- You don’t have to ride hard all the time to get faster, actually it’s the complete opposite. I learned LOTS about the importance of daily, weekly, and monthly recovery. Chocolate milk and Recoverite are my friends now too.

- I began a strength training routine, I’ve read the pros/cons and I think it makes me stronger on the bike. Maybe it doesn’t result in higher power numbers but I was able to strengthen the areas that used to give me trouble on the bike resulting in more comfort during rides. Before strength training my lower back, glutes, or hamstrings would burn so badly I would have to ease up. You don’t need anything fancy, I bought a stability ball and some 20 pound dumbbells and I was out the door for under 50 bucks.

- A training journal is such an important tool. If you don’t already know about periodization, you should learn. I was able to look back on my season and the biggest mistakes I made were not recovering properly during my recovery weeks. It’s tempting to hit the Tuesday/Thursday night hammerfest, so tempting I would go when I should have been riding easy on my own.

- I rode lots more on my own. I still would go on group rides, but not nearly as many. Using my training journal I could look back at my season and see when I was going on too many group rides and my training would suffer. The Tuesday/Thursday night hammerfests are good but outside that if you’re riding with 5 people and they all have different agendas it becomes difficult to stick to your plan.

I know that’s a lot to read through, congrats if you’re still with me. If you’re looking to start racing and not sure how to get the ball rolling the book is an excellent way to get from Point A to Point B. As far as my season is concerned, if I did things like I did last year I’d be winding things down right now but I’m still riding hard preparing for Tucson. I’m going to take a couple weeks off the bike in November and December and also do some running. I might try to race more next year and cat up to a 3, it all depends on my family commitments and work schedule. I will probably start with a modified base period this year and add more SST training  in addition to the long slow distance rides. I'm also saving for a power meter, if Metrigear comes out with their vector pedals that might be a purchase when we get our tax refund. Either that or a minivan.


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## rubbersoul

Excellent post!


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## Art853

Thanks. How many hours did you train in a typical week (both actual and goal)?

How much of that was biking vs. strength training time?


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## t-dub

Great post...I read the whole thing. My experience using the Training Bible was very similar. I still do group rides though...I think that while they make it harder to stick to the particular workout your plan may have scheduled they have other benefits - the social aspects, pack skills etc..and they're fun. We should still be having fun out there. 

What I like about Friel's books is the explanation of the physiology of training - the adaptations taking place in response to 20 min intervals at threshold as opposed to 3 min. intervals at an anaerobic pace and so on and how that gets you ready to race. 

Good luck with the training.


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## EDUC8-or

Art853 said:


> Thanks. How many hours did you train in a typical week (both actual and goal)?
> 
> How much of that was biking vs. strength training time?


My season goal was around 350 hours, most weeks my goal was to train anywhere from 7.5-10 hours. If I wasn't super busy I probably trained 9 hours a week. In the beginning of the season when I was focusing on strength I would spend around 1.5-2 hours a week doing the strength workouts. Later in the season with better weather and longer days I might only do about 30 minutes just focusing on my upper body and core since my legs were getting plenty of work on the bike. I train about 5 hours during a typical recovery week.



t-dub said:


> Great post...I read the whole thing. My experience using the Training Bible was very similar. I still do group rides though...I think that while they make it harder to stick to the particular workout your plan may have scheduled they have other benefits - the social aspects, pack skills etc..and they're fun. We should still be having fun out there.
> 
> What I like about Friel's books is the explanation of the physiology of training - the adaptations taking place in response to 20 min intervals at threshold as opposed to 3 min. intervals at an anaerobic pace and so on and how that gets you ready to race.
> 
> Good luck with the training.


It's hard to tell from my post, but I still do plenty of group rides. There are certain rides I will only do solo, the one specific are recovery rides. It's easy to get tempted to sprint for the town sign on a group recovery ride. I learned I do better with active recovery but need to keep things very easy.

I would usually try to get to a Tuesday/Thursday night group ride when my schedule would permit and also a Saturday morning shop ride. Just like you said, it really helps with social aspects, bike handling, and this is all about fun. Plus a good way to get stronger is ride with faster riders.


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## HiImSeth

EDUC8-or said:


> In the beginning of the season when I was focusing on strength I would spend around 1.5-2 hours a week doing the strength workouts. Later in the season with better weather and longer days I might only do about 30 minutes just focusing on my upper body and core since my legs were getting plenty of work on the bike.


It may be in the book, and if it is I'll look it up, but what strength exercises do you do?


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## d-town-3-

HiImSeth said:


> It may be in the book, and if it is I'll look it up, but what strength exercises do you do?



If you have a pair of olympic dumbells where you can change the plates you really can get by with just that. You can do a whole whomp of lunge movements, stationary, walking, reverse and side. Split squats with dumbells are also great and you dont need a lot of weight same with sumo squats. Box step ups as well are excellent . If you can spring for a barbell with some plates you cant go wrong with deadlifts, roman deads, stifflegged deads, barbell hack squats and dead-start zercher squats an advanced movement but great because it doesnt require a squat rack. Good luck!


