Quadrant Analysis takes your power data and plots it in four different quadrants so you can see exactly how you did create your watts. I use a tool in TrainingPeaks WKO+ software called Quadrant Analysis to help you understand exactly how you create the watts. More fast-twitch (Type II) muscle fibers are recruited when you are pedaling in a high-force, low-cadence situation, whereas more slow-twitch (Type I) fibers are recruited in a low-force, high-cadence situation.

T he watts are the same in the end, but you called on very different muscle-fiber types to produce them. You can create 1,000 watts by pedaling in the 53:12 gear at a very high force but slow cadence, or you can product 1,000 watts by pedaling in the 39:21 gear at a low force but very fast cadence.

How you will produce watts is the first consideration to think about when developing a tri racing strategy. All of these factors can dramatically impact your run time and can be easily monitored with a pedal power meter like Assioma. It’s not just about average watts it’s about how you produce those watts, how many “surges” you make during the triathlon, and whether you go harder in the beginning or save some for the finish. The difference between a well-paced bike leg and a poorly paced one can be as little as 15 watts (normalized) for an average in the event. Most triathletes do not understand how easy it is to ride too fast on the bike leg it’s the number one cause of DNF’s in triathlons. The most important thing on the bike will be pacing yourself correctly.

After training and pushing yourself to the limit, you will be prepared to take all of that hard-won fitness and do your best on race day.

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