Effective run training and race planning using the Stryd running power meter with Matt Bevil | EP#143

​​​​​Effective run training and race planning using the Stryd running power meter with Matt Bevil | EP#143

In this Episode you'll learn about:

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Shownotes

About Matt Bevil

Race power planning

• We're at a point with running power where we have a lot of new adopters.
  • People are using the device with training and collecting data, which is a great start.
• The next step is people following a training plan and doing workouts based on power.
• This is the intended use.
• With that you have coaches prescribing training plans based on power.
• On race day, pacing with power allows you to gauge your intensity for the entire duration of the race.
• If it's a changing terrain, you can pace appropriately with power rather than pace or heart rate.
• This is the step people haven't got to - they've collected the data but haven't yet applied it.
• We're trying to promote this and educate about the strategies for power planning.

Racing with power

Choosing your power target number

• There are going to be people who are either more slow twitch or more fast twitch.
• You also have coaches like Steve Palladino, Chris Hague, yourself Mikael, who can look at the runners running effectiveness and incorporate that into the calculation.
• It really comes down to what type of runner you are.
  • How much you fatigue over different distances will change as a result of this.
• We can give a basic idea, and then from looking at their power duration curve, their training data, and knowing the athlete, you can narrow the power target down.
• Stryd is an extremely useful tool for the coach - it's not there to replace them.
• Using a marathon as an example:
  • We do these at marathon expos - we invite anyone with Stryd and probably not a coach and we try to guess their average power for a marathon.
  • A marathon's general target starting point is 89-90% of threshold.
  • From there you can go back and look at power duration curve and long run data.
  • We take into account RPE for those marathon runs.
    • At 20 miles, how was your nutrition, how were your shoes, all the things you need to practice.
    • You need to take these into account and adjust the target accordingly.
• Chris Hague gave a great webinar on triathlon race planning.
  • That's a lot more difficult because there's more variables at play.
  • You need to take advantage of race simulations.
  • It comes down to having specific workouts where you work with your race intensity on the bike and then running with race intensity off the bike.

• Marathon is a little more simple - you can use 20 mile long runs to look at your marathon pace or marathon effectiveness.
• What Steve Palladino and others have done is create calculators that incorporate your running economy into your race power target.
• They can really give you a good idea of what your average power would be for a certain target time across different distances.

• In terms of quantifying it, with power you can more accurately adjust to environmental changes.
• For example going up to altitude or down to sea level.
• We're doing this a lot with Joe Gray, the trail runner.
• When we look at race planning he's climbing around 2000 feet in his races.
• We're trying to account for how much power will drop as his goes up in altitude.
• Steve Palladino also has a great article about altitude conversions.
• There's lots of other applications to it as well.
• If you're not racing to a power target you can still collect the data, it's simple to clip it on your shoe.
• A lot of elite ITU athletes now don't wear watches to receive live splits, but they'll wear Stryd and their coach can look at the data later.

Training at the right intensity using power

Developments at Stryd

25:51  - 

• We recently released the power hiking update.
• This is for trail and ultra runners for when they're running and switching to hiking - which is a different activity.
• We've done tests internally to improve the algorithm to reflect energy expenditure.
• We're constantly working on accounting for wind in our product.
• Wind isn't a huge factor until it is really strong winds, and then it's hard to compare.
• Power won't reflect things like running into a headwind and then having a tailwind later at the moment, but we're working on it.
• There's other things we need to improve on - without saying too much we're constantly innovating and improving the product! 

Leg Spring Stiffness (LSS)

28:03 - 

• You can find your LSS in your Stryd Power Center.
• One of the well known running coaches in town always says running is stride rate times stride length - it's very basic.
  • With LSS, it puts a magnifying glass on what's really happening with the athlete.
  • Each athlete is different - you can reach the same pace by doing it differently.

Training muscular endurance

• Power adds a convenience to training - you can perform a workout anywhere, on any terrain.
• We talk a lot about seeing the marathon pace bands for specific courses.
• You're trying to change your pace target for each mile.
• Power eliminates this issue and gives you one number to focus on.
• It also increases the accuracy of runs on a treadmill, which are often not well calibrated.
• You can even input the grade in your Stryd moobile app, and power will be adjusted for that.

Future of running with power

39:43 - 

• In terms of where we think it's moving it's less guided by us and more by the coaches and athletes using the product.
• The coaches that we've worked with in the past have really steered the direction of the project to where it is today.
• The metrics we focus on comes from that.
• There are so many coaches that have pioneered the running power revolution and pushed it to where it is now.
• We're continuing to follow this model.
• My role at Stryd is to work with these coaches and hear their feedback, and then channel it to our small team of engineers.
• It's really guided by athletes and coaches today, and we're trying to improve the product to help athletes improve. 

Rapid fire questions

43:02 - 

• What is your favourite book, blog or resource related to triathlon?
  • Daniel's Running Formula by Jack Daniels. 
• What is your favourite piece of gear or equipment?
  • My Stryd! 
  • I recently had the opportunity to test the Nike Vapour Fly's (allegedly 4% improvement in running eonomy?) - they were really interesting. I still prefer the Nike Pegasus, they're my go to training shoe. 
• Who is somebody is running or endurance sports that you look up to?
  • Bobbie McGee who is a coach here in Boulder. He has so much knowledge and I've worked with him in the past to get to where I want to be in triathlon. He's a class act and he's always so helpful and has been a great resource for me and for Stryd.

Links, resources and contact

Links and resources mentioned

• Twitter: @Matt_Bevil and @Strydrunning