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## bmxhacksaw

Nice post. I have the CTB but I've yet to follow it religiously. This season was the first time that I actually "trained". I followed Carmichael's Time Crunched Training Program and reaped huge rewards but I want to be "Top 5" instead of "Top 20". I really noticed toward the end of the season that slacking off on the strength/core training had it's effects. Especially in hand pain since my core wasn't holding me up anymore. So the big plan (starting Nov. 1) for next season is to incorporate a modified P90x routine with the CTB "base" training. Then in the early spring I plan on switching to a hybrid CTB/TCTP program.

Something to note: I struggle with the recovery aspect as I always feel like I need to ride more/harder. But the criterium that was my goal event shed some light on things. I did fairly well but was a little bummed about my effort and thus I had a pity party for a week and didn't ride much but at the end of the week I decided to race in the Boise Twilight Criterium and the week of "rest" had a dramatic effect and I was at the front with six laps to go (when the "incident" happened) and felt like I was riding WAY stronger than I did the week before.

Another thing of interest is that I have a riding friend that rides with a Boise pro who happens to also be a Sports Physician and the doc says that if you are a Cat 4 or 5 and you are training more than 10 hours a week you aren't doing yourself any favors.


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## EDUC8-or

bmxhacksaw said:


> Nice post. I have the CTB but I've yet to follow it religiously. This season was the first time that I actually "trained". I followed Carmichael's Time Crunched Training Program and reaped huge rewards but I want to be "Top 5" instead of "Top 20". I really noticed toward the end of the season that slacking off on the strength/core training had it's effects. Especially in hand pain since my core wasn't holding me up anymore. So the big plan (starting Nov. 1) for next season is to incorporate a modified P90x routine with the CTB "base" training. Then in the early spring I plan on switching to a hybrid CTB/TCTP program.
> 
> Something to note: I struggle with the recovery aspect as I always feel like I need to ride more/harder. But the criterium that was my goal event shed some light on things. I did fairly well but was a little bummed about my effort and thus I had a pity party for a week and didn't ride much but at the end of the week I decided to race in the Boise Twilight Criterium and the week of "rest" had a dramatic effect and I was at the front with six laps to go (when the "incident" happened) and felt like I was riding WAY stronger than I did the week before.
> 
> Another thing of interest is that I have a riding friend that rides with a Boise pro who happens to also be a Sports Physician and the doc says that if you are a Cat 4 or 5 and you are training more than 10 hours a week you aren't doing yourself any favors.


Recovery is important, you will be mostly fresh for all of your hard workouts and most importantly, your races. Before this year I always rode hard and felt like I had dead legs quite a bit. Now I try to be well rested for the really tough workouts. I feel like I can push myself much harder and I usually don't have problems finishing that last interval, attacking during the hammerfest, or pulling the group along on Saturday morning. There are still days when I'm not 100% and then I will often listen to my body and just head for home.

I've sort of followed your progress and the results will really improve with more experience. My goal for the year was to be near the front in most of my rides and races, initially it was tough learning how to move and stay up front but things are so much smoother and (usually) safer up front.


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## Matador-IV

bmxhacksaw said:


> Another thing of interest is that I have a riding friend that rides with a Boise pro who happens to also be a Sports Physician and the doc says that if you are a Cat 4 or 5 and you are training more than 10 hours a week you aren't doing yourself any favors.


Could you ellaborate on this statement?

I'm just getting back into cycling after many years, and considering getting back into racing next season.

.


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## JChasse

bmxhacksaw said:


> Nice post. I have the CTB but I've yet to follow it religiously. This season was the first time that I actually "trained". I followed Carmichael's Time Crunched Training Program and reaped huge rewards but I want to be "Top 5" instead of "Top 20". I really noticed toward the end of the season that slacking off on the strength/core training had it's effects. Especially in hand pain since my core wasn't holding me up anymore. So the big plan (starting Nov. 1) for next season is to incorporate a modified P90x routine with the CTB "base" training. Then in the early spring I plan on switching to a hybrid CTB/TCTP program.


I'd really be interested in what you've got in mind regarding the hybrid CTB/TCTP plan. I've been thinking of doing something similar, but haven't started any real planning yet.

I used CTB religiously for a few seasons about 15 years ago when i was doing some racing, and it seemed to work. But now with a 1 year old daughter, and the desire and opportunity to do some great recreational road and mountain bike rides, i just dont want to commit to following CTB with that much structure.


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## bmxhacksaw

Well for me, 8-10 hours a week is about all I have for training. But according to the Doc's statement as well at Carmichael's this is enough to ride at a high level for the Average Joe. I think it is a matter of if you try to ride at a (way) higher volume and yet don't have the (other) resources that a professional racer has as far as the "off the bike" aspects of training go then you're not adding to you fitness.

I plan on doing the Base/Build training part from the CTB (starting November 1.) but then I will use the "Experienced Competitor" program from the TCTP starting May. I turn 50 in August and the Sr. Games are right after my birthday so I want to try an peak for that.


