Training Stress Score

There is quite an exact science to training for long distance endurance events.  Months and even years of preparation go into the planning, nutrition, and fitness building.  Many athletes work with coaches to help them navigate the complications of our individual physiology.  I have worked with Rebecca McKee owner of Peak Center Alaska (and complete rock star!).   The training schedule she creates is specifically based on testing completed in her lab which, through fitness testing, determines the power and heart rate zones I should be focusing on for biking and running.  This testing is done every three months.  To track gains and losses in fitness I use Training Peaks to log every single workout completed.  In this age of electronics everything can be uploaded:  bike speed, bike cadence, heart rate, power output, etc...    This data spits out graphs like the one below. 

This graphs shows data since July 2013.  The dark blue line, which thankfully rises, indicates my level of fitness.  The yellow is a 'training stress score' which determine the level of fatigue.  The yellow line increases when you are resting and it decreases after long bike rides (for example).  The pink line is a daily total of the workouts each day (it is a product of intensity and time).  Such graphs are useful in understanding where your body is at and can be combined with our own awareness of what the body is feeling.   As we get closer to the race we will want to see the yellow increase so that there is LOTS of energy on race day!  This will be done by tapering (reducing the workload) slightly before the race.

As an engineer-I LOVE geeking out on this data! As an athlete, I LOVE the feedback which pushes me to work harder every training session.    Now if only I could do this for our dogs!