I have worked with a few individuals in the past. I am starting to work with a coach on a regular basis in a few weeks. Of course the TT threshold test is what a few cycling training books I have also read recomend. Everyone is different though and that may change when I start working with my new coach...

My current plan is focused on the cyclist training bible and that is what he recomends for testing. That will all change when I start training with a regular trainer though...

California law requires 6 months and 1 day for a divorce to be final...

hehehe you'd better watch it expat or you'll lose the term expat.

I got my permanent residency this week. Going to change the name to "Haffa", as in Half an Aussie.

Bummer, half a yank down here now.

Gets worse. When I leave, I'll be taking my lovely Aussie Princess with me.

I think I'll order that book today while I'm putzin' 'round on the 'puter. So many people have said nothing but positive things about Friel. Most of the literature I've read has been by E. Burke or C. Charmichael. Last year I spent a great deal of time (for me) riding between 65% to 75% of MaxHR as Charmichael suggests but it really didn't seem to improve my speed much. What it did do was allow me to steadily increase my distance so that 50 milers weren't a problem for me. And eventually I was conditioned enough to do a century with an avg. speed of 15.9. Not a fantastic speed but OK for my first one.

What all of that volume didn't do for me was lower my resting heart rate. After about a year's worth of training (sans time off for illness, bereavement or some knee pains) my resting HR only dropped a few beats per minute.

The previous year I did shorter (45 to 60 minutes) but much more intense rides and my resting HR went from high 70's down to 58. That was my first year of regular exercise after 10 years of an extrememly sedentary yet stressed out lifestyle thanks in part to corporate America. So I would expect some dramatic improvements during this time.

Now it seems like I'm at a sticking point so something needs to change. I'm no longer sold on Charmichael's approach except it did help with improving my distances. Now I want to improve my speed for 50 milers and get my resting HR down. That's going to require a different approach.

Kurt will build a Kinetic Road Machine with custom power curves relating to any weight you want. The stock unit is calibrated to 165 or 170 I think. Their literature says they compared actual output using a powertap on the road to set up the resistance curve.

It's really hard to compare road -vs - trainer for me. Everywhere I ride on the road is rolling to hills to mountains with wind and weather variables. Unless they build a velodrome near me it just isn't the same. That said, I really like using the trainer when it's raining or after work.