HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF TRAINING VOLUME: DISTANCE VS ΤIΜΕ

Measuring training has never been easier, but for keeping tabs on volume, is it better to add up the miles or the hours? Charlie Allenby garners expert opinion

- Charlie Allenby

Watch a well-drilled group of road cyclists pass by and they might appear to be the picture of perfect harmony, but scratch beneath the surface and there’s a big split: how those riders keep tally of their training volume. Some count up the miles, others the hours. But which side has got it right? And does it matter?

Even the most basic cycle computer records distance and time, while apps like Strava and Garmin have automated the totalling up of training across weeks, months, and even years. This makes it easy to track training volume – essentially, how much you’ve ridden during a specified time period. This allows you to plan for progressive overload, gradually increasing distance or duration each week to keep your body adapting and fitness increasing.

The difference between duration and distance as the measurement of training volume might seem unimportant, at least on the surface. But it’s more contentious and consequential than you might think. In fact, some of the riders and coaches I spoke to for this feature suggested that this choice alone can say a lot about an individual rider, their goals and focus.

“When you hear about people training to time, it’s a symbol of them taking their whole approach to cycling more seriously,” suggests Harry Ashman, a 26-year-old duration convert from London who competes in ultra-distance gravel events. “It’s almost like a microcosm of a larger mindset switch. They’re not riding just for pleasure – they’re thinking about getting fitter, improving and racing.”