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?
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)
