You fatigue more slowly at lower intensities

A Power-Duration Curve (with accompanying Mean-Max Power curve)
A Power-Duration Curve (with accompanying Mean-Max Power curve)

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

Intuitively, this is obvious.

If you run easy, you can run for a longer time, and the easier you run, the longer you can keep running (within your personal limits).

What’s not obvious is that there is a mathematical relationship between your intensity (your effort) and how long you can hold it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡

In 1977, Peter Riegel researched the relationship between runners’ performances over different distances and concluded that an exponential curve could predict race times for runners, given a performance at another distance – the slow component of fatigue follows an exponential curve.

Riegel expanded on his thesis in 1981, stating that his formula concerned “activities in the endurance range, lasting between 3-5 and 230 minutes.”

Riegel’s formula plots time versus distance. Work by Van Dijk and Van Megen in 2017 concluded that there’s a similar relationship between power and time.

The curve is always exponential but may be flatter, showing better fatigue resistance, or steeper, showing worse fatigue resistance for longer events.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥?

Knowing the slope of your curve and the event distance, it’s possible to predict how well you might perform for a longer event (e.g. a Half-Marathon), where the slow component dominates.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on the research, please see:
🔹 Riegel, P., (1981) Athletic Records and Human Endurance: A time vs. distance equation describing world-record performances may be used to compare the relative endurance capabilities of various groups of people.
🔹 Van Dijk, H. & Van Megen, R. (2017) The Secret of Running. Maidenhead: Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd

⏪ You fatigue faster at higher intensities

You fatigue more slowly at lower intensities

How do I use my PDC? ⏩

You fatigue faster at higher intensities

A Power-Duration Curve (with accompanying Mean-Max Power curve)
A Power-Duration Curve (with accompanying Mean-Max Power curve)

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

Intuitively, this is obvious.

If you sprint, you can’t sprint for a long time, and the faster you sprint, the shorter the time you can keep sprinting.

What’s not obvious is that there is a mathematical relationship between your intensity (your effort) and how long you can hold it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡

Monod and Scherrer’s research into single muscle groups showed that the fast component of fatigue follows a hyperbolic curve.

This research identified the bottom of the curve (the asymptote) as ‘an exercise intensity that could be sustained for a very long time’, naming it Critical Power (CP).

The research also identified that the curve’s hyperbolic shape makes it ‘possible to define the maximum amount of work that can be performed in a given time, as well as the conditions of work performed without fatigue.’

They called this maximum amount of work W’. Anaerobic Work Capacity (AWC) and Reserve Work Capacity (RWC) are other names for W’; Functional Reserve Capacity (FRC) describes a similar concept with a different calculation method (but still hyperbolic).

Further research by Hill extended and validated these concepts for whole-body exercise, noting that ‘for a very long time’ was usually 30 to 60 minutes of exercise at CP.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥?

Knowing the maximum amount of work you can perform and the event distance, you can calculate a race power target for a shorter event (e.g. a 5k), where the fast component dominates.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on the research, please see:
🔹 Monod, H. & Scherrer, J., (2007) The Work Capacity of a Synergic Muscle Group
🔹 Hill, D., (2012) The Critical Power Concept

⏪ What are you capable of?

You fatigue faster at higher intensities

You fatigue more slowly at lower intensities ⏩

What are you capable of?

A Power-Duration Curve (with accompanying Mean-Max Power curve)
A Power-Duration Curve (with accompanying Mean-Max Power curve)

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟?

This is a subtle question, as the answer depends on:
❓ how hard you run – your effort
❓ how long you can sustain that effort
❓ how well you’re able to convert that effort into forward motion

Your Power-Duration Curve (PDC) can help answer the first two – the third depends on your Running Effectiveness.

𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐃𝐂

There’s an inverse relationship between power and duration: the higher your power (your effort), the shorter the duration you can sustain it; the lower your power, the longer you can sustain it.

You can chart this relationship. The result is a curve showing your Mean-Max Power (MMP) – the best effort you can sustain for each duration (measured using power) .

Based on your MMP curve, your PDC models your best efforts over a range of different durations, showing (for each) the effort you could sustain.

The picture accompanying this post shows a typical PDC (with accompanying MMP).

It’s usually charted using a logarithmic duration scale – which expands the left side of the curve and compresses the right side, revealing that the PDC is actually two separate curves.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐃𝐂 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞

How long you can sustain a particular effort level depends on how much you can do before tiring – it depends on how you fatigue.

Fatigue has two components: a fast component and a slow component.

Both elements of fatigue are always present, but the fast element of fatigue dominates at higher intensities, and the slow element dominates at lower intensities.

The next couple of posts explore the two components of fatigue.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

From its first introduction in ‘Training and Racing with a Power Meter’ (Allen, H., Coggan, A. & McGregor, S.) in 2006, and its subsequent incorporation into WKO4 in 2015, the PDC has become the standard for modelling your power over all time periods. For more information on the PDC as implemented in WKO, see ‘Scientific Basis of the New Power Duration Model in WKO4‘.

