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How to Be a Faster Runner With Will O’Connor

BY TrainingPeaks CoachCast Host Dirk Friel

Just as we discussed braking power in last week's episode, this week we're exploring running power with Will O'Connor and how it can make your athletes faster.

In this episode of the CoachCast, Dirk dives in with Will O’Connor to explore everything related to running power. Listen as they compare the value of running versus riding with power, discuss the best use-case scenarios for run power, as well as examine what it can teach us that GPS data and heart rate can’t. 

They even touch on the (literal) power contained in a new pair of Nikes and exactly what running power novices need to get started.

Stand-Out Quotes

“The concept I use is runner dependent, rider independent…I can jump on your bike and the strain gauge is going to measure my torque and angular velocity to figure out my power. And then if you jump on your bike, same thing happens. But if you clip on my stride power meter…our numbers don’t correlate.”

“Without the software, no one knows what to do with it. That’s the big sticking point now. Everyone says, ‘Okay, yeah. Cycling power. Amazing. I get it.’ Especially triathletes, they love technology and they go: ‘Running power, cool…I don’t get it.’”

“It’s easy for a GPS to be wrong — for it to be two to four percent off, which, when you’re trying to run at threshold or stay under a certain output on a hill, they can have significant impact. So, normalized graded pace is what we have at the moment.”

“I just use power and it was liberating. A lot of people say that as well. It’s objective.”

Resources

Dr. Will O’Connor’s Instagram
Dr. Will O’Connor’s Facebook
Dr. Will O’Connor’s Youtube
Performance Advantage Podcast

A Coach Using Trainingpeaks On Her Laptop In Her Home Office

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Coachcast Host Dirk Friel
About TrainingPeaks CoachCast Host Dirk Friel

Dirk Friel is the host of the TrainingPeaks CoachCast and Co-Founder of TrainingPeaks. He is a lifelong athlete with a passion for cycling and ski mountaineering and firmly believes in goal setting, dedicated deliberate training and coaching for all. Learn more about his work at TrainingPeaks and follow his adventures on Instagram @dirkfriel.

Visit TrainingPeaks CoachCast Host Dirk Friel's Coach Profile