So I’m trying to estimate some TSS and IF values for run workouts to put together a training plan.
I’m fine calculating TSS and IF for the bike and I understand that run TSS is supposed to be a straight carry over but I don’t understand how the IF calculation works with pace instead of power. This page on Training Peaks states that for running calculations IF = Normalized Graded Pace / Functional Threshold Pace.
How are these paces supposed to be expressed? If you do it as time per unit distance then the slower you run (e.g. the more seconds per mile) the higher the value of IF, which is obviously the wrong way round.
If you’re expressing the paces as distance per unit time then aren’t you effectively saying IF = FTP / NGP, which makes the subsequent calculation of TSS a mere function of time rather than intensity which surely defeats the whole object?
I suspect I’m overlooking something important; I see how it works with bike power, but the inverse nature of the pace values is confusing me. Can anyone explain it to me like an idiot please? Thanks
Is there an option in TP to set NGP equal to actual pace and have the software automatically calculate rTSS? For instance if I’m on a treadmill NGP should equal actual pace. I usually run in a flat area with a lot of tall buildings and generally don’t wear a GPS watch for most training runs. So even if my NGP was slightly different I would rather just have an estimate as if I was running on flat ground.
Do I have to calculate rTSS every time if I don’t have GPS data? This is a bit cumbersome.
I actually was interested to know (particularly from those who run trudging through the snow, sucking air through a balaclava) who uses hrTSS vs. rTSS. On my long run yesterday, the difference between my hr monitor TSS and rTSS was huge (like 20 points apart. I reluctantly used the rTSS calculation, as it’s supposed to be more accurate. But I feel a bit ripped off.
I always use my hrTSS as it gives a more accurate reflection of my effort in training. The rTSS doesn’t reflect where you are running e.g hills vs flat, onroad vs off road, head wind vs tail wind even
Have you done an LT or similar test to calibrate your zones for running? I’ve only done it on the bike… and I’m guessing I should probably add 10 bpm for run per zone, but that’s just a guess (probably one reason why my hrTSS is currently so different than my rTSS). According to Training Peaks, the rTSS does in fact account for changes in elevation, so hills etc. are considered. But they do say that hrTSS is probably more accurate for stuff like trail running, if you’ve got a lot of roots/rough terrain and sharp increases and decreases in elevation that GPS doesn’t catch.
It just seems silly that I can’t input a time and distance for a run, and elevation gain/loss (default=0) and TP can’t spit out an approximate rTSS as if I was running on a completely flat surface or treadmill. Why not just have a treadmill checkbox or similar to make it simple? 90% of the time I run the same flat routes around my apartment, and I know the exact distance, so I just use an old timex to time myself and then input that data. My GPS watch won’t latch on to a signal with all of the tall buildings around me and HR can be variable depending on the conditions.
The pace you run at differs depending on the terrain. Hence why I use hrTSS instead of rTSS as it gives a better reflection of your actual training (not your training based on some pace).
You can generally just estimate your TSS pretty closely. If you threshold pace is around 6:00, then 1 mile at that pace will be a TSS of 10. I find easy run pace is about 8 TSS/mile, Low Zone 3 around 9/mile. The slower you are, the higher the TSS per mile will be. Oddly, walking works out fairly close to 8 TSS/mile as well. It’s close enough for tracking overall training load, since in reality other factors like run mechanics, terrain (snow, dirt, grass, etc), clothing, temperature and even what shoes your wearing will impact you actual training load. This is one reason why desipte some flaws, running power meters have value.
I did a sky marathon which highlighted the issues between rTSS and hrTSS. My rTSS from the event was 68 while my hrTSS from the event was 280… Hence why I now always use hrTSS