What are you capable of?

You fatigue faster at higher intensities ⏩

Max efforts are hard – is there any alternative?

Hand raised to ask a question

𝐌𝐚𝐱 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 – 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞?

This is a common experience for runners new to power.

A Maximum Effort run is a run at the maximum (average) power you can maintain for a specific duration.

For example, your 3-minute max is the highest average power you can maintain over a 3-minute run.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦?

👉🏼 By running max efforts over two or more durations (e.g. 3-minutes and 12-minutes) you can calculate your Threshold Power.

❓ Without max efforts, you won’t truly know what you’re capable of, and your training targets, training load and race/event targets will probably be understated.

𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞?

Yes.

💉 You can pay for lactate testing. But this typically involves a graded exercise test with increasing intensity every few minutes (max efforts in disguise).

🧮 You can estimate your Threshold Power using easy runs, but this method is only recommended until you’re able to complete maximum effort runs.

𝐃𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫?

They do … and they don’t.

❌ They don’t because you’re running at the highest average power you can manage – that’s never going to be easy. And it’s typical to start out too fast and fade towards the end, which may mean you didn’t really run to your maximum.

✅ And they do. You get used to how they feel. You get used to starting out a little slower, then pushing it towards the end. And you can use previous max effort results to gauge how hard to run the first part of your upcoming max effort.

And then you realise (in the words of Dr Andrew Coggan) ‘testing is training, too’.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

⏪ How do I set a goal time?

Max efforts are hard – is there any alternative?

What should I show on my watch? ⏩

Running Effectiveness and race planning

An athlete using drills to improve their form

𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

There are three primary uses for Running Effectiveness:
✅ To improve your form
✅ To improve your fatigue resistance
✅ To identify targets for your upcoming race

Running Effectiveness can help identify the optimum power target for your upcoming event.

𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬

Depending on your choice of power meter and supporting apps, there are two different race calculators you can use to identify your optimum power target:
🎯 If you use a Stryd footpod and the Stryd ecosystem, you can use the web-based Stryd Race Calculator
🎯If you use wrist-based power, you can use the ‘Generate Race Power Scenarios’ feature in SuperPower Calculator (for Google Sheets).

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤?

Whichever calculator you use, they work similarly, using (at a minimum):
🔹 Your race-day running fitness – your Threshold Power on race-day
🔹 Your fatigue resistance – one of two different metrics, depending on whether you’re running a shorter, higher-intensity race or a longer, lower-intensity race
🔹 Your running effectiveness – your race-day target will depend on your expected finish time, which depends on how effectively you convert power into speed

These metrics are calculated from your completed workouts.

Which means that your training plan should include specific workout segments supporting the race-day calculations.

And it means that Running with Power personalises your race-day target, based on your capabilities, instead of calculating your target using averages from thousands of other runners (who are not you).

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on how to use Running Effectiveness, see Understanding ‘Running Effectiveness’ and its uses (Palladino)
More about the Race Calculators can be found at:
🔹 Stryd: Race Calculator in PowerCenter
🔹 SuperPower Calculator for Sheets (click to download a copy)

⏪ Running Effectiveness and fatigue resistance

Running Effectiveness and race planning

Running Effectiveness and fatigue resistance

An athlete using drills to improve their form

𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

You may be familiar with the term stamina, which is similar to, but not the same as fatigue resistance:
✅ Stamina – your ability to sustain effort for a longer duration
✅ Fatigue Resistance – your body’s ability to resist the effects of fatigue

This post focuses on fatigue resistance, starting with a simple question.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞?

When you fatigue (while running):
🔹 you’ll probably slow down
🔹 your gait or form may change
🔹 you may experience mental sluggishness
🔹 you may have an increased risk of injury

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞?

According to posts by Steve Palladino, you could focus on metrics that measure gait or form, looking for changes in those metrics over the course of a run.

There are a few metrics he’s investigated. One of them is available with any kind of power meter – Running Effectiveness.

In a recent post, Steve outlines a couple of ways to measure fatigue resistance using higher-intensity sections in long runs.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞?

It’s one thing to be able to measure fatigue resistance, but how can you improve it?

Through a well-structured training plan.

And to check that your fatigue resistance is improving, you could use the method outlined in another recent post.

RE provides an objective way to assess improvements in fatigue resistance.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on how to use Running Effectiveness, see Understanding ‘Running Effectiveness’ and its uses (Palladino)

⏪ Running Effectiveness and form improvements

Running Effectiveness and fatigue resistance

Running Effectiveness and race planning ⏩

Running Effectiveness and form improvements

An athlete using drills to improve their form

𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

Your running form is not the same as your running gait:
✅ gait is the ‘what’ – the movement sequence like heel-striking or lifting your foot
✅ form is the ‘how’ – whether your movements are efficient, stable, and injury-free

By working on your form (how you run), you can improve your running effectiveness.

But it’s not a straightforward thing, and it’s easy to make things worse rather than better.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦?

Before starting any form work, consult a sports physiotherapist. They should be able to assess your current form and help you identify whether there are things you should prioritise to reduce injury risk.

