STRYD after 10,000 kms, a Runner’s Review from 2015 to 2024 – Running Power Meter Pod

Here is the STRYD Footpod ‘Bible’, a review after over 10,000km of training with the STRYD running power meter. This is a comprehensive review and considers, in detail, every aspect of running with a STRYD power meter from running power plans to how Stryd works on your Garmin or Apple Watch.

Let’s start with a quick summary of some of the key points of the review and please use the table of contents to skip ahead to STRYD feature sections that most interest you. If you have come here for a STRYD discount you will most likely be out of luck. Your best bet for a STRYD discount in the USA, UK or EU is around Black Friday when you might get 20% off Stryd Duo or cheaper membership – try this link to stryd.com for their Black Friday deal.

10,000km?  Easily as <30km/week

In Brief

• Price
• Apparent Accuracy
• Build Quality & Design
• Features, Including App
• Compatability

4.7

Awesome running power tool to help race pacing, training efficiency, and injury prevention

 

STRYD Review Summary

Among runners, STRYD is a popular foot pod that offers a new and accurate way of training. With significant advancements from 2021 to 2023, the STRYD platform offers everything from training planning to race execution and workout analysis.

Using power as a metric for training allows for a more accurate and effective way of measuring effort, and the STRYD pod delivers super accurate pace, even more so than the latest dual-frequency GPS watches. The pod is compatible with almost all sports watches and apps, making it easy to use and understand. Whether you’re looking for quick wins or want to dive deep into power training, STRYD has you covered. Additionally, STRYD offers a range of features and insights for those who want to take their training to the next level.

The PowerCenter, available for free, provides detailed analysis and insights on your running performance. Additionally, STRYD is compatible with several other sports data platforms such as Final Surge, Training Peaks, Garmin Connect, Intervals.icu, Xert, Runalyze, Polar Flow, Suunto app and the Coros app, allowing for even more comprehensive training and planning options.

Overall, STRYD is a versatile and powerful tool for runners of all levels looking to improve their training and performance. STRYD also provides a subscription-based service which offers advanced features such as personalized power-based training plans, real-time power-based pacing, and more data analysis options to help you understand your running performance better.

With STRYD, you can track your running power, running form, cadence, ground contact time, and more, this will give you an holistic understanding of how you run, which can help you identify areas for improvement and reach your running goals faster. Another great feature is that this device is very easy to use, you just need to pair it to your watch or phone and start your run, it doesn’t normally require any calibration, so you can use it right out of the box.

Another benefit of using STRYD is that it gives you a more accurate measure of your running effort, this is important because it allows you to train at the right intensity, which is critical for making progress and avoiding injury. Unlike pace or heart rate, power doesn’t vary with external factors such as temperature, altitude or terrain, this makes it a consistent metric to track your performance. Also, you can use it in any running conditions, whether you’re running on a treadmill or outside, on a flat road or hilly terrain, you will still get accurate data.

Furthermore, STRYD provides detailed information about your running form which can help you identify any gait issues that may be causing you pain or preventing you from running efficiently. With the help of this device, you will be able to improve your running economy, reduce your risk of injury and ultimately run faster, longer and more comfortably.

 

To sum up, STRYD is an advanced and versatile device that offers a range of features to help you improve your running performance. It is easy to use, accurate and compatible with a wide range of sports watches and apps. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced runner, STRYD can help you take your training to the next level.

Finding a Stryd Discount is a rare thing, there’s usually a 10% Black Friday deal but that’s about it.

• USA Pricing $249
• UK Pricing £219
• EU Pricing 219€

More: at stryd.com

Pros

• The most accurate pace and cadence, indoors or outdoors. Period.
• Pair, clip and go
• Supported by all, new medium-to-high spec sports watches – dedicated Garmin & Apple apps
• Free power training plans
• Seemingly accurate power numbers – even in windy conditions on nearly all ground types
• More accurate info covering speed, distance, power, and form.
• Simple to use, pair-and-go with calibration rarely required
• Running power has simple uses as well as profoundly deep uses for training and analysis for advanced runners.
• Great for multisport who already understand training with power concepts

Cons

• The price seems expensive for a pod. But add in the great smartphone app, web ecosystem and watch-based apps then I reckon it’s good value overall.
• Stryd DUO doubles the price but doesn’t double the value. It’s a nice-to-have.
• Garmin need to improve native support for the running power metric (STRYD’s CIQ functionality is a great workaround)
• Stryd Membership is optional at $100pa. It’s not routinely needed and I don’t use its 3D-Footpath visualisations, workout library and workout builder.
• Extreme ground conditions give inaccurate results
• Treadmill incline is not automatically detected

• Direct From Stryd (any discount automatically applied)

How STRYD has changed my running

I’m a 90% convert to running power. I use it to quantify my performances on workouts and I frequently use it as a sanity check for extended, steady-state efforts. For speedwork, I still like to see the time of my track laps or the pace out on flat roads. Of course, even when targetting pace, I always use the accurate instant pace figures that the STRYD pod produces.

