I’ve not used the PowerRace app to augment my STRYD experience too much. Today, however, I tried it with my old Garmin 235 just for fun.

Actually the 935 has gone back to Garmin for repair and I am mulling over which device(s) to use for my race at the weekend.

The PowerRace app essentially is a steady-state pacing tool for running by power with STRYD either as a racing or training tool. It addresses the deficiencies in the Garmin ecosystem for running power data.

It’s actually pretty neat and pretty free (once you have STRYD). Here are some of the key features

• Configurable display. I display HR=Heart Rate and AP=Average Power. You can change those, perhaps to include CADENCE or FORM RATIO. The latter is an interesting efficiency metric to watch as you fatigue over time and essentially waste more power as a percentage of your total output.
• Can be used indoors
• Can enable/disable the watch’s BEEP, if it has one. the 235DOES have one
• Specify distance (the PowerRace app shows your progress as a large black dot going across the screen from left to right. Sounds ‘not too great’ but it’s actually quite effective in reality.
• Specify target power eg 200w. You CAN change it mid-run
• Specify power range around target eg 10w or 20w
• Specify lap interval eg 1km
• Beeps and vibrates when you are out-of-target-range.
• Colour coding for in- or out-of-zone.

The app is a fraction laggy when starting and stopping on the Forerunner 235. It seems more responsive on the Forerunner 935. It is perfectly fine when in use with the 235 and that’s what counts.

The app works well and I can certainly recommend trying it out on the 235 (230)

The downsides, for me, are twofold

1. In this particular instance the vibrate/beep on the 235 is insufficient but that is probably hardware related.
2. As an app you will have to use JUST the app – with the Garmin 235 you can’t use the app as another screen to flick through. My preference would be to use power alerts within the normal Garmin watch environment…but Garmin haven’t implemented those yet. Still waiting…

Overall though, it is a good and well thought-through app which fills a real training need.

Resources

• Download The App: link to garmin.com
• Initial Announcement: link to the5krunner.com
• Detailed Review of STRYD: link to the5krunner.com

Price, Availability & Discount Code

I partner directly with STRYD in the USA and their distributor New Running Gear in the EU. The images below takes you through to whatever current deal on STRYD there is at any given time in the USA/Canada.