RUNNING

POWER
Training and Racing with Power

by Stryd

1 RUNNING POWER
Table of Contents
Introduction/About Stryd 3 Chapter 3: Training with Power 10 Analyzing power trend overtime 16

Chapter 1: Introduction to Run Power 4 Step 0: Setup and allow the athlete to Power duration profile & Power heatmap 16
get out and run with power 10
What is running power? 4 Is your training effective? 17
Step 1: Determine your athlete’s
Why training with Stryd power meter Critical Power Changes 17
critical power 10
is beneficial 5
Power Distribution Changes 17
Step 2: Calculate power zones 10
Precise intensity control 5
Power Profile Changes 17
Step 3: Keep critical power and zones
Organize your training phase 5
up to date 12 Chapter 5: Race with Power 18
Pacing Workouts/Races 5
Step 4: Create a power-based Plan the perfect race 18
Competing with power 6 training plan 12 Pace the perfect race 18
Measure fitness changes/performance Chapter 4: Analyze Workouts & Trends 13 Chapter 6: Next Steps 19
progress 6
Analyzing single workout 13 Continue learning 19
Quantifying fatigue and understanding
Average Power 13 Power Coaching Group 19
how to manage it 6
Form Power 13 APPENDIX 20
Why not heart rate, speed, or feel? 6
Running Stress Score 14 Examples of power-based workouts 20
Chapter 2: Introduction to Power Zones 7
Cadence 15 Other Resources 20
Critical power 7
Power Zone Breakdown 15 Additional metrics, tools, and links 20
Power training zones 8
Ground Time 15
Aerobic/muscular Endurance 9
Vertical Oscillation 15
Anaerobic endurance 9
Leg Stiffness 15
Muscle Power 9
Analyzing race 15
Recovery 9

2 RUNNING POWER
Introduction
Congratulations! You’re now part of the special group
of coaches and athletes who have decided to make
an investment in their running potential by training
and racing with the most accurate measure of their
body output, power. Power meters in general and Stryd
in particular provides a historical and revolutionary
breakthrough in running.

This ebook will get you started training and racing with
a power meter. By pulling information from what we’ve Stryd is used by World Champions, Olympians,
deemed to be the most important articles in power
and age group athletes around the world to
training, our goal is to provide you with an introduction
to the basics of power training, in an hour or less (de- track, analyze, and plan their training and racing.
pending on how fast you can read)!

About Stryd
Stryd is the most advanced wearable technology for
runners. Stryd currently provides the following metrics:
Power
Form Power
Elevation
Cadence Joe Gray Andy Reed
Ground contact time
Vertical Oscillation
Leg Spring Stiffness
Pace
Distance

Stryd can be purchased at store.stryd.com.

3 RUNNING POWER
Chapter 1: Introduction to Run Power

What is running power? Distance divided by time is also known as Running power considers speed , form, and
Power is the mechanical measure of running velocity, which is more commonly referred to elevation. Runners need quality training and
effort and intensity. Power indicates how as speed. If we substitute velocity into this guidance to succeed in their next race. Many
much energy you are expending during the equation we now have: runners struggle to find a repeatable and
run and how fast you are expending it. reliable way to attain high quality training and
Power = Force x Velocity racing. Everyday there are questions that need
Power is determined by calculating the
correct answers: When should I run next? How
amount of work done per unit of time as de-
This equation for power is where we would hard should I run? Stryd answers these ques-
scribed by the formula:
typically end while explaining how power tions with a metric new to the running world:
is measured on a bike. On a bike, power is power. But how accurate is running power?
Power = Work / Time
basically determined by multiplying the force This white paper evaluates the accuracy of the
applied to the pedals by the rate at which Stryd’s measurement of running power, ground
To better understand what power is we first
the pedals turn (cadence). However, running time, and vertical oscillation, by comparing it
need to get a better understanding of work.
power meters do things slightly differently. with a lab grade force plate-based treadmill
Work is equal to the force applied multiplied
Stryd breaks down the above equation fur- and a metabolic measurement system.
by the distance applied:
ther. Force is equal to the mass of an object
multiplied by its acceleration:
Work = Force x Distance
Power = Mass x Acceleration x Velocity
We can now substitute Force x Distance
for work, resulting in the new expression of
The mass of the object (you) is given and
power as:
Stryd takes extremely accurate measures of
your acceleration and velocity to calculate
Power = Force x Distance / Time
power, measured in watts.