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## IAmSpecialized

Excellent post, +1.


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## pretender

Matador-IV said:


> Could you ellaborate on this statement?


This is how I choose to interpret it:

If you are training 10 hours a week and not able to crack cat 3 after, say, two or three years of consistent training and racing, then training volume is not your limiter, and adding more volume probably won't provide the "missing link".

I don't _think_ he means that training more is necessarily harmful. Depending on your lifestyle, constitution, and psychology, 12 or more hours a week might be completely sustainable and give you enough energy to hit the right amount of intensity on the bike. However, there are people out there who think they _need_ to train 12 hours a week (for example) to get to cat 3, and forcing onesself to hit those numbers will cause most people to burn out.

All else being equal, more training volume is better, but all else is never equal. Look at how much you are currently training; could you realistically add an hour or two per week? If yes, then do it. If unsure, give it a shot and see how your body reacts. But don't chase after some arbitrary number of hours just because of some book, or chart, or table.


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## RRRoubaix

pretender said:


> This is how I choose to interpret it:
> 
> If you are training 10 hours a week and not able to crack cat 3 after, say, two or three years of consistent training and racing, then training volume is not your limiter, and adding more volume probably won't provide the "missing link".
> 
> I don't _think_ he means that training more is necessarily harmful. Depending on your lifestyle, constitution, and psychology, 12 or more hours a week might be completely sustainable and give you enough energy to hit the right amount of intensity on the bike. However, there are people out there who think they _need_ to train 12 hours a week (for example) to get to cat 3, and forcing onesself to hit those numbers will cause most people to burn out.
> 
> All else being equal, more training volume is better, but all else is never equal. Look at how much you are currently training; could you realistically add an hour or two per week? If yes, then do it. If unsure, give it a shot and see how your body reacts. But don't chase after some arbitrary number of hours just because of some book, or chart, or table.


Makes sense.
I guess an increase in intensity would be more beneficial than adding hours?

I've got Joe's Bible, but have not put any of it to good use. Tough to get through- like a bloody textbook!
I've also got Carmichael's Time Crunched program, and it makes a ton of sense- especially for an old geezer like myself (48)- but I digested the contents too late to do me any good during the 'cross season. (Which is over in 2.5 weeks for me).
Mebbe next year.


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## pretender

RRRoubaix said:


> I guess an increase in intensity would be more beneficial than adding hours?


High intensity training gives the most immediate gains but plateaus quickly and can burn you out if you go back to that well too often.


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## Neon

Yes, excellent post. How did you go in your A race?


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## ac/bc

Thanks for this post. Im deffinately going to order this book


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## EDUC8-or

Neon said:


> Yes, excellent post. How did you go in your A race?


Thanks, coming into my A race I wasn't in as great of shape as I would have liked. I strayed from my training plan a bit leading up to the race and ended up getting 7th. I had poor positioning coming into the final 3k or so and found myself out front. I was able to give a leadout to my teammate who ended up winning the race, but blew up about 200m short of the line and lost 5 more places.


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## bas

HiImSeth said:


> It may be in the book, and if it is I'll look it up, but what strength exercises do you do?


I found on the rainy days, that do my set of 8-10 core exercises, alternating with 25 reps of hindu squats, and maybe doing some frog squats when i got bored on those days, helped tremendously with strength issues.

if i was even stronger , could do more reps.


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## EDUC8-or

Well my season is officially over, rode in El Tour de Tucson on Saturday. Talk about a wild and tough ride! Sort of like a crit for 8 miles, then a cross race with a river crossing, mix in some climbs, another river crossing, then 31 mph headwinds for the last 20+ miles to wash it all down. I got there super early and had a decent starting spot, got stuck behind a wreck just before the first river crossing, and then behind another one at the first crossing. Couldn't bridge up to the main group, I had the hammer down with about 50 people behind me but no one would pull through. Got within about 30 yards, one or two guys blew past me and bridged up but we caught up with them later. After I backed off people started to pull through. Our group swallowed up the stragglers from the main group and we eventually grew to 100+. I came into the second wash at the front of that group and then bridged up to another group after the wash. That was key, I had friends who were with me coming into that wash that I never saw again until the finish line. I was pegged for about 30+ minutes but knew I had to push it to get on with another group. We eventually started working together quite well and grew to about 80 riders by the finish. I came in at 4:56 and change so can now start up front next year with the Platinum group.

I am drafting out next year's plan, I'm off the bike this week and will probably ride once or twice a week until December 12th when I pick up with next season's plan. I am running a half marathon on December 11th so will do some running between now and then, I'm also in the market for a trainer. I hate trainers and have avoided one until now but think with the latest addition to our family I can squeeze in workouts after dark and help mom around the house a bit more.


