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Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races?
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Hello guys and girls,


I'm a passionate triathlete and middle-distance-runner.
Since I'm setting myself goals especially for running races, I like to know beforehand what speed / km I need to run in order to achieve this.
I developed this really handy little average speed calculator on myracediary.
Using this for pre-race prep and post-race analyses helped a lot, and is good fun for a number-crushing guy like me :-).

What's your take on it?

Happy triathlonning!
Ed
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [edK75] [ In reply to ]
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Distance divided by Time
Does the calculation need a dedicated tool?
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [edK75] [ In reply to ]
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I use Excel. Plus, I like to look at numbers holistically (swim, T1, bike, T2, and run). So, my Excel sheet has speed & pace calculations for all disciplines. I don't even save it-- it takes me 5 minutes to setup a new sheet every time I want to fantasize about a goal.
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
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Ai_1 wrote:
Distance divided by Time
Does the calculation need a dedicated tool?


I don't think it's that easy, considering different measurements (miles / km), time which is in Hours:Minutes:Seconds resulting in a Speed that can be km/h, mph, time/distance (ie. minutes/km)
Last edited by: edK75: Feb 5, 19 8:51
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [edK75] [ In reply to ]
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Excel. 7 minutes to create this. Both metric and English units.

Edit: drat; the forum wouldn't let me upload my Excel file to share.
Edit 2: fixed it; I'm a moron...
Last edited by: exxxviii: Feb 5, 19 9:06
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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exxxviii wrote:
Excel. 7 minutes to create this. Both metric and English units.

Good stuff. Although I'm not sure what kind of magic you've done on cells C2 and C12.
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [edK75] [ In reply to ]
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edK75 wrote:
I'm not sure what kind of magic you've done on cells C2 and C12.
Just a standard Excel custom cell format: m:ss" /100yd"


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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [edK75] [ In reply to ]
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i use this website: http://triathloncalculators.com/
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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exxxviii wrote:
edK75 wrote:
I'm not sure what kind of magic you've done on cells C2 and C12.

Just a standard Excel custom cell format: m:ss" /100yd"

That's signature material....

I've never liked the way excel mixes time of day and elapsed time data entry, since "0:" isn't optional when inputting a time (1:30 is always 1 hour, 30 minutes, and you MUST enter 0:1:30 to get 90 seconds). In general, I prefer to use h:mm display format and divide by 60 internally. That seems to be a little more intuitive data entry for elapsed times that are always less than 1 hour, like swim/run paces.
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]
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Tom_hampton wrote:
exxxviii wrote:
edK75 wrote:
I'm not sure what kind of magic you've done on cells C2 and C12.

Just a standard Excel custom cell format: m:ss" /100yd"


That's signature material....

I've never liked the way excel mixes time of day and elapsed time data entry, since "0:" isn't optional when inputting a time (1:30 is always 1 hour, 30 minutes, and you MUST enter 0:1:30 to get 90 seconds). In general, I prefer to use h:mm display format and divide by 60 internally. That seems to be a little more intuitive data entry for elapsed times that are always less than 1 hour, like swim/run paces.


You guys are Excel Geeks :-). I can't even see these cell formations. I'm on Ubuntu's LibreOffice Calc.
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [edK75] [ In reply to ]
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edK75 wrote:
Ai_1 wrote:
Distance divided by Time
Does the calculation need a dedicated tool?


I don't think it's that easy, considering different measurements (miles / km), time which is in Hours:Minutes:Seconds resulting in a Speed that can be km/h, mph, time/distance (ie. minutes/km)

Respectfully, I think it is just that easy. I've been calculating my average speeds for S, B, and R for around 40 yrs just using your basic calculator. Certainly the fact that you have to convert times to a digital format slightly complicates things but it is just not that hard. For example, in today's swim workout i did 16 x 200 IM, with a time recorded on my watch for each 200. I recorded all 16 times in my logbook, then calculated the average using the total time for the 3200 IM on my watch. Pretty easy really. :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [edK75] [ In reply to ]
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It just requires conversion of time to a single unit but that's easy.
I don't know why miles or km is relevant. You use whichever you use, the calculation is unaffected.
If you are switching between the two for some strange reason well then you just convert miles to km but that's nothing to do with average speed calculation.

I routinely (accurately) calculate paces and projected finish times in my head as I run or ride during events. It's part of how I keep myself motivated, realistic and focused. I'm not saying everyone should do this, just that it's very feasible and there's certainly nothing tricky about doing it with a calculator or excel sheet.
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
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Ai_1 wrote:
It just requires conversion of time to a single unit but that's easy.
I don't know why miles or km is relevant. You use whichever you use, the calculation is unaffected.
If you are switching between the two for some strange reason well then you just convert miles to km but that's nothing to do with average speed calculation.
I routinely (accurately) calculate paces and projected finish times in my head as I run or ride during events. It's part of how I keep myself motivated, realistic and focused. I'm not saying everyone should do this, just that it's very feasible and there's certainly nothing tricky about doing it with a calculator or excel sheet.

Same here on the B and R and I do the same during swim workouts. If we can do it in our heads, surely most people can do it just with a calculator. Using a frigging Excel spreadsheet is just big-time overkill IMO. :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
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Ai_1 wrote:

I routinely (accurately) calculate paces and projected finish times in my head as I run or ride during events. It's part of how I keep myself motivated, realistic and focused. I'm not saying everyone should do this, just that it's very feasible and there's certainly nothing tricky about doing it with a calculator or excel sheet.


Funny. When I was 22 I worked as a farm hand in Northern Kansas. One of my jobs was to weed the soy bean fields. I was given a machete and told to walk up and down every row and hack down the weeds (mostly cane). Walking a square mile every 18" takes a while.

To pass the time I would make up division problems and do them in my head in long form. That's how I learned that I did NOT want to be a farmer.

Too bad they didn't have GPS watches back in 1990. :=)
Last edited by: Tom_hampton: Feb 7, 19 20:01
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]
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Check out this android app if you want a triathlon calculator. It works as a useful calculator for individual swim, bike and run and also gives a summary of your overall triathlon race.

https://play.google.com/...calculator.triathlon



Triathlon Calculator
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Re: Is it useful to have a average-speed-calculator for training and races? [sligotri] [ In reply to ]
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I use Excel to track ATL, CTL, TSB. Just input TSS each day and let the formulas work. Drag the dates down with the formulas and see how much form you'll have with days off. Or, input a guess at workouts and play with it.

I'd like to in the long run perhaps add fields for time in zones per workout and see if I can infer some things from that, but that would require typing that in for each workout.
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