4 RUNNING POWER
Why training with Stryd power meter is beneficial
Power quantifies your running performance Organize your training phase Pacing Workouts/Races
into a single, real-time number. Using both
Training phase periodization involves ma- Steady-state workouts and races require the
power and Stryd’s 3D motion capture capa-
nipulating training volume and intensity to energy to be expended in a well-calculated
bilities, we can get a deeper understanding of
produce high levels of fitness at times in the manner. This is hard even for the most sea-
running biomechanics and running efficiency
season when you have important races. With soned athletes. Most athletes go out much too
(the mechanical energy produced relative to
power, you can quantify your training stress fast at the start and pay the price in the second
the metabolic energy expenditure).
in a specific, measurable way using “running half of the race by having to significantly slow
Stryd, once you know how to use it, improves stress score (RSS)”, and use it to organize down. With a power meter, however, runners
your training and racing, if you are willing to your season around your important races. We can pace themselves in a much more precise
change the way you train. Power based train- will dive further into RSS in chapter 4. manner than with GPS readings or a HR mon-
ing brings many benefits to both coaches itor. GPS accuracy is dependent on weather,
and athletes, including following:

Precise intensity control

Different athletes have different goals, which
demand a specific type of fitness. Effective
training demands precision to become more
fit, this comes down to getting the duration
and intensity of the key workouts right. A
3-hour marathon race requires different
intensity level from a marathon off of the
bike in an Ironman triathlon. Training with the
same intensity for both of these events simply
will not work.

Power removes the guesswork for you to

estimate how hard you want to make your
key workout. With power, you know exactly
what the intensity demands of your target
event are so that you can replicate them in
training so that come race day, there will be
no surprises.
Stryd’s 3D motion capture helps you understand your running biomechanics and running efficiency

5 RUNNING POWER
 Measure fitness changes/ Performance in the race is directly related to
performance progress your output, not input. The input simply reflects
what the runner is experiencing. The output
There is one question every athlete ask ev-
decides who is going to come across the finish
eryday in their training season: “Am I becom-
line first.
ing fitter and faster”? With power, you can
answer this question and fully understand if Compared to speed, power is not affected by
your training is effective or not. With power, terrain change and actually capture the per-
you monitor changes in threshold power, formance impact caused by running efficiency.
power-to-weight ratio, power at specific du- Unlike speed, power will show the real-time
rations, and efficiency. We will go further into energy costs of running up and down hills
these in chapter 4. allowing the runner to accurately know their
course conditions, satellite reception, etc. energy expenditure over the course of a run.
Heart rate is affected by temperature, caf- Quantifying fatigue and Here in lies the greatest benefit of pacing with
feine, how much sleep you got and a whole understanding how to manage it power, a single numerical target to follow the
host of other factors, whereas power is much entire race.
In running, power is a multidimensional mea-
more precise, these factors do not impact the
sure of performance, not only does it mea- If you want to see the whole picture of the
calculated power.
sure effort but also biomechanics. One of the training, heart rate, speed and feel are still
But proper pacing goes well beyond the most important factors to consider in running important metrics, it’s just that looking at the
common problem of going out too quickly at -- endurance -- is directly affected by bio- run through the lens of power makes better
the start. It also eliminates the guesswork of mechanics. By leveraging the biomechanics sense of all that you are seeing and experienc-
pacing on hills, descents, and HR fluctuations. information, Stryd provides unprecedented ing from the other three, it makes them more
Pacing with power eliminates all of these and insight into how your fatigue accumulates in relevant, clearer and more meaningful.
thus gives confidence to the runner. the run. Knowing this allows Stryd to quantify
your muscular endurance, and know when
it is time to push your training and when it is
Competing with power time to rest.
If your goal is to get to the podium, then the
race intensity might not be steady at all, you
are constantly challenged by other runners Why not heart rate, speed, or feel?
and your pacing strategy may be dictated by Power and speed are measures of output,
that. These periods of surges can be critical they tell us what is being accomplished
moments in dicatating who will be the winner. during a run. Heart rate and feel are input,
With power, you can train to handle these they tell us what the effort is to create
surges with confidence during a race. the output.

