nycphotography

Rereading my Friel today and I have a contradiction I can't resolve...

Initially in "Science of Training, Overload" he says: Once a rider has reached optimal fitness, it can be maintained with [bla bla bla].

Then in "Intensity, Recreational Cyclists" he says: '[bla bla] plan to peak at the right time of the year. Too much too soon and you won't be able to maintain the fitness.

So... which is it? or... what context makes these each make sense?

Heathpack 

Well, it's hard to say exactly what he meant, not knowing the context.

But generally speaking, most coaches seem to accept/know from experience that cyclisists can maintain peak racing form for a limited period of time- weeks. Part of the art of coaching is delivering your athletes to their most important races in peak form while helping to organize the rest of their season so that they do well enough in their easier races to learn, develop skills/fitness & remain motivated.

Trying to maintain peak form indefinitely is a recipe for disaster (ie overtraining).

If Friel is referring to "optimal" fitness as being peak form, then since you're at you're peak for a few weeks, there is a period of time you'd need to maintain it. But he might be referring to fitness that is optimal for some other purpose- for example, a level of fitness that is an optimal base fitness, which you could maintain by doing XYZ. It's hard to know without context.

nycphotography

ahh that makes sense then, as an optimal base.

i wonder how he would approach a cyclocross season that spans 8 to 12 weeks? it's not really addressed in his book.

Heathpack 

Most people's season lasts a long time like that. My TT season is 9 months actually. You have to pick your priorities, which is why people have A races and B races etc. Most races in your season are used to train, to gain experience, to practice racing more than as the "thing" you focus your season on. You might go out and try to win anyway (because everyone else is in the same physiologic boat as you, ie they can't be in peak form all the time either). Or you might look at some races as training races.


Successfully managing a race season from a training perspective is a huge piece of the success puzzle but not something I've ever personally tried to figure out, I just leave it up to my coach. So I can't give you any first-hand advice, sorry. I'm sure someone else here can. But for a short season like that, I imagine you'd just try to peak towards the end of the season. For a 12 week season, somewhere around week 8-12, depending on where you put your A race(s).