Use case · Rebuild without rushing
Returning from injury or a break
Your old numbers are a reference point, not a target for next Tuesday.
The situation
You've had six weeks off, or six months, and you're itching to get back. Your watch still remembers what you used to do, and so do you. The risk is trying to get there in a fortnight.
The problem
- It's hard to see how far below your best you really are.
- Load ramps up faster than tissue does.
- Motivation swings between too cautious and too eager.
Walk-through
On sample data
A short run through how it plays out. The numbers are illustrative.
- Week 1Run readiness at 38 of your best. Chronic load near zero.
- Week 4Acute load climbing faster than chronic. The ratio flags it; you hold the volume.
- Week 10Run readiness at 71. Health log notes no pain for three weeks.
- Week 14Back on the race calendar, with a goal set from current form, not old PBs.
Getting back
Rest is a recommendation, not a guess.
Log the injury and rate how rough it is. That sport comes off your suggestions, the rest stay short and easy, and your readiness recovers as you do.
What to do next · sample data
Your swim is the furthest below your own best, and your legs are tired.
Keeps the aerobic base ticking without adding much fatigue.
You've had one session in two weeks. This is the cheapest gain on the board.
Each one is scored by re-running your readiness with that session added. Do it weekly for a month and the first one is worth +6.1%.
Other use cases
Obsessed with progress?
Progress, proven.
R99 a month. Connect Strava tonight. Your whole history is there before your next session.