How Should I Track My Progress?

Tracking Progress in TrainingPeaks

Tracking your progress is key to ensuring you're improving and staying on track with your goals. TrainingPeaks provides tools to help you monitor your performance over time, set benchmarks, and make data-driven adjustments to your training.

Setting Benchmarks

To measure progress effectively, establish a baseline at the start of your plan:

• Complete the fitness tests included in your plan to assess your starting point and set your thresholds and zones.
• Set clear and realistic goals based on your fitness level, time availability, and race objectives.
• Choose a training plan that aligns with your current fitness and schedule.
• Regularly track and log your workouts to monitor improvements.
• Retest your fitness every 6-8 weeks to evaluate progress and adjust training thresholds and zones.

TrainingPeaks Premium Benefits

For deeper insights, TrainingPeaks Premium offers advanced analytics, including:

• Peak Performance Tracking: View your top 20 Peak Power, Pace, HR, and Speed performances in the TrainingPeaks Mobile App.
• Performance Management Chart (PMC): Monitor trends in fitness, fatigue, and readiness to train.
• Custom Charts and Metrics: Analyze key training data to optimize performance.

Key TrainingPeaks Metrics

Understanding key TrainingPeaks metrics can help you track your fitness trends effectively:

• Training Stress Score (TSS): Measures workout difficulty based on intensity and duration.
• Fatigue (Acute Training Load - ATL): The average TSS from the past 7 days, reflecting short-term fatigue.
• Fitness (Chronic Training Load - CTL): The average TSS from the last 42 days, indicating long-term fitness trends.
• Form (Training Stress Balance - TSB): The difference between Fitness and Fatigue (CTL - ATL), used to gauge readiness to train or race.
• More definitions from TrainingPeaks

For more details, watch the TrainingPeaks video below, which explains these metrics and how to use the Performance Management Chart effectively.