The Lance Armstrong Performance Program: 7 Weeks to the Perfect Ride

When this book came out on September 9, 2000, Lance Armstrong had only won two Tours de France. That seemed amazing at the time, but today, that is just a small part of Lance’s legacy. (Isn’t it crazy? Two Tour wins for nearly any other rider would be amazing, but with Lance, it’s “only two” of his seven total victories.)

The timing was perfect for me because I was beginning to get competitive in sports (one of them being cycling.) Buying a book by Lance Armstrong and his coach Chris Carmichael was a no-brainer!

The book turned out to be perfect for budding cyclists. There was plenty of training and racing advice, training plans for all levels, and lots of tips on nutrition, what the pros eat, bike fit, bicycle maintenance, stretching, etc.

It covered all those topics that beginners might overlook, so by reading this book, I probably took at least two years off my learning curve. After reading the book and completing a 7-week training plan, I was ready to race!

Speaking of those training plans…

While this book is a thorough resource for anyone new to cycling, the 7-week training plans are the real draw. There are three plans laid out in the book: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

Not wanting to label myself a beginner (I could already ride pretty fast when hitting little jumps on my kids bike,) I started out with the Intermediate Plan. This plan had me riding six days per week from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours per day.

The goal with the Intermediate plan seemed to be getting your legs used to putting in some serious time (~ eight hours on the bike) as well as developing a good aerobic capacity. There were no intervals in this plan, which made for enjoyable riding.

Moving on to the Advanced Plan, that’s where I ran into a variety of intervals, plus the concept of riding all seven days each week (there was one rest day out of the 49 days.)

Things were different, though – you busted your hump three days per week, then did four recovery rides. Being new to structured training, I thought four easy days was lame, so I added in some running and BMX workouts on the easy days.

It wasn’t long before I was burnt out and couldn’t recover properly. I should have trusted that Chris Carmichael knew how to put a training plan together!

But I learned my lesson early and from then on, knew that my intense workouts required quite a bit of rest afterward. (Sure, I burnt myself out a few more times over the next couple years, but what 16 year old kid doesn’t push the limits now and then?)

What happens when you complete the three plans?

You simply begin to create your own workouts! You can use a template similar to the Advanced training plan, but add in a variety of workouts depending on your goals.

There are many workout ideas in the “Expanding Your Repertoire” section, so if you put in a little elbow grease, you could get nearly a lifetime’s worth of training plans.

(But I’ll warn you – the Advanced plan is for an advanced recreational cyclist, not an advanced (pro) rider. That means if you’re not a beginner, you’ll be developing a lot of your own plans.)

And with a decent weight lifting section, you could develop some off-season training plans, too. (Some of the weight lifting, stretching, and nutrition stuff is getting a bit outdated, but it’s still helpful.)

My final verdict is…

If you are new to cycling and would like to train for some local road races, this is a great book to get you on the right track. It’s not too in-depth, but that’s what makes it so great – it’s easy to comprehend.

As you progress, you will probably want to pick up a copy of Joe Friel’s book (The Cyclist’s Training Bible,) and possibly hire your own coach in the future. But the Lance Armstrong Performance Program is a great book to start with, and for $10.85, it’s a definite no-brainer.

Buy online: www.Amazon.com

Over the weekend I discovered a new energy drink called FRS Healthy Energy. At first glance it reminded me of ACT Energy, which is a healthy/natural energy drink, so I figured FRS was worth a look.

And boy was I right! It turns out that this energy drink is endorsed by none other than Lance Armstrong! Apparently Lance scrutinized the science behind this energy drink and deemed it worthy of consumption. He’s even sitting on the Board of Directors for the company now, so he must really believe in this stuff.

Here’s a quote from Lance about the situation and his take on the FRS energy drink:

“FRS is a part of my daily routine. Though I have retired from cycling, my days, like the days of many other people, are strenuous and I need something to keep me going. FRS has been the healthy energy choice for me.”
- Lance Armstrong [via FRS.com]

Just with his endorsement I’m really considering trying this. If you want some, they are running a free trial offer right now where you get a selection of all their products, including ready-to-drink cans, powder to mix your own, concentrate liquid to mix your own, and soft chews.

So why am I not jumping at this free trial? Sucralose. While the ready-to-drink cans and the liquid concentrate are sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice and white grape juice concentrate, the “low calorie” flavors and all the powders contain sucralose. (The soft chews contain sugar and corn syrup, but that’s still better than artificial sweeteners.)

I’ll be holding out because I just want the good stuff, but regardless, expect a full review in the future.

Aside from the sweeteners and typical vitamins and minerals, here is a little quote about the main active ingredient:

Quercetin is a natural antioxidant found in the skins of apples, blueberries, and onions. It protects the adrenaline that your body naturally creates to give you energy for small daily tasks like staying awake at work and big events like running a marathon. Quercetin allows your body to use energy more efficiently so you feel more energy for a longer amount of time.

(Quoted from the FRS website.)

So if you want some, get an FRS Free Trial!

(It’s a $65 value but you pay shipping, and then if you don’t cancel by phone, they’ll set you up for automatic monthly payments. The typical “catch” for any free trial offer.)

Photo credit: FRS

Energy drinks are nothing new, but when an energy drink partners with Lance Armstrong, that is big news!

Last week, Paceline Products (the exclusive distributor of FRS antioxidant health drink to IBDs) announced a partnership between 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and New Sun Nutrition (makers of FRS.) According to their press release, Armstrong will be the company’s chief spokesman and will join New Sun Nutrition’s Board of Directors, and FRS will be an official sponsor of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team for 2007.

So what’s so special that makes this energy drink worthy of Lance’s attention?

FRS, which stands for Free Radical Scavenger, (I like that name!) contains a patented combination of essential vitamins, metabolic enhancers, and two flavonoids – quercetin (an antioxidant typically found in the skins of apples, onions, and red grapes) and catechins (extracted from green tea).

That sure sounds better than the artificial crap in most energy drinks.

The product was initially developed to fight fatigue in cancer patients on chemotherapy. (Hey, now there is something any cancer survivor can appreciate!)

“FRS is different,” says Armstrong. “It’s a healthy choice for energy that last hours not minutes. It fits in line with me wanting to live to be ninety. It fits in line with me wanting to keep running marathons, riding my bike, being fit and having fun.”

[Via BicycleNewswire]

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More FRS News Coverage and Stories:

• FRS Healthy Energy Liquid Concentrate Review
• FRS Healthy Energy Powder Review
• FRS Healthy Energy Cans Review
• FRS Healthy Energy Antioxidant Health Chews Review