Coachboard Help
A practical guide to pages, workflows, buttons, data concepts, and AI drafting.
Search tip
Use your browser search for words like schedule, race plan, load, import, applied, or share. The guide is intentionally plain text so it is easy to search.
Coachboard Basics
What the app is designed to do.
What Coachboard is
Coachboard is a running coach dashboard for importing activity data, reviewing athlete training history, spotting workload trends, and drafting coach-reviewed reports, recommendations, schedules, and race plans.
Core coaching philosophy
Coachboard should support coach judgement. It surfaces useful context, drafts options, and explains trade-offs, but the coach remains responsible for final decisions.
Running-first architecture
The current model is built around running metrics, long-run durability, race context, weekly volume, and load changes. Non-running activity can help context, but running remains the primary planning lens.
Local app vs deployed app
A local app runs from your machine and local database. Athlete-facing links, shared race plans, and forms work best when Coachboard is hosted where athletes can access it.
Major Pages
Purpose, workflows, buttons, and connections.
DashboardOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
A squad-level view for quick triage across athletes.
Connects to
Dashboard findings usually lead to Reports, Athlete Detail, or a coach follow-up note.
Key metrics or context
- 7-day running duration, distance, and load
- load, duration, and distance change versus the prior 7 days
- days since last run
- longest run percentage
Workflows
- Use the dashboard first to spot athletes who need follow-up.
- Open Ask Coachboard for read-only questions about the data.
- Move from a flagged athlete into Athlete Detail or Reports for review.
Buttons and actions
- Ask Coachboard: asks a read-only question about athlete data.
- Athlete links: open the athlete profile and deeper workout context.
AthletesOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
A searchable list of athletes with current context and recent status.
Connects to
Athlete records feed Reports, Race Plans, AI recommendations, schedules, and athlete intake links.
Key metrics or context
- recent running distance and duration
- load and change indicators
- last run and days since last run
- longest run signals
Workflows
- Find an athlete, scan recent status, then open their detail page.
- Use this page when you need profile context before creating reports or plans.
Buttons and actions
- Open athlete: moves into Athlete Detail.
- New athlete: creates a manual athlete profile.
Athlete DetailOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
The main profile and context page for one athlete.
Connects to
Athlete Detail is the main source of athlete context for Reports, AI recommendations, schedules, and race plans.
Key metrics or context
- 7-day running duration and distance
- distance change
- longest run and longest run percentage
- running load and load change
Workflows
- Maintain athlete profile, goals, phase, injury context, training constraints, and notes.
- Review goals and race targets before using AI planning tools.
- Use athlete form links when an athlete needs to submit profile or update information.
Buttons and actions
- Save profile changes: updates the athlete context used elsewhere.
- Add or edit goals: updates race and planning context.
- Generate athlete form link: creates an athlete-facing intake or update link when hosted.
ReportsOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
A period-based coaching review page for one athlete.
Connects to
Reports connect measured training history to AI-assisted weekly planning.
Key metrics or context
- current and prior period running distance, duration, load, and long-run contribution
- status flags for changes that may need coach review
- coach notes for the selected report range
Workflows
- Select athlete and period, review calculated metrics, then add coach notes.
- Generate an AI summary for interpretation.
- Draft a next-week recommendation, challenge it, approve or apply the target, then draft a schedule.
Buttons and actions
- Generate AI Summary: drafts coach-review report interpretation and check-in wording.
- Draft next-week recommendation: creates the active weekly planning target.
- Draft 7-day schedule: builds sessions from the active approved or revised recommendation target.
Ask CoachboardOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
A read-only question box for querying athlete data from the dashboard.
Connects to
Ask Coachboard helps explain dashboard and report observations without changing data.
Key metrics or context
- workout dates, distance, duration, pace, load, TSS, rTSS, and RPE where available
- recent comparisons and activity lists
Workflows
- Ask practical questions such as who has not run recently, what an athlete did today, or how recent load compares.
- Use the answer as a prompt for deeper review rather than as final coaching judgement.
Buttons and actions
- Ask: plans a safe data query, runs it, and formats the answer.
Race PlansOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
Create, review, export, and optionally share race execution plans.
Connects to
Race plans use athlete goals, race context, recent training, and coach settings.
Key metrics or context
- race goal details
- plan status
- version history
- share state
Workflows
- Select a race goal, generate a plan, review the content, then export or share when ready.
- Use follow-up prompts to challenge pacing, fueling, terrain, or risk assumptions.
Buttons and actions
- Generate Race Plan: drafts a race execution plan for coach review.
- Export race plan: creates a downloadable plan document.
- Share race plan: creates or manages an athlete-facing share link.
ImportOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
Bring athlete and workout data into Coachboard.
Connects to
Imported workouts drive dashboard metrics, reports, AI recommendations, and schedule context.
