From today on, Strava Members have access to their “Year in Motion,” a personalized summary of all the fitness statistics they’ve recorded on the platform this year.
Retrospectives are only accessible through the mobile app and users must perform an update to view them. Once completed, they can see all their data for the year, including distance traveled, active days, total elevation and exercise time.
For many, the Year of Sport provides a fun look back at the past year’s activities. But according to reports, this information can also become a valuable training tool Andy Turnercycling coach and founder of ATP Performance Coaching.
“It’s useful to know where you are on most rides,” says Turner Cycling Weekly. “For most people who are in training, it might be useful to know how they are spread out – if they have activity, are there points in the year where they can more realistically fit in?”
When looking back on their sporting year, most people tend to focus on the flagship statistic: total distance. This year, Strava will present this as a percentage compared to last year, allowing users to see if they have improved.
Turner said: “Some people might look at their total distance and feel a bit frustrated, compared to people living in South Wales who have been riding Newport flat roads at zero altitude. But they live in Peak Districtalmost 2,000m every 50 kilometers. “
Turner says more value can be found by focusing on elevation and ride time, which can provide a better understanding of our efforts.
“Average speed tends to be a pretty big metric that people look at, but if you live in a hilly area and climb a lot and spend a lot of time, that would also be a good number to keep an eye on,” he said.
“Don’t let yourself get frustrated if your distance isn’t as high as you wanted, but you put in the time and will probably get more climbing opportunities.”
As a general rule, Turner recommends that 100m of altitude is the norm for every 10km of riding, above which constitutes “grippier terrain”.
However, the coach made it clear that it’s important not to lose sight of the joy of cycling when analyzing the data.
“One of the problems I sometimes have with Strava is that it allows you to focus on pursuing more, no matter where you are,” he said. “It’s like, ‘How does this week compare to last week?’. Unless you add [your volume]Week after week, it always shows that you’re a little behind. There’s also a “more is better” mentality.
“[The Year in Sport] It’s more just a fun snapshot of what you’re doing,” he added. “It’s more useful if it comes from a place of fun, riding a bike for the fun of it. [perspective]and get more exercise. This is where it has more potential. “
