I’ve read about this chart a few times and still come away scratching my head. First, the Performance Management Chart (PMC) is a product of Training Peaks. I’m not sure if their basic free version comes with a PMC or if it’s the only the paid version. You can compare the two versions here. Below is a screen shot of my PMC from June to September. As you can see, there is just a...
If you really want to geek out your training, these are two new additions to the Training Peaks software, however these figures can be calculated manually if you do not use TP. Joe Friel explains the Efficiency Factor (EF) here: “We have known for decades that if heart rate during an all-aerobic (below lactate/anaerobic threshold) workout rises while the intensity (power or pace) stays the same, then the athlete is not operating efficiently and...
Training Stress Score (TSS) was developed by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan. The purpose of TSS is to ‘quantify’ your training workload. Why would you want to do that? The most important reason is to prevent overtraining. As you increase your intensity, the volume must come down (and vice-versa). TSS quantifies this workload so you know when it’s time to increase or decrease intensity and volume. TSS can be calculated for every workout. The...
Normalized Power was covered in the previous post and it is a better measurement of intensity when compared to average power, however NP does not factor in changes in fitness in an individual over time or differences between individuals. It’s also important to ‘quantify’ your performance relative to your own abilities. This is is exactly what the Intensity Factor (IF) doe. The calculation of IF is relatively simple: NP/FTP, where NP is ‘normalized power’...
Normalized Power (NP) is a training tool developed by Cycling Peaks (Training Peaks). It was developed to account for the variables associated with riding: wind, hills, sprints, steady state, etc. Using average power does not account for these variables, however NP does. The calculation of NP is rather complicated, however it is based on two factors: First, the fact that physiological responses to rapid changes in exercise intensity are not instantaneous but follow a...
This is one of the not so fun things about training. Assessing your fitness requires pushing your body to the limits just so you can measure your fitness. Although using race data is good, most of the time we lack that environment for testing. Thus, the motivation, focus and determination need to be self-generated and self-sustained. Much easier said than done. Note: this test is based on Hunter Allen’s Training and Racing with a...
For 2012, I’m working on identifying my limiters. It’s easy to say ‘everything’ but trying to be more specific. This is where WKO and Training Peaks shine. Take a look at the screen shot below which compares two different triathlons. At first glance, this may not make any sense, but if you read my post on Quadrant Analysis, it may become more clear. There are four quads in this graph: Quad 1: High Force...
Hunter Allen did a great job explaining Quadrant Analysis in WKO+/TrainingPeaks. Never really understood it, but he finally ‘dumbed’ it down. Now I can see why it would be such a great training tool. You can see the posts here: Part1. Part2. Part3. I’ll summarize. If you’re not familiar with the quadrant, take a look at the image below. If you want the nerdy details regarding the X,Y axis, you’ll need to read his...
