WKO is a review & analysis tool that runs under MS Windows or on a Mac and provides a wide range of charts and graphs of your power data. You can also build your own using a powerful charting language.
WKO integrates seamlessly with TrainingPeaks, syncing planned and completed workout data and a range of health metrics.
Connecting WKO
You’ll need to:
- Signup to create your TrainingPeaks account. You can use WKO5 with either a Premium or a Basic account.
- Download and install WKO5.
Once you’ve created your account and installed WKO, connect WKO to your TrainingPeaks account as described in the Create tab at Managing Athletes in WKO.
If you coach multiple athletes, you’ll need to connect WKO to each athlete you coach.
Uploading completed workouts
Your completed workouts can be uploaded:
- automatically from your watch to TrainingPeaks, as described in the TrainingPeaks Webapp or Mobile chapter
- semi-automatically from TrainingPeaks to WKO, as described in the Download tab at Managing Athletes in WKO.
Fully customisable charts
WKO comes with a selection of charts that the TrainingPeaks team have developed, and multiple charts developed and shared by WKO users (athletes and coaches). These are all available from within the app.
In addition, you can download new charts developed and shared by other users, or create your own. You might (for example) like to try the power-focused charts developed by Steve Palladino, by asking about ‘WKO P^3 Athlete View’ and ‘WKO P^3 Workout View’ in the Palladino Power Project Facebook Group.
WKO charts provide three different views into your planned and completed workouts, as described at WKO Overview:
- Athlete Home Page / View – combining data from multiple workouts to show (for example) your PDC or your training load.
- Workout View – using data from an individual workout to show (for example) lap averages using lap markers in the workout file or by distance (or even duration).
- Smart Segment view – using data from multiple workouts to automatically track all performances for a specific (GPS-tracked) route.
Reviewing second-by-second workout data
WKO gives you access to second-by-second workout data using charts available in Workout view
Manual and automatic laps
You can choose to see metrics by lap (using the lap markers stored in the workout), or can use a chart that shows metrics by distance or duration.
Reviewing a workout range
You can also manually select a section of your workout to review metrics just for that section (which is handy when reviewing a workout containing maximum effort sections).
Reviewing/Updating Threshold Power
When using WKO, Threshold Power is referred to as Functional Threshold Power (FTP).
You can view your FTP using charts available in the Athlete or Workout views.
Auto-Calculated Functional Threshold Power
WKO provides functions that enable you to calculate your FTP using data from the last 90 days of training (or based on other periods of your choice).
To ensure your FTP is accurate, you should ensure you regularly run maximum efforts at a selection of durations – for example, 2-3 minutes, 10-12 minutes, 20-30 minutes or a 5k race.
To ensure that no maximum efforts drop out of the 90-day window, you should run maximum efforts every 4-5 weeks (alternating across the durations).
Manual FTP
WKO also offers the ability to manually store your FTP – which it refers to as your runFTP.
This is useful if you’re returning to training after injury and have not yet been able to complete maximum effort runs, or if your FTP is based on a prior training period and you’ve lost fitness since then.
Instructions for storing runFTP values are on the WKO website at How to adjust Functional Threshold Power.
Note that WKO charts are very specific. If you view a chart that uses FTP, it calculates the value based the last 90-days of completed workouts; if you view a chart that uses runFTP, it will use the appropriate stored value(s) instead.
Your PDC (and workout maximums)
You can view your Power-Duration Curve (PDC) using charts available in the Athlete view.
Depending on the chart (and the metrics it includes) you can also review your Mean-Max Power (MMP) curve alongside your PDC. Your MMP curve is used to model your PDC. WKO’s PDC uses a ‘line of best fit’ approach to model your PDC.
Stress Scores
When using WKO, Stress Scores are referred to as Training Stress Scores (TSS).
You can view your TSS scores (per workout) using charts available in the Athlete or Workout views.
Training Stress Scores calculations are available for both planned and completed workouts.
Training Load
WKO offers Acute Training Load (ATL), Chronic Training Load (CTL) and Training Stress Balance (TSB) scores:
- ATL measures the shorter-term impacts of your training.
- CTL measures the longer-term impacts of your training.
- Training Stress Balance is the difference between ATL and CTL.
You can view these metrics using charts available in the Athlete view.
Stress Balance
When using TrainingPeaks, Stress balance is referred to as Training Stress Balance (TSB).
You can view TSB (along with ATL and CTL) in charts available in the Athlete view.
Ramp Rate
WKO can calculate Ramp Rate based on completed workouts.
You can view Ramp Rate in charts available in the Athlete view.
Running Effectiveness
WKO can calculate Running Effectiveness (RE).
You can view RE in charts available in the Workout view – either for manual, by distance or by duration laps, or for a manually selected section of any workout.
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