Need a few pointers for getting a good programme organised for next year and I wonder if Chris Carmichael’s book is still the default recommendation. Do we hate him by association with The Cheat?

If you are time crunched and are getting ready for a specific event. Also works best as a turbo program with a power meter.

If you want to train for a season of racing then read Friels book and maybe have a look at some of the programs available online. TCC still well worth a read though.

Do we hate him by association with The Cheat?

I believe the cheat moved on quickly from Carmichael once he found Ferrari!

I’ve got Friel’s MTB book and the time crunched one and I find that you need a degree in Sports physiology to understand them. very complicated and unless you’re training for the olympics i don’t think it needs to be

I read about the first 30 pages of time crunched and gave up, it was just an infomercial for the supposedly fantastic information that was supposed to follow, but I gave up waiting for.

I read about the first 30 pages of time crunched and gave up, it was just an infomercial for the supposedly fantastic information that was supposed to follow, but I gave up waiting for.

As somebody who has a copy of TCC, I’d say all he is has done was wrapped interval training up with naff marketing speak and trademarked terms to make his version of it sound novel. Take that away and its no more sophisticated than the sort of training plans that come free with magazines this time of year, or are scattered around the web.

If I’d picked up a copy before asking for it for Xmas last year, I wouldnt have bothered.

I believe the cheat moved on quickly from Carmichael once he found Ferrari!

He was always credited with being LA’s coach, I think it was Tyler Hamilton in The Secret Race who dismissed him as a “cheerleader” not a coach, who had made a fortune by his association (though given TH has set up his own training company, he’s hardly impartial!).

Joe Friel everytime.

Thanks everyone – going to give Carmichael a miss and may think about Joe Friel instead.

And freebies from the web 🙂

Lynda Wallenfels is very good.

+1 for Lynda (LW Coaching). Good choice of plans & also good to be able to chat online with her when questions/situations arise.

I thought that TCC was OK and I liked the chapter on cycle commuting with a dedicated program. But ultimately, it is just an exposition of interval training with some longer rides and rest days. Of course you still have to follow the program. Two one hour sessions on the turbo with sufferfest a week, some base miles and a decent club run will probably get you to the same place. Friel for power meters if you have one.

Do you go direct to Lynda or through Training Peaks?

TCC worked very well for me. I do a bastardized version of it during winter just to keep a toe in.

Oh, I like the idea of downloading a plan from LW to TP – appreciate I still need to go and do the work, but being able to see weeks ahead and have it in my work and home computer calendars is gold.

Has anyone on here done that? (i.e. any real world experience of TP?)

I thought that TCC was OK and I liked the chapter on cycle commuting with a dedicated program. But ultimately, it is just an exposition of interval training with some longer rides and rest days. Of course you still have to follow the program. Two one hour sessions on the turbo with sufferfest a week, some base miles and a decent club run will probably get you to the same place.

That’s pretty much my impression of the book – the main (and perhaps) only point he makes is that you need to up the intensity if you lack time.

TCC worked very well for me. I do a bastardized version of it during winter just to keep a toe in.

I followed it pretty much to the letter and it did work very well. However the warning to take some time off after you do it needs to be heeded, I had a big overtraining style crash for about a month after the event I was peaking for (did well at the actual event though.) Because of that I wouldn’t do it again.

It is just a bunch of interval training though… but you do get a number of detailed plans for the price of the book, which is pretty good really. If you’re reasonably fit and you want to get in good shape for a specific event (and not a seasons racing) then it does seem to work (or at least it did for me.)

Does Friel’s MTB book have programmes to follow or just give advice on how to structure a programme?

Thanks.

It has a couple of programmes to give you an idea but the real aim is for you to design your own i think. Takes a while to get it into your head but if you persevere with it it works. Ive designed a whole years worth of training and if nothing else i know what im doing day to day, which can help with motivation etc

What are you aiming at? What events are you competing in?

I think these are key to your approach. There’s plenty of good info out there online, planning your events is a good starting point then you can look at a specific programme to support your goals.