6 RUNNING POWER
Chapter 2: Introduction to Power Zones

By now you should have a good understand- There are other ways to get an accurate CP 5. Recovery for 30 minutes. Throughout the
ing of how Stryd power meter works and estimation without doing a real race, and that 30-minute recovery period, the runner should
what it can do for you. Now let’s take a look at is to perform a critical power test. There are a walk or jog slowly.
how to set up your power training zones and couple of different critical power test proto-
6. 1200 meters Maximum-effort run. Run at a
know the basics of how to use those zones cols. Working with Dr. Andrew Coggan and Dr.
consistent pace throughout the test, but so
for workouts and races. Stephen Mcgregor, Stryd provides a 3/6 laps
that you are nearly exhausted at the end of
test protocol for runners with access to a
the test.
Critical power 400m track, and 3/9 minutes test for runners
without access to the track. 7. Cool down.
In order to train effectively, you need the right
balance of training load, intensity, and variety.
3/6 laps test 3/9 minutes test
For running, a performance baseline can be
quantified using critical power (CP). Once you 1. Warm up for 5 minutes. Do two to three 1. Warm up for 10 minutes. Do five 100-meter
know your CP you can calculate you power 100-meter strides at approximately 80% strides at approximately 80% maximum effort
zones. maximum effort during warm up to enhance during warm up to enhance the blood circula-
the blood circulation and ready your muscle tion and ready your muscle for intense use.
Critical Power (threshold power) represents for intense use.
the highest power that a runner can maintain 2. Maximum distance run for 9 minutes.
in a quasi-steady state without fatiguing, 2. 800 meters Easy-pace run. Two laps on a Run at a consistent pace throughout the
where the duration may range from 30-70 400-meter track, please use the innermost nine-minute test, but to be nearly exhausted
minutes, depending on the individual. lane. Run at an easy pace, such that you can at the end of the test.
comfortably maintain conversation.
To estimate your critical power, there are a 3. Recovery for 30 minutes. Throughout the
couple of ways to do it. The most straightfor- 3. Warm up for another 5 minutes. 30-minute recovery period, the runner should
ward way is to do an one hour full out race, walk or jog slowly.
4. 2400 meters Maximum-effort run. As is the
and the average power is your critical power. case for the three-lap run, it is important to 4. Maximum distance run for 3 minutes. Again,
However, because different runners have maintain a consistent pace during this run maintain a consistent pace during this run
different capabilities, it’s hard for the majority instead of dramatically changing pace (and instead of dramatically changing pace (and
of runners to find a race which happens to effort) during the run. effort) during the run.
just take them one hour to finish.
5. Cool down.

7 RUNNING POWER
With both the 3/6 lap and 3/9 minute test you training. It’s similar to heart rate zones if you How to use power zones
will need to enter your power, and/or pace have used a heart rate monitor before.
results from each segment of the test to How exactly you use power zones depends
When you are training every run has a on your goal and training plan.
calculate your critical power through Stryd’s
purpose. Zone based training allows coach-
PowerCenter.
es and athletes to better focus each run to
If the athlete is not currently in good shape, maximize its intended effect. Aerobic/muscular Endurance
but it’s still beneficial to know rough estima- Aerobic endurance is critical for all the endur-
Similar to the critical power test protocols, ance sports. This is the ability most closely
tion on their current performance baseline,
there are different ways to define power tied to your race type. The muscle endurance
Stryd provides a way for the athlete to get
zones based on different coaching philos- requirement for a 5k runner is completely dif-
the CP from their 5k or 10k time. The estimat-
ophy. Stryd uses 5 zones: Easy, Moderate, ferent from a ultra runner. Generally speaking,
ed CP is not going to as accurate as the value
Threshold, Interval and Repetition. Using the muscle endurance is tightly correlated
from the real test, but it’s a decent reflection
these zones will allow you to precisely de- with the accumulated stress of the long run,
on your current fitness. This tool is provided
termine the effort level in the most accurate and most long runs will fall in zone 1 and 2.
on Stryd’s PowerCenter as well.
way possible. During your run you will know There are many factors to determine your
immediately whether or not you are in the aerobic endurance, e.g. the muscle’s ability to
30 minutes test correct zone. Plus, you can review your data process lactate, the capillary density, the size
1. Warm up 15 minutes, preparing for a hard to see how well you performed the workout. of slow-twitch muscle fibers, etc. The work-
effort afterward. outs which are effective to promote most
2. Start a 30-minute time trial (best effort)
on a flat road or track, collecting power data
(collect pace and HR data as well, if possible).
Zone Training Intensity % of CP Example Workouts Adaptation
1 Easy 65-80% Long run, base Vascularization
3. Cool down 10 to 15 minutes.
Cardiovascularity
4. Take the average power for the last 20
minutes of the time trial; this is your rFTPw Injury resistance
2 Moderate 80-90% Marathon sim, tempo Vascularization
Power training zones Cardiovascularity
Once the athlete knows their current critical
power, they can use the value to determine Injury resistance
ideal training zones. Power zones are a simple 3 Threshold 90-100% 10k specific Lactate clearing
tool; they are the various power intensities 4 Interval 100-115% 5k specific Aerobic power
that you can use to plan and execute your 5 Repetition 115-130% Track, short duration Anaerobic power