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## bmxhacksaw

EDUC8-or said:


> Well my season is officially over, rode in El Tour de Tucson on Saturday. Talk about a wild and tough ride! Sort of like a crit for 8 miles, then a cross race with a river crossing, mix in some climbs, another river crossing, then 31 mph headwinds for the last 20+ miles to wash it all down. I got there super early and had a decent starting spot, got stuck behind a wreck just before the first river crossing, and then behind another one at the first crossing. Couldn't bridge up to the main group, I had the hammer down with about 50 people behind me but no one would pull through. Got within about 30 yards, one or two guys blew past me and bridged up but we caught up with them later. After I backed off people started to pull through. Our group swallowed up the stragglers from the main group and we eventually grew to 100+. I came into the second wash at the front of that group and then bridged up to another group after the wash. That was key, I had friends who were with me coming into that wash that I never saw again until the finish line. I was pegged for about 30+ minutes but knew I had to push it to get on with another group. We eventually started working together quite well and grew to about 80 riders by the finish. I came in at 4:56 and change so can now start up front next year with the Platinum group.
> 
> I am drafting out next year's plan, I'm off the bike this week and will probably ride once or twice a week until December 12th when I pick up with next season's plan. I am running a half marathon on December 11th so will do some running between now and then, I'm also in the market for a trainer. I hate trainers and have avoided one until now but think with the latest addition to our family I can squeeze in workouts after dark and help mom around the house a bit more.


That sounds like a crazy race. Small arms fire probably would have made it a little more interesting though.


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## spade2you

Very nice thread. I, too, had been using the Friel plan, although I got interrupted during my build phase and afterwards. Despite a complete lack of riding, I did alright during the races.


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## AzTallRider

Nice job on the Tour - congratulations on Platinum.

What is your next A event?


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## Gnarly 928

bmxhacksaw said:


> Well for me, 8-10 hours a week is about all I have for training. But I turn 50 in August and the Sr. Games are right after my birthday so I want to try an peak for that.


 Heads Up, Hacky....

Senior Games can be humbling. Just because you are turning 50 and you will now be racing with guys your age or older, do not expect a walk-over. 

You've been at it racing now for what, one season? In the Sr. Games fields, you will encounter a lot of 'experience'..plenty of former cat 2s, a few former pros. etc. You will be racing against riders who've trained and raced for many many seasons..They are good at it. Just being one of the youngest in the field will not give you any advantage..

You might want to 'pencil-in' to your preliminary race calender for next season the 'Huntsman Sr Games' in southern Utah. October 4-8th. This is pretty much the 'TDF" for many senior age cyclists from all over the US and many from Europe. I've raced fields there with 5 national and a few Euro champions in my age group alone. 5 yr age groupings and 4 days of racing. Almost everyone I've raced with there agrees it is the toughest field they encounter all season. Hillclimb, TT, Crit and RR on four days. 3 categories for each age group. Excellent courses and usually great weather around St. George and Zion. A good 'end' to a season.


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## den bakker

bmxhacksaw said:


> That sounds like a crazy race. Small arms fire probably would have made it a little more interesting though.


it's a ride. Most of the fckups are due to people thinking it's a race with 4000 starters.


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## clipz

awesome article. i bought the book skimmed through it and thought it was great. im really excited to start using it this year


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## ZoSoSwiM

The biggest things I've picked up by reading the training bible and now training with a power meter is that I need to recover more. In the past I went too hard too much and over did it. The second half of this past season I learned to mix things up more and recovery better. I got a lot faster too..

Great post.. Glad to see people benefit from that book like I have.


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## EDUC8-or

AzTallRider said:


> Nice job on the Tour - congratulations on Platinum.
> 
> What is your next A event?


Thanks, my season is over. I live in North Carolina and racing picks up again in late February, I will probably race one or two races in late February and early March, but my A race will be a criterium the first or second weekend in May. 

I haven't ridden since El Tour, I ran once last week and will run once or twice this week to prepare for the Thunder Road Half Marathon on December 11th. I plan on going on one or two short rides before then, after that I will start my new season.


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## EDUC8-or

I got back on the bike today after 3 weeks off. I did a decent amount of running and ran my 1/2 marathon on Saturday. While I was off I mapped out my season, planned the remainder of this month, and I finally picked up a trainer. I was really trying to avoid getting a trainer, but I used it early this morning and it will help with my schedule. The only time I had to ride today was early this morning and it was dark and cold. I ended up buying the Cycleops Supermagneto Pro and I'm very pleased. This morning it was just a zone 1 workout and I noticed I was really able to focus on my form and my 2 hour ride was a good solid 2 hours of zone 1 because I didn't have to wait at traffic signals, stop signs etc...

If the soreness in my legs subsides I'm going to start my weight and plyometric training tomorrow. I am SORE from the 1/2 marathon. I'm doing one very easy base period and I'm going to pick things up, I increased intensity at the same time last year but I'm starting this season 6 weeks later due to my training for Tucson. I could tell during my run I have a very strong base, probably because I was doing a century almost every week as part of my training for El Tour. My cardio only felt taxed during one hilly section of the run and my endurance was never in question. My legs and the different muscles used for running were what kept me from going faster.


