TimothyH

Thinking about getting this...

Fast After 50 by Joe Friel

-Tim-

Shotglass

Own it on Kindle - read probably 3/4 of it, skipped the training plans and such but really enjoyed the parts that I read.

billd76

Have read it twice. Old but good book. Also, Dr. Jack Daniels book on running is a good read. Both have great detail on V02 max, lactate threshold, etc....

Kindaslow

I have it and didn't finish it. Seemed to be repetitive and hyper focused. But, I have heard a lot of folks love it. Also, my goal is to make it home or back to the car when MTBing, so maybe it isn't for me. I am in good shape, just not feeling competative any more.

TCR Rider

I have it. As long as you're willing to train and add some structure with a lot of intensity to your saddle time it's useful. If, however, you're content to just go out and ride your bike at a comfortable effort don't bother with it.
Bottom line if you want to get faster, at any age, you have to get used to riding above your comfort zone.

deacon mark

I have been running for 38 years cycling for 20 also, as we get older we slow down. Sure I can run a race or ride but not at the speed of 25 years ago. Those who enter cycling in later years can indeed improve even beyond 50 years old. All it means is that had you been cycling at 25 you would have been much faster than your improving 50 year old. Also I am biased runners take a larger hit in performance decline than cyclist.

TimothyH

Thanks for the feedback.

I realized that my post might have seemed like an advertisement. I'm not related to the publisher or the author in any way. Just hoping for some feedback, that's all. Really appreciate it.

I'm not trying to race but I have used focused heart rate training with good results about 15 years ago to jump from the B to the A group and get that 6.5 hour century. I'd like to get a little quicker next year.

Mobile 155

His other book Cycling past 50 is a bit less intense but it is information that can help if you want to improve your cycling experiences. Fast past 50 is like fine tuning the information from the first book.

wished

I bought another book, Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100--and Beyond, by Roy Wallack. Probably similar content, I have to read it in bits and pieces, just not a cover-to-cover kind of book. To be honest I'm not that fond of it, too much technical stuff and more about diet and other exercise, not much about really biking. More of a guide to balanced healthy living, which is still good advice I guess, but I was looking more for bike advice for us less-than-youthful crowd. Guess I will just keep relying on this forum for that!

OldsCOOL

I would like to read this book but may wait until after I retire. My job keeps me pinned down to two fast rides and maybe a longer one each week. I will need more time off for recoup until then. Looks like my kind of book.

revchuck 

I've got the book, have read it a few times and have incorporated its lessons into my training. It works.

The question is whether it's relevant to your cycling goals. It's targeted towards Master's racers and others who want to stop or at least impede the inevitable slowing that comes with aging. It requires a willingness to create and stick to a training schedule that emphasizes intensity over saddle time. It assumes the use of a power meter in almost all your riding. It matches up really well with my goals. I enjoy the training and geeking out on the data.

Evidence for me that it works is that now the young guys have to push a paceline into the upper 20s and hold it there to drop me, and it still takes a while. I started riding at 56, and now at 64 I'm the fastest I've ever been.

berner

Though directed mostly toward competition, there is very good advice on fitness, how to get it and maintain it, and the recovery process. The older we get, the more important all this is. Get the book.

TCR Rider

I agree with this. I was a competitive runner for over 25 years before various orthopedic issues put me on the bike full time. When I was running I followed a lot Jack Daniels and Owen Anderson's methods. While I like to ride hard and enjoy training I feel like I got to the party a little late for competitive cycling. Still I like to get as much out of myself as possible and this book along with the Cyclist's Training Bible are great tools to improve your performance on the bike.

TimothyH

This is what I'm thinking. I don't have to race to make use of the information.

So help me out here....

How much of the content is relevant to someone without a power meter? Is it worth getting the book if I don't use power but just heart rate?


-Tim-

Clipped_in

It's a good book. It mostly just takes a lot of the more general information from the Cyclist's Training Bible and tweaks it for the latest information on the aging athlete. As has been said, it is targeted toward the more serious competitive athlete, not the JRA crowd.

Clipped_in

It really isn't specifically oriented toward using power. It is not a specific training plan, per se. It is an effort to present the latest sports science information to help the aging athlete achieve optimum performance. If you want to simply learn to train more effectively IMO get the Cyclist's Training Bible instead. Either will work for with RPE.

woodcraft

I've read this book as well.
A useful survey of cycling topics relating to health.
Interviews with significant figures are great, e.g. Johnny G & the origin of the spin bike.
IIRCC, one of the authors maintains that you should never do forward bends (for back health)- ridiculous.
Not technical at all, IMO. Not a single chart or graph- very conversational.

Road Fan

Old book? What do you mean?

billd76

The fast over 50 book was published a good few years ago. Still some good info though

gear64

You could take it for a test spin from the library. That's what I did, wasn't my thing though.

revchuck 

IIRC, the copyright is January 2015. Friel did write another book about cycling after 50 about 20 years ago or so.

TimothyH

Good idea.

The library in my area should have the head-gasket fixed in a few weeks.

I'll wait for it to roll into my part of the county and ask if they've heard of it.

nmichell

I have a couple of Joe Friel's other books. I checked this one out of the library and I'm about halfway through it. I'm finding it a bit repetitive, but worth the read.

billd76

I have read it twice. One of our group riders at work told me it was an older book. I honestly never paid any attention to the copy right. Guess I should have double checked when he told me that. I have been apply Freds suggestions to my running and cycling. I have found out that I can't run five miles very easily the day after cycling 50 miles. Beginning next Monday I'm going to try running in the early am and cycling about lunch time (one day) rest the following day, repeat every other day. My idea is to get leg work done in one day, cross train on my day off with core and upper body workout. I also found out that I get get a vo2 max test done at work for free!!!😎 Going to schedule that soon!!

tsl

^^^ This ^^^

The cycling section is at 796.6.

I borrowed it and found it to be mainly rehashing stuff I've read online over the years. Nothing new.