8 RUNNING POWER
of the factors are in zone 2 and higher range
of zone 1. However, if you have some specific
area to improve, the zone assignment becomes
more specific. For example, if the purpose of the
workout is to improve specifically the muscle’s
ability to process lactate, the workout should be
done in the zone 3.

Anaerobic endurance
If your race requires anaerobic effort beyond
your critical power, you want to do workout in
the higher zones, e.g., zone 4 and lower end of
zone 5.

Muscle Power
Muscular power is directly linked to running
economy (energy expenditure for a given
speed). By improving the strength of your mus-
cles, the stiffness of your tendons, your tech-
nique, and your coordination, to get the most out
of each and every step. Typically workouts in
zone 5 would help you to develop muscle power,
especially if you do it on the hill.

Recovery
Recovery is best accomplished in the zone 1
for most athletes.

9 RUNNING POWER
Chapter 3: Training with power

In this chapter, we will introduce the general

flow of training with power.
From Stryd’s PowerCenter
Step 0: Setup and allow the athlete to ZONES POWER (WATTS) PACE (MIN/MILE)
get out and run with power
Easy 198 to 243 10:18/mi to 8:24/mi
Give the athlete a few days/weeks to get an Moderate 243 to 274 8:24/mi to 7:30/mi
idea of what power (watts) correlate with
Threshold 274 to 304 7:30/mi to 6:42/mi
specific paces
Interval 304 to 350 6:42/mi to 5:47/mi
Repetition 350 to 395 5:47/mi to 5:12/mi
Step 1: Determine your athlete’s
critical power
Field Tests
1. 3/9 test
2. 3 lap/6 lap test
3. 30 minute test

Other methods of determining CP From TrainingPeaks

1. Current 5K or 10K time If you use TrainingPeaks you can set run spe-
2. Workouts cific power zones directly on TrainingPeaks
3. Athlete feel, RPE by following these instructions.
Step 2: Calculate power zones
Now that you know your critical power, you
can determine your power zones. If you use
PowerCenter, you enter test test results and
we will automatically calculate your zones
for you.

10 RUNNING POWER
How do heart rate zones Zone Comparisons
compare with power?
TrainingPeaks Stryd Jim Vance
For the zones based on Karvonen formula, it’s Duration
Heart Rate Zones Power Zones Power Zones
straightforward to do 1-on-1 match with Stryd Zone 1 < 85% Zone 1 65-80% Zone 1 <81% 3+ hours
power zone:
Zone 2 85% - 89% Zone 2 80-90% Zone 2 81% - 88% 2 - 3 hours
A simpler 5 zones system based on Karvonen
formula for HR training, the percentage is Zone 3 90% - 94% Zone 3 90-100% Zone 3 89% - 95% 1 - 3 hours
used in this equation:
Zone 4 95% - 99% Zone 4 96% - 105% 1 hour
THR = ((HRmax - HRrest) × % intensity) Zone 5a 100% - 102% Zone 4 100-115%
+ HRrest Zone 5b 103% - 106%
Zone 5c > 106% Zone 5 115-130% Zone 5 106% - 115% 20 - 45 min
Stryd Power Zones Karvonen HR
Zone 1 65-80% 50% - 60% Zone 6 116% - 128% 2 - 18 min
Zone 2 80-90% 60% - 70% Zone 7 >129% <2 min
Zone 3 90-100% 70% - 80%
Zone 4 100-115% 80% - 90%
Zone 5 115-130% 90% - 100%

TrainingPeaks use Lactate threshold heart

rate(LTHR), and suggest 7 zones based on
LTHR.