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## Ericv2010

So, I read through the entire thread (including the opening mammoth post!) and am struck by some of the similarities in the initial poster's situation and mine. So much so that I thought I'd post my own response - outlining my current situation and my experiences from last season and my preparation for the upcoming season.

Alright, I'm a 30 year old male who's in his second year of training/racing. I raced MTN bikes (on an amateur level) for two years prior to last season then, at the beginning of last season, thought I'd give Rd. Biking a try. In the area where we live, there's a lot of open, flat terrain with very little elevation and a lot of wind (cross, head and tail). Being new to the sport, last year I rode as much and as hard as I could - riding with a local group 4 nights / week (8hrs total) and once on saturday mornings (3 hrs). These rides tended to break up around the 1/2 way point with the strongest riders forming their own group and the casual riders (or aspiring) bringing up the rear. We did a lot of pace-line, tempo rides with town-line / stop sign sprints to keep everyone interested. I also participated in the 2nd half of a local thursday night crit series, riding with the B-group. Finally placing in the last race of the season (2nd place!). I closed out the season with a century race over very, very hilly terrain and managed to grab 3rd in my age group.

So, the previous paragraph related more to what I've done both in training and in racing...this paragraph will relate more to the local talent pool and my reaction to the training I subjected myself to. Locally, we are lucky enough to have a small group of racers with 20+ years of race experience that are willing to offer some of the beginners advice/assistance whenever you ask. On the advice of one of these guys, I inserted a 'saturation week' into my season at the mid-way point. For those that aren't familiar with this concept, essentially what you are trying to do is stress your body almost to the point of breaking, then take some time to recover. If done correctly (and at the right time), the saturation week approach, is proven to yield results in terms of rider/racer development and fitness gains. While the saturation week was quite difficult to complete (500KMs over the course of 7 days - completed mostly by HR intervals) - I did see significant results both in terms of how long I could hang on on group rides when the pace picked up and how much I could put out in the local race series. Unfortunately, I ignored the advice of the same individual that suggested the saturation week when he told me I needed to have a full week of active-recovery and decided to push the limits on each group ride thereafter. Towards the end of the season, my legs got very stale and I couldn't muster any 'pop' when necessary.

Bottom line: upon closer personal reflection, and discussion with some of the more experienced racers, I didn't insert enough active-recovery or rest days into the schedule and I probably rode too much with the group without enough solo-interval work. If you're riding on your own, it's much easier to stick to a structured plan rather than going as fast as you can for as long as you can.

I don't have the Friel's book or the TaRwaPM book (but expect both for christmas). In terms of goals this season, I'm currently a cat4 racer but hope to accumulate enough points to move up to cat3 by the end of the season. I'm also hoping to finish in the top 7 in each of the thursday night races that I enter.

In terms of preparation for the upcoming season (first race = 1st friday in April 2011), I'm doing 3days/week on a trainer right now. 1 2 hour session with long-ish intervals (10.15.20minutes in length) spending most of my time in HR zones 2 and 3. The other two sessions are shorter (roughly 1.0hrs) where I do shorter, more intense interval efforts. These efforts are designed to simulate bridging efforts then working in the break and generally last 5-6minutes. I also spend 2 days/week at the gym working lower body and cardio. While these workouts are tiring, they are not completed with race-intensity. At this point, just focussing on building a strength base and getting cardio capacity back I plan on increasing the intensity and starting structured training in early January. I will have access to a powermeter at that point.

In terms of in-season training, my plan for this year is to complete an early season saturation week but to rest appropriately this time around. I also plan on using the Tues/Thurs group rides as recovery rides and do the bulk of my training solo using my powermeter. I think I can better monitor intensity and training load this way vs. riding along with the pack in a group ride scenario.

Any general comments on my past season, the training that I completed and the plan for winter training would be greatly appreciated. I'm also interested in comments on my plans for in-season training.

Thanks


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## EDUC8-or

Ericv2010 said:


> In terms of preparation for the upcoming season (first race = 1st friday in April 2011), I'm doing 3days/week on a trainer right now. 1 2 hour session with long-ish intervals (10.15.20minutes in length) spending most of my time in HR zones 2 and 3. The other two sessions are shorter (roughly 1.0hrs) where I do shorter, more intense interval efforts. These efforts are designed to simulate bridging efforts then working in the break and generally last 5-6minutes. I also spend 2 days/week at the gym working lower body and cardio. While these workouts are tiring, they are not completed with race-intensity. At this point, just focussing on building a strength base and getting cardio capacity back I plan on increasing the intensity and starting structured training in early January. I will have access to a powermeter at that point.
> 
> In terms of in-season training, my plan for this year is to complete an early season saturation week but to rest appropriately this time around. I also plan on using the Tues/Thurs group rides as recovery rides and do the bulk of my training solo using my powermeter. I think I can better monitor intensity and training load this way vs. riding along with the pack in a group ride scenario.
> 
> Any general comments on my past season, the training that I completed and the plan for winter training would be greatly appreciated. I'm also interested in comments on my plans for in-season training.
> 
> Thanks


There are different schools of thought on base training and recovery, but it sounds like you're going hard right now. I am in my base period and most of my rides are very easy and I try to do 1-2 long rides a week. Yesterday I rode 4 hours and averaged just over 15 miles per hour. For me personally this is a great time to really watch what I eat and I try to drop some pounds before race season. Another reason I like to go easy is burnout, I just can't hammer all season. It seems a bit early to start intervals if you're gearing up for a race in April.

