wow! i really appreciate all the responses and suggestions everyone has given me. i really need to print out the stuff - it's easier for me to read that way.

given that i do have 1000miles and have been riding for 13weeks (this week), would getting a plan from here be something i could do? http://www.trainingpeaks.com/trainin...R50)8-13hrs/wk (road build-peakperiod/intermediate under 50).

i just don't really know how to use friel's book effectively and could really just benefit from someone else "telling" me what kind of workouts to incorporate to improve my riding.

i feel like i do have the long slow distances and the junk miles - initially i was just riding to see how far i could ride and to ride faster than the previous time, as well as to just get saddle time for the ms150. but now, i want to do more than the ms150, not exactly sure what though. i don't think i want to race, but i think eventually, i would like to be able to do solo rides at 17+/-mph or even B pace rides. i'm just so new into riding, that i don't have any real concrete goals as of yet.

warreng - i think that i will try your 3x6 intervals at around 160bpm and see how i feel. i've worked up to 8hr/wk riding and would like to get this up to 10-12hr/wk. i think i might spend the $85 just to see what it is - being an engineer, i like to have numbers to work with - guess this is why i'm so hung-up on the numbers.

again, thanks for everyone's help! karen.