Comments on: Endurance Lifestyle Design — Excerpt 5

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 03:21:59 +0000

Thanks again Patrick

By: Patrick McCrann

Patrick McCrann — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 21:48:22 +0000

Yes but no. In your initial example you compared time and watts, which are definitely not the same. In between those two things lies speed (or pace). When running, since we don't have a means of measuring how “hard” your muscles are working, we can use pace as the next best thing. There is the concept of Normalized Graded Pace (NGP) where some really smart folks have worked to measure just how harder your 8:00/mi pace uphill is than your 8:00/mi pace downhill. It's not perfect, but again it's waaaaaay better than heart rate alone!

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:41:59 +0000

So when running, pace could not be used as an objective, because it too would be dependent on external variables such as terrain, wind, heat, etc.. A 8 minute mile at zero percent grade would be less work then an 8 minute mile at 4 percent grade. Thanks again

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:32:39 +0000

Thanks Patrick

By: Patrick McCrann

Patrick McCrann — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:32:45 +0000

@Matt, great question. While time is objective, it doesn't take into account how you got there faster unless you kept many other variables constant (gearing, course, conditions). By measuring power, we measure how much actual work your muscles are doing. You might ride a TT loop in 38 mins one day but 44 mins next week. You were slower in week two, but due to the headwinds, you pushed more watts and actually did more work.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:41:22 +0000

wouldn't a stop watch be as objective as power? Time is time, just like watts are watts. I would think HR would be subjective because it is so easily influenced by external stimuli.

Thanks