We have many people to thank for helping us get this book to the finish line.
I want to thank everyone whose influence throughout my life has made me a better coach. It is amazing how all these lessons greatly impact what you are capable of accomplishing.
My Father and Mother, who never quit and taught me to do the same and together gifted me with a wonderful childhood.
My high school wrestling coach Roger Renfro. He gave me a great example of what makes a great coach, and I use those lessons daily. It showed me how much impact a coach can have on an athlete’s life, both in the short term and the long term.
Mark Sisson for all his support and guidance. His generous contributions on an ongoing basis the introduction to DZ as well as his friendship and insight.
I am grateful for the crucible of sport. Without it my life would be so different. Win or lose it is within the elegance of struggle where beauty lies and lessons are learned.
Jacques DeVore, the first guy I’d ever met to build a logical, organized plan for weight training (which I’d always done myself and promoted as a quality-of-life activity) that is specifically designed to make cyclists go faster (which is the only way to get them to do it).
Bill Strickland, Bicycling Editor-in-Chief, who instantly “got” the premise of Maximum Overload when I emailed him the proposal, labeled it a “game changer,” and ultimately green-lighted the project to Rodale’s book-publishing arm.
Rodale Books executive editor Mark Weinstein, for his straight talk and support throughout the project.
My son Joey, who encouraged me to shrug-off early rejections and milder offers from other publishers, refocus and rewrite my pitch, and aim for the perfect fit and deal, which happened.
Paleo-movement leader Mark Sisson, who introduced me to Jacques and and forced me to learn about diet, which probably plays an even bigger role than exercise in achieving disease-free good health and longevity.
Phil Campbell, author of Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness, whose succinct, practical and brutally effective Sprint 8 workouts and research taught me a lot about interval training’s endurance, weight-loss and hormone benefits and is referenced in many of my articles and books.
Andy Petranek, my Fire Your Gym coauthor, friend and CrossFit guru, who dispensed some key strength-training knowledge that helped me write about this program’s unique exercise regimen.
The late, great Bill Katovsky, Triathlete magazine founder, serial entrepreneur, creative juggernaut, and all-round hilarious guy who got me back into writing books in 2004 when he called one day and said, “You know those stories you’re always telling me about running into Hollywood celebrities on your bike? I have an agent. Let’s write a book called Bicycle Sex.” That became the first edition of Bike for Life. I’m truly bummed I won’t hear his opinion on this one.
The “Black Hole” guys—Stephen Seiler, PhD and Carl Foster, PhD—elite sports-science academic researchers whose landmark studies on the importance of recovery to performance and health is the key to effective training for everyone. Their “Go Hard, Go Easy” construct has been the basis of several of my articles and book chapters, including Chapter 6 here.
Dr. Jeanne Nichols, San Diego State University professor whose 2003 landmark study on the disturbing osteoporosis-cycling connection led me to write probably my most important story (“Why You Need to Bone-Up,” Bicycling 2004) and super-charged my life-long interest in athletic longevity.
John Howard, the legendary three-time Olympic cyclist, Ironman winner, world speed record holder and super-coach, the very first person I interviewed as a rookie cycling writer in 1987, who took the challenge I presented to him over the phone in late 2015 and ultimately gave us huge proof that this program worked in the person of the 147.7-mph woman, Denise Mueller.
Finally, thanks to Denise Mueller, not only for setting the first woman’s land speed record in September 2016, putting cycling back in the news in a good way and giving me a lot to write about, but for keeping me fit. Using the email reports she regularly would send of all her Maximum Overload workouts, I competed against her twice a week and finished this book in the best shape of my life.