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Posted by simon on 3/22/2007 on simon's blog I've finally found a way that I think will let me get an objective comparison of training runs and races so that i can see if I'm really making progress or not. Comparing runs is difficult. Even when they are on the same route in much the same weather conditions at the same time of day. Time isn't enough. Time and heart rate is better. But how about heart rate and distance -- as in beats per yard? It sounds a bit odd, but I've started using it and am finding it useful. I got the idea from Hawaii-based coach Brian Clarke, who writes about it in his book "5k and 10k Training" (Human Kinetics 2006). What you do is get your pace per mile and multiply it by your average heart rate (beats per minute) from the run. That gives you the number of heartbeats per mile. Divide beats per mile by 1,760 (yards in a mile) and you get a Proficiency Rating for the run in beats per yard. As an example, comparing the two "Fence" runs I've just been talking about in my previous blog "Where did the hills go?, the first run got a rating of 1.481 and today's gets 1.527. Brian explains in his book how he even uses the proficiency rating during an interval session, "looking for signs of adaptation", as he puts it, and knowing when to stop. Not being mathematically inclined, I got Abby to set up an Excel spreadsheet for me with all the equations embedded. All I have to do is type in the time, distance and average heart rate for each run and it gives me a "PR". "A typical proficiency rating is 1.123 yards per heartbeat" says Brian. "Since heart rates differ from person to person, proficiency values are not directly comparable among different athletes"> However, he says 5-6-hour marathoners usually have PVs around 0.850-0.950 range, while "the fastest Hawaii athletes I've assessed are about 2.150". * Check out Brian's website, which has a lot of useful articles, at BC Endurance Trainings. | |
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Give your runs a Proficiency Rating
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7 comments
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gditsch says:
Simon - thanks for this information. I have never seen this method used, it would be interesting to see a large amount of data analyzed and take a look at it... can you share the excel file? I'm too lazy right now to program it myself, but I do have a lot of data to input. Here's a graph I did a while ago. More there now:
Rob says:
That sounds like a useful way to compare performance over time. I've only been looking at average heart rate, average pace, and perceived effort while running the same course to track my progress. I wonder if someone will integrate this into Sporttracks or MotionBased...
Rob
gditsch says:
ok - so maybe I'm messing something up (probably am) but my range is .66 to .74 from the data (plus the last few months) that is included in the image above.....
Guess that makes less efficient than a 5-6 hour marathoner? Maybe I need to buy the book to figure this out?
simon says:
That would be cool, Rob. I'd like it if Garmin would stick the computation into the Foreunner so I could get the proficiency number right away. The Suunto monitor that Bobby Bostic is giving away as a prize has a similar idea, but I think their rating is done based on heart rate variability readings,
simon says:
Gary, that range doesn't sound right, does it? I just tried number-crunching one of my runs according to what I wrote -- there is something missing: I over-simplified the explanation, not wanting to rip off Brian's book.
I'll email you the Excel thingy that Abby set up for me. Meanwhile, try this (I've checked it and it works):
* covert total time for your run into seconds...
* divide by the number of miles you covered to get a decimal figure for your pace in seconds per mile...
* divide THAT by 60 to get a decimal figure for your pace in minutes per mile...
* multiply that by your average HR for the run.
* OK, here's one place I went wrong: divide 1760 by THAT figure (not that value by 1760)...
== your PV (proficiency value).
Phew! Sorry about that.
* "5k and 10k Training" by Brian Clarke (Human Kinetics 2006); www.bcendurancetrainings.com
Rob says:
Simon, I quickly did up a spreadsheet with this formula as you explained and ran a few of my runs through it. I varied from 1.07 to 1.18. I still need to think more about it to determine what those numbers are really telling me.
Rob
simon says:
Yes, the trick is that the numbers are pretty much meaningless in isolation. In Brian's bok he gives examples of how he has tracked changes in his ability by comparing his performances in a specific race over a number of years; he also has a really interesting graph of proficiency over a six-month period that shows his adaptation (or not!) to 16 weeks of base building and 10 weeks of "peaking".
To track that, he used PVs for the runs that stayed fairly consistent during the varying training of the two periods - the averages for the same easy runs from two-week "microperiods".
As he puts it: "The graph shows that my ability went through successive phases of shock, adaptation and exhaustion".
One of the things Brian's idea has saved me from is the urge to try to set personal records on my training routes every week by just pushing myself harder.
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