The other thing I would be wary of is using a group ride as a recovery ride. If you are very disciplined or if you ride with a very disciplined group it can be done, but it gets tempting to sprint for the town line on those rides. If I need a recovery day I will ride by myself.

Just adding structure and sticking to a plan should help you improve. I haven't heard much about a saturation week, but I rarely plan back-to-back hard workouts unless I am racing. Reason being I'm able to go harder on my tough days since I'm well rested. It might work, just be sure to back off on the intensity after that week.


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## Ericv2010

Yeah, not working too hard - most workouts are completed way below race-pace. As my card ability improves, I plan on refocussing my attention on power-based intervals to build strength and conditioning. These power-based intervals will be completed at race pace/intensity. The only reason why I've included any intervals in my training at all is to keep from going insane on the trainer.

I do take your point though. Resting and patience have never been my strong suits. I am somewhat concerned that by starting training this early I'm setting myself up to burn out in July/august. I don't know, maybe I should back off for a month or so, and eliminate the intervals completely...have to think this through a little further.

I did get both the training bible and the RaTwaPM book for Christmas so I've got some reading ahead of me...


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## spade2you

Remember that resting and patience can also be the key to winning some races.


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## stunzeed

Great post!!

I am about to get back into training again, I just moved to a fairly hilly area from the complete flatlands of Florida. In my peak I was doing about 400 miles a week, mostly group rides.

I have been off the road bike for about 10 months now and looking for a good basic training plan to lose weight and get strong on the bike

Would the Bible be a good investment for me? At this point of am i better off just doing basic base miles for a good month or so


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## EDUC8-or

stunzeed said:


> Great post!!
> 
> I am about to get back into training again, I just moved to a fairly hilly area from the complete flatlands of Florida. In my peak I was doing about 400 miles a week, mostly group rides.
> 
> I have been off the road bike for about 10 months now and looking for a good basic training plan to lose weight and get strong on the bike
> 
> Would the Bible be a good investment for me? At this point of am i better off just doing basic base miles for a good month or so


Adding any type of structure to your training will help, the book was a great investment for me but I love to read and I'm very detail oriented. If you buy the book, read it, and develop a plan I think it would help you get stronger.


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## nyvram

this is a great thread! one question: here in TN we have some pretty good climbs on just about all the road races..does the Friel plan help you with climbing as well? i just bought the book tonight but it won't be in for a couple of days and i'm antsy that i've already waited to long to restart training for the 2011 season.


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## EDUC8-or

nyvram said:


> this is a great thread! one question: here in TN we have some pretty good climbs on just about all the road races..does the Friel plan help you with climbing as well? i just bought the book tonight but it won't be in for a couple of days and i'm antsy that i've already waited to long to restart training for the 2011 season.


It's still very early in the season, you could start today and peak in May or June. I'm way behind where I was last year, but my best results were early in the season, I'm trying to prevent that this year.

The Friel plan discusses climbing and how to improve, but it's a pretty simple formula. Lose weight and train in the hills and mountains. The book talks about limiters, and climbing is a huge one for me because my healthy weight is 190 pounds. I got down to 185 last year but my riding suffered and I got sick a lot. I have to constantly work on my climbing, I go ride in the mountains, do hill repeats, and attack hills on loops with rollers. That being said, I wouldn't recommend going out and doing hill repeats tomorrow. I'm just easing into my training and do lots of climbing but at a lower intensity than I will be in the Build phases of my training plan.


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## EDUC8-or

With the addition of a trainer I was able to stick to my schedule much more through the cold and snow we had here in NC this winter. I also got out on the road quite a bit, the only problem was it was so cold on lots of my rides so my HRM would go all crazy because I wasn't sweating enough to maintain good contact between my chest and the strap. I bought some gel they use in the hospital for EKG's but it dries out after an hour or so. On those rides I went by perceived exertion. I've been fairly disciplined with my diet and I'm also really picking up intensity. I start my first Build week on Monday.

I have been waiting for the Garmin/Metrigear Vector or at least a peep of when it will be released. I found someone who quit riding who has a Powertap SL+ and head unit they're willing to go for dirt cheap, so the next time I see him I'll be training with power! It might be 2-3 weeks before I'm in his neck of the woods. Very excited about that, now what to do with those 404 Clydesdale Tubulars... I'd really like to race with power too, but might train this season on the Powertap and race with the Zipps. Then when the Vector is released I will go with that.


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## rudedog55

Great posts, thanks for the good read, i think i am gonna have to invest in one or two of these books, as my training is pretty by the seat of my pants-ish. About the only thing that is consistent is that it is inconsistent.


