Power targets are easy to use

Why Power? Power targets are easy to use

Which workout targets are clearest? Which might be easiest to achieve?

🎯 Pace: 3x 15min at 15 secs/mile slower than 10k pace with 3min easy recovery

🎯 Heart Rate: 3x 15min zone 3 with 3min zone 2 recovery between sets

🎯 Power: 3x 15min at 220W – 230W with 3min recovery below 200W

They may all seem clear and achievable, but …

Pace target issues

How fast is 10k pace? I didn’t know my 10k pace when I first started running.

Does 15 secs/mile slower apply to all runners, regardless of their 10k pace? Probably not.

And should you maintain the pace on the flat? on hills? with no variation?

Heart rate target issues

Heart Rate zones are based on your Maximum Heart Rate (maxHR), and there’s no easy way to discover your maxHR.

Either it’s based on averages for your age, rather than your individual capability (how do you know if you’re ‘average for your age’)

Or it requires an all-out runs to try to reach your maxHR (and even then, how can you be sure you experienced your maximum heart rate).

Heart rate zones tend to be quite wide – 10% ‘chunks’ (a broad brush).

And heart rate lags behind changes in your effort; and it drifts, creeping up at the end of longer runs.

Can you really be sure your zones are appropriate for you? Or that you’re really running in Zone 2 and Zone 3?

Power targets

Power gets your training targets ‘right’ – individualised to you and your current running fitness, and as a narrower range within training zones.

When running, you just need to keep your lap power within the target range – on the flat or on hills.

Power responds to changes in effort – no lags and no drifting.

The choice is yours

Which target seems clearest and most achievable?