To celebrate the upcoming release of the Spanish version of ‘Getting Started’, I’m planning to update the cover of the English version too. This text (on the green background) will be on the back cover of the books (in the appropriate language) and in the book blurb on reseller websites.
This week, I’m posting about each of the ‘Power =’ items 🙂
𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 = 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
Power identifies training targets, based on your fitness, that maximise training results while minimising over-training and risking injury.
Which raises two questions:
- How does power identify your running fitness?
- How does power set training targets based on your fitness?
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬?
Second-by-second as you run, power provides numbers representing your effort.
With a few maximum effort runs (no lab testing needed), you can identify your Threshold Power.
Threshold Power is an important representation of your current running fitness.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬?
Power uses your Threshold Power as an anchor, positioned at 100% on a scale from 60-65% (no longer walking) up through 200% (short sprints) and beyond.
For example, you might use the following training targets:
🔹 80% or less for an easy run
🔹 94-96% for 10-20 minute intervals at half-marathon power
🔹 102-105% for 3-minute VO2max intervals
And if (when) your fitness improves and your Threshold Power increases, your workout targets adjust to match the new anchor, matching your increased fitness.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫? 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐕𝐎𝟐𝐦𝐚𝐱?
VO2max is a measure of your body’s maximum aerobic capacity. Threshold Power is the highest intensity you can maintain without rapidly fatiguing and needing to slow down or stop.
Think of VO2max as ‘the size of your engine’, and Threshold Power as ‘your highest cruising speed’. A bigger VO2max means you could go further and faster, but it doesn’t mean you’ll use that capacity effectively; a higher cruising speed means you can travel faster for a sustained period of time.
Both are important, but of the two, threshold power is more actionable, and a more direct and practical predictor of endurance performance.
𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬?
No.
Training is much more than actions driven by numbers. But training should also be underpinned by quantitative data – and power can provide those numbers.
𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?
Getting Started – Power=Productive Training