I used STRYD at my last IM, my last HIM and at my last 5k parkrun. It’s on my foot for nearly all of my runs as either a standalone run or as part of a duathlon/triathlon. Take that as a recommendation!

For me, the best aspect of the STRYD Footpod is that it integrates into all the sports platforms I use. For most sports platforms, STRYD ‘just works’ and for Garmin, it ‘just works’ once you add the STRYD Zones 2.0 data field to your watch.

Does it really measure POWER in WATTS? I’ve no idea! but STRYD claim it does! Whatever it measures, it is a good proxy for form-related effort.

There are many ways that STRYD could help your running, I use it for these

• Improved, effort-based pacing on undulating ground
• Super-accurate pace.
• STRYD Power curve – to check for power-duration PBs and track my power improvements
• I use both the Garmin STRYD Zones Data Field and STRYD’s watchOS app on my Apple Watch (check the review).
• I analyse my running power data in Golden Cheetah and STRYD’s Powercenter
• I follow structured workouts from a plan with power alerts

A Brief History Of Running With Power

Stryd is the most-used Running Power platform and is based on a footpod. Stryd has patented aspects of the power footpod approach and no competitor can offer a direct alternative.

The first iteration was a clip-on pod for the waistband and then came a chest strap. Stryd considered a footpod to be the best and most accurate hardware approach to determine power and so changed the format of its product, it was subsequently refined to add a wind sensor and then a dual-sided option.

More recent approaches by the competition are based on calculations made within watches but that is a calculation of convenience and not a better or more accurate approach. Garmin started the wrist-power trend over 5 years ago with Apple (2022), Polar, Coros and Suunto all following suit.

Running power can probably never be directly measured and so algorithms are used to calculate it. There is no accepted standard for that calculation and two broad approaches are used. Stryd is validated against the ‘metabolic cost’ of running and probably uses the External Energy Summation Approach (EESA) whereas others use the Gravity Ordered Velocity Stress Score (GOVSS). Neither is accepted as correct and each produces significantly different results. Every GOVSS approach has different results although some are similar. 

All the sports watch makers offer a ‘native’ solution which means that their proprietary power is incorporated throughout their platforms with features like power-based running plans. However Coros, Suunto and Polar also support Stryd as a fully integrated alternative to their proprietary power. Neither Apple nor Garmin natively allows Stryd power as an alternative but both do allow Stryd’s excellent app to work with their watches. If you use Stryd on any watch, its data is comparable ie you can switch watch brands and keep your Stryd history.

Stryd has its smartphone app and also caches each run’s data on the pod itself. There is just about every possible recording option except…there is no mainstream solution for Google’s Wear OS/Fitbit platform, but 3rd parties offer alternatives that work with Stryd.

Running Power is mainstream. Stryd’s approach is versatile.

Alongside all of this, numerous apps claim to calculate and display power in various ways without using Stryd, some are rubbish and some are OK.

Thus we are in a situation where no accepted standard defines power nor ANT+ standards to integrate it into Garmin watches. Considering there are probably hundreds of thousands of people who use running power, this is a strange situation. A situation of Garmin’s making.

In The Box

STRYD comes with two shoe-lace clips (1x orange, 1x black) and a wired charging cradle.  If you want dual-sided power you buy two identical pods.

Packaging is identical for Next Gen and Next Gen Duo models.

Watch Compatibility – STRYD Review Basics

STRYD is compatible with almost every sports watch over £/$200 from Polar, Garmin, Coros, Suunto and Apple.

But what kind of compatibility do you get?

1. Running Power – You want this. With Garmin and Apple, you install a free app on the watch.
2. Pace & Distance from STRYD – this means treadmill compatible
3. Pace & Distance from STRYD with GPS enabled to record your route – this means you can override one or both of Pace/Distance when used outside and Stryd may also auto-calibrate pace/distance.
4. Extra STRYD Data – Able to view the extra STRYD form/efficiency metrics ON THE WATCH or in Stryd POWERCENTER
5. Polar, Coros, and Suunto have native compatibility which can be from either Stryd or their calculations. Apple and Garmin have their ring-fenced proprietary options but allow free Stryd apps of various kinds.

