Pace vs Heart Rate vs Power Training

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Context

Ever since human have been running to compete, or as an activity (rather than for surviving, hunting or simply hurrying), performance has always been one its the main focus. Early on, it was discovered that training was directly linked with the improvement of that performance and, therefore, widely used since then to attain the best results.

Until recently, the only available measurement available was the pace, simply because only time pieces were the only device available. It's only since 2014 that portable heart rate monitors/watches and later on power meters for runners, that more efficient ways of training came into play.

Methods

Pace Training

This method has been the only available for ages and was based on a reference time (usually the most recent race or intense run). Science recently discovered that it had its inherent flaws, due to internal and external factors, that could not have been taken into account and therefore preventing for precise and well targeted training. Factors like temperature, terrain, fitness, age and current physiological distress such as fatigue, injuries and sickness.

Heart Rate Training

In the years 2014's, the technological market saw the arrival of smartwatches and heart rate monitors. This opened the door to new way to monitor training for runners. The main difference is that the training now based on effort rather than speed or pace. This is a dramatic improvement because it take now takes into account factors previously discounted.

Age

One of the main components in the training zone determination is the age. It's easy to understand that for a given fitness level, the body of 20 years old runner does not react the same way as the one of a 50 years old.

Fitness Level

Similarly, it is obvious that two same age persons of different fitness level cannot train the same way.

Terrain

In pace training, one common issue comes from training at constant pace whether running level, climbing or descending. Because running this way implies significant variation in effort when in fact, training implies targeted effort level to obtain specific improvement. Heart rate training solve this by allowing the runner to maintain specific effort level throughout his training routine.

Power training

Power training has been around in cycling for certain time already. But it's only since 2015-2016 that power meters have been available for runners. Again, the arrival this device stepped the precision of training monitoring a notch higher.

Heart rate training has demonstrated its value incontestably. But it it has its inherent limitation coming from its main engine: the heart! Human heart is not a machine and definitely does not behave as such. It has its own inertia that causes variations to not occur instantly which, for precision training and monitoring, can sometimes lead to non-negligible imprecision.

Power meters solve those issues by providing reactive measurement in any circumstance.

References

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