Key metrics or context
- imported activities
- deduplicated workout files
- athlete intake rows and validation results
Workflows
- Import FIT or activity files before reviewing reports.
- Import athlete intake CSVs to create or update profile context.
Buttons and actions
- Import FIT/activity files: parses activities and stores workout summaries.
- Import athlete intake CSV: previews and imports athlete profile data.
SettingsOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
Configure coach-level preferences used by AI wording and planning.
Connects to
Settings shape AI style, caution level, and Australian English defaults across reports, recommendations, schedules, and race plans.
Key metrics or context
- coach profile
- AI tone and risk stance
- locale and wording preferences
Workflows
- Set your coaching style, words to use or avoid, training principles, and default locale.
- Review these before relying heavily on AI drafts.
Buttons and actions
- Save settings: updates coach context used in AI prompts.
HelpOpen for purpose, metrics, workflows, actions, and connections
Purpose
An in-app user guide for Coachboard pages, workflows, buttons, and AI concepts.
Connects to
Help explains how the rest of Coachboard fits together.
Key metrics or context
- no athlete metrics are changed on this page
Workflows
- Use browser search or the quick finder links to locate a page, button, or concept.
- Open collapsed sections as needed during coaching workflow setup.
Buttons and actions
- Quick finder links: jump to guide sections.
- Collapsible sections: expand only the detail you need.
Athlete Detail Guide
The athlete profile is the backbone of planning context.
Profile and preferences
- athlete name, display name, contact fields, timezone, and locale preferences
- available training days, preferred long-run day, target weekly kilometres, and target duration
- current training phase such as build, taper, race week, recovery, or return-to-running
- coach notes and planning notes used by AI drafts
Goals and risk context
- race goals, priority, event date, distance, terrain, elevation, cut-offs, and course notes
- primary and secondary goals used for AI planning hierarchy
- injury status, injury notes, and training constraints
- recent race results and athlete notes that may shape interpretation
AI uses Athlete Detail data when drafting summaries, recommendations, schedules, and race plans. Keeping goals, phase, injury context, and coach notes current improves the quality of every downstream AI workflow.
Reports Page Guide
Where training review becomes planning.
AI Summary
Drafts a coach-review interpretation of the selected period, including phase context, concerns, recommended focus, caution notes, and athlete check-in wording.
Next-week recommendation
Creates the weekly target before a schedule exists. This is the recommended place to decide volume, long run, intensity, and risk posture.
7-day schedule
Turns the active recommendation target into daily sessions. It should follow the approved kilometre and long-run targets rather than inventing a different week.
Athlete review workflow
- select the athlete and reporting period
- review current and prior metrics plus status flags
- add or update coach notes for the period
- generate an AI summary only after reviewing the raw metrics
- draft, challenge, approve, and schedule next-week planning
AI Workflows and Reasoning
How drafts, revisions, and schedules connect.
Recommendation -> schedule sequence
- generate recommendation
- challenge or revise with follow-up questions
- apply revised recommendation when it matches coach judgement
- regenerate schedule from the revision
- save follow-up notes for later review
What AI considers
- athlete profile, goals, race demands, and event timing
- recent load, consistency, long-run history, and phase
- injury status, constraints, and risk notes
- coach profile, tone, planning principles, and follow-up feedback
- confidence limits where data is missing or incomplete
Draft vs approved
A draft is an AI starting point. Approved means the coach has accepted the target or plan as the current working context.
Recommendation vs schedule
A recommendation defines the weekly target. A schedule distributes that target across seven days.
AI challenge response
AI may agree, partially agree, respectfully challenge, or say it needs more data.
Coach authority
AI explains trade-offs and suggests compromises, but final authority remains with the coach.
Important Buttons and Actions
What each major action does.
Generate AI Summary
Creates draft report interpretation from athlete context, report metrics, notes, goals, and coach settings. It does not save or send anything automatically.
Draft next-week recommendation
Creates a high-level weekly planning target: focus, kilometre range, long-run range, quality count, cautions, and rationale.
Draft 7-day schedule
Builds seven days of sessions from the active recommendation target. It validates weekly kilometres and long-run range against the approved context.
Ask about this draft
Opens follow-up questioning for an AI draft. Use it to ask why, challenge volume, request a safer option, or test a more ambitious direction.
Apply revised recommendation
Makes a revised follow-up the current planning context for future schedule generation. The original draft remains in history.
Save follow-up note
Saves the follow-up response with the AI follow-up record and marks it as saved. It does not silently replace manual coach notes.
Regenerate schedule from this revision
Rebuilds the 7-day schedule using the revised recommendation targets rather than the original recommendation.
Generate Race Plan
Drafts race execution guidance from goals, race details, athlete context, and recent preparation.
Export race plan
Creates a document version of a reviewed race plan for sharing outside the app.
Share race plan
Creates or manages an athlete-facing race plan link. This works best in a hosted deployment.
