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The Time-Crunched Cyclist: Fit, Fast, and Powerful in 6 Hours a Week (Paperback)

~ Chris Carmichael (Author), Jim Rutberg (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Product Description

As cycling's popularity grows with men and women in their thirties, forties, fifties, and beyond, the traditional ideas about training for endurance sports need a new approach to reflect the daily challenges faced by parents and working professionals. In The Time-Crunched Cyclist, Chris Carmichael presents that new approach to cycling training. Using elements from the same program he designed for Tour de France winner Armstrong, this guide shows how to build competitive cycling fitness on a realistic schedule -- a schedule that fits into the busy lives of today's active middle-agers. Complete with training plans, case studies, nutritional guidelines, and success stories, "The Time-Crunched Cyclist" shows cyclists how to push the pace in the local group ride, have fun, and perform well in local races, or tackle a challenging 100-mile fundraiser ride without committing to a high-volume training program.

About the Author

Chris Carmichael was an Olympian and a professional cyclist before beginning his career as a coach, best-selling author, and entrepreneur. He has coached seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong since 1990, was recognized as the U.S. Olympic Committee Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 2003. For more information, please visit trainright.com.

 

Jim Rutberg is the editorial director and a coach for Carmichael Training Systems, and co-author, with Chris Carmichael, of The Ultimate Ride, Chris Carmichael’s Food for Fitness, Chris Carmichael’s Fitness Cookbook, The Carmichael Training Systems Cyclist’s Training Diary, 5 Essentials for a Winning Life, and innumerable web and magazine articles. His work has appeared in Bicycling, Outside, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, VeloNews, Inside Triathlon, and more.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: VeloPress; Original edition (August 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1934030473
  • ISBN-13: 978-1934030479
  • Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,152 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #2 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Cycling
    #3 in  Books > Sports > Coaching
    #8 in  Books > Sports > Individual Sports

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (3)
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Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Reclaim Your Identity, August 18, 2009
By J. Lynne (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
"The TCTP isn't about reclaiming your youth so much as it is about reclaiming your identity. Being a cyclist is an important part of who you are, and it's a lot easier to proudly identify yourself as a cyclist when you're good at it." [pg. 52]

Finally, a book that speaks to us "retired racers" who are in our late 30's and beyond, with a career, family, and obligations that do not lend themselves to 4+ hour training rides. Admittedly, the training plan is intense, but that's the point.

"Our relationship with our sport may have changed, but our desire to be fit, fast, and powerful hasn't diminished."

And how does he address that? By recognizing (finally) that all of the training plans out there do not lend themselves to the average athlete who wants to balance being an attentive parent and husband, a responsible employer/employee, and get in the training hours required to be competitive either in a race series or simply during intense weekend rides. His answer - high intensity, low volume, taper, recover, start over. Do no more than 2 to 3 cycles of this per year.

And his rationale -

"Initially I had a lot of trouble with the relatively short-term nature of the fitness gained using this program. Coming from the old-school mindset of endurance training, I struggled with the idea of a top-heavy training program that build high-end power without the deep aerobic fitness necessary to support it long-term. But for athletes with limited time to train, the alternative is sticking with old programs that can't possibly generate the fitness necessary to be a successful cyclist. Again and again I kept going back to the value proposition: Would you want to be really good for about 2 months at a time, even if it meant having to back off for 4 to 6 weeks before starting again? Or put another way: Do you want to be really good a couple of times a year or mediocre all year long?"

I only gave the book 4 stars because I have not tried the training program yet, but the fact that an internationally-recognized coach has finally put pen to paper to speak to the issues confronting the overwhelming number of athletes who fit into this category is worth the read alone.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This Training Program Works. I have results., September 22, 2009
By Repoman (SF CA) - See all my reviews
I am a CTS client and fit into the "Time crunched" category. I am 43 and started biking later in life (early 30's). I have been involved in other competitive sports growing up, but when I started biking, I wanted to race. I was fortunate enough to hook up with a CTS coach and told him my work and family schedule. He said let's try something a bit different. I was a bit skeptical at first because I had read so many books on training and knew I did not have the 15 hrs/ week to devote to become a competitive racer. I gave this method a try and have put up some very good results because of it. I am no pro but on my way to a CAT 3 upgrade and recently won a NorCal criterium by soloing off the front for several laps. I have to say, the training really simulates the efforts that you put forth in criteriums or cyclecross. I also have been able to get a win in a road race by using this method. The book is a fairly quick and easy to understand read. If you don't have the time, you need to crank up the intensity. They just show you how to structure it. My first race of the season was in early April and last race was this past weekend, so it got me through the entire season.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Plan for the Masses, December 30, 2009
By Rhino C. (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
I started cycling again a few years ago after having ridden a bunch in high school and college. I had always ridden for transportation and a little fun on the weekends, but I started going on some group rides and found that I was pretty fast. So, I started riding with the "fast" guys. I made a lot of progress (got faster) two seasons ago without any specific training plan, and decided to try my hand at racing. So, I decided I needed to have an actual training plan. I read and tried to follow Joel Friel's Training Bible and made progress last season, but felt that there was something that wasn't quite right. I felt like the prior season had been much more beneficial. I was training smarter, but I wasn't progressing like I thought I should. The training often seemed way too easy. I read this book, and it all started to make some sense. I was rarely able to train more than 8 hrs/wk. When Friel's plan started calling for 10-13 hrs/wk, I just wasn't able to make it happen. I think I just wasn't stressing my body enough last season.

