𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫
A few weeks ago, posts outlined reasons you might choose to use power to measure how hard you’re running.
This week, posts will cover this in a little more depth, exploring the following questions:
❓ Why did you start running with power?
❓ What benefits have you experienced?
❓ What difficulties have you experienced?
❓ What advice would you give to someone not yet Running with Power?
The posts will summarise the top themes from feedback received when asking runners these questions – feedback from two annual surveys, and feedback gathered while researching two of my books (‘Why’ and ‘Getting Started’).
Here are my answers to those questions.
𝐖𝐡𝐲?
I wanted to break sub-4 for the marathon and found training using pace or heart rate difficult in several ways. Power (training using effort) just made sense to me … plus, I like working with data and metrics.
𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬?
There’s magic in the numbers – as a runner using power, I can: measure (and track) my fitness; set precise workout targets; monitor my training load; set achievable race-day targets.
As a coach, power makes it possible to set workout goals that I know will be usable whatever route my runners choose to take (hilly or not). And the insights that are possible using power data make fine-tuning (or course-correcting) so much easier.
𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬?
It was expensive – I bought a running watch and a Stryd footpod. And it was difficult to use, although the Stryd PowerCenter these days is light years ahead of where it was when I first started.
While it is now possible to buy a running watch with a power meter inside, it’s complex to calculate power metrics – hopefully that’ll change in the next few years.
𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞?
Go for it. Based on using power since 2018, I firmly believe Running with Power is the most effective way to train.
𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?