For the zones based on TrainingPeaks

approach, the chart on the right shows a pos-
sible mapping method based on our under-
standing, under the assumption that the LTHR
can be mapped to Critical Power.

A more comprehensive list of alternative

power zones can be found here.

11 RUNNING POWER
Step 3: Keep critical power and Step 4: Follow a power-based
zones up to date training plan
Perform a critical power test and recalculate To start, you can adopt power into your exist-
zones every 4-6 weeks throughout training ing non-power based training plan (e.g., heart
to keep critical power and zones up to date. rate, pace, or RPE based) as follows:
You can also monitor the effort level at a
1. Train with your existing heart rate/pace/
particular power output so that over a period
RPE-zone based plan for at least one training
of weeks, if the the same power is easier to
cycle, and monitor your run power at each
produce then it is likely a good indication that
heart rate/pace/RPE zone along the way.
your critical power has increased. Recent
races are also a good replacement for a criti- 2. Obtain your personal power zones by input- Perform a critical
cal power test to assess your progress. ting your run power numbers alongside their
heart rate/pace/RPE zones. power test and
As you perform structured power-based
training, increases in fitness and efficiency 3. Train with power zones
recalculate zones
can be detected through: every 4-6 weeks
• Increase in critical power (compare test by throughout training
using your power to weight ratio in watts/kg)
to keep critical power
• Increase in power:HR
and zones up to date.
• Increase in power:form power

Great news, these are all reasons why you

bought your power meter in the first place!
But that also means you need to continually
monitor these as they increase over time, so
that you can keep training at a high enough
intensity to cause adaptations—or do your
“easy days” at a low enough intensity to
allow for recovery.

12 RUNNING POWER
Chapter 4: Analyze Workouts & Trends

Now that you have your Stryd power meter of time of the run. You can set your watch would be best to assess average power over
set up, your critical power tested, and the to display average power during your run or each of these segments to assess quality of
power zone configured. It’s time to begin do- view this afterward in the software such as the workout and compliance to the plan. Av-
ing workouts based on power. This chapter is PowerCenter, TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, etc.. erage running power will range from 100-500
going to take you to the next level of under- Average power is a simple metric and there- watts for most athletes.
standing power and other related metrics. fore most informative for straight runs or
race scenarios.
We use PowerCenter platform provided by Form Power
Stryd to demonstrate how the analysis can Normalized power (NP) is widely used in cy- Form Power is a measurement of the amount
be done. PowerCenter by far has one of the cling because you may have high variability in of power that is produced to maintain the
best support for both power related data your power output over the course of ride. For runner’s individual form, but is not put to-
and running biomechanics data from Stryd. example, on a bike you can coast down a hill wards the metabolic cost of running forward.
However, there are many softwares avail- and produce 0 watts and then perform short Form power is equal to the power used to
able on the market to help you to analyze duration, all-out sprints later on in the same move your body vertically up and down in
power related data, e.g., TrainingPeaks, Final ride. However, for running you cannot coast addition to any wasted power used to move
Surge, WKO4 and Golden Cheetah, feel free to down a hill with 0 watts as it still requires you laterally (side-to-side). The lateral power
choose the one that fits your needs best. power to run downhill and sprinting during a component of form power is very small thus
run workout will not produce nearly as high of you will see form power trend very closely
Analyzing single workouts a wattage as you would on a bike. Therefore, to your vertical oscillation. Decreases in
normalized run power and average run power your Form Power over time, when running at
Analyze a single workout or race to gain an
will be very similar in most cases and for sim- similar training speeds, is a good indication
understanding of performance, fitness, and
plicity only average power will be displayed in that you have improved your running econ-
areas to improve on so that you can structure
Stryd’s PowerCenter. For those still wanting omy. Monitor your form power to total power
your training more efficiently.
to use NP for running, you can find this metric ratio over time to see trends in your running
Following is a quick introduction to some key on third party platforms as you would for efficiency. Highly trained and economical
metrics to look at: cycling workouts. runners may already have near optimal run-
ning form but can monitor how Form Power
Average power may not be informative over
Average Power changes with fatigue. Form Power for most
a workout that includes various intensity
athletes will range from 30-100 watts.
Average power is the total of all the watts phases such as an easy warm-up, recovery,
generated during a run divided by the amount high intensity, and cooldown segment. It

