TrainingPeaks + USAT Coaches Digest
Did you miss it? One quarter of the year is already in the rearview mirror. How are those 2022 goals coming along for you? Check those notes to see where you're soaring and where you can work on getting more lift.
We pulled together a few good reads for this month for you and a listen. One highlights aspects to evaluate and help minimize injury risks in new clients or check-in with existing ones. Another article shares some secret tips on communication with athletes through TrainingPeaks. Then we have NP versus AP. It's a thing. Plus, Dirk has a chat with Dr. Andy Pruitt on past, and future bike fit technology. All in this month's digest.
We say it a lot, but don't forget to visit the full TrainingPeaks Coach Blog. It has hundreds of articles to find inspiration, new ideas or guidance on a wide range of subjects.
Let's get to it...
Biomechanical Considerations for Coaches Onboarding New Athletes
Do you know what the most common risk factor for injury is? A previous injury. It's not a joke. There is a 3.6-fold increase in reinjury risk. We can agree that making sure rehab has been followed can make or break an athlete. Physiologist and coach Tim Pigott shares a sample of assessments from his quiver for runners, cyclists and swimmers. From using spirit level smartphone apps to 90-90s to "wall angels," these are some simple evaluations to consider doing with new—and existing clients—to tease out any potential issues before they get problematic.
Maximizing the Coach-Athlete Relationship Using TrainingPeaks
While there are many ways we can create productive relationships with our athletes, let's focus specifically on the ways we can use the TrainingPeaks platform to strengthen the bond and build trust with athletes. Coach Maria Simone guides you through several ways she uses features within TrainingPeaks to keep athletes on the path to success. She also points to a University of Chicago study that discovered coaching may account for 20-30% of the variation in outcomes for athletes. Find out what she thinks is essential for ground rules and finer details in communicating back-and-forth with clients through their accounts.
Understanding Normalized Power Calculations to Coach Cyclists
Normalized Power® or NP is different from Average Power or AP. To understand the difference, having a high-powered math background certainly helps. So Tom Epton put together a piece breaking down what NP is, how it works from a mathematical angle and when it's a better measurement than AP from a coaching angle—and highlighting that with many aspects of coaching, there is an art form to some elements of applying metrics. Exponents: now we're talking power!
Quoted: "You don't need to feel good to get going. You need to get going to give yourself a chance to feel good."
— Executive Coach Brad Stulberg
Bonus Miles
And finally, check out this episode of CoachCast where Dirk Friel talks with Dr. Andy Pruitt. The godfather of bike fitting joins the show to dig into the evolution of making riders more efficient and comfortable on the bike, plus where his career is heading in the realm of cycling safety. Listen in (or watch on YouTube) as they talk about the origins of bike fitting technology, the importance of turning a foot into a proper lever for power, the balance of aerodynamic body position and power and what the future of bike fitting could look like for cyclists.
Be sure to tag us out there on social: #ResultsStartHere
And keep aiming at those stretch goals.
—TP
