The all-new TriDot dashboard is rife with features and serious triathlon technology. It’s easy to use and understand for those who only need the basic training information, but also deep enough for the data-junkie to put on his or her triathlon scuba gear and go exploring.
With a wide array of data points to watch, some are more critical than others. Today we’re only going to focus on the ones you should be most intimate with. Here are the top three critical triathlon training data points on the TriDot dashboard:
1. TriDot Scores
The TriDot Score balances biometric factors with big triathlon training data using our patents-pending algorithms to create the most optimized and personalized training plans in the sport. These baseline data points allow you to track your progress from before you train until after you race. For more on the ins and outs of TriDot Scores, read What's Your TriDot?
After an athlete completes his performance assessments and biometric profile, TriDot provides an overall TriDot Composite Score, a proprietary weighted average of all three triathlon disciplines, as well as a score for each individual discipline.
Because the TriDot Score is a normalized index, the athlete is also provided their overall ranking among other triathletes, as well as their ranking within each discipline and by age group. For example, a TriDot score of 38 – 50 – 74 indicates that the athlete is a developing swimmer (first number: 38), an intermediate cyclist (second number: 50), and a highly competitive runner (third number: 74).
Whether you’re training for a sprint or full, your TriDot Score serves as the baseline and guide for proper training intensities, pacing, and projected outcomes. It takes much of the mystery and guesswork out of triathlon training.
2. B2R Factor
The Bike-to-Run factor is a triathlon training data point intended to determine what type of focus will contribute best to your overall bike/run improvement. For deeper understanding into B2R Factors, please read Triathlon Metrics Most Triathletes Ignore But Shouldnt, Part 2. This data point is the relative strength of an athlete’s bike ability to run ability. Your overall B2R Factor ranges from -10 (strongest bike focus) to +10 (strongest run focus).
There are three components to the ratio:
A. Performance Difference (bike vs. run):
TriDot evaluates the athlete’s performance and current functional threshold ability between the two disciplines. We closely monitor and evaluate your performance difference between bike and run using your TriDot Scores and the associated threshold data for each discipline.
B. Sport Age (in each discipline):
The sport age gives insight into an athlete’s durability, prior adaptation, and ease of getting back to a prior fitness level. In other words, the Sport Age takes into account previous injuries, how long it takes you to obtain a specific level of fitness, and how long it takes you to reach that level after a certain amount of time off.
C. Functional Threshold Heart Rate (FTHR) (in each discipline):
The difference between the two FTHRs gives insight into how intense the athlete’s bike and run threshold abilities are relative to each other. The FTHR ratio determines what kind of heart rate differences will occur when switching from bike to run during a race.
All of these components are evaluated against expected differences based on the athlete’s age, body composition, and so forth to determine an optimal decision for how much training focus should be put on the bike and run in order to get the most out of each hour of training.
Let’s look at a couple of examples: A +2 indicates that your training will see a marginal shift in focus to the run. If, however, your B2R is -7 then you would see a much larger shift in training to bike focus.
Remember that the B2R Factor is not a determination of how much better you are at biking vs. running or vice versa. It is an evaluation of where to put the most emphasis in your training in order to yield the most positive results in a triathlon.
3. TrainX %
Your TrainX Achievement percentage is a measure of training plan adherence. We’re not interested in giving the most attention to racked up miles or random work like you might have seen summarized on other training plans. The amount of work you do in each zone should be weighted differently.
A TriDot training plan, like most training plans, will typically have less high-intensity training than more. However, minute-for-minute your high-intensity training has significantly more value for your overall progress than your recovery training. Therefore, a measurement of “training completion” based on the valuable training you’ve completed versus a simple summation is much more useful in order to determine how much real work you’ve done in a week, or how much real work you’ve done leading up to your next race.
The TrainX% is also calculated based on the discipline for the athlete relative to the discipline’s proportion for the desired race distance. In other words, if you’re training for a full iron distance race then completing bike and run workouts has more weight than swim workouts.
TRIDOT TAKEAWAY: The new TriDot dashboard is loaded with features and serious triathlon technology. The three most critical for initial understanding and adoption are the TriDot Score, B2R Factor, and TrainX %.
TALK WITH TRIDOT: How important do you think these data points are in your triathlon training? What others do you consider of great significance?
JARED MILAM is a professional triathlete, TriDot coach, and member of the Tri4Him Pro Team. He has 16 years of competitive running experience and 11 years of competitive triathlon experience with a half Iron PR of 3:59 and a full Iron PR of 8:30. Coaching under the TriDot system since 2011, Jared loves working with aspiring triathletes of all ages and performance levels.