A second option is to work with a specialist running coach, someone who has the training and tools to assess your running form and identify things you could do to improve your form.

Both the physio and the running coach will probably suggest activities to add to your training plan – strength and conditioning, running drills, plyometrics, and other supplemental activities.

𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐄 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

Before starting any supplemental activities, complete a reference run or two.

This will provide baseline RE measurements.

Then, while working on your form, complete additional reference runs to track whether the activities are improving your form (and you should continue them), or whether you should try something different.

RE provides an objective way to assess whether form changes are improvements.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on how to use Running Effectiveness, see Understanding ‘Running Effectiveness’ and its uses (Palladino)

⏪ Is Running Effectiveness easy to use?

Running Effectiveness and form improvements

Running Effectiveness and fatigue resistance ⏩

Is Running Effectiveness easy to use?

An athlete using drills to improve their form

𝐈𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞?

Running Effectiveness uses speed and power (effort) – both are measurable numbers. RE is easy to calculate.

But Running Effectiveness measures how effectively you convert power into speed, and there are many things that can affect that conversion.

𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲

Differences in your running form at different intensities (jogging vs. running vs. sprinting) will affect how effectively you convert power into forward motion, impacting RE.

𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 & 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝

When you run uphill, your power will be higher for the same speed – and your RE will be lower. The reverse is true when running downhill.

The same is true for running into a headwind (lower RE), or with a tailwind.

𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬

Running shoes are made from differing materials with differing stack heights. This can affect how effectively you convert power to speed.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

There is no agreed standard for calculating running power – different power meters will produce differing numbers. This means RE (for identical runs) will differ based on the power meter you used.

RE uses power divided by weight. If you change the weight configured for your power meter, RE calculations made before that change will not be comparable with RE calculations made after that change, unless you calculate RE using the weight configured at the time of each run.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐬

RE isn’t so easy to use!

But one way to monitor changes in RE is to use reference runs.

These are runs you include every 3-4 weeks in your training plan, where you run the same route at the same target intensities in the same running shoes. Reference runs provide an opportunity to compare RE across runs.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on how to use Running Effectiveness, see Understanding ‘Running Effectiveness’ and its uses (Palladino)

⏪ What is Running Effectiveness?

Is Running Effectiveness easy to use?

Running Effectiveness and form improvements ⏩

What is Running Effectiveness?

An athlete using drills to improve their form

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬?

Imagine you want to run a faster marathon or a faster 5k.

You have a couple of choices.

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

If you’re fitter, you should be able to maintain a higher effort over the event distance.

A higher effort should mean a faster speed, resulting in a quicker finish time.

You can improve your fitness by training, and you can measure fitness improvements by tracking your threshold power.

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Rather than improving your fitness, you could work on how you run.

If you’re more effective at converting your effort (power) into forward motion (speed), you can run faster for the same effort, resulting in a quicker finish time.

You can work on how you run (your gait or form) using drills, plyometrics, strength and conditioning, and other supplemental work.

But how can you measure whether that work has improved your form?

𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Running Effectiveness was proposed by Andrew Coggan, PhD, and measures how effectively you convert power into speed.

It’s a field-based measure similar to, but distinctly different from Running Economy (oxygen consumption at various speeds) or Running Efficiency (external mechanical power vs. metabolic power production), which both require lab-based testing.

RE = speed / power, where speed is in metres per second and power is in Watts per kilogram.

And for an easy way to calculate RE from your power meter data, you can use SuperPower Calculator, as demonstrated by Steve Palladino in this video.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on:
🔹 The definition of Running Effectiveness, see WKO4: New Metrics for Running With Power (Coggan)
🔹 How to use Running Effectiveness, see Understanding ‘Running Effectiveness’ and its uses (Palladino)

What is Running Effectiveness?

Is Running Effectiveness easy to use? ⏩

Race-specific training

A runner experiencing Training Stress

𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

Stress Balance, based on your stress scores, includes both intensity and duration, but it doesn’t provide any insight into the distribution of running intensities in your training.

A longer run at a lower intensity can produce the same stress score as a shorter run at a higher intensity.

Yet intensity is important, as the adaptations from higher intensities may be quite different than those from lower intensities.

And you may want to match those adaptations to your goal race – training for a marathon may have a different mix of intensities than training for a 5k.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐓𝐈𝐃)

A TID chart groups your time spent at each intensity into 3 or more groups, then displays the result as a stacked bar chart, with each stacked bar representing a week of training.

When Running with Power, the groups are typically ranges based on percentages of your Threshold Power. This ensures that when your Threshold Power changes, your adjusted intensities are still relative to what you’re capable of (and it means you don’t need to adjust the chart).

You can produce the chart for completed workouts to check the mix that you ran. Or you can produce the chart for planned workouts, to adjust the mix you’re planning to run, using planned stress scores).

The TID chart is the third key metric for monitoring your training (along with Stress Balance and Ramp Rate).

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

⏪ The danger of ramping up too quickly

Race-specific training