The TCTP (Time Crunched Training Plan) replaces volume with intensity, so you don't have to try to put in 10-12 hrs/wk. Based on my experience of the last two seasons, this should work.

The book is well written. He talks about making it short because he knows the readers are "time-crunched". I felt he could have shortened it a bit more, but it is way better than other books on training that are way too wordy. The three real life examples of CTS clients that have successfully used the TCTP are very motivational and effective as to how to use the plan.

I respectfully disagree with Peter Krogh's review that the book is only for century rider. I think he must have missed some of the book if it came as a surprise that you could be racing during the training plan. pg 5 - "Rutberg put Sterling on the TCTP six weeks before the start of the 2007 spring races in the Carolinas. He rode four times a week, never more than 7 hours total, raced four times in 8 weeks, and finished fourth, eighth, first, and third." pg 17 - "The TCTP is a high-intensity, low-volume training program that produces the fitness and power necessary to push the pace in local group rides and to be competitive in local and regional criteriums, cross-country and short-track mountain bike races, and cyclocross races." pg 17 - "However, there are limits....although the program lets Sterling race for the win, there's a reason he's focusing on the spring and fall series instead of trying to win races throughout the entire season." The book also goes on to detail Taylor Carrington's use of the plan to prepare to race Cyclocross Nationals and describes how he starts racing early in the plan to work on skills even though his fitness isn't very far along. Anyway, I don't get what Mr. Krogh is talking about.

At first read, I didn't understand what you are supposed to do in the 4-6 weeks between sessions. He explains it early in the book and calls it "Maintenance". It is so far in front of the actual plan that I had forgotten about it by the end of the book. When I went back through it, it was plain as day. The maintenance period should probably be briefly touched on again in relationship to the plans.

I'm looking forward to using the TCTP to prepare for the 2010 season. I've set it up to be peaking in April, July, and November. I wanted to write a review now because it is likely that I won't get back to it after I'm done racing next December.

Best of luck to all of you wanting to be "Fit, Fast & Powerful"
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book but a lot of waffle in between some great information
The title of my review summarizes my opinion of this book. There is lots of good stuff but, for me, I find it all a bit disorganized and he seems to take too long to get to the... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Mianos

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
This book has a lot of great information. I am presently in the third week of the training and know I will be a much stronger and more confident rider in the end. Read more
Published 1 month ago by R. Gade

3.0 out of 5 stars Well-written and sensible
Very well-argued book. The thinking behind the plan is made very clear and all of Chris's comments are illuminating. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Theresa M. Flannery

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good
Simple and straight forward explanation of the concept. Just enough of the science of it all for the target of the book. It was a quick read and worth the time. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Paul Black

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book to start with
I'm 38 and have been cycling for 3 years and have never read a book on training. I found this book an interesting and fast read and a very good place to start. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jason T. Nelson

2.0 out of 5 stars Hello? Logic Editor? Hello?
This program purports to cater to everyone from exiled elite racers returning to the fold to weekend warriors who want to ride a century. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Peter Krogh

3.0 out of 5 stars Well-written solution but the graphs are lacking
This is my first Chris Carmichael book, so I'm not sure how much of the material was already available in his previous publications. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Joel Biederman

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected....
I was hoping/expecting more actual workouts! This had a lot of information in it I already know so it was not that useful to my needs. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Christine Hauger

1.0 out of 5 stars Do Not Waste Your Money
DO NOT Waste Your Money: This book is all about the writer (and his products) and how great he thinks he is and his relationship with Lance Armstrong.
Published 6 months ago by EAD

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple to follow, now to see if it works
Chris goes into a great deal of detail about the reason for and the theory behind this workout plan for those who still enjoy cycling but cannot dedicate more than a limited... Read more
Published 6 months ago by John Lupomech

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