TrainingPeaks software

BugsBunny
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TrainingPeaks software

Postby BugsBunny » Fri Nov 17, 2017 1:23 pm

Any one using/have experience with TrainingPeaks? I've done a little internet Googling of its functionality, but wondering if its worth the money. As far as I can tell, my Strava premium payment gives me almost the same functionality with the Fitness/Fatigue/Form chart and also the power curves.

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g-boaf
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby g-boaf » Fri Nov 17, 2017 1:41 pm

BugsBunny wrote:Any one using/have experience with TrainingPeaks? I've done a little internet Googling of its functionality, but wondering if its worth the money. As far as I can tell, my Strava premium payment gives me almost the same functionality with the Fitness/Fatigue/Form chart and also the power curves.
There is a lot more in training peaks than just the fitness/fatigue chart. It really has a lot more metrics in it besides those and a lot more functions.

I like the workout plans/library feature that it has, that works very well. Today's Plan is another one I know of, but I don't have much experience with it.

What do you want to do with Training Peaks? I'm pretty savvy with it, have used it for years.

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Comedian
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Comedian » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:05 pm

There is another alternative - and Australian designed version of training peaks.

It probably isn't as powerful as TP, but it is much more so than strava premium for similar money. What features it does have are easy to use and understand and well explained. There is a one month free trial too.

https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/

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Tim
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Tim » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:19 pm

https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/ looks interesting.
I only have power reading ability on my new trainer and don't intend fitting it to the outdoors bike/s.
Zwift has been okay for workouts but I haven't done any of the social and group ride stuff. Not really interested.
Zwift just announced a substantial fee rise today so I'm looking about for better alternatives. At least the rise won't apply to existing customers for 12 months but I think it's a cynical and greedy move to up the fee so heavily.

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Alex Simmons/RST
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:43 pm

I don't use it directly as an analytics platform, only indirectly as a means for clients to share their data with me as i use the desktop analytics platform WKO4 which can be set to auto sync with TP, which in turn can auto sync with Garmin Connect.

TP does provide a free account so you can at least upload data and see the basics.

My understanding of Strava is that the fitness/fatigue/form values are calculated in a manner that does not account for changes in baseline fitness. Whether that matters depends somewhat on what you are looking to use the software for.

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g-boaf
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby g-boaf » Fri Nov 17, 2017 5:34 pm

Tim wrote:https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/ looks interesting.
I only have power reading ability on my new trainer and don't intend fitting it to the outdoors bike/s.
Zwift has been okay for workouts but I haven't done any of the social and group ride stuff. Not really interested.
Zwift just announced a substantial fee rise today so I'm looking about for better alternatives. At least the rise won't apply to existing customers for 12 months but I think it's a cynical and greedy move to up the fee so heavily.
I wouldn't bother with Zwift for the workouts, I'd just go buy some smart-trainer software and make my own workouts.

Paying to look at some virtual world while doing a workout? Stuff that! I've used Zwift before, but only very infrequently.

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Tim
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Tim » Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:13 pm

g-boaf wrote: I wouldn't bother with Zwift for the workouts, I'd just go buy some smart-trainer software and make my own workouts.
I'm coming to that very conclusion myself.

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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby BugsBunny » Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:18 pm

Thanks G-boaf and others.

I'm just a social rider, but have been getting serious with my training. I'm a keen TrainerRoad user and put most of my training efforts there - following their structured programs - whilst Zwift is the occasional fun thing to do.

I guess my motivation is to be faster rider and if I had to put a number on it, I was hoping to hit 3.5 w/kg (just some magical target to set my sights on). Some of my more advanced mates are using TP and seem to egg me on to try it, but I don't know enough about it. Right now, I just think if I stick religiously to TrainerRoad and if the Fitness chart on Strava keeps an upward trend, then I'm doing alright. But I'm open to new ways of training - ie. Training Peaks.

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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby nickobec » Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:57 pm

or you can try the free alternative Golden Cheetah http://www.goldencheetah.org/

Have not spent enough time with Training Peaks, as Golden Cheetah meets my needs

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queequeg
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby queequeg » Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:59 pm

I use Today’s Plan in conjunction with Zwift.
All the workouts in Today’s Plan automatically sync with Zwift, so you just log on to Zwift, go to the Today’s Plan workouts and pick tiday’s workout.

When you are done, it syncs back to Today’s Plan & Strava.
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Alex Simmons/RST
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:34 am

BugsBunny wrote:I just think if I stick religiously to TrainerRoad and if the Fitness chart on Strava keeps an upward trend, then I'm doing alright.
Some comments:
That approach will work until it doesn't. Sounds a bit trite but in essence the upwards trend of the chronic training load can only last so long. It needs to change direction at times, sometime be flatter and sometimes head south.

The Strava version of this metric does not account for changes in fitness, so the slope of the trend line will be distorted over the medium/longer term.

The chart is but one tool, a useful one if used wisely, but other elements are just as important. As an example, the chart does not account for the composition of your training.

