I sit down with Dirk Friel—former pro cyclist and co-founder of TrainingPeaks—to trace how a scrappy, late-’90s idea between friends became the platform so many of us use to plan, track, and analyze training.
We talk about his entrepreneurial roots (yes, Joe Friel is his dad), racing in Belgium in the pre-internet era, and the “sweat-equity” nights that led to the first place you could view heart-rate and power files in a web browser. I ask Dirk what TrainingPeaks isn’t (spoiler: there’s no one-true method), how to treat TSS/CTL/PMC as tools—not gospel—and why most athletes overdo intensity more than volume.
Dirk shares why human coaches still beat AI (“there are more unknowns than knowns”), why good coaching often feels “too easy” at first, and how accountability—sometimes the tough kind—creates breakthroughs. We also get into TrainingPeaks Virtual and its physics-first approach (drafting, wind, and cornering actually matter), plus what he’s learned about leadership, hiring beyond your friend circle, and the purpose that drives him: helping others reach their potential.
Dirk’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/dirkfriel/
TrainingPeaks: https://app.trainingpeaks.com
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