Ok. So right up front I have to say that I love me some technology and really, really, really like what my Garmin can do. I find the data extremely helpful and, very honestly, I like to see all that data. Distance. Time. Speed/Pace. Heart rate. Cadence. And on and on and on. From a training perspective having and using data can be very, very productive.
What I am talking about here is how we train and how we race. When I started running back in the late-1990s I would go out dressed to run with a simple Timex watch on my wrist and a general idea of the distance of my course for that day. How did I figure out the distance? Maybe by riding my bike on the roads, or maybe driving my car. After a while I got to know how far almost every section of road was within a 10 mile radius of my house and Body Dynamics (the health club I owned and operated at the time).
I did tempo runs and occasionally would go to a track for a speed workout. Well, truth be told, hitting the track was and still is something I try to avoid due to a total dislike for running in 400M circles. Any run that was done on the roads would have guestimate feedback as we didn't really know exactly how far it was to the next intersection, or telephone pole, or the designated mile marker. Point is, when we ran we didn't have instant feedback like one has today and we never knew exactly how far we had gone. Needless to say, there were no HR Monitors or run cadence sensors ... but things were a little more advanced on the bike.Not knowing if I was in "Zone 2" or "high zone 3" never crossed my mind. It was more like, am I going easy, moderately hard, hard, or holy crap I'm gonna' blow up in about 30 seconds.
Fast forward to today and it is a whole different world for many runners, bicyclists, and triathletes. For many it has become more about training in exact zones or hitting some power numbers or certain speeds. Many an Ironman competitor will be more focused on his/her power numbers than how they are actually feeling (let alone the awesome courses we get to ride on). Theory is, if I ride at X I will be able to run.
What is missing is an understanding of the body and how it reacts to the training or racing stimulus, both positive and negative. See, there are other factors that need to be considered. Racing and training can and should be science-based, but do have an art component as well. Sticking to the numbers, without an understanding of your body has three potential outcomes, two of which are negative:
1. You become a slave to the technology and you run the perfect race/training run. POSITIVE
2. You become a slave to the technology and you train/race below your potential. NEGATIVE
3. You become a slave to the technology and you blow up or race below your potential. NEGATIVE
The only way you are successful is if you are exactly right and any outside factor has no affect (positive or negative) on your performance. Because, you know, you never have a day where you feel like a million bucks and you never have a day where you feel like S**t. And heat, humidity, excessive cold, your bowels, that fight you had with your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse, stress from your job, a bad night's sleep .... that never happens, right?
Here's how it should work in racing: At the Philly Tri a few years ago I decided to just go for it and raced the swim and bike aggressive but controlled, then just go for it on the run. I had my Garmin on my wrist but only used it for total time, allowing me to post-race assess how things went and come to some conclusions as to why. After a faster than expected swim and a quick transition, I hit the bike course and quickly moved up to the front end of my age group. I rode the steep, technical hills aggressively, allowing my heart rate to spike, while making the most of the downhill sections to build speed and recover. On the flats I rode right at my perceived limit. On the run I held back a bit for the first mile, getting my legs under me, then gradually pushing the pace faster. By mile four I was running right at capacity, a pace where I knew I was in my final gear. Not once did I know my average pace or heart rate (I could see current pace on my bike computer), only my perceived exertion.
The result was a PR for the Olympic distance and some of the fastest miles I have ever run off the bike coming in the back half of the run. I felt great all day, well within myself. The data, however, showed me racing above what a technology-based approach would have had me doing. I felt unbelievable that June morning, leaving everything out on the course. Racing by the numbers would not have achieved the same results.
So how do I use technology?
Honestly I use technology more to hold me back than to push harder. On a recovery run, for example, I will usually just keep the heart rate information visible to allow me to really keep it easy. IMHO this is a very good use of technology as there are days where I am looking for simple recovery but my perceived exertion and actual exertion are not synced up. If I'm looking to hit a tempo or threshold pace, on the other hand, I will use the data in a traditional manner ... which is much more effective than guessing how far a mile repeat is or how fast I am moving.
While racing I have found that the data is valuable after the race to try and understand what happened and why, but also a great tool for long-distance racing. For me, long-distance racing is any running event longer than a 1/2 marathon or a triathlon that lasts more than three hours.
Last year at Augusta 70.3 I used my Garmin 910xt to keep my heart rate within a range while on the bike. I rode relatively easy for the first few miles to get down into my zone, then held within my pre-determined range for most of the ride. On the rolling/hillier terrain I did allow heart rate to go above this range, but only so far. Because I held back I felt scary good on the back third of the ride, able to run as I wanted out of transition, setting a 13 minute PR in teh process.
The moral of the story: Use sports technology for what it is - a great training and racing tool that can help you more effectively reach your goals - but don't forget to listen to your body.
Stay focused. Train hard.
Jon
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