Joe Friel, Coach of Coaches
If In Doubt Then Leave It Out
In my first year of triathlon training, my coach was Troy Jacobson. Troy’s plan worked. I hit my goals and managed a daylight finish at Ironman Canada in Penticton.
While I was doing Troy’s plan, I was reading Joe’s book, The Triathletes Training Bible.
In my second season, I applied Joe’s methods and my performance rocketed. I qualified for Ironman Hawaii and found myself one of the fastest triathletes in town.
I had to meet Joe.
Midway through my second season, I made a trip from Hong Kong to Colorado.
I was working in Asia and had arranged for a private weekend of training with Joe.
I dug out my notes from 23 years ago.
Joe met me at the airport with a gigantic cowboy hat and a large Western Drawl. He’s a likable guy and drove me to Fort Collins, where I met his wife, Joyce.
Once at Joe's place, I changed, had a snack and we headed out for a run. Joe explained a recent injury to me and I was thinking,
"Oh well, better take it easy on the guy, don't want to blow him out." and
"I wonder if I will get a decent workout?"
I should have been suspicious when he mentioned that his training buddy won his age group at Ironman Hawaii.
Less than a ten minute drive from Joe's place the trails start. Joe explained the run plan
out the valley
climb up to the reservoir
back along the road at the top
It looked like a fair way but I figured I could handle it. This was my first real workout since Ironman Australia and I was nervous. But hey, Joe’s injured and giving me about fifteen years (more about that later).
We head out and it is a great run. The air is clean, it is overcast (no sunscreen required) and a little on the cool side.
Perfect.
Joe asked me a few questions about my training and I explained how I lay out my week. That seemed to meet with his approval. He asked about my non-training obligations in a normal week, only working and sleeping for me. We chatted about some local races and general run stuff.
A few times, I started to feel a bit tired but Joe was hanging in so I figured that I better keep on pushing. I relinquished the lead figuring that it was easier to follow than to lead. Joe is a bit like me and tends to speed up when out front. I was getting a solid aerobic workout. Joe let me know that we were around 5,000 feet elevation. Perhaps it was the altitude I was feeling, yeah right!
Arriving back at the car at 1:40 into the run. Joe got his video camera out, to record me running. Joe didn't seem too injured to me and, seeing as we were now running buddies, I asked how old he was, 57! I was giving 26 years away and he was making me work. I told Joe he was on my list of "masters heroes," people who give me faith that I can continue to speed up until I am forty.
Later, Joe laid out the nutritional principles that transformed my life.
For the first 30 years of my life, I struggled with my weight.
In school, I was a ‘fat kid’
In college, I’d gain weight across the academic year then try to slim down over the summer
In my early career, I ballooned up until I decided to change the direction of my life
Joe laid out a simple formula for endurance athletes.
The Endurance Athlete Diet
80% of energy from meat/fish, veggies and fruit
Try to restrict starchy carbs to recovery food
Most of Joe's athletes were around 3000 calories per day
Snack with fruits rather than bagels
Watch the fructose
That’s it.
Eat. Real. Food.
Works as well today as it did in 2000.
What about training principles?
Joe’s Training Tips
Try not to load too many breakthrough (BT) workouts into the week
Hit the BT sessions fresh
Use big gear work to build strength
Build bike power rather than weight-room power
Economy ("speed skill") year round
Lower cadence work = Strength
Higher cadence work = Speed
Looking back at my notes, it was all there. Every strategy that I would apply over the years to come.
Strategies that would take my Ironman time from mid-pack to the podium.
The Smallest Dose
23 years ago, Joe gave me a piece of advice I didn’t understand.
Use the smallest dose of the most specific training to get the desired adaptation
Why would I want to do “small” anything?
I had a core belief of load maximization.
In 2000, the word “smallest” distracted me.
Roll forward to 2023 and an online discussion of endurance physiology
Reading Øyvind, a light went off in my head.
I thought back to Joe’s advice many years ago.
Load/Absorb
Hard/Easy
Break Through/Recovery
Whatever you call it, optimal loading requires daily load to fluctuate.
How much should we fluctuate?
From my meeting with Joe
Volume is not a good indicator of readiness for a good ironman-distance race. A better indicator is the specificity of the longest workouts in each sport.
A focus on volume will keep you tired and unable to maintain specific intensity on the BT workouts.
Your reduced volume is a good idea. Focus on regular long workouts in each sport and train often around race effort/pace/power.
The key to this is making sure you are getting adequate rest (active and passive) on the other days.
Joe was seeking to guide me.
Do enough to get an adaptation
Absorb
Repeat
This isn’t a “small” loading strategy, at all.
It’s Joe’s view on an optimal loading strategy. An approach designed to get the greatest long-term adaptation.
The Power of Belief
Joe was the first coach to believe in me as:
An Athlete
A Coach
A Writer
His encouragement helped me to create a new life for myself.
Belief is incredibly powerful.
It’s a key part of:
The coach-athlete relationship
The athlete’s relationship with their plan
The athlete’s relationship with themselves
Joe left me a wonderful legacy.
Joe’s Golden Rule
If In Doubt Then Leave It Out
I keep learning this one over and over again.
Do enough to get an adaptation
Absorb
Repeat
It’s a long game we’re playing, and Joe’s still in the game.
Respect.
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Another wonderful article. Plan on reading more on Joe, this week. Thanks!