The watches that I would say are FULLY COMPATIBLE FOR POWER and TREADMILL are:

• Garmin (2015 onwards – Forerunner, Fenix, Vivoactive/Venu) – F5, F5s & VA3 have connectivity issues. Fenix 5plus/6/7/7 Pro/Epix/ Epix pro/935/945/955/965 and beyond are fine.
• Apple Watch – via the STRYD app for Watch OS, also iSmoothRun
• Polar – V800, Grit X (+Pro), Vantage M/M2 & Vantage V (+Titan), Vantage V2, Pacer Pro
• Suunto – Ambit 2 & Ambit 3
• 3rd party Samsung Gear apps also consider the Gear Tracker app.
• WearOS apps –Sporty Go app and Ghost Racer (use on Suunto 7)

You might want to read this article for the following Suunto watches as you may need to bypass Suunto’s FusedSpeed

• Suunto 9/9Peak, Suunto 5/Vertical/Race and earlier SPARTAN models (the Suunto 7 requires a 3rd party Wear OS app)

For Gait efficiency metrics on watches use the STRYD app (on Apple or Garmin)

Any doubt? Detailed clarification at stryd.com

STRYD Review – Model History

As of November 2023, there is only the next-gen model available from STRYD, although you can buy two to get dual-sided features.

• STRYD v1 – A clip-on pod for the waist
• STRYD v2 – Chest strap, also called ‘Pioneer’ 
• STRYD v3 – The third iteration, footpod, iteration had 3 variants, all effectively the same except…
  • STRYD Summit – power model, no charging cradle, QI-compatible wireless charger 
  • STRYD Live – non-power but upgradeable with charging cradle
  • STRYD Everest – power model with charging cradle, QI compatible
• STRYD v4 – Introduces the ability to handle WIND effects. 
• STRYD v5 Next Gen – Available Q4 2022 here
  • STRYD DUO November 2023 – two Next Gen pods.

STRYD – Physical Changes In The Wind Pod?

new Stryd Duo – Dual-sided running power pods – First Thoughts

How Do you use STRYD? Using Running Power 101

There are several practical ways you might want to use STRYD, perhaps you most want to understand how to use POWER.

• It’s a clip-and-go product. You get the most accurate PACE possible. That can instantly improve your ability to correctly execute pace-based workouts
• Power and speed/pace would represent the same thing on a flat indoor running track. Elsewhere, pace/speed is ‘wrong’. Once you know what POWER you need to run at you can do it anywhere..up a hill, down a hill or into the wind. It’s ALWAYS right.
• Knowing the correct training power to run at is as difficult or easy as knowing the correct training speed/pace to run at. Runners look at ‘Daniels Tables’ (and similar), Power Runners would look at a Power Curve to find THEIR maximum power for any duration and then target a certain percentage of that; or target a certain percentage of their hour-power (also called CP, rCP, CP60, rFTP, FTP, threshold power, baseline power – remember those terms)
• A simple way to start understanding your power levels is during your weekly long run. Get to your desired flat pace, look at the corresponding power figure and then target that power as the wind and terrain vary over the next hour or more. Use a similar approach at other speeds to get a ‘feel’ for your ‘forever power’, ‘maximal 5k power’ and maximal 1-KM power, these markers initially help you put other efforts into perspective just as they would do with pace/speed on an indoor track.
• As a novice, constructing a power-based training plan for yourself is NOT easy and you should follow one of the free plans from STRYD.
• STRYD will automatically determine your baseline power. From that, STRYD will give you power training zones and you can train based on those exactly as you would do heart rate zones or pace zones. Power zones will represent a similar effort but will be different.

The sections that follow give you an idea of how to install, pair and sync your STRYD.

Pairing & Preparing to Run

This section looks at putting STRYD on your shoe; pairing STRYD to your running watch; and configuring the display on your running watch for Suunto, Garmin & Polar.

Q: How do you attach Stryd to your shoe?

Precise shoe positioning IS important for newer, wind-enabled pods as there is a hole that cannot be obscured. This image roughly shows how you should install Stryd onto your laces for ALL versions of STRYD ie it needs to point in a forward direction and be placed near the toes, like this.

Try to get as close to that position as you can even with shoes like AlphaFly and VaporFly that have off-centre lacing, and you might end up with positioning like this.

Putting the effects of wind to one side, I have changed STRYD between countless pairs of shoes and have not noticed any differences in readings based on different stack heights/cushioning and between different lace positions. I still seem to get consistent results.

Moving the pod to the other foot CAN give different results depending on the degree of asymmetry to your running gait. Don’t do that or buy the Duo version.

I often use elasticated laces which tend to be thick but STRYD handles this perfectly and still allows 2, 3 or 4 lace lengths to be spanned. Try and span as many as sensibly possible. The STRYD pod firmly attaches to its cradle and feels like it won’t come out once clicked in.

If you don’t use thicker laces then you may well find the device moves a bit. Try packing out the gap. On the STRYD forum, I’ve seen a Velcro-based solution to reduce the space. Set against this, I  found that tight-fitting racing shoes coupled with a tightly-fitting STRYD caused foot discomfort. Solution: move the pod!

After recharging, be REALLY sure that the STRYD Footpod is correctly re-inserted into the prongs on the cradle to avoid loss. A cool feature is that the STRYD Zones data field will buzz if it loses connection ie if Stryd has become detached or has run out of battery.

