Does running power really measure your effort?

A runner 'Running with Power'
A runner 'Running with Power'

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭?

No.

Running power provides numbers that 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 your effort.

𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 – 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐭?

No, as long as the numbers are repeatable and valid:
🔹 Repeatable? The same effort under the same conditions gives the same result.
🔹 Valid? The numbers correlate (align) with an existing ‘gold standard’.

The Stryd footpod has been independently validated (at least 10 times). It produces repeatable numbers that are highly correlated with oxygen consumption – a gold standard for measuring exercise energy consumption (effort).

Wrist-based power built into the latest running watches has not been independently validated (that I’m aware of). However, I ran my own (N=1) study during 2024/2025 comparing wrist-based power from Garmin, Coros and Apple to Stryd and found they produce repeatable numbers that, for most recreational runners, are correlated to the Stryd footpod.

𝐒𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬?

Far from it.

⚡ Running power numbers CAN be used as a measure of how hard you’re working when you run.

And once you can measure your effort, that’s when the real magic begins.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📗 Get Started

𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫=𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭
⏩ What is power?
⏩ Does Power measure effort?
⏩ Is Power better than Pace, or HR?
⏩ Is Power just for elite runners?
⏩ How do I start Running with Power?

What is Power?

A running 'Running with Power'
A running 'Running with Power'

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

Power is a relatively new metric for runners.

It’s not running with a powerful stride or looking powerful when you run.

Instead, power is just another name for ‘effort’ – at least, that’s the simplest way I’ve found to describe it.

⚡ Second-by-second as you run, power provides numbers representing your effort.

Run harder, and the numbers increase; run easier, and they decrease … whether you’re running on the flat, over hills, or on a windy day.

Power shows how hard you’re working.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭?

If you can already feel your effort when you run, why use power?

Because power provides numbers … and there’s magic in the numbers.

Once you can measure your effort, all sorts of things become possible – you can:
✅ assess your running fitness (and re-assess it) at any point in your training plan.
✅ ensure your training stays productive by setting self-adjusting workout targets based on your improving fitness, rather than on a hopeful goal time.
✅ reduce your risk of injury by using completed workouts to manage your training load.
✅ personalise your race-day targets to achieve the best result you’re capable of on the day.

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬?

Your training and racing are 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑.

They’re based on 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 fitness and capabilities.

The enable you to achieve your 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡.

⚡ There really is magic in those numbers ⚡

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📗 Get Started

𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫=𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭
⏩ What is power?
⏩ Does Power measure effort?
⏩ Is Power better than Pace, or HR?
⏩ Is Power just for elite runners?
⏩ How do I start Running with Power?

Training Stress – a two-sided coin!

A runner experiencing Training Stress

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 – 𝐚 𝐭𝐰𝐨-𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧!

On one side of the coin, the reason you’re training – improving your performance, your fitness, your speed, your ability to run further for longer.

One the other, the impact of your workouts – fatigue, muscle soreness, dehydration, injury risk … the list could go on.

Can a single Stress Score be used to model both the shorter-term impacts and the longer-term improvements?

Note that ‘stress’ in this context refers to the physical (and physiological) effects of training, rather than stress from anxiety or worries.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡

Research into the effects of training stress has resulted in various models:
✅ Rowbottom proposed a Stimulus, Fatigue, Recovery, Adaptation model, sometimes referred to as the supercompensation model
✅ Banister proposed an Impulse-Response model, popularised in the TRIMP metric based on Heart Rate measurements
✅ Allen, Coggan and McGregor adapted the Impulse-Response model for use with power, encapsulating it in the Performance Manager model.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥

The model has the following components:

  1. A Training Stress Score (TSS)
  2. A Chronic Training Load (CTL), modelling longer-term adaptations
  3. An Acute Training Load (ATL), modelling shorter-term impacts
  4. A Training Stress Balance, indicating whether your training is ‘productive’

The Performance Manager model uses 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 Stress Scores (per workout) to calculate personal training metrics that indicate whether 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 training is productive – not too much, not too little, just right for you.

And with the two different ‘load’ metrics, the model includes both the shorter-term impacts and the longer-term improvements.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on the models, see:
🔹 Rowbottom, D.J., (2000), in Garrett, W.E., Kirkendall, D.T., (eds.). Periodization of Training. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
🔹 Calvert, T.W., Banister, E.W., Savage, M.V., Bach, T., (1976) A Systems Model of the Effects of Training on Physical Performance
🔹 Allen, H., Coggan, A. & McGregor, S. (2019) Training+Racing with a Power Meter, 3rd Edition (pp. 158-160). Boulder: Velopress.
🔹 The Science of the TrainingPeaks Performance Manager on the TrainingPeaks website

⏪ How to handle training stress?

Training Stress – a two-sided coin!

Achieving a Stress Balance ⏩

How to handle training stress?

A runner experiencing Training Stress

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬?

Let’s face it, training is stressful.

It’s easy to overdo it, leading to injury and time spent recovering (rather than training).

But if you’re training for an event, a little stress is a necessity.

It’s a balance. Stress your body too little, and it will not adapt; stress it too much or too quickly, and it will break down instead of adapting; stress your body correctly, and sustained long-term improvements are possible.

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬

Want to know how stressful your workout was? Calculate its Stress Score.

Stress Scores combine ‘how hard?’ and ‘how long?’

They represent the workout’s metabolic stress – its impact on your body, NOT its impact on your mental health.

Which is an important point – ‘stress’ in the context of training relies on what you can measure, on the physical (and physiological) impacts, rather than stress in the form of anxiety or worries.

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

A one-hour run at Threshold Power produces a score of 100.

Why?

Scoring relative to your Threshold Power means Stress Scores:
✅ match improvements in your fitness. As you become fitter, you can run the same workouts with less relative stress; or you can handle harder workouts for the same relative stress. This means that as your Threshold Power improves, if you run the same workout (the same durations and the same percentages of Threshold Power), your Stress Score for the workout will remain unchanged – even though you ran the repeated workout at a higher power.
✅ match individual capabilities. If our thresholds are different and we run a workout together, your stress score for the workout will differ from my stress score for the same workout, reflecting our individual capabilities.

Stress Scores are the foundation for metrics you can use to monitor your training stress.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

For more information on Stress Scores, see:
🔹 What is TSS? on the TrainingPeaks website
🔹 Running Stress Score (RSS) on the Stryd website

How do you handle training stress?

Training Stress – a two-sided coin! ⏩

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? ⏩