Joseph's Dream

The Cyclist's Training Bible: Joe Friel. UK edition published by A & C Black 1999. 208 pages paperback, £14.99. ISBN 0-7136-5084

All but 15 pages of this book are really excellent. The basis of Friel's training method is the very sound one of periodisation. After three months of training in the same way improvement ceases. At this point, since fitness can't be stagnant, then it must deteriorate. The year-round always-fit rider will never peak, and will never train above or below the level of 'moderately'. On the other hand, laying off and then racing yourself fit makes it difficult to plan for peaks, and may lead to that imbalance between training and rest which we call 'overtraining'.

The answer is a proper, periodised training plan: macrocycles, mesocycles and microcycles. If you're a roadman your training should reflect the 90% aerobic/10% anaerobic nature of your competitions. Periods of high intensity work must be followed by recovery periods of sufficient length. On all this it is impossible to fault Friel. He provides detailed tables and charts, together with accounts of how to set up a year-long training schedule which should enable you to hit your peaks when you wish. There's a good chapter on testing, how to design training sessions, a chapter on weights, another on stage race preparation. Three case studies illustrate most of the points. Women, children and veterans are covered in a special needs chapter, and there's a trouble-shooting section. It's clear, accessible, written in a nice, informal style – and these qualities are reflected in the design and layout. With the aid of books like this we can become what we all need to be – our own coach.

But ... Friel's views on nutrition for athletes are so bizarre that the publishers (who also publish the excellent Anita Bean) feel obliged to insert a cautionary note. He regards the diet of hunter/gatherers in the Old Stone Age – principally lean meat – as ideal for the modern athlete. He therefore recommends a diet of one-third protein, around a pound of chicken or steak per day, plus a high fat intake. His opposition to a high carbohydrate diet is bolstered with nonsensical arguments: 'Cyclists tell me they eat little or no meat of any kind'. It's significant that he recommends Barry Sears' Zone Diet. All this, and his over-keenness on unproven supplements, make this a chapter which all but obsessives should ignore.

But on the basic fact, Friel is absolutely solid: 'Training is still the single most important component of athletic excellence'. This is not in fact a training bible for all cyclists – there's nothing in it for track or off-road riders, for example. But if you want a training manual for road riders, then look no further.

Ramin Minovi