Running with Data
Make the most of your GPS watch, Strava, and training data. Track progress, analyse performance, and train smarter with numbers.
Overview
Modern GPS watches and apps collect mountains of data — pace, heart rate, cadence, elevation, training load, recovery status, and more. The trick isn't collecting data. It's knowing which data matters and what to do with it.
Golden Rule: Data is a tool, not a coach. Use it to inform decisions, not dictate every run.
The Key Metrics That Matter
Tier 1: Track These Always
| Metric | What It Tells You | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly mileage | Total training volume | The single best predictor of running performance |
| Pace | How fast you're running | Tracks fitness over time |
| Heart rate | How hard your body is working | Reveals true effort — pace doesn't tell the whole story |
| How you feel | Subjective effort and mood | The most underrated metric — your body knows things data doesn't |
Tier 2: Useful for Deeper Analysis
| Metric | What It Tells You | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cadence | Steps per minute | Higher cadence generally means more efficient running |
| Elevation gain | Total climbing | Explains why a run felt hard despite "easy" pace |
| Training load | Cumulative stress on your body | Helps prevent overtraining |
| Resting heart rate | Your baseline HR each morning | A rising resting HR can signal fatigue, illness, or overtraining |
Tier 3: Nice to Know
| Metric | What It Tells You | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ground contact time | How long your foot is on the ground | Lower is generally better, but don't obsess |
| Vertical oscillation | How much you bounce | Less bouncing = more efficient |
| Running power | Watts output while running | Emerging metric — useful for hilly terrain pacing |
| VO2max estimate | Estimated aerobic capacity | Useful trend, but watch estimates vary in accuracy |
The rest of this plan is for supporters
You’ve read the overview. The full Advanced programme — the week-by-week schedule, the sessions, the progressions and the numbers — unlocks with an access code, from £0.67 a month. Every Beginner and Intermediate guide on the site stays free.