As a coached Athlete, you have the benefit of being able to ‘set it and forget it’, because it is your Coaches responsibility to delve into the specifics of workout data. However, the majority of Endurance Athletes are Type-A personalities and extremely driven people. And as such, they are motivated to continually improve, which means they are usually very interested in understanding all they can about their training data. It is with this in mind that we have outlined and detailed three metrics that our Athletes can use to self-assess their workouts. Each of these metrics are used regularly by your Coach to perform a basic assessment of your workout. Note: The following Data/Metrics are viewable in every ‘quick view’ workout summary on TrainingPeaks, as well as on the TrainingPeaks Mobile App. The TrainingPeaks 'quick view' workout summary, as seen as an upcoming workout, the color purple indicates it is a future workout. #1- Workout Duration, Logged vs. Prescribed: In nearly every workout that is prescribed, a corresponding duration is assigned to the workout. This time component can be based on the type of workout prescribed, but is more than likely governed by the training time available to the Athlete. When an Athlete uploads a workout it will automatically be color-coded based on the ‘logged vs. prescribed’ workout duration calculator in TrainingPeaks. The color-coding, as seen in the ‘quick view’ summary report, assigns either a green, yellow, or red color to the workout title. A brief synopsis of each color-code follows: -Green colored workouts indicate a training session has been completed within 20%+/- of the prescribed workout time. (note: see the example photo at the end of this section). -Yellow colored workouts indicate a training session that has been completed with a total duration of 120% or more of the prescribed time orunder 80% of the prescribed workout duration. (note: see the example photo under the Average Power, Heart Rate, and Cadence section). -RED colored workouts indicate a training session that has NOT been completed or was completed with a total time over 150% of the prescribed duration or under 50% of the prescribed training time. (note: see the example photo under the Athlete Feedback section). What Does This Mean To The Athlete? Coach Says: Color-coding workouts is a simple and effective way to ‘flag’ workouts for further analysis. When a completed workout is uploaded as yellow or red, it indicates to your Coach that it requires investigation. Maybe the Athlete is experiencing significant work/life stress and was unable to meet the prescribed time commitment. Or possibly a mechanical mishap made the ride impossible to complete. This information allows us, as Coaches, to quickly identify potential issues. The simple Green, Yellow or Red color scheme allows both Athletes and Coaches to know which files likely require more analysis. The TrainingPeaks 'quick view' workout summary, as seen as a completed workout, the color green indicates it was completed within the prescribed timeframe. 2- Average Power, Heart Rate (H.R.) and Cadence: These three metrics are very important as they further refine the picture the workout data paints. When assessing a training file, your Coach will look at Power, Heart Rate, and Cadence, in that order, to determine how a given Athlete executed the workout. Each of these metrics can throw out a ‘red flag’, if understood properly. For example, if Average Power is low, but Average Heart Rate is high, that would indicate further analysis is required, as we would typically associate a high H.R. with a solid Power output. This could indicate that the Athlete is very fatigued and requires rest. Another example would be if the average cadence was very low on a climbing ride. That could indicate that the route selection was too steep or it could prompt an equipment focused conversation and possible suggestion to install easier gears for upcoming climbing workouts. What Does This Mean To The Athlete? Coach Says: Analyzing each of these metrics allows us, as Coaches, to see our Athletes strengths and weaknesses. Reading these metrics also enables us to see what type of guidance or advice needs to be offered, for an Athlete to get more out of their training. For example, if an Athlete is using an unusually low cadence, we would ‘flag’ that issue and discuss it with the Athlete to better understand why it is happening. Based on the conversation and what information is gleaned, we would recommend solutions to hone this portion of their riding. The TrainingPeaks 'quick view' workout summary, as seen as a completed workout. Note the yellow color and the Min/Max/Average Heart Rate, Power, and Cadence values in the lower left corner. 3- Athlete Feedback: Athlete feedback is arguably the most critical component of the analysis routine. In fact, we believe it is THE most important component of the workout review process. This is a bold statement to make, but it is true. Data is not perfect and there are plenty of times when Heart Rate interference causes goofy numbers or a Power Meters’ calibration went ‘whacky’ and thus the corresponding numbers painted a misleading story about the ride. Data is only reliable when it is collected accurately, and unfortunately, sometimes our gadgets fail us! However, good communication from an Athlete that is ‘self-aware’ provides the most accurate and relevant ride information possible. What sensations did you feel, how were the intervals, what did you struggle with, are you distracted because of outside stressors, or were you crazy strong and nothing could touch you? Your Coach always appreciates feedback. Without understanding what the Athlete is feeling, it is difficult to assess the workout file properly. Think of it like watching a movie without sound. You can figure out the plot-line, but can’t feel the emotion that makes the production powerful. Having Athlete feedback with each workout, even a simple comment like: ‘feel good’ or ‘intervals were awesome…rough…etc.’ is enough to give an idea of how to better assess the workout file. Athlete feedback is what shapes future training protocols and is therefore critical to the post-ride analysis routine. We encourage all Athletes to take the time to write-up a quick comment or an elaborate ‘play by play’ recount of a ride or race. It helps us better focus the service we provide, which means better results for our Athletes! What Does This Mean To The Athlete? Coach Says: It has already been said that Athlete feedback is critical, but we like to think of it as the color and volume to what would otherwise be a rough sketch or two-dimensional picture. As an Athlete, this is your opportunity to shape future training. Was the training too easy, too hard, or just right? Just as the data metrics of Power, Heart Rate, Cadence, and Duration are used to measure and quantify the stress of a ride, Athlete feedback is a Coaches only view into how the human-engine coped with the training dose. The TrainingPeaks 'quick view' workout summary, as seen as a completed workout. Note the red color and the Athlete Feedback listed under the Post-Activity Comments section in the lower right corner.
Summing It Up And Bringing It All Together: In conclusion, given the incredible amount of data available to Coaches, post-ride analysis can get very ‘in-depth’. This is especially true for the specific and critical workouts that are prescribed to help an Athlete achieve their targeted goal. However, despite the ability for ‘in-depth’ analysis, an Athlete simply needs a basic understanding of the previous three data metrics to evaluate their own training. The ‘take-away’ here is quite simple; more green workouts is much better than a mixture of yellow and red! Your Average Power, H.R. or Cadence will vary depending on the workout type, but should be in line with the training protocol, while Athlete Feedback trumps all categories in importance! Taking a moment to type in a simple note such as, “my power meter stopped working” or “I felt out of breath during my intervals” or “BOOM, goes the dynamite!” tells more than all the data metrics combined. Lastly, it is important to never forget the power of sharing your positive experience! Your Coach loves to see things like, “I crushed the intervals tonight, I don’t even think I had a chain on,” or “that was a fun workout, brutal hard, but I see that I am getting better/stronger.” As Coaches, we are very vested in your success and want to see you achieve all that you set out to accomplish. Sharing a positive training experience not only guides future training protocols to be more focused and effective, it strengthens the Coach-Athlete relationship and allows us to help you more effectively! #TrainYourPotential Until Next Time, Be Safe, Train Hard, & Have Fun! -Brian and Joy McCulloch Big Wheel Coaching |
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September 2020
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