Training with TRIMP

Even simple workouts can create massive amounts of data when you use technology in training, and if your goal is to improve performance — properly utilizing this data is essential. Thankfully, learning how to do this in SportTracks is easy, and using your Effort score is a great example of this.

Your Effort score can easily be found at the top of your Workout Detail pages, and it can be added to the SportTracks Workouts page as well. Similar metrics can be found on other fitness platforms, such as TSS® on TrainingPeaks®, or the Suffer Score® on Strava®. It's intentionally called Effort in SportTracks to be as straightforward and non-confusing as possible.

Like the tools you'll find on other platforms, Effort is based on the Training Impulse model that was developed by the late Eric W. Bannister. Training Impulse, or TRIMP, helps you measure and evaluate the impact of your workouts and races.

TRIMP scores were used to manually create Training Load charts decades ago, but because SportTracks automatically creates a much more elaborate and accurate Training Load chart for you, these scores can be used to benefit your training in other, less time-consuming ways that are covered below.

What makes Effort unique

While other platforms require you to use a heart rate monitor or a power meter to utilize their version of this metric, SportTracks will work with any data you have. It prioritizes more precise data, such as power or heart rate zones, but in the absence of those it falls back on other metrics — even if you just manually add a workout and only input time and intensity.

You can accumulate a maximum of 2 Effort points per minute in SportTracks. So, a 1-hour workout at maximum intensity could theoretically net you 120 points (although, this is rather difficult to do). Single workouts longer than 1 hour can generate a far greater number of points.

How to get the most accurate score

The most accurate Effort scores are based on the power, heart rate, and pace zones that are found in the Training Options section of SportTracks. In order for your Effort scores to be finely tuned, you need to keep these training zones as up-to-date as possible in your profile.

You can determine your current training zones by yourself with the following tests:

• Running: Execute an LTHR test. This single test will determine your current thresholds and zones for heart rate, pace, and if you have a Stryd running power meter — running power as well.
• Cycling: If you have a power meter on your bike, execute an FTP test. You can determine your cycling HR zones by doing a 30-minute version of the FTP test, and using the average HR from the final 20 minutes.
• Swimming: A clock and a pool are the only things you need to determine your swimming pace zones, however, a bathing suit may be necessary.  

As your fitness increases or decreases, your zones change. That's why it's important to test them every six weeks. When you update your zones, your Effort scores will be calculated based on the current settings. Likewise, when you add or remove zones (such as changing from five to seven zones), your Effort score will be calculated differently. This is important to keep in mind when you revisit older workouts for analysis.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to share how you use Effort, we would love to hear from you in the Comments section below!

TrainingPeaks® and TSS® are registered trademarks of Peaksware, LLC. Suffer Score® and Strava® are registered trademarks of Strava, Inc. Zone Five Software is not associated with Peaksware, LLC. or Strava, Inc.