The Summit Journal

Training with data, for riders who coach themselves

Field notes for the self-coached: how to structure a season around your PMC, what the load numbers actually demand, and how to peak on the day that matters. Sports science, worked out in real cases — not theory.

Recover with data · Guide

If you ride with an Apple Watch, your recovery and your sleep are free. Permanently.

Your watch measures every night and tells you almost nothing useful. The four questions a coach asks of a night — did you get enough, was it any good, was it on schedule, is anything off — and what changes when the answers reach today's session.

Read the guide → Heat & hydration · Guide

Cycling in the heat: how much to drink, and how much salt you actually need

In hot weather your fluid need rises by about a third — and your sodium need more than doubles. Why heat changes the maths, what the hourly numbers look like, and the mistakes that quietly ruin summer rides.

Read the guide → Peak on the day · Guide

Taper and peak: reading your TSB to arrive in form

Tapering isn't resting — it's cutting volume while holding intensity so your form (TSB) climbs into a positive window for the day that matters. How to read it, and how the engine sizes yours.

Read the guide → Structure your season · Guide

Structure your season: base, build, peak — decoded for the self-coached

Periodization without the jargon: what ramp rate is safe, how much TSS per week your CTL can actually take, and the recovery weeks almost everyone skips. With a worked 18-week block plan.

Read the guide → Case study · Long distance

999 km across Portugal in 6 days — the data behind the plan

A worked example: the five-month CTL build, the load per stage, and the fueling maths behind a six-day crossing of Portugal. Real files — FTP 309 W, 81 kg — not rounded for a nicer story.

Read the case study →

What this journal covers

Six threads, all for the rider who trains with data and no coach.

Structure your season

Base, build, peak — decoded for the self-coached. Ramp rates, how much TSS per week, and the recovery weeks most riders skip.

Live · 1 article

Long & multi-day

Training by the numbers for big rides: building durability, fueling multi-day efforts, and what a week at 200+ TSS/day really does.

Live · 1 article

Peak on the day

Tapering with your TSB, target form bands that actually work, and choosing the tools to track it all.

Live · 1 article

Know your numbers

The physiology of your engine: your power profile, Critical Power and W′, pacing with W′bal, and what a lactate curve really says.

Coming soon

Recover with data

Reading recovery without the woo: HRV and RMSSD, resting heart rate, and the readiness signals actually worth acting on.

Live · 1 article

Fuel by the numbers

Fueling as maths: carbs per hour, the gut's absorption ceiling — and how to train it — and matching intake to the kJ you burn.

Coming soon