How Do You Measure Up

Ah, the performance metrics.  Which ones matter?  Which ones are easily obtained?  Which ones can be ignored?

 

Now before you start reading expecting all kinds of equations for the calculation of normalized power and pretty graphs showing speed, torque, heart rate, power, number of gerbils necessary to power a 60w light bulb, etc. let us just step back from ourselves for a minute.  Well, maybe more than a minute or less depending on your reading speed.  Just know that typing this did take me more than a minute.

 

In previous posts I mentioned that my outside of sports life has a few changes on the horizon.  My lovely (and she is truly lovely) bride will be doing a bit more higher learning and my offspring now have their own activities for me to support and truck them off to. Those two things will have a definite impact of how much I can train and how much I can race.  So, on to measuring my performance.

 

Without a ruler you cannot measure.  I think Yoda may have said that to Luke.  At least I would ask you to reread that sentence in Yoda's voice to get my point across that it is a great philosophical statement.  I'm not sure if anyone said it officially, but I'm writing it now.  Regardless of who, or what, might have said it; it is a true statement.  It is hard to measure something without a reference to something else.  You have to set a goal or an end you are trying to reach.  I'm not talking about one of those New Year's resolution type goals that are made at 11:55pm and after six too many adult beverages.  I'm talking about one of those conversation with yourself that might go like this:

 

"Self, How you doing?  You're looking good."

 

"Well just fine thanks.  And you, too, are looking good.  How can I help you?"

 

"Well maybe you can answer this question for me.  What are you trying to get out of this whole triathlon/bike racing thing you've been up to?"

 

"My that is a question in deed.  I guess I am trying to X."

 

Now X can be any or all of the following:

 

Loose 40 pounds

Live a health lifestyle

Lower my blood pressure

Be active and enjoy what my body can do

Ride a sub one hour 40K time trial

Place in my age group at such and such race

Win such and such race overall

Beat so and so at such and such race

Qualify for Kona

Be happy

Enjoy life

 

That list can go on and on.  Some of those above are more short term.  Some are long term.  Some are easily defined.  Some not so much.  I would actually argue that only some of those may actually be worth pursuing and some may be steps in the pursuit of others.  The part that is interesting about the determination of X is the brutal honesty that one must have with himself or herself during the above conversation.

 

Now here is the $60,000.00 question.  What the heck is my X?  If I could answer that for you I would first make you pay me way more than you currently are.  So, off you go to figure it out for yourself.

 

Power meters, cadence sensors, speedometers, maybe race results, numbers in a training log are all tools to get you closer to X.  They are not X.  At least they are not for me and I truly hope are not for you, my gentle reader.

 

End of philosophy lesson for now.  I promise i will post more mundane things in the future.  Probably.