What benefits have you experienced using power?

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝?

This is part of a series of posts on runners’ feedback about Running with Power.

Based on survey responses and book research, here are the top three benefits runners experienced using power.

𝐀𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬

Sounds simple? Yet with power, according to the feedback, it’s much easier to do. First, the targets are numbers or number ranges, rather than ‘10k pace’ or ‘zone 2’ (when your heart rate seems determined to stay in zone 3). Second, they’re based on your current fitness, adjusting as you get fitter. Finally, you just have to run to effort, which changes to match your route, however hilly it might be.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲

The #1 goal of training – being able to follow the plan without getting injured. Training to targets matched to individual fitness gave runners confidence in the plan, allowing them to ‘relax’ and enjoy the experience. And with plans written to add training load slowly and carefully, runners experienced a powerful feedback loop – clear targets => able to run to target => confidence in the plan => increasing fitness without injury => targets adjust to match fitness => able to run to target…

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Power offers a couple of race planners, both of which produced power-based targets for races and events that were not only achievable, but for many runners, accurate to within a few watts, and to within a minute or two (over a marathon).

But it was at the start that power was most beneficial, providing a target that prevented runners from starting too fast (given the excitement and the ‘freshness’ that’s usually present at the start of many events).

𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬

There were many other benefits runners experienced using power, including: being able to measure fitness improvements; power is responsive, matched to effort; gaining a better understanding of their physiology and capabilities; finding a great community of runners all learning how best to use power.