If you see TSS values for running workouts that are unrealistically high or low for the perceived effort or compared to recent similar workouts, your device may be recording running power and you will need to adjust your settings accordingly.
Some device manufacturers (Garmin, Coros, and others) have been enabling running power functionality on some models of watches and heart rate monitors through automatic updates. Follow these steps to determine if this is what is affecting your TSS values and how to correct them if that is the case.
- Determine how TSS is being calculated - check the completed TSS value for an affected workout in the workout summary on web or the mobile app. If it says "TSS" then there is power data present and is being used to calculate TSS. If it says "rTSS" (run TSS) or "hrTSS" then the score is being calculated from pace or heart rate data and you will need to do additional troubleshooting. Note - all TSS calculation methods display as "TSS" without the prefix in the workout calendar tile and expanded workout view, so make sure you are checking the workout summary as pictured below.
- There are three basic options for handling power data for running
- Continue to use running power as your default TSS calculation method. You can set your running power threshold and zones in your account settings to get more accurate TSS values going forward and then recalculate previously affected workouts.
- Switch the default TSS method for running workouts. By clicking the arrow next to the TSS label in the workout summary, you can switch the source of the TSS calculation from power to pace (rTSS) or heart rate (hrTSS). You will then be prompted to choose this as your default TSS calculation going forward. This won't remove power data from running workouts or stop it from being recorded, so you may still want to set your running power threshold and zones.
- Disable running power on your device. Check the documentation for your specific device model to see how to disable the running power feature.