The landscape of training and coaching technology has changed pretty dramatically in the last two decades; as it has with all types of technologies. Just as our phones, computers, and televisions have evolved, so has the hardware we train with, and the software we utilize to analyze and track our training. And all new technology eventually becomes less expensive- trickling down to the masses. If you would have told me twenty years ago that I would be able to train with a device that tracks my heart rate, wattage, pace and distance real time via GPS, and may be used to analyze a wide variety of metrics in detail post work out, I would have questioned your sanity. This same device can then be uploaded to a computerized cycle trainer and the outdoor route you just trained on, can be re-created in 3D virtual reality. The front wheel of your bicycle will be elevated in sync with changes in course grade and even wind resistance can be programmed into the software. These computerized stationary trainers can then be linked together, and athletes will be able to race each other in virtual reality, on their own bikes, on the course you select including your upcoming race course.

Yet all of this is technology currently available, even commonplace. What a great time to be an athlete! Until the box arrives complete with multiple pieces of software, cables, manuals, and the device itself which has more buttons and settings than the space shuttle.

One of the great things about being head coach is that I get to be tech support to our many coaches, athletes, and anyone else that may have a random question and my email address. If there was any justice in the world I would receive a fat check from Polar, Garmin, Training Peaks, SRM, Ergomo, and Saris each month. I view technology as both a blessing and a curse, often depending on the day of the week. However, there are ways to avoid technological pitfalls and use this electronic wizardry to better effect.

Buying the Right Device

I love those PC / Mac commercials. Makes you want to run out and buy a Mac right? Well the new, smaller, sleeker, more expensive Garmin 405 you just bought is not Mac compatible, whereas it's much cheaper older brother the 305 is. After several years of promising a Mac compatible software solution for the 305, Garmin finally delivered; then made the new 405 incompatible with both Macs and Training Peaks, the most popular training and coaching software. This is actually a fairly common refrain as a lot of smaller companies will not spend the money designing a Mac version of their software. Assuming your device is compatible with the computer you own or the software you use, the next step is learning how to configure your hardware. This involves actually getting out the manual and programming in everything from your weight to wheel size, and how you want to display all this information. Years ago we had heart rate monitors that displayed, well, heart rate. Now we have pace, cadence, distance, speed, lap, heart rate, elevation, grade, power, time, interval, torque, maps, calories burned, etc., etc.. Figuring out what is relevant and what is useless is a task in and of itself. Make sure the device you purchase is the right device for you. It is easy to get overwhelmed with TMI. I have worked with athletes utilizing $1600 Power Taps that function as little more than expensive cycle computers. Do not purchase a device unless you have the time, patience, and aptitude to learn its proper function and application. The latest technology is not for everyone and often the newest device has the most problems.

Software Installation

Once you have selected and purchased your device of choice, and have it configured to your needs, it is time for the software installation. This is pretty strait forward process that involved inserting a disk and following the directions. Most of the software that comes with a particular device is simple and easy to use. Connecting and uploading your work out data to the software can be a different story though. In order for it to be recognized it has to go over that firewall and under your anti-virus software which may or may not want to let it through. I have had to temporarily take down firewalls and AV software in order to get my devices to sync with my computer. This is one of those things you can tear your hair out trying to trouble shoot. Issues often occur when different pieces of software or hardware do not work and play well together. You may have heard of a few mishaps with a program called Vista which left many hardware manufacturers scrambling for solutions to keep their products working with the new and “improved” operating system on their customers' computers. Manufacturers frequently update their software to resolve these issues and the device you just purchased may have been sitting on a shelf through several new software releases. A good place to start is by visiting the manufacturer's website to make sure you have the latest software and driver updates.

Let's Talk

The real fun starts when you get multiple pieces of software attempting to interface. Training Peaks is a great example. I like Training Peaks. It is for the most part well thought out, functional, and allows access to a variety of data by both the coach and the athlete. The problem is getting the data there. Uploading your power meter or other device requires the use of “Device Agent,” a piece of software that “talks” with the many uploadable devices, gathers the data, and loads it to the appropriate date on your training calendar- if all goes well. I have found that some days it works flawlessly, some days you have to trick it into working, and some days it just does not want to go to work and you are better off leaving it alone. Whenever you have multiple technologies trying to work with each other there is a chance for strife. The problem could be with other applications you have open interfering with the connection, or the device itself, or the USB cradle, or any one of the multiple pieces of software needed to get everything to cooperate. When it comes to tech support you will generally find that the buck does not stop anywhere. Although I am somewhat sympathetic to their plight, each manufacturer of a device or piece of software will likely point the finger in the other direction. Of course you can always visit the support forums in which you can collectively vent your frustration and perhaps, occasionally, stumble on a solution. Training Peaks also makes a more complex piece of analysis software called WKO, which again I find very useful for more detailed power analysis. However, getting an athlete's power files from Training Peaks to WKO is complex, multi-step process that borders on ridiculous and often does not work. Why these two pieces of software, from the same company, do not work seamlessly together is a mystery to me.

