Which Training Log is Accurate? GPS watches vs Athlete Reported Training

🎙️ Podcast Overview

Host: Evan Nelson, Associate Professor at theUniversity of Wisconsin
Guests:

Dr. Micah Garcia, Assistant Professor at Thomas More University, expert in youth running

Coach Charlie Burnham, Girls' Cross Country Coach at Burnsville High School, Burnsville, MN

🏃‍♂️ Topic: MeasuringTraining Load in High School Cross Country Runners

The episode explores how to best track training loads inhigh school runners, comparing GPS watches and electronictraining journals.

📊 Key Concepts

External Load: Objective measures like distance and time.

Internal Load: Subjective or physiological responses like perceived exertion or heart rate.

📄 Study Summary

Title: “Global Positioning System Watches and Electronic Journals: Are Training Load Measures Similar in High School Cross Country Runners?”
Published: 2022, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
Authors: Dr. Micah Garcia & David Bazzett-Jones

🔍 Purpose:

To compare data from GPS watches and electronic journals toassess consistency in tracking training loads.

📈 Findings:

GPS watches provided more consistent and complete data for external loads.

Journals often had missing entries (about 1/3 of GPS-recorded runs were not journaled).

When both sources were available, journal entries tended to overreport distance and time by ~10%.

Internal load (perceived exertion vs. heart rate) showed poor agreement—heart rate data from wrist-based GPS watches was often inaccurate.

🧠 Insights from Dr. Garcia

GPS watches are more reliable for external load tracking.

Subjective perceived exertion may be more accurate than wrist-based heart rate for internal load.

Coaches should choose tools based on their goals and available resources.

🏫 Coaching Perspectivefrom Coach Burnham

Prioritizes external load (time and distance), especially time-based training for inclusivity.

Uses a Google spreadsheet for summer training logs; less structured during the season.

Emphasizes fun, consistency, and long-term love for the sport over strict data tracking.

Notes challenges with technology access, motivation, and accuracy among high school athletes.

🧩 Practical Takeaways

GPS watches are effective for capturing external load but may not reflect perceived effort.

Self-reported intensity is valuable but requires routine and motivation.

Coaching context matters: team size, athlete experience, and program goals influence the best tracking method.

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