The Good, the Bad, and the Data
The world in 2021 is overloaded with data and data tracking devices, and this trend is magnified in the endurance sports world. There is no shortage of data obsession within our ecosystem. There is nothing inherently wrong with data and data tracking devices. Still, we must always keep in the forefront of our minds that they are only tools. The most potent metric we have access to as performance enthusiasts is our thoughts and feelings. Today, I’m aiming to frame the multitude of positive uses data tracking can have on your performance and well-being as a whole. I approach this subject with an air of caution, however. Do not let yourself get bogged down with an overload of information. If data-tracking devices constantly control how you behave and train, you need to rethink how you use them. Getting in tune with your body intuitively will not only make you a better athlete and allow you to enjoy the performance journey more thoroughly.
Let’s get rolling:
Pull Yourself Away From the Data
First, let’s frame my and Purple Patch’s stance on data in general. A consistent (and accurate) call from me is to unshackle yourself from the daily rigors of data analysis. This doesn’t mean that tracking your sessions is not beneficial or that you should throw your power meter in the trash.
The key is ensuring a positive relationship with data and metrics. A problem arises when there is such an onslaught of information that you cannot take action (or said data leads you down the wrong path). Of course, we have access to tons of minute-by-minute data and metrics. But how much is genuinely actionable when making more thoughtful decisions around your performance and training? This blog will focus on data tracking while training and sleeping and identify the ‘Goldilocks zone’ of data usage.
Data While Training
Too often, people get bullied by their devices into diluting any awareness of the intention of a training session or the load the workout places on the system. Instead of (rightly) thinking about the session’s intent and how it should feel, many athletes measure the success of each workout on whether or not they hit the desired data outputs. These outputs come in many different forms, the most common of which are power, pace, and heart rate.
An example of incorrect data usage: no matter the aim of the interval design or how the body feels, the athlete sticks unwaveringly to chasing a set output. They employ a pass/fail mindset around training output. This output obsession can force athletes into occasionally holding themselves back relative to what the body is truly capable of in a particular session or, more commonly, drives an athlete to failure as they chase output under profound fatigue. Training in this fashion is physiologically unwise, both from a short and long-term point of view.
Instead, athletes should chase intent, focus on completing the workout well (this includes a focus on good form), and only refer to the output as a helpful ‘heads up’ display of the reality of their work (pace/power) and the cost (heart rate) of said work. Decisions should then be made in real-time to push on or pull back based on intent and feeling. This is my recommended use of data, predominantly by feel, and leveraging data as a helpful but not overpowering guiding tool.
Tracking Sleep
I encourage athletes to develop self-awareness of their supporting habits by logging sleep hours and counting calories in nutrition. Short-term tracking can provide some objectivity and measurability for choice habits. But, unfortunately, obsessive data tracking of more and more metrics can quickly become paralyzing.
As an example, we should note a simple fact:
Tracking sleep doesn’t mean you are sleeping better.
Similar to a power meter, it is a measure of output. For example, sleep tracking devices measure the length and, to some extent, the quality of your rest. But sleep metrics are useless without action. This data is good for two things: helping you make improvements to your sleep patterns or gaining validation that your current sleep patterns are adequate. However, sleep metrics can quickly become a vast minefield, where more and more data seldom leads to improved habits. Instead, it becomes a sea of numbers, with nothing actionable emerging.
Of most importance is the action you take from the insights gained. Unfortunately, this is seldom a core part of the tracking process. Most athletes convert something that should be performance-enhancing, sleep, into an additional source of stress. How many hours did I get? What was my sleep score? Can I not even get sleeping right?! Tracking sleep, diet, recovery score, posture, or anything else can quickly become a real source of stress for many. Ironically, the tracking itself often disrupts the positive habit you are trying to create.
The Case for Data-Tracking
All that being said, are there still times data-tracking can be incredibly helpful? Yes. Absolutely, and especially if you are intrigued or interested.
For example, many nutritionists can glean helpful information from analyzing short-term tracking of eating. It isn’t about creating an obsessive pattern but providing insights and information for the athlete to truly see what they are consuming. Consumption can very often be wildly different than the picture painted in the athlete’s head.
The same goes for sleep. Utilizing a sleep tracking monitor for a month or two, such as an Oura ring or Whoop band, can be insightful. What happens to my sleep patterns over a month? How much sleep do I get relative to what I’ve perceived? These observations can be helpful, but only if layered for multiple weeks, instead of being reduced to reactive panic over a single day or night. In other words, periodic tracking can be helpful in trendsetting and long-term habit creation. Be sensible with it.
InsideTracker
As most of you know, we recently partnered with InsideTracker. So understandably, many of you have questions, and qualms, surrounding this relationship. The majority of your queries sound a little like the following:
Wait a minute, you told me to anchor my practice in intuition and to feel present rather than obsessing over metrics, but now you are encouraging folks to get all data-focused with InsideTracker. How should I reconcile this?
Allow me the opportunity to clear the air surrounding this apparent paradox. I will start by saying this: we at Purple Patch would never partner with a company or product we do not genuinely believe aligns with our values and mission.
Furthermore, there is a big difference between information and data.
Inside Tracker is a science-backed checkpoint tool that uses the information to inform your focus, decisions, and habit creation. It is not designed as a daily tracking tool to display improvements, results, or more.
Don’t get bogged down in InsideTracker’s promotional materials. We agree they’re a little hot and heavy. Instead, consider how the tool is helpful to an athlete and fitness enthusiast. As a Purple Patch athlete, InsideTracker’s true beauty is in the information it provides to create an objective look inside your body for red flags and, more importantly, areas to focus on and optimize. When deciding whether InsideTracker is for you, go long-term in your lens, considering what is important over months of performance or even years. The information you receive from InsideTracker should help you determine where to place focus over the coming months, not provide any pass/fail instant data around health. The perspective and objective insight it offers should guide focus and direction and act as a validation or course-correction tool.