The run course in NYC’s Central Park is also surprisingly challenging, with rolling hills. It is a common belief among those who haven’t been through it, that it is as flat as the streets of Manhattan, but that is not the case.
HERE is his NYC Triathlon run power and pace data.
Some basic numbers from the race:
- Avg run power 341w
- Standard Deviation 25w
- Avg run pace 5:34 min/mi
- Avg HR 170 bpm
- Avg Cadence 198 spm (99 rpm)
- 243 feet of climbing
- percentage of time>FTP = 16%
Some stats that really stuck out:
- With an uphill run for mile 1, (31% of the elevation gain of the course happens in mile 1), it isn’t surprising to see Ben’s run power above his run FTP. This is one of the areas where run power data can tell a lot more than run pace can. His first mile was 5:17, at 375w, while the second mile was 5:26, at 348w, or about 7% lower watts for only 9 secs slower, when the 2nd mile is mostly flat to downhill. He spent much of mile 1 above his run FTP, (16% of the run time), so this difference is small in run pace, but very high in run power.
- After the first mile, Ben stays below his run FTP, conserving for the heat and running efficiently, after he took the lead from Cam.
- There are two hills in the final mile and a half, and Ben is able to use the downhills to lower his HR. You can tell he is still running fairly quickly, as his Leg Spring Stiffness, (LSS, blue line), increases all the way to the finish. - Running downhill effectively requires a very strong LSS usually.
There is of course, no opportunity for a “No Power” metric here, because you can’t coast in running, but downhill running pace relative to HR and LSS tells us a lot about how he was able to conserve to be ready for a sprint at the end, should it have been necessary.