At this point perhaps I should consider activating the "monetize" feature in Google Blogger so that ads related to the dingbats I discuss can be lovingly advertised alongside my super wicked word usements. Fear not, Fair Reader, I shall spare you this bit of overt lucre grasping - for now.
Now: on with the show!
In this post the focus is on tools that anyone can use to take a snapshot of their current state of being and track changes in their performance (and corpus) over time.
A heart rate monitor
Perhaps the greatest insight for any athlete is knowing whether they are working out hard enough for long enough to do any good. An heart rate monitor (HRM) is the most direct way to track this for yourself, and these days you can get HRMs that can download data to a computer so that you can see how your pulse changed over the course of a workout.
To use an HRM you need to work out a few numbers. There's a wealth of info on the net about determining your max, target, and anaerobic threshold heart rate values. Most will arrive at similar numbers using methods of various degrees of scientific merit and rigor. The easiest shorthand I've found for adult men is:
target = 180 - age
max = whenever you start to puke
Another popular version is:
max = 220 - age
target = max * 65%
In either case, you need to experiment and observe yourself while working out. I find that I am doing pretty well when my BPM is between 140-160 but if it gets up to 170 I really start gasping (and risk setting off an asthma attack). My numbers are well predicted by the formulae above, but there are aerobic mutants like Lance Armstrong (or Eddie Merckx, for the oldsters) who can maintain performance at his VO2max, i.e. at the edge of his body's ability to supply oxygen to cells, for extended periods of time. He's not normal. Us normal people should stay at or around our target heart rates.
I use a Garmin Forerunner 210 as my HRM which records my training data in a way that can be downloaded to a computer. You can also get bluetooth HRM straps that work with software running on a smart phone or tablet, which is pretty convenient!
Body Fat Scale
These scales know things about most people that they'd rather keep private! If you're already athletic, regardless of your real or perceived level of "fatness", get one of the models with an "athlete" mode which helps to compensate for higher lean body mass and bone density. I've a "Tanita BC-549" which can show weight, %body fat, level of hydration, BMI, and a number of other data I don't bother paying attention to.
I don't generally track my weight (a straight line is an uninformative graph) but I do weigh myself regularly and notice both my absolute weight and the percent body fat. These can vary a lot even within a single day, which is why the advice is to weigh yourself at the same time every day. Before or after your morning shower is the easiest, but, because you're probably somewhat dehydrated first thing in the morning, your weight may read low and %BF may appear high. Try not to dwell on the numbers as much as their trend ("down" for most of us) and their relationship to one another.
A GPS tracking tool
If you work out outside (run, ride, paddle, walk, golf... kite ski, anything!), associating where you were with how hard you were working provides incredible insight into what works for you and what works you over. My Garmin watch logs GPS data and watches by Timex, Suunto, Motorola, and others provide a similar functionality.
It's worth noting that GPS has problems in heavily covered areas (like deep canyons or cities with high buildings) and it's notoriously poor at representing accurate altitude (vs. position on the globe) but generally you'll get enough info to be useful. Again, as long as the data is consistent within and between workouts, it can be totally bunk vs. "reality". Here's a trace of time + HRM + Speed + Altitude from a recent ride:
Looking at this I can see that on downhill and on flats I went fast and had a heart rate at or below 150, on climbs my heart rate went up and speed down, etc. I can also see when I stopped, including the extended pause at about the 1 hour mark because one of the guys on the ride had a mechanical problem.
As mentioned in the HRM section, smart phones can serve this purpose, too! Many apps that integrate with bluetooth heart rate monitors also use the phone's built in GPS to track workouts and their data plan to upload directly to a tracking site.
An application that collects your data and lets you do some analysis
Now that you can gather your statistics, you need to track them in some way so that you can a) prove to yourself that you've been training and b) observe whether your training is going in the right direction (more miles per week, more weight hoisted, etc.). It's also critical to track your output so you know when to back off and let your body recover.
It used to be that a spreadsheet and calendar were the tools of choice, but in these internetified days, there are lots of tools (many free!) to track this info:
- Endomondo: my personal choice, device neutral including a smartphone app, nice interface
- Garmin Connect: free for Garmin owners and is well integrated with the PC software
- MapMyRun
- RunKeeper
I like Endomondo, but any tool that you like and that lets you review what you've done will serve this role. Here's an example:
Conclusion
There we go. At this point you have more data at your fingertips than generations of Olympic athletes before you. You can make some objective judgements about your body, your athletic performance, and whether your routes make smiley faces or other patterns when viewed from above. Joy!
Next big post, I'll write a few thoughts in clothing, shoes, and other things not requiring batteries.
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ReplyDeleteRe: Heart Rate
ReplyDeleteI think it's worthwhile to understand the concept of HR training zones and work each zone as part of a weekly schedule if one's goal is to 'get faster'. Training at a target of 65% will only get you so far - basically it's similar to Maffetone or Metabolic Efficiency or LSD (long slow distance) training. But I get what you're saying. Also, the 'formula' based method is like saying the average US shoe size is 10.5 - it's a little less meaningful when applied to each individual. A better approach is to determine your Lactate Threshold (LT) either in a lab or by doing a self-test. There are protocols described out there for various sports to self-test. You can then determine your 'zones' from your LT (a lab test will actually map out each zone to HR ranges based on your lactate accumulation profile).
Re: Garmin and elevation
If you use Garmin Connect, you can check a box that tells it to use Google Map data (which is fairly accurate) to correct elevate. I've found it to be pretty good.
Re: Tools of the Trade
You forgot iPod and Nip Guards :-)
KS,
ReplyDeleteYou make some good points, but I think you may be jumping ahead, topic-wise. I was trying, perhaps too simplistically, to describe using the HRM. Using it well, or optimally, is a bigger task that I may be unable to do justice. Both of the formulae above are rules of thumb (the 180-age version is Maffetone) get something useful to start with. In my training, I am more concerned with my max and its impact on my overall performance; I have observed that once my pulse hits 170 and above, my lungs rapidly start to shutdown, regardless of how my legs are doing. I was planning to write up something about training planning, cycling, and intensity so I may hit some the zone topics over time.
Since the events I train for are often "hurry hurry slow slow" (obstacle courses, orienteering, etc.) training to handle the "spike and recover" is key.
WRT Garmin Connect, there are several features of GC that I like, the "play" feature and the "elevation corrections" are part of it. But in the end, I like the UI and social features of Endomondo more, and as I wrote, I think that it's the statistics not necessarily the individual workouts that are the important thing. The raw altitude data from my Garmin 210 seem to match the terrain I cover, so if the actual altitudes are wrong, it doesn't really worry me. If I ever need to track really accurate altitude info I'll get a Suunto watch, but I don't foresee that for a while.
Music, clothing, shoes, "extras" (nip guards, Body Glide, etc.), and other gear choices will get blog time.
btw - I'm doing an LT test this coming Tuesday with a guy here in CO who is big on the Metabolic Efficiency method (aka Maff). I've always wanted to take the up to 12 weeks and run a Maff HR - just to see if I get faster. In the test, they determine if from your lactate accumulation profile if it will help (basically where your zones are too narrow or wide).
ReplyDeleteShould be interesting - mostly the profile across the different zones as it relates to my history and training plan. More so than just the LT number.