If you’re a moderately competitive cyclist, you HAVE to have a power meter. Power meters give you a more accurate representation of your work (energy) when you’re running.
Think about running uphill.
Can you look at your pace? Nope, it’ll be slow.
Can you look at your heart rate, maybe, but if the hills <5min, you probably won’t get a representative reading until you’re at the top.
Using a running power meter, you can accurately measure your effort from the bottom to the top of the hill.
When you’re in a race like a marathon that requires a precise distribution of effort, a running power meter can maximise your chance of success.
Do you NEED a power meter? No.
Runners have been successfully executing races for decades. Even before GPS and Strava 😱.
Running power meters add an extremely useful tool to the runners’ toolbox. When you see Olympic Champions like Eluid Kipchoge and Kristian Blummenfelt with running power meters clipped to their shoes, you know the future is here.
If you have a coros, polar, or Garmin HR strap, it’s likely you already have access to running power. You just haven’t unlocked its powers yet.
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Getting Started with a Running Power Meter
Step One. Step up runnig power
Get a Running Power Meter or at least active the running power data field on your watch
Step Two. Run with Your Power Meter.
Have power displayed on your main watch screen along with pace and heart rate to get an idea of how your power outputs relate to your pace and heart rate.
Try doing some runs where you only run to power, and ignore pace and heart rate.
Step Three. Start Logging Your Data
The more data you have, the easier it is to analyse trends and build an appropriate training plan specific to your needs.
I recommend logging your data with dedicated software like TrainingPeaks (Affiliated)
The free version is fine. But you’ll want to upgrade when you begin to analyse your data. Stryd Powercenter is okay, but their analysis features are weak, and you can’t bulk export your data if you want to move to another software later.
Step Four. Set Your Critical Power
Dr Will’s 1 & 5 test.
- 1km All-Out
- 3 Days rest/easy
- 5km Time Trial or Race (i.e. Parkrun)
Step Five. Set-up Your Zones
Most devices will automatically set your zones based on your critical power, but I suggest using my system for better accuracy. I have a full rundown of my training zones HERE
Happy Running!
Dr Will
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