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## spade2you

rudedog55 said:


> Great posts, thanks for the good read, i think i am gonna have to invest in one or two of these books, as my training is pretty by the seat of my pants-ish. About the only thing that is consistent is that it is inconsistent.


I'm only a road biker, so that's the bible I have, but it's a very worthy investment. Dollar per dollar, I think you'll get the best performance increase. 

I'm again following the overall training plan. Hoping to get a power meter in about a month on my TT bike. Lost 2 weeks during my build due to illness, but hope to stay roughly on schedule.


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## MountainGoat92

just curious what your thought are for people getting back into racing as far as how many hours you would suggest starting out at and increasing to!!!!
a little about me:

Im in extremely good shape
I run track but after this season I plan on road racing in college.
use to race road and xc mtn bikes
Peaked at 70mi per week over the winter for running
4:30miler
I weigh 148 and im 6 '1
I could climb for days.
ooh and i have read friel's book


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## pretender

MountainGoat92 said:


> just curious what your thought are for people getting back into racing as far as how many hours you would suggest starting out at and increasing to!!!!
> a little about me:
> 
> Im in extremely good shape
> I run track but after this season I plan on road racing in college.
> use to race road and xc mtn bikes
> Peaked at 70mi per week over the winter for running
> 4:30miler
> I weigh 148 and im 6 '1
> I could climb for days.
> ooh and i have read friel's book


What was the question?


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## EDUC8-or

I bought the Powertap SL+/Open Pro combo a few weeks back. After I got over being discouraged about my power numbers  I have learned lots about training with power. I ordered Training and Racing With a Power Meter and I'm about 60% done with the book. As far as software is concerned I started out using Power Agent, but wasn't impressed. I downloaded Golden Cheetah for free and so far so good. My friend has Training Peaks WKO+ and Golden Cheetah is very similar, so I'm pleased.

The differences in training with heart rate and power are huge. I've noticed on the solo rides I can push myself much harder and I can see if I achieved my goal for the ride. I also learn a lot after downloading my data after a group ride. During group rides, I noticed when I go off the front I can settle into my ftp (power I can sustain for an hour) and stay away much longer. Before I would attack and just blow up because I wouldn't ease off after creating a gap. 

I am still anxiously awaiting the Garmin-Vector-Speedplay system, but am very happy with the PowerTap. I have been using my Open Pro wheel for all training as well as crits, but use my 404 Clydesdales for road races so no power during the RRs. I ordered a Garmin 800 so I'll be ready to make the switch to the pedal based system when necessary.

As far as the training plan is concerned, I am still using The Cyclist's Training Bible as my loose outline, but I've incorporated lots of the tools from Training and Racing With a Power Meter. I'm back off the midnight snack and down to 185 pounds, about the lightest I've been consistently in quite some time. I notice I have lost some top end power but my climbing has improved and I can truck along like a diesel all day long.


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## MattSoutherden

Great post.

I got CTB and TaRwaPM last year and was hoping that my season this year would be built around the training and racing plan I drew up in November.

Sadly, I injured my knee in Base 1 and haven't ridden the bike since.  (I think I may go mental if I'm not back on the bike in April)

It's good to know you're getting the results you're after.


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## Hula Hoop

pretender said:


> High intensity training gives the most immediate gains but plateaus quickly and can burn you out if you go back to that well too often.


I need to thumb tack this to my forehead.


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## EDUC8-or

Bummer, sorry to hear about your knee. Hopefully you'll be back soon enough, the season is still young.


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## EDUC8-or

Thought I would update after training most of this season with power. I did a whole lot of SST training, 2X20's and worked hard on my climbing and FTP. My climbing and FTP improved drastically and I'd even say I'm a different type of rider. I was able to hang in races, centuries, and charity rides in the mountains, but I noticed my top end and pop definitely fizzled. On the flats I can pull all day at 23-25, but when the accelerations go in a race and the pace picks up I'm on the ropes.

I've enjoyed training with power, I don't like having to use the Open Pro rear wheel but I like having the data to look at from my rides. But recently my PowerTap stopped working and I went back to my Ksyrium Elite rear wheel while the PT is in for repairs. I noticed how much nicer my bike rides with the other wheel, it's like a new bike. The ride is smoother and it accelerates better. I also noticed how nice it was to just get out and ride and not worry about the power data. I think I was burned out so I dropped the plan and structure for a bit and will start back up in a month or so. I still might get the Garmin Vector pedals, but I'm debating keeping the PT and using that on the trainer this winter as well as on solo rides, on group rides I might go without power. I've noticed how much how much fun I've had riding with my friends and not worrying about my power.


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## woodys737

Great thread EDUC8-or. Very similar experience for me: Did a lot of shotgun riding in the beginning, find some structure with Friel and do a ton of base, work into some sort of periodization, get with power and move onto Allen/Coggan, find the value in SST and doing high intensity year around, burn out a bit, back to shotgun riding. Throw in an injury or two in there and pow, the modern middle aged cyclist emerges! lol.