Trouble Shooting

When something does not work, first and foremost remember Occam's razor. This principle attributed to the 14th century friar basically states “look for the most logical or simple solution first- dummy.” I usually find that re-seating a device in an upload cradle, changing the battery / recharging, plugging it in again, or just a good thumping will get it to work. Most athletes don't know that their Power Tap has 4 batteries (two in hub, one in heart rate strap, one in head unit), or even that the Power Tap hub has batteries. Your device gets exposed to a lot of abuse. It may get rained on, sweated on, stored in a hot or cold car, and generally knocked around. Make sure there is not a physical problem such as a frayed or cut cable or corroded contact points. If your device functions by direct contact in an upload cradle, and you have used it in or near salt water, the contracts may have too much corrosion on them to transfer a signal. Rubbing a very fine piece of sand paper over them a few times may do the trick. Simply knowing your hardware and how it works will save you a lot of frustration. Your GPS will not work if you run through a tunnel. Go down the list of most simple solutions before spending an hour on hold with tech support.

Keep It Simple If Possible

The more complex you make something the greater the likelihood of failure. This is well documented in the auto industry in which $75,000 luxury automobiles loaded with gadgets spend far more time in the repair shop than an $25,000 Toyota. There is a lot of buzz about open source “ANT+' technology that will allow different devices to essentially be cross compatible with each other. On the surface this is great for the consumer, as it may cut down on the number of devices you need to gather training data, and makes data transfer easier. However, I believe there is also potential to open a Pandora's box. Recently the Garmin 705 cycle computer was made compatible with SRM power meters using ANT+. If you are uploading your cycle data to your Training Peaks account this requires that three different manufacturers products (4 if you include your PC's operating system) all have to work together to get the data to the right place. This means manufacturers of these products have to communicate with each other when they make changes to software or hardware; which may not happen. If one link is taken out of the chain, who's responsibility is it to fix the process? I like to take the simple path the getting the data I need and try to stick to devices I know work well most of the time. The latest technology is not necessarily the greatest and it may take manufacturers years to perfect it. It does not always pay to be the new kid on the block.

You can not become overly dependant on a device or the data it produces either. Athletes have to be able to train and race “blind” when a gadget inevitably fails, and not get pulled off their game. Athletes can become fixated on data and it can be distracting.

With so much potential for problems and frustration, why would anyone subject themselves to such technological misery? First of all I have admittedly overstated the amount of problems these devices have. For the most part they do work, work well, and work well together. If they did not people would simply stop buying them (which has happened with particular devices). It is in manufacturer's best interest to get technical problems ironed out and make their products relatively easy to use and reliable. When they do stop working there must be a tech support department that picks up the phone. Most issues are not with the devices themselves but are user error. Secondly, I truly and firmly believe that the more information I get the more effectively and accurately I can coach an athlete.

Years ago athletes were given a simple piece of paper with a training plan, perhaps based on their perceived exertion. The coach wound them up and let them go, and then hoped for a good result on race day. Perhaps they did well, perhaps they did not, but there was not a lot of objective feedback to work with in the interim. I can now see more information on what goes on during a work out than if I was next to the athlete during it. I can see where they stopped for water, how hr diverged with pace when they got dehydrated, how cadence faded during the second half of their race, or how smooth their power delivery was on the bike. I can see when they are over-reaching and I am in constant and daily communication with them through our software. I can instantly update or change a plan as needed. I can see when they set a new power record from 5 seconds to 3 hours. I can quickly compare their race data in each leg of a triathlon to last years, or any other race, and gauge improvement trends in power and pace over time. I can crunch numbers until the cows come home and spend a much greater percentage of my coaching time focused on actual performance data vs. performance speculation. Verbal communication will always be a mainstay of coaching, but if you can show an athlete objective performance improvement they are more apt. to be on board with the process.

Every year athletes get faster, new world records are set, and performance barriers broken. I do not believe that this is due to better athletes being born, but attributed to greater knowledge and application of better coaching methods. New technology is never easy to integrate, and it takes time and patience by both the coach and athlete. But the more accurate the training stress load and analysis of it, the faster the athlete will become. I was surprised to find that only a handful of the thousands of USA Cycling licensed coaches have become USA Cycling Licensed Power Based Training Coaches. Training with power in and of itself requires a learning curve, more of the coach's time, and can even be intimidating. But once you start gathering and tracking an athlete's power data the feedback on their progress becomes invaluable; and you quickly wonder what you did without it.