13 RUNNING POWER
Running Stress Score
RSS is a single number to help runners un- run and summed together over the entire run
derstand their day-by-day training. It takes to give you a total RSS for the session.
into account the volume and intensity of your
Now that we have defined RSS we can take
training session to give you a single num-
a look at how to monitor your workload in
ber, or “score.” The Running Stress Score is
terms of RSS over days, weeks, and months.
similar to TSS (training stress score) which
allows you to compare the stress of work- For example, if on Tuesday you did a workout
outs of various duration and intensities. The that included a 10 minute warm-up + strides,
difference between TSS and RSS is small, a 20 minute tempo, and cooldown. You finish
the difference coming from the fact that the your run and upload the data to PowerCenter Monday 35
equation for RSS is intended to account for to see your total RSS for this was 89, a much Tuesday 89
the additional biomechanical stress put on higher RSS than an easy run on Monday. Wednesday 40
your body from running whereas cycling is Thursday 75
largely an aerobic stress. Once you have a history of scores for each
Friday 23
run you will begin to see patterns at at the
Here is how you would calculate TSS com- Saturday 30
end of a week you can look back at your
pared to RSS: Sunday 110
training and daily RSS such as the chart and

table on the right.
TSS = (duration of workout in seconds As shown by the relatively high RSS values
x NPx IF)/(FTP x 3600) x 100 above, we can see that quality workout ses-
sions fell on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
If we added all of the daily RSS values up, we
The primary input to RSS is running power
get a weekly workload of 402 RSS.
(collected each second) along with the time
spent at different training intensity levels and Stryd offers training intensity breakdown to
can be calculated as follows: help you understand your training varieties,
and help you adapt and optimize your day-by-
RSS for each second of your run = day, week-to-week, and seasonal training.
a * (one second power / critical power)^b
Read more on how to monitor training load
through a performance management chart
where a and b are both constants developed (PMC) on WKO4.
by sports physiologist. As mentioned above,
PowerCenter does not use normalized power
so RSS is calculated for each second of the

14 RUNNING POWER
Cadence Vertical Oscillation
Cadence (stride rate) – is the number of Vertical oscillation measures the amount of
steps a runner takes per minute (SPM) or “bounce” – i.e. vertical up and down move-
the total number of ‘revolutions per minute’ ment – generated while running. Similar to
(RPM). SPM takes into account steps of both ground contact time, applying drills, plyomet-
feet and therefore is double the RPM. rics, strength, and speed work to your training
and monitoring this metric over time may be
the best approach for analysis and tracking
Power Zone Breakdown
improvements.
Analyzing power zone distribution as a tool
Additional studies and references
for monitoring improvements and progres-
Leg Stiffness to Leg Spring Stiffness:
sion over time as well as determining how
effective the athlete followed the prescribed Leg Spring Stiffness is a measure of how well STRYD White paper
intensity for a single workout. Breakdown a runner recycles the energy applied to the STRYD Blog
of power zones can also be used to show ground. LSS has been shown to be correlated
or plateaus or improvements in training and with running performance. Think of your leg Leg Spring Stiffness - Response to Plyomet-
efficiency. as a spring upon which your body “bounces.” rics in Distance Runners?
The stiffer the spring, the less energy you
Leg Spring Stiffness and Hills
must produce to propel yourself forward
Ground Contact Time
with each step. This metric measures the Leg Spring Stiffness and Running Surface
Ground contact tracks how much time your stiffness of the muscles and tendons in your
foot touches the ground each stride. Most leg. Increases in LSS can indicate economy Leg Spring Stiffness and Static Stretching in
running ground contact times are between improvement over time. What is a “good” LSS Distance Runners
150 - 300 milliseconds. Elite runners are value? LSS is individual and cannot easily A Simple Method for Measuring Stiffness
typically under 200-milliseconds. Rather than be compared across different runners and During Running.
trying to consciously focus on decreasing should be standardized for body weight in
your contact time while you run which could your own comparisons over time. For this
lead to injury, we recommend applying drills, reason, trends in LSS/kg for specific speeds Analyzing race
plyometrics, strength, and speed work to your should be the focus of the analysis. Dynamic Pacing is the most important race strategy
training and monitoring this metric over time mobility and biomechanics drills along with you can plan and control. Pacing not only
for improvements and changes in how you run. strength training and hill repeat workouts controls how you expend your most precious
have been shown to improve leg stiffness commodity: glycogen, but also decides the
and running economy. All that said, LSS for body’s acidosis.
most athletes range from 6 to 14 kN/M.

