Training

In the Build period focus on key workouts, not weekly volume numbers. Quality, not quantity, determines performance now. I posted the above comment to my Twitter account yesterday and got a response … [Read more...] about Quality Training

I receive lots of questions from athletes every week. They seem to come in topical groups. For some unknown reason this spring I’ve gotten a lot of questions from athletes who believe their heart … [Read more...] about High Heart Rate Questions

I'm taking a brief break from brittle bones to write about other topics. My next posts on bone health will have to do with what the reserahc suggests is effective. Turnsa out that there is a lot … [Read more...] about Aerodynamic Head Position in Cycling

There is a research study going on at the University of Colorado regarding bone density in cyclists.  Nanna Meyer, PhD, is leading the project and is looking for  high-caliber cyclists in … [Read more...] about CU Looking for Bone Study Subjects

Although we tend to associate brittle bones with women older than age 65, it can also occur in men. And you don’t have to be “old” to experience it. When my son, Dirk Friel, was 29 (he’s now 40) he … [Read more...] about Bones and Cyclists

I’m still often asked if I have the cleats on my cycling shoes in the midsole position as I first reported here in January of 2007 and then followed up with more posts in December, 2007, and December, … [Read more...] about Midsole Bike Cleat & Running Performance

It’s been a couple of years since I last checked the research for the latest on compression clothing. When I first wrote about this topic back in October, 2007 there really wasn’t much available. By … [Read more...] about An Update on Compression Clothing

One of the fastest ways to grow as a athlete is to attend a camp. But it shouldn’t be a random decision. In choosing a camp you should decide what it is you hope to get out of it. Camps offer a wide … [Read more...] about Choosing a Camp

I was recently asked about "crash" training, which I wrote about in my Training Bibles. I've written about this before, but not in much detail. So perhaps it's time to go back to … [Read more...] about “Crash” Training

An author asked me today what purchases I'd suggest triathletes make to help them improve and grow based on their ability and experience levels. This is a tough one as there are many, many … [Read more...] about Triathlon Purchases by Ability & Experience

In the last two posts I wrote about one of my favorite topics – race pacing. In the first I once again described the issue I’ve written about so many times. In the second I briefly discussed the issue … [Read more...] about Again the Pacing Thing – Heart Rate Monitors

There are times when it’s ok, even necessary, to start the race very fast. Some events just start that way and if you want to be with the lead group or have an advantageous position then you have no … [Read more...] about Again the Pacing Thing – Fast Starts

Here I go again. Yet another post on pacing (also see here, here, here, here, here, here and here). It seems I need to repeat this topic several times a year. I suppose that’s because it’s so hard to … [Read more...] about Again the Pacing Thing!

One of the young male athletes I coach brought this article in the Wall Street Journal to my attention today. It's an interesting area for thought and discussion. This is a topic that comes up … [Read more...] about Men, Marriage, Money – and Sport

Given how occupied I’ve been in the past two weeks with a camp in the Canary Islands, Dr. John Post volunteered to serve as an official Guest Blog Contributor. Dr. Post is a close friend of many … [Read more...] about Internet Medical Advice

I believe that the most important thing an athlete takes to the start line on race day is confidence. It may even be more important than fitness or form. There are several things I do to help build … [Read more...] about Confidence

One of the most important aspects of training for the endurance athlete is developing aerobic endurance – the ability to perform efficiently and effectively for a long duration at an intensity below … [Read more...] about Comparing Output and Input

I’ve received several suggestions for blog topics from readers recently. Thanks for that. While I really enjoy researching and writing about training-related issues there are often times when I draw a … [Read more...] about Build Period Overview

The following is a question from a coach. He and the athlete he coaches are somewhat frustrated by the difference inpower numbers they produce relative to heart rate when riding indoors as opposed to … [Read more...] about Indoor vs. Outdoor Bike Performance

One of the fitness indicators that we hope to improve in the Base period has to do with using more fat and less glycogen (carb) for fuel during long endurance events. As your body becomes better at … [Read more...] about Becoming a Better Fat Burner

Following are the 10 blog posts from this site which were the most read in 2010. #1 below never ceases to amaze me as it’s #1 every year and shows no sign of slowing down. Only three posts from 2010 … [Read more...] about Top 10 Most-Read Posts of 2010

This time of year I'm often asked about indoor bike workouts on a trainer.  I would much rather have the athlete training outdoors, but realize this isn't always possible due to weather … [Read more...] about How Long for Indoor Rides?

I received this question by email today. I've been asked this a lot in the past week since my latest book came out. So rather than answering it frequently by email I will now just direct people to … [Read more...] about Tri Training Bible or Your Best Tri?

I few years ago I heard John Cobb say that when he tested aero helmets in the wind tunnel it didn’t matter if the rider’s head was up or down. That always struck me as strange. When looking down the … [Read more...] about Head Up vs. Head Down