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Comedian
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Comedian » Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:50 am

Tim wrote:https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/ looks interesting.
I only have power reading ability on my new trainer and don't intend fitting it to the outdoors bike/s.
Zwift has been okay for workouts but I haven't done any of the social and group ride stuff. Not really interested.
Zwift just announced a substantial fee rise today so I'm looking about for better alternatives. At least the rise won't apply to existing customers for 12 months but I think it's a cynical and greedy move to up the fee so heavily.
Cycling analytics allocates a training value based on HR so you don't need a power meter on all bikes. It's not as good as power but better than nothing. I'd still suggest that you should get a pwoermeter for your main training bike.

https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/blog/2 ... calculated
TRIMP — This is like training load, but generated using heart rate data instead of power data. It’s calculated by multiplying duration with a number generated based on your resting and maximum heart rate, sex and the average heart rate for the ride.

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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Comedian » Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:52 am

It's worth saying as well that you should be keeping the raw files off your garmin.. these can be of great interest in the future and it gives you the option to change training packages with ease.

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Tim
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Tim » Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:53 am

Thanks Comedian.
I've had a look at Cycling Analytics and it suits my fairly basic requirements.
I'll give it a go. Nothing to loose.
Last edited by Tim on Sat Nov 18, 2017 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Tim
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Tim » Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:58 am

Comedian wrote:It's worth saying as well that you should be keeping the raw files off your garmin.. these can be of great interest in the future and it gives you the option to change training packages with ease.
Ah yes.
I have 7 years of Garmin activity files sitting in Garmin Connect.
Almost 2000 of 'em. :D

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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Comedian » Sat Nov 18, 2017 11:41 am

Tim wrote:Thanks Comedian.
I've had a look at Cycling Analytics and it suits my fairly basic requirements.
I'll give it a go. Nothing to loose.
Give the free trial a go.

You can also to an import from garmin connect, or strava so you can see all your history. In recent updates you can set it up so as soon as you finish your ride your phone uploads to garmin connect and then it goes direct to CA. :D

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g-boaf
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby g-boaf » Sat Nov 18, 2017 11:55 am

Comedian wrote:
Tim wrote:https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/ looks interesting.
I only have power reading ability on my new trainer and don't intend fitting it to the outdoors bike/s.
Zwift has been okay for workouts but I haven't done any of the social and group ride stuff. Not really interested.
Zwift just announced a substantial fee rise today so I'm looking about for better alternatives. At least the rise won't apply to existing customers for 12 months but I think it's a cynical and greedy move to up the fee so heavily.
Cycling analytics allocates a training value based on HR so you don't need a power meter on all bikes. It's not as good as power but better than nothing. I'd still suggest that you should get a pwoermeter for your main training bike.

https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/blog/2 ... calculated
TRIMP — This is like training load, but generated using heart rate data instead of power data. It’s calculated by multiplying duration with a number generated based on your resting and maximum heart rate, sex and the average heart rate for the ride.
Training Peaks also does a training stress score from your heart rate, and it is reasonable enough. I only have a power meter on one bike and I don't really like that power meter, so I tend not to use that bike very often. Besides which it is set up for going up huge mountain passes. Don't need that gearing here. So even without using a power meter that often on the road, I'm getting fitter. Even with HR tracking, I still mostly ride by how my legs feel, and I can sense when my HR is getting too high. But I still track things though.

I'd been tempted by Zwift a little bit, but the talk here of price rises just killed that interest right away.

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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby Comedian » Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:49 am

g-boaf wrote:
Comedian wrote:
Tim wrote:https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/ looks interesting.
I only have power reading ability on my new trainer and don't intend fitting it to the outdoors bike/s.
Zwift has been okay for workouts but I haven't done any of the social and group ride stuff. Not really interested.
Zwift just announced a substantial fee rise today so I'm looking about for better alternatives. At least the rise won't apply to existing customers for 12 months but I think it's a cynical and greedy move to up the fee so heavily.
Cycling analytics allocates a training value based on HR so you don't need a power meter on all bikes. It's not as good as power but better than nothing. I'd still suggest that you should get a pwoermeter for your main training bike.

https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/blog/2 ... calculated
TRIMP — This is like training load, but generated using heart rate data instead of power data. It’s calculated by multiplying duration with a number generated based on your resting and maximum heart rate, sex and the average heart rate for the ride.
Training Peaks also does a training stress score from your heart rate, and it is reasonable enough. I only have a power meter on one bike and I don't really like that power meter, so I tend not to use that bike very often. Besides which it is set up for going up huge mountain passes. Don't need that gearing here. So even without using a power meter that often on the road, I'm getting fitter. Even with HR tracking, I still mostly ride by how my legs feel, and I can sense when my HR is getting too high. But I still track things though.

I'd been tempted by Zwift a little bit, but the talk here of price rises just killed that interest right away.
I reckon zwift would be great if you lived somewhere the weather was poor, or if you had time constraints. Personally I go for a ride outside generally. :shock:

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kb
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Re: TrainingPeaks software

Postby kb » Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:03 pm

Tim wrote:
Comedian wrote:It's worth saying as well that you should be keeping the raw files off your garmin.. these can be of great interest in the future and it gives you the option to change training packages with ease.
Ah yes.
I have 7 years of Garmin activity files sitting in Garmin Connect.
Almost 2000 of 'em. :D
You can fetch them in bulk with some screen scraping but it’s a bit of a pain.
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