15 RUNNING POWER
If your goal is to evenly pace your race to the group when it speeds up and matching its durations at which you are currently best
achieve your personal best, the pacing strat- power surges are critical to your final place- and what type of training you need to boost
egy is simple: set your target power and go ment. In these scenarios, your power will power for a given duration.
with it. However, it is not always easy to stick have high variation. When it comes to analy-
Here is an example of power duration profile:
with a plan during a race. For example you sis for this race, what matters most is that if
could get passed by someone you really want you can match the surge, and how the surge
to beat and want to surge to keep up, or you affects your race afterwards.With the ability
feel a need to hammer up a hill to try and drop to see the quick pace changes in the race
nearby competitors. Unfortunately, these files means you can now train more specifi-
perhaps unnecessary surges will waste gly- cally for the demands of your racing.
cogen and create additional acidosis. By re-
peatedly speeding up and slowing down you
will likely go slower overall than you would if
you ran steady. Extreme variation in effort will
needlessly say use a lot extra glycogen while
increasing your blood’s acidity and lead to
slow and painful finish.
Check out this example race analysis using
Example: power by Coach Steve Palladino.

The Y axis represents power in watts, the X

Analyzing power trend axis is time. Note that the X axis is not linear,
over time as it puts greater emphasis on the shorter
Power duration profile & Power heatmap durations where most of the changes are
If your goal is to get to the podium, then you likely to occur. Sprinters for example will have
Power and time are inversely related. The
are likely facing a variably paced race, and a steeper slope with higher power outputs
higher the power is, the shorter you can hold
pacing is also critical in this case. For this for the shorter durations whereas ultra run-
it. Power relative to duration is a great marker
type of race, your power output will signifi- ners will likely see flatter curves than most.
for fitness and performance. Therefore, if you
cantly change throughout, and your output However, the shape of the power duration
can increase your power for a given duration,
power at any given moment will largely curve could be used to indicate areas where
you are more fit for that duration.
depend on what others around you are doing the training is lacking, for example without
and your strength compared to your com- The power duration profile represents the including strides or high-end work to your
petitors. In some cases you can’t leave a athlete’s highest power output for every training the curve will appear flatter even if
certain group and run it by your own due to duration. It’s unique to you and it chang- your target race is a 5km or 10km.
psychological effect, therefore, staying with es as your fitness changes. It tells you the

16 RUNNING POWER
With power duration profile, you can create training load or intensity if needed. Different Power Profile Changes
the fitness you need that is unique to the de- athletes need different training strategy to
One of the best indicators of your prepared-
mands of your races by emphasizing training enhance different areas like pace manage-
ness to perform well in a certain type of race
with appropriate intensity. And Stryd provides ment, hill climbing, anaerobic capability, etc.
is how much absolute power you can gen-
tool called Power heatmap for this exact
Effective training means watching for mark- erate for periods of time that are predictive
purpose.
ers of change in many areas. The following of the demands of your race. Keeping track
A visual description of your running history in are some of the power markers from workout of changes in your power profile is a great
terms of both intensity (power) and duration. analysis over the course of a training season way to measure race readiness, and you can
Bright red “hot” areas indicate combinations that serve as indicators that your training is achieve that by comparing the power profile
of power and duration that you frequently paying off as you become fitter and faster. of the current season with those from the
achieve in your training. Dark blue areas previous one or from any other segments
occur less often. of time. This could be season-to-season
Critical Power Changes comparison or phase-to-phase comparison
The Training Power Heatmap has two primary The most basic way to gauge progress within a season. The options are endless and
purposes: 1) a time-in-zone comparison and toward greater fitness and faster racing is to provide a great tool for gauging how you are
2) the maximum power that you have sus- monitor changes of your critical power. Ide- progressing relative to another known period
tained in your training. The simple rendering ally you see the positive change throughout of time.
of your time in zone allows you to quickly the whole training phase.
identify how you have been spending your
time while training. It helps you to quickly
determine if you have been targeting the cor- Power Distribution Changes
rect running intensities for your target race. The shift in training time spent in each power
Additionally, the Curve Power will always zone is a direct indicator of the training
display the maximum power that you have progress and indirect indicator of the general
achieved in your training for that given dura- improvement. During the base period most
tion. Use this information to determine what athletes display the relatively same distribu-
you are able to accomplish in your next race! tion, however, once they get to race specific
training, their power distribution changes due
to different targeted races and the specific
Is your training effective?
demand of each. The goal race distance and
Analyze the workout to gain insight on well demands will define the training focus and
it was performed. Analyzing training over the your power distribution should change over
course of a training block or a season allows the course of a season to reflect this.
you to quantify improvements and adjust

