Jake B

Hey Guys,

I just got this book today(late christmas present), and it seems a little confusing. I was just wondering if you guys who have it had to read it cover to cover to understand, or kind of just picked up information as you went. Andy help with getting started with the program would be great.

Thanks a lot,
Jake

PolishPostal

You really need to read the whole book to understand the process. Yes, I have read it cover to cover and implemented my training schedule based on it.

Once you read the book I would be happy to try to answer your questions.

Mojo GoGo

Agree, read it once, think about the content but don't overanalyze. If you don't get bogged down in the details and look at the big picture it's a lot easier to figure out (or at least not be overwhelmed).

jbhowat

Yeah, you really need to read the whole book, excepting probably the sections that are specific to stage racing, the section about special needs, and maybe the "fuel" section. I recommend the section on eating though as its critical to have a good diet with your program. It isn't needed in order to set up a program and get started though.

I've read the whole book and just finished up setting up the first part of my plan this year (although its not spiffy and online yet - I like that idea though). It is a spiffy word document though. Anyway, yeah I'll try to help you with some questions if you are confused.

cyclintom

The program is pretty simple. You find out your limits, design a program specifically to address your weaknesses and carry out the program to the letter.

Not very complex but there are variations that you'll have to learn for yourself that have to do with the speed with which your body responds.

And one thing he doesn't say but is the case is this: you have to be at a certain minimum level before training with that sort of program gets any results. If you train too hard before your body above beginners level you just beat yourself to death and don't show any results.

When you can ride near the front of the Cat 4,5 pack in a crit you'll find that you can get a hell of a lot more results from the training than if you're being blown out the back of a Cat 5 beginners crit.

But here's a suggestion - when you're beginning, you have to train as hard as you can on the hard days and then you really have to hold yourself back to almost walking pace the rest of the week. By training HARD remember that you have to exhaust yourself but not to the extent that you're still beat at the next hard day.

Using heart rates to judge your levels is what his training regime is all about. The problem with that is that until your fitness is up to snuff the numbers don't really match the stuff in a book. In person he could design a custom plan for your own particular fitness level but when you write a book you write it for a certain class of people and I get the feeling that Friel is still writing for the John Elgarts of the world.

Univega

Better than Chris Carmichael's books?

StanSeven

Chris Carmichael's approach is easier to get started and is more flexable. Plus it works better for me. I've used Friel's method before and frankly didn't gain as much improvment as I do from Carmichael.

jbhowat

Yeah. I've found Carmichael's a lot more simple too. I don't plan on trying his system though for a whole season. Unless Friel doesn't work out or something. There's much more specificity as well as flexibility and customizability.

abm1213

I found Friel's book to be very helpful in describing a structured all-year training and racing program. Freil tells the reader in the introductory chapter that his method is not for the first year racer because the intensity of the training he proposes is simply too much for most beginners. While I don't necessarily agree that his structure is too demanding for beginners, you have to trust what he says if you are going to criticize him for being out of the reach for new racers/cyclists-in-training.

Contrary to what a previous post maintains, Friel does not base his training on arbitrary heart rate levels. Freil has the cyclist perform various tests which indicate physical and psychological strengths and weaknesses and define goals for the season based on these. The physical tests have more to do with measuring POWER than with heart rate. Freil bases his training on measurements of Critical Power (CP). Freil does not use HR as the primary measure because it only approximates effort although it is valuable essential information. POWER measurement exactly measures effort and this is the holy grail of training - measuring output at the wheel as opposed to measuring bodily functions.

Power is the strength (!) of his method and also the real weakness in Freils training - you have posess an ergometer or have access to one, either on the bike or in the gym to do what he is proposing. For some people this will be a problem. Even then, these tests can be approximated with traditional HR measurements and subjective Relative Perceived Effort (RPE). Freil, like most trainers, suggests weight training. If you don't have access to a gym or have the weights at home you will miss out on an important part of his program. I doubt that somebody who owns more than ten bikes will have trouble coming up with the cash to buy themselves a PowerTap wheel or a Polar Power Kit and they probably belong to a gym and thus, depending on your psychological outlook, will have no problem with the training program.

Really, in order to create your own training plan, which is what Freil teaches you to do, you actually have to read the entire book, not just skip around and read what interests you. You have to take extensive notes and record the results of your tests. I made myself a spreadsheet based on one that I found on the internet which is pretty good, albiet without automation. Also, I found that I had to go back sometimes and re-read portions of the book because a section depended on REALLY knowing what he said in a previous chapter and applying it. If reading somewhat technical material is not your strength, if fiddling around with performance tests and taking notes and keeping a training log is troublesome, just forget about this plan - get a coach or somebody else to do it for you. Or... you can just bag training altogether and get on bikeforums and yack about stuff you don't really know about. Or... you can just ride your bike alot with the clubbies and cross your fingers.

Peace.

BTW, if anybody wants the spreadsheet I can put it up on my website. Just ask.

abm1213

Here, I'll just donate this to the forum. I can't remember where I got it but I am not the original author. I made enhancements to it and used it to take notes. Hope this is useful.

Peace.