This is something I wrote a while back, but recent questions I’ve received tell me it’s time to reprint it. ________________________ High performance runners are typically very efficient. You can observe this just by watching them run: there is no apparent wasted energy. They look very graceful. For cars we simply measure miles per gallon […]
Training and Faith
“Training is principally an act of faith.” That is from Franz Stampfl who, I suspect, you have never heard of although he was Roger Bannister’s coach. Though Stampfl had a very interesting life, this is not a post about him, but rather about this thought of his on training (however, I’d highly recommend reading this […]
Measuring Workouts
If you own a power meter should all of your workouts be based on power? How about if you only have a heart rate monitor? Heart rate only? I had someone who bought a training plan of mine recently imply that the answer to both is “yes.” He had a power meter and bought a […]
My New Power Meter
In my last post I explained how I first heard of cycling power meters and how I came to use one. That first one was very basic. It just told me instantaneous power and average power. It was heavy. The batteries were a challenge to replace. Riding in the rain wasn’t such a good idea. […]
Favero Assioma
I recently started using the Assioma DUO power meter pedals. After 25 years of using many power meters and watching the technology improve, I have found these to be the best I’ve ever used. They’re light, durable, waterproof, easily charged, can be quickly swapped between bikes, and they are highly accurate. The prices are more […]
A Personal History of the Cycling Power Meter
The first time I ever heard of a bicycle power meter was in the fall of 1993. There was a magazine article (by Samuel Abt in Velonews, I believe) about Greg LeMond having recently hired a Dutch physiologist, Arie van Diemen, to coach him in his preparation for the 1994 Tour de France. He had […]
Question: How Should I Train?
The most common question I get on social media and in emails is something along the line of, “How should I train?” That’s certainly a valid question. And I appreciate the writer’s confidence in me to provide guidance. But there’s a problem with the question: It assumes I can tell anyone how to train based […]
More on Cleat Position
The first blog I ever posted was January 30, 2007. The topic of that post was cleat position for cycling shoes. A few months prior to writing that I had started placing my cleats in the arch area of my shoes based on the suggestion of an interesting and creative acquaintance – Goetz Heine. Subsequently […]
Lamson Cycle Shoes
Don Lamson is a master at making custom shoes for road cyclists and mountain bikers. He’s been making shoes for cyclists since 1989, and mine since 2007. There are many reasons a rider may want custom shoes such as foot size differences, unusually wide or narrow feet, maximal pedal-force application, or simply for comfort – […]
Riding Indoors and Pedaling Skills, Part 2
In Part 1 I explained why your power output is likely to be lower when riding an indoor trainer as compared with riding on the road. And I also touched on the how this is related to the skills of pedaling a bike. Making some slight changes to how you pedal can benefit not only […]
Riding Indoors and Pedaling Skills, Part 1
There are a few things that change when you ride indoors on a trainer as compared with on the road. A common one is heat. Since you’re not moving forward when on a trainer body heat tends to accumulate. Your core temperature may rise causing you to sweat more. At the same time, blood is […]
Duration and Intensity in Training
The most basic component of training is the balance between workout duration and workout intensity. Whether you are an Olympian or a novice “how long” and “how hard” are the only two variables that can be used to produce a workout within a given sport. How these are balanced is at the heart of preparing […]
Problems With Determining FTP
A while back I received an email from a triathlete who explained that he got different FTP results if he did a 20-minute test on his Watt Bike indoor trainer versus doing a 40km time trial on a tri bike that took about an hour versus doing a 20-minute test on the road on a […]
More on Overtraining
Yesterday I received an email from a female pro cyclocross racer who shall remain anonymous. She described what certainly sounds like overtraining. It’s hard to be certain, as I’ve written about here and here. But I’d be willing to bet that she has indeed pushed herself beyond her natural limits, which takes great motivation, and […]
The Triathlete as Fast Marathoner
The following is an article I wrote for a magazine sometime back. Here I lay out how to prepare to run a fast marathon. Of course, “fast” is only relative to your ability, goal, experience, training, and confidence. This training plan is primarily intended for the triathlete who wants to continue doing some bike and […]
The “All New” Cyclist’s Training Bible
I recently finished writing a “somewhat” new book — The “All New” Cyclist’s Training Bible. The original version was published more than 20 years ago. It had been edited three times over the years. Last year my publisher suggested it was time to edit it yet again. I balked at that as editing it could […]
Sleep, Part 2
I apologize for the long gaps between posts to my blog. Even though I am now retired from one-on-one coaching it seems there’s still never any time for writing here. But one thing I seldom pass up in the daily bustle is sleep. In Part 1 on this topic I railed against athletes having so […]
Sleep, Part 1
I’m now retired from hands-on coaching. It was challenging work for thirty-plus years, mostly because there was never a break. All of the athletes needed unwavering attention whether I was on vacation or not. Yet I still tremendously enjoyed it and, in a sick sort of way, now miss the pressure of preparing an athlete […]
Sunglasses
Several years ago I was provided training products by a company that eventually let down one of my coaching clients. It reflected badly on me as I had suggested the athlete use their product. When it failed to perform the company refused to stand behind it. I left them and ever since have been very […]
Unconventional Thinking
I suppose I'm a bit of a heretic. I seldom accept things at face value just because that's "the way we've always done it" or just because an "expert" says it should be done that way. Or, my favorite, which always starts with, "everybody knows…" I always ask myself why. Why should it be done […]
CTL Concerns
The following is a portion of an email I received today from a US serviceman in Afghanistan. He expresses quite well a common concern I hear from athletes in regards to their Chronic Training Load (CTL) on the TrainingPeaks Performance Management Chart (PMC). ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The email: Joe, I’m something of a CTL junkie when it […]
Training: Stress, Fatigue, Recovery, Adaptation
A hard workout only creates the potential for fitness. It’s realized when you recover afterwards. When you take it easy after a hard workout the body’s adaptive process kicks in and you become more fit. During recovery the body restores itself by rebuilding damaged cells, creating new neural pathways, expanding capillary beds, rebalancing its chemistry, […]
Time, Family, and Training
I just got a DM from a guy who is experiencing what it’s like to try to train and race at the same time the family and career responsibilities are increasing. Here was my response: I can relate, Jim. Lots of athletes ask about things related to this topic. (I once had a guy tell […]
My Email to a 16 Year-Old S African Rider
Thanks for your email. I’m glad to hear that you have high goals for the sport and dreams of becoming a pro. Dreams at your age are always the starting place for anyone who eventually becomes a pro. Otherwise, there are many differences in the backgrounds of the pros. But not when it comes to […]