As far as power goes I moved from a PT to a Quarq and highly recommend it if for nothing else it's liberating not being restricted to one wheel. Bit pricey but worth if you are going to stay with power for a while.


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## Poncharelli

EDUC8-or said:


> I was able to hang in races, centuries, and charity rides in the mountains, but I noticed my top end and pop definitely fizzled...... but when the accelerations go in a race and the pace picks up I'm on the ropes.


I've gone from Cat 5, to 4, to 3, and now racing in the Masters 1-2-3. It seems that the higher the level of racing, the more important the "top end" accelerations are. The accelerations are more delibarate and more frequent.

The last race I did was 94 miler, and the leaders were just attacking over and over (on the crest of each hill) until the group was obliterated within the first 25 miles. Violent accelerations don't give anyone a free ride in the back (like constant speed does). 

So being able to repeatedly hold high AC power for 30s or so after holding above threshold for a couple of minutes is fairly important. But then again, I'm racing with guys who's thresholds are probably 40W higher than mine.:cryin:


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## spade2you

I've heard a few of the same complaints from people using PT hubs. I got a Quarq because I didn't want to be resticted to a wheel set, but honestly, the Quarq crank doesn't feel any different to me. Really happy with mine.


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## EDUC8-or

Poncharelli said:


> I've gone from Cat 5, to 4, to 3, and now racing in the Masters 1-2-3. It seems that the higher the level of racing, the more important the "top end" accelerations are. The accelerations are more delibarate and more frequent.
> 
> The last race I did was 94 miler, and the leaders were just attacking over and over (on the crest of each hill) until the group was obliterated within the first 25 miles. Violent accelerations don't give anyone a free ride in the back (like constant speed does).
> 
> So being able to repeatedly hold high AC power for 30s or so after holding above threshold for a couple of minutes is fairly important. But then again, I'm racing with guys who's thresholds are probably 40W higher than mine.:cryin:


No doubt, they combined our Cat 4 field with Masters 35+ 1-2-3 at one of my road races this year. It seemed like someone was taking a dig every 2 minutes for the first 40 miles, I was hanging on for dear life. They were also fueled by anger because they didn't want to get stuck with our group, the field was blown apart after 10 miles. I had a mid pack finish and had no gas for a sprint, but got 4th out out of the 4's. There were about 10 Cat 4's that stayed with the field. Violent describes the accelerations well, and I would add that they lasted for what seemed like forever.


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## DoggerDan

By sheer dint of superhuman effort, blessed genes, or sheer dumb geographic luck, I started riding my bicycle to work in June of 2006 and by October was routinely beating various cycling teams who used the hill up which I lived as their training grounds.

It was 13 miles round trip, cool in the morning, with 1.3 mile downhill to start before I hit the flatlands for the rest of the way in, and hot in the afternoon with that same 1.3 mile uphill as the final leg. 

Day one (week one, actually) I couldn't power up the hill in first gear, even with a 27-speed! After two months, I was grinding it in a stand, usually around 14th gear, and was so hot at the top I'd douse myself with my water bottle and ride around the neighborhood for about 10 minutes just to cool off.

I never had a regimen, other than sometimes in the morning I'd be saying, "Crap! I'm going to be late!"

The one thing that was consistent is that I tended to push myself. That is, a bit on the straight sections, there were a few small hills and overpasses along the way, and it was always my goal to crest them travelling faster than I could do aerobically on the flatlands. Thus, I powered up them as hard as I could.

I don't know if that's the right way to train or not, and I have no idea what Cat 5, 4, and 3 area. I do have an idea what a competitive cyclist looks like when their jaw drops as I power by them up a long, steep hill while wearing my camelback stuffed full of my work clothes.


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## Akez

I was looking for a way to maximize my performance next season. I have really great form right now and I am hoping to keep it throughout the winter so when Feb comes I will be strong and race well. I will ride outdoors until the snow makes it too dangerous then I will start riding rollers. Do you think this book will be able to help plan my workouts for keeping my fitness through the winter as well as plan the early spring and summer to make me a stronger rider? 


P.S. I hope it is because I just ordered it from amazon.


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## EDUC8-or

Akez said:


> I was looking for a way to maximize my performance next season. I have really great form right now and I am hoping to keep it throughout the winter so when Feb comes I will be strong and race well. I will ride outdoors until the snow makes it too dangerous then I will start riding rollers. Do you think this book will be able to help plan my workouts for keeping my fitness through the winter as well as plan the early spring and summer to make me a stronger rider?
> 
> 
> P.S. I hope it is because I just ordered it from amazon.


Sure, I think the book will help. Depending on how many miles and how strenuous your season was you might not need to shut it down as much as Friel advises in the book. I think taking it easy and doing some cross training is good to prevent mental burnout, but last winter I really took it easy and didn't ramp up the intensity until later in the season. I really suffered in the beginning of the season trying to keep up in races and fast training rides. I don't ride enough during the year to require a lots of low intensity weeks to recover from a long hard season. I will definitely take the intensity down a bit this winter compared to now, but I'm definitely not shutting it down completely.


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