Tag: Trails

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞, 𝐚 𝐔𝐊-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

There are two reasons:
⚡ The numbers match how hard you’re working … they just ‘feel right’
🎯 Targets (for training and racing) are based on you … power is personal

Let me unpack those.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

Power provides numbers representing how hard you’re working while running – your effort.

Running by effort isn’t new – runners have used ‘Perceived Exertion’ for many years. What is new is being able to put numbers to your effort.

Are the numbers actionable?

YES, based on using power since 2018 … and on multiple independent studies.

𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮

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

All of these are calculated using your completed workouts. Power really is Personal.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠?

Using my runners’ completed workouts, I can build a detailed profile of each runner based on what they can achieve (right now). And I can use that profile to set targets that are individual to each runner’s capability (right now), to get the most from their training while minimising injury risk.

I can do all of this virtually, to coach runners in the UK, the US, or any other place worldwide.

Power (and the system behind it) provides a science-backed, metrics-based, individualised approach to training and racing – for runners and for coaches.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

✅ It’s an objective, instant measure of effort

Power gives my athletes objective data that pace and heart rate can’t. It reacts instantly and uniformly, no matter the terrain, temperature, or excitement of the moment. On technical trails and hills where pace is meaningless and heart rate lags, power shows the real effort being produced.

✅ It works for intervals, for climbs, for descents…

Short intervals under 20 seconds, long intervals up to 10 minutes, climbs and even descents all benefit from training with power. More often than not, athletes learn to slow down a little on the climbs and to push more on the downhills. One warning – avoid power targets on steep technical downhills where skill is the primary factor for how fast one can descend.

✅ It allows runners to experiment

I also use power to teach awareness. I’ll have my runners experiment with their form, shift hips, focus on reducing ground contact, drive the knees, etc. and notice the impact of that on power. It becomes a feedback loop for improving form and economy.

✅ It keeps runners on target on race-day

On race day, power keeps trail runners in control. Heart rate spikes with adrenaline, and pace is useless on technical ground. Power keeps athletes from going out too hard at the start of a race, and it’s a reality check deep into the event to keep them moving when attention flags.

✅ The longer you use it, the better you get

I noticed that training with power smooths out inefficiencies with prolonged use. As a coach, it’s proven to be extremely useful in improving running economy on all terrains.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started