Dirk Friel is a co-founder of Training Peaks, and has been using it since it's inception in 2000. With over 1000 data files uploaded and thousands of workouts recorded, he knows the system inside and out. This year, he won the Colorado Criterium Championships in the Pro 1,2 division. Here's his best tips for getting the most out of your subscription.

I wanted to share with you my inside secrets on how to get the most out of your TrainingPeaks account. As a coach, competitive cyclist, and co-founder of TrainingPeaks I hope to be able to introduce you to a unique tip, or feature you didn't know existed within TrainingPeaks.

I am still racing as a category 1 road cyclist after having raced pro for eleven years. The majority of my races are in Colorado where the weekly race series is very competitive and often includes top level professionals. In a quest to be as competitive as possible on only 10hrs of training a week, I maximize the TrainingPeaks system to it's fullest.

Here are my top five tips when it comes to monitoring, analyzing and planning my own training within TrainingPeaks.

Tip #1-Keep Your Eye on the Ball
You are probably wondering what the heck this means. Well when I say "keep your eye on the ball" I mean stay focused on your primary limiters. Focus your training energy on the area of your game which is holding you back the most. Mine happens to be anaerobic endurance and strength. In an effort to increase these two areas of my racing I use the ATP Wizard to provide me with weekly workouts that target my weaknesses.

The ATP Wizard is a great way to get expert advice on daily workouts. By completing the five-step process you will end up with a completed Annual Training Plan which includes your specific race dates, plus you will be provided a weekly listing of workout suggestions based on your upcoming race dates and your personal limiters.

Nothing can compare to a qualified personal coach but the ATP Wizard is the next best thing.

Tip #2- Keep the Annual Training Plan (ATP) updated
Besides using my ATP to plan out my races and the overall training program, I also like to keep my ATP updated weekly with training notes and race results. By keeping my ATP updated throughout the season it becomes a one-page document which outlines my original plans along with how things actually progressed. Within each week's “Notes" column I like to record the following:

• my race results
• any special training comments
• injuries
• travel commitments
• personal records I break

Tip #3- Plan for Future
Most of us have work and family commitments that keep us from following an ideal training plan. You need to accept these interruptions to your training program and plan around them as best possible. I always go in to the Calendar page within my TrainingPeaks account and mark the dates where I know I won't be able to train at all. This might include travel days, long work days, family plans, etc. By seeing them on my training calendar I can do a better job of planning ahead. Sometimes a week with a lot of commitments simply becomes a rest week for me and I can then ramp up the intensity of the prior week in an attempt to "earn" my rest week.

I also make note in the Training Calendar where my race dates are so I can stay focused on having he right fitness at the right time.

Tip #4- Record Workouts
If you don't record your workouts you have nothing to analyze when trying to make improvements going forward. At a minimum make yourself get into the routine of recording your workout activity, time, distance and how you felt. However, an even better method is to use a downloadable device which can be synchronized to your TrainingPeaks account by way of the Device Agent or WKO+.

Using a heart rate monitor, GPS device or a power meter within your training sessions AND uploading your data to TrainingPeaks will eventually pay off and make much better use of your training hours. The biggest value in recording your workout details will be the ability to track your training over time. Tracking your fitness trends can provide very valuable data which can be used to make adjustments going forward.

Tip #5- Keep Performance Management Chart (PMC) Updated
If you are a cyclist or triathlete and have not discovered the Performance Management Chart within WKO+ you are missing an amazing tool. As athletes we all plan our training based upon our current fitness level, fatigue levels and the hopes of creating peak form within a particular time frame. The PMC does exactly that. It tracks your daily training intensity and volume (Training Stress Score) to graph your chronic training load (fitness), acute training load (fatigue) and your training stress balance (form). By monitoring all three of these metrics along with your actual power data you get a very clear picture of how your training program is progressing.

These are just a few ways I use TrainingPeaks to manage my training and racing. TrainingPeaks has endless features and we literally add new features on a weekly basis. There is no need to try and understand the entire system. Use TrainingPeaks in your own unique way and make it a part of your training routine. Just like with fitness, consistency pays off and the more you use TrainingPeaks the more value you can get out of it. If you've been using TrainingPeaks for more than a year you'll know what I am talking about as you can now start to review your past data which can make your future planning pay off even more.

Dirk is the Chief Marketing Office for Peaksware and one of the Founding Fathers of the TrainingPeaks brand. To keep tabs on Dirk and his insider cycling knowledge, subscribe to his blog at http://dirkscycling.blogspot.com/

Performance Manager Webinar, Nov 14th & 28th

Hunter Allen and Dr. Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D. will be conducting a Webinar on the Performance Manager: What it means, the scientific inspiration behind it, how to use it, case studies with elite, masters, track and category athletes, and of course… how to plan for a peak. November 14th and 28th, 2007. Learn more and signup here.

Meal Plans now Available

Press Release - Peaksware announces today that it is now offering web-based meal plans through their websites TrainingPeaks.com and Fitnesspeaks.com. Since nutrition is an important part of performance and staying fit, it is a natural addition to Peaksware's current product offering of performance and fitness training plans. Managing nutrition and exercise through the TrainingPeaks and FitnessPeaks software tools is an easy and effective way to manage a healthy lifestyle.

"We began our business focusing on the needs of he endurance athlete and the coaches that train them. By adding meal plans and meal tracking functionality through the same platform, we are providing health conscious individuals tools they need to stay fit and meet the goals they set for themselves whether that be peak performance for endurance races, or weight loss for general fitness," announces Dirk Friel, Chief Marketing Officer/Co-Founder of Peaksware.

Just like training plans, meal plans are designed to provide step-by-step guidance to reach your nutrition or weight goal. The nutrition professionals that provide the meal plans found on our sites are experienced in designing programs that provide nutrient dense foods with a balance of healthy carbohydrates, proteins and fats. There are a variety of plans to meet the needs of every individual. Peaksware also provides tools to help the consumer determine what plan is right for them.

"These meal plans are easy and fun to use with the Training Peaks software. You will have great control in tracking your calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, as well as the calories you burn during exercise and training. Nutrition will be a key component to your success. Using these detailed meal plans will take some of the thinking out of this process for you; thereby assisting you in bridging the gap between where you are and where you want to be with greater ease!" recommends Dr. Rick Kattouff ll author of several meal plans available through Peaksware products.

See all the meal plans available

TrainingPeaks Now Syncs with Microsoft HealthVault

Microsoft has launched their consumer platform for the storing and sharing of personal health information at www.HealthVault.com. The HealthVault is a permanent, online database that can store information from any HealthVault compatible application. TrainingPeaks was chosen as a launch partner with Microsoft, and we have built a synchronization tool enabling TrainingPeaks users to easily store data inside the HealthVault.

"TrainingPeaks, built on the HealthVault platform, is helping us deliver on the promise of connecting and improving healthcare," said Peter Neupert, corporate vice president for the Health Solutions Group at Microsoft. "TrainingPeaks provides consumers with the opportunity to collect, share and act on their health and fitness data."

Learn More and see how it works.