Import athlete intake CSV
Previews and imports athlete profile rows so coach and athlete context can feed reports and AI workflows.
Import FIT/activity files
Parses activity files, deduplicates by file hash, and stores workout summaries for metrics and reports.
Data Concepts
How to interpret common Coachboard metrics and planning signals.
Running load
Coachboard uses imported activity data and available effort signals to estimate recent running load. See the Running Load section for the implemented formula and examples.
Longest run %
The longest run as a share of total running. High values can indicate a lopsided week; low values can matter for endurance race specificity.
Taper interpretation
Lower volume close to race day may be appropriate. A spike in race week is usually more concerning than a planned reduction.
Recent long-run analysis
AI planning considers recent long runs, duration, elevation exposure where available, and durability signals.
Event-specific logic
Race distance, terrain, timing, elevation, cut-offs, and priority affect whether a week looks too light, too aggressive, or appropriately cautious.
Running-only limitations
Coachboard is currently running-first. Other sports may appear as context, but planning and status logic centre on running.
Running Load
Coachboard load is a practical internal workload signal for trend review.
What it is
Running load is Coachboard's internal estimate of how demanding recent running has been. It exists because distance alone misses duration, effort, hills, and harder-than-usual sessions.
What data it uses
The calculation uses workout duration, distance, elevation gain, RPE when available, workout average heart rate when available, and the athlete's average heart rate across workouts with heart-rate data.
Implemented formula
If a valid workout RPE exists, Coachboard uses the higher-confidence effort signal:
Load = duration minutes x RPEIf RPE is missing, Coachboard falls back to:
Load = duration minutes + (distance km x 0.5) + (elevation gain m / 100) + HR upliftHR uplift is only added when workout average heart rate is above the athlete's average heart rate:
HR uplift = duration minutes x (((workout avg HR - athlete avg HR) / athlete avg HR) x 0.5)How to use it
- compare one period with the prior equivalent period
- spot sudden spikes that may need a coach check
- notice sharp drops that may reflect taper, missed training, illness, recovery, or constraints
- give AI a workload trend signal alongside kilometres, duration, long runs, phase, and goals
- support coaching judgement rather than replace it
Example with RPE
A 60-minute run with RPE 6 gives load 360. The RPE path is used because the athlete supplied perceived effort, so Coachboard does not add separate distance, elevation, or HR uplift for that workout.
Fallback example
A 60-minute, 10 km run with 200 m elevation and no RPE starts as 60 + 5 + 2 = 67. If average HR is higher than the athlete's average, Coachboard adds a heart-rate uplift.
Why taper drops can be OK
A lower load close to race day may be planned tapering rather than a problem. Coachboard and AI should interpret drops against event timing, phase, injury context, and coach notes.
Why spikes and drops matter
A spike can mean a rapid increase in stress from more time, more effort, more hills, or harder intensity. A drop can mean useful recovery, tapering, illness, missed training, or undertraining risk. The meaning depends on phase and context.
How AI uses load
AI uses load to help judge whether a recommendation is too aggressive, too conservative, or aligned with recent training. RPE-based load is treated as a stronger effort signal than the fallback model.
Limitations
- Coachboard load is not TSS, TRIMP, Garmin Training Load, TrainingPeaks CTL/ATL/TSB, or any proprietary platform metric.
- The fallback model is deliberately simple and is still evolving.
- Heart-rate uplift depends on available and reliable average HR data.
- Elevation gain can increase load, but terrain difficulty and technicality are not fully modelled.
- Cross-training is not yet modelled with the same depth as running.
- Use load as a coaching trend signal, not as a medical or physiological certainty.
Best Practice Workflow
A practical end-to-end rhythm for a coach.
- 1.Import workouts and athlete intake data.
- 2.Review Dashboard flags for squad-level triage.
- 3.Open Athlete Detail to confirm goals, phase, injury context, preferences, and coach notes.
- 4.Use Reports to review the selected period and generate an AI summary.
- 5.Draft the next-week recommendation.
- 6.Challenge or refine the recommendation until the planning target matches your judgement.
- 7.Apply or approve the recommendation so it becomes the active schedule context.
- 8.Draft or regenerate the 7-day schedule from that context.
- 9.Generate a race plan when a race goal needs execution detail.
- 10.Export or share reviewed plans only after coach approval.
Known Limitations
Use Coachboard as decision support, not automated coaching.
Current constraints
- Coachboard is currently running-focused.
- Some load modelling is still evolving, especially when RPE, heart rate, elevation, or cross-training data is incomplete.
- AI outputs require coach review before use with athletes.
- Athlete-facing links and shared plans require a hosted deployment to be useful outside your machine.
- Local deployment depends on local environment variables, SQLite data, and OpenAI API access.
- AI should not make medical claims and should treat injury information as risk context only.