STRYD Zones

The STRYD Zones CIQ Data Field is a nice, new and welcomed addition to the STRYD ecosystem – I guess we can call it that now. The new STRYD Zones CIQ data field also builds on the auto-Critical Power announcement from last week and the new STRYD Pod v4 announcement from the week before to make running-with-power just that little bit more compelling.

In A Nutshell

You probably already know there is either a formula or spreadsheet to work out your power zones from your critical power and to work out your critical power from one, or a series, or performances.

Well, the whole process is now (optionally) automated. If you execute a breakthrough session and sync your results, then a new CP and new zones are sync’d back to your watch – AUTOMATICALLY

Get it now: Download from Conenct IQ here on on the Garmin mobile CIQ app

Thoughts

My understanding is that the auto-CP calculation is based on your last 3 month of efforts and that at least 12 runs are required. Thus, if you breakthrough performances fall past the 3-month time frame then your zones will go DOWN. That IS correct behaviour and perhaps a little bit more of an incentive for some of us to try a bit harder a bit more often! Actually, some may argue that a 3-month timeframe is TOO LONG…but let’s just say for now that such a view probably DOES have some merit and move on.

The Problem With CP

One of the problems with CP and the zones that are derived from it is that they do not take into account fatigue.

Taking a silly example: you’ve just run a 10K PB. You probably won’t then be able to run a 2x20minute minute session at 90% CP. You might even struggle the next day to do that session.

Taking another example: You don’t train at all for 3 weeks (not months). Your CP and your Zones WILL GO LOWER. I was hospitalised earlier this year and off serious training for over 3 weeks. One of the models that I use (xertonline.com) said that my cycling CP fell by about 10%, which is annoying as to then increase it back by about 11% is not trivial.

These decay factors also REALLY impact your abilities to perform even over short time frames and you will know that your 10th zone 5 rep is quite a bit harder than the first one! They even affect you during a workout.

So, clearly, there will be decaying factors over time that affect both your FATIGUE and your FORM/FRESHNESS.

Thus, whilst the physical WORK/POWER might be the same from a zone-based workout, it’s physiological RESPONSE/ADAPTATION is not always the same. And it’s the adaptation you want, right?

If those last few paragraphs are ‘lightbulb moments’ for any of you then go to https://www.xertonline.com/my-fitness, which is a running-power compatible platform. Xert has a concept of your maximum power available (MPA) at any one time and it works backwards from that. Xert even has a STRAVA segment Hunter which modifies pacing during yoru attempt at any given STRAVA segment.

FYI: In CP terms, MPA during a workout is the inverse of W’  … that should keep you googling for a while 😉

Despite all of that, I’m sure you know that I still stick to the same kind of relatively static zones as you !! So STRYD’s new degree of dynamism in the power zones WILL be useful to me too! Although having said, that if Xert changed their model so that it simultaneously took into the combined effects between running and cycling then I’d use it in a shot. (Currently, Xert requires you have a login for each of cycling and running)

Futures?

I know STRYD listen & respond to criticisms of their product and platform. They’ve demonstrated that by all the improvements they’ve released incrementally over the last few years. So perhaps there is some scope for them to further model CP?

Polar Vantage users will probably be counting down the weeks until Octoberish when Zone lock (and perhaps other features) will finally be available for running with power.

Suunto running power users might hope that there could be an addition to the existing models: Suunto 3, Suunto 5, Suunto Spartan Sport, Suunto 9. I’ve heard there’s some more triathlon stuff coming but I don’t know if that will extend into running with power.

 

Get it now: Download from Conenct IQ here on on the Garmin mobile CIQ app

 

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