17 RUNNING POWER
Chapter 5: Race with Power

Plan the perfect race

There a few different ways you can go about 2. By analyzing the athlete’s training data, Pace the perfect race
selecting your target power for a specific through the power-time heat-map, you can Having a race plan is great, but executing said
race distance: estimate your athlete’s peak sustainable run plan is where most runner typically falter.
power across different race distances and Download and use the Stryd PowerRace IQ
1. Estimate your maximum sustainable power
estimated times. APP to maintain your perfect race execution.
the race distance based on your critical pow-
er (10k power for most). Below is a guideline 3. Have a goal time already in mind? Try using Set a target that your athlete is forced to
that Stryd has derived from our own in-house this third-party calculator to estimate the follow, enabling them to run at the proper
results and through speaking with Stryd us- average power you need to hold to achieve a intensity throughout the race.
ers; your own race distance power as a per- specific time for a given course.
cent of 10k power will be different depending
4. Run your goal race pace on similar terrain/
on your fatigue resistance.
elevation and use the power you produce at
this pace for your target race power.
Distance (km) % 10k power
0.8 128.5
1.6 116
3 109.4
4 106.1
5 103.8
10 100
21.1 94.6
42.2 89.9

18 RUNNING POWER
Chapter 6: Next Steps

Stryd Academy
Become a certified Stryd Coach through
Stryd Academy - Run With Power Courses
instructed by Coach Jim Vance (USAT CEUs
also available). More information can be
found at Stryd Academy.

Run With Power The Secret of Running Power Coaching Group

by Jim Vance by Hans Van Dijik & Ron van Megan https://www.stryd.com/coaching

“From 5K to ultramarathon, a power meter “How much power does your human engine Stryd has been tested, used and proved
can make you faster—but only if you know have? How much power do you need for run- by coaches all over the world in the
how to use it. Just viewing your numbers is ning in different conditions? How can you op- past several years. We have created the
not enough; you can only become a faster, timize your training and racing performance? power coaching group for those coaches
stronger, more efficient runner when you How can you use power meters to improve actively using Stryd with their athletes.
know what your key numbers mean for your your results? What are the ultimate limits of
If you are a coach interested in part-
workouts, races, and your season-long train- human performance? The Secret of Running
nering with us you can find out more by
ing. In Run with Power, TrainingBible coach answers all of these questions. It shows how
applying here.
Jim Vance offers the comprehensive guide power meters can be used to optimize your
you need to find the speed you want.” training, running economy and race result.”

19 RUNNING POWER
Appendix

Examples of power-based workouts Additional metrics, tools, and links Other Resources
Progressive hill repeats Once you become comfortable with 1. Explore the Stryd Support page for help
power-based workouts and have collected troubleshooting.
enough baseline data for comparisons you
2. Read the Stryd Blog to read about the most
can begin to take advantage of the additional
useful Stryd features.
benefits that run power provides.
3. Join the Stryd Facebook Community to
1. Monitor changes in efficiency:
learn from Stryd Experts.
a. Efficiency Index (EI)
Interval 4. Learn from Stryd Improve on PowerCenter
b. Form Ratio
to guide your training.
c. Running Effectiveness (RE)

2. C
 reate & publish your own Power-Based
Training Plan or purchase one through plat-
forms like Final Surge and TrainingPeaks:

Tempo on the hill a. Jim Vance Power Plans

b. D3 Multisport Power Plans
c. Peter Lijten Power-Based ½ and Full
Marathon Plans
d. Matt Fitzgerald 80/20 Run Plans

3. Tools to analyze power files

Intensity control with recovery a. PowerCenter

b. Final Surge
c. SportTracks
d. TrainingPeaks
e. WKO4
f. Golden Cheetah

20 RUNNING POWER