We all love a bit of data. Numbers make things feel objective, measurable, and under control. But if you're staring at graphs trying to decode your fitness, it might be time for a reminder: data is valuable, awareness is essential.
Data helps us see what's happening. Awareness helps us understand why. Without that, you're just collecting numbers — not insight.
Which data points are actually worth your attention?
These are broad points and involve more than a single number. But they are factors that you can easily keep track of yourself without too many technical gadgets or expertise. Each athlete, depending on their ability and goals, will have other quite specific data they will look at, but these are highly individual, and a good coach will help you see through the noise here. But for now…
1️⃣ Load
Put simply, this refers to the amount of work you are doing, and more importantly, how it is distributed. How many hours of training are you doing? Watch out for big spikes or 'hero weeks' as I like to call them. These are weeks where you push yourself to the limit, often with intense training sessions, thinking it will significantly boost your performance. However, these 'hero weeks' can lead to overtraining and dips in consistency in the long term. Find the level you can do and, more importantly, recover from.
Once you've done this, you can dive deeper into where your more intense/brutal sessions are. Are they spaced out enough to allow you adequate recovery from them? Do they fit with your goals and your current period of training?
You can then go deeper still and check how much time you're spending in each training zone. And you'll be surprised how much time you don't need in the higher zones to get a stimulus from your body.
The sweet spot is consistency — where you can train, recover, and still show up again tomorrow.
🟩 Personal note. I worked with an athlete who, when I took them on board, was doing 3 x VO2 sessions per week (or so they thought). Upon closer inspection, they were nowhere near v02 as they were so exhausted they just couldn't realistically hit the correct number. But it felt hard, and that's what they valued as important. This is a common misconception, and it's important to remember that what feels hard isn't always what's best for your performance.
2️⃣ Sleep
It's not glamorous, but it's the most significant performance enhancer available. Tracking sleep doesn't require wearing a device to bed — awareness matters more than accuracy. Remember, how you feel in the morning and the stability of your energy levels are often a direct reflection of your sleep quality.
How do you feel in the morning? Are your energy levels stable?
If the answer is regularly "meh," the problem might not be your training load — it might be your bedtime.
🟩 In all honesty, I - like many others - have been guilty of not getting enough sleep. But recently I've started starting my bedtime routine 3-40 minutes earlier, and it's led to increased energy and awareness in the morning.
3️⃣ Efficiency
Fancy word for "are you getting more done for the same effort?"
A classic example: Easy running pace vs. heart rate. If your easy runs/rides are getting faster at the same HR, then your input vs your output is improving.
It's also a great reminder that not all improvements show up in big, complex, solid tests — sometimes they're found in the relentless consistency of easy days feeling easier.
🟩 Just a note on this. It won't always be an upward trend. You guessed it - your training load and sleep will impact these inputs and outputs. And they will fluctuate within a training cycle, encompassing both long-term and short-term objectives. From personal experience, I know I'm getting sharper when I can maintain an HR of under 140, and my pace is dropping to under 4:30 per km. But the day after a hard session or in the off-season, it will be different. Again - Big picture.
The Bigger Picture
Data gives context. Awareness gives meaning.
It's easy to focus on every number, but the real skill lies in zooming out and seeing your bigger picture — connecting what the data shows with how you feel and what's happening in life, because whether we like it or not. It gets in the way.
Stress at work, insufficient sleep, and skipped meals… all contribute to poor performance. And the better your awareness, the better your decisions will be.
Remember, data is valuable, but awareness is essential. It's not just about knowing your numbers, it's about understanding what they mean for you and your performance.
Know your numbers, but know yourself first.