Edited by Ka’eo Kruse, Stryd’s Human Performance Specialist
Bobby McGee is a renowned Running Coach with a decorated history of working with elite athletes, including multiple Triathlon Olympians such as Gwen Jorgenson (Rio 2016 Triathlon Gold), Flora Duffy (Tokyo 2020 Triathlon Gold), and Ben Kanute. He also has worked with Olympians in the marathon (South African Gold medal in 1996), on the track, and even race-walking! With a deep understanding of running efficiency and mechanics, Bobby has dedicated his life’s work to helping runners of all levels optimize their performance. Through his program, RunFORM, he continues to provide cutting-edge insights and training methodologies for runners looking to improve their performance, injury resilience, and efficiency.
Identifying Personalized Insights
With the evolution of running technology, Stryd has revolutionized the sport by providing accessible, data-driven training insights that streamline performance improvement. Never before has such data been as readily and easily available to the public. Rigorously tested for accuracy, this tool illustrates not only where we are currently, but also in which areas we are improving. By leveraging these insights, as I have, runners and coaches alike can take a more strategic approach to training. However, one might be thinking to themself:
***Woah Bobby, slow down.
One, how do we identify insights from the wealth of data generated during every run?
Two, how do we actually leverage these insights for improvement in the first place?!***
The purpose of this blog is to answer these very questions by providing a trusted process for analyzing our data and taking away practical insights for improvement. We will do this first by pinpointing essential metrics within the Stryd ecosystem to monitor; explaining what they mean and why they matter. Then, we will offer guidance on how to identify areas of improvement and, subsequently, how to optimize these targeted metrics through focusing on various practical modalities (Range of Motion, Drills, and Movement). Finally, we will walk through how we can start to, immediately and directly, implement this powerful feedback loop of checks and balances into our own training to achieve safer, longer, and faster running.
In order to understand the importance of the metrics we are about to present, we must first understand the context surrounding them and their importance in determining performance, efficiency, and injury resilience.
Figure #1: Running Economy Factors; Barnes, K. R., & Kilding, A. E. (2015). Running economy: measurement, norms, and determining factors. Sports medicine - open, 1(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-015-0007-y
Figure #1 above illustrates all of the factors that go into determining one’s Running Economy (i.e. the energy demand needed to maintain a given speed). Although all influenced by one’s baseline genetics, each of these factors provide an opportunity to improve. Despite Stryd’s ability to offer insights into training and its impact on physiological adaptations, such as those reflected on the left side of the figure, this blog will focus on the right side of the figure (my specialty): Biomechanical and Neuromuscular Efficiency.