Is it only about the numbers?

Runner Questions: Is it only about the numbers?

This is a common question.

It’s not only about the numbers.

Training is more than actions driven by numbers.

When planning, you should consider your training goals, your specifics (age, ability, injury history), supplemental training (strength, mobility, plyometrics, drills) and other exercise activities (cycling, swimming, yoga, pilates).

When executing your plan, you should consider sleep, nutrition, hydration, work and family commitments … anything affecting your training.

But you won’t be able to measure most of these.

Numbers provide a foundation

What can you measure, so that your training is underpinned by things you can quantify?

Power numbers.

You can use the numbers to:

• track your fitness as your plan progresses
• target specific effort levels and durations in your training
• plan and monitor your training load and progression
• identify race-day targets

But … it’s not only about the numbers

Because power can be used for so much, it’s tempting to think that your power numbers are ‘the truth’.

That if you use power numbers make every training decision, you’ll get the best result.

But power meters can’t measure everything that’s happening to you while you train.

For that reason, power numbers are a guide.

They’re a very good guide, but they’re not ‘the truth’.

Which means rather than Running by Power, treating your power numbers as the truth and using them to make every decision …

… Run with Power, using your power numbers as a guide, complementing and underpinning other considerations.