In 1999, I approached John regarding coaching. He was not willing to give me the same kind of training found in most cycling books. He proposed that I try out his training protocol on the Cycle Simulator. Starting in November 1999, I mixed base mileage on the weekend with interval training on the simulator. By the end of December I was setting the pace on some of the weekend rides. Some of the climbers were asking me to slow down. It was only December, though, so what does that prove?

The proof came in February. In all the early season criteriums I entered, I placed top 10. The question wasn't if I was going to have a good day or bad day. The question was how good of a day? I continued using the Cycle Simulator almost daily. John adjusted the workouts just as often. Some days were progressively harder while others were easier. Every day was the product of my performance the day before. I saw consistent performance at races and had the same high level of energy every weekend.

I upgraded in April 2000, barely 2 months after the first race I had entered while training on the Cycle Simulator with John's program. I placed 9th in my first Category 3 time trial. I placed 16th in my first stage race, in Category 3. Road races are longer and demand more training time. John's program is not a magic pill. You can't train five or six hours a week, enter a four or five-hour race, and expect a good performance easily. But John will customize his program to develop your power for a quick sprint, a consistent 40-km time trial, or the repeated, sustained efforts of breakaways. Power for criterium racing, the most common American race, can be achieved in fast, hard interval efforts; this is where I saw my biggest improvement.

If you’re willing to make the commitment to regular workouts indoors, this program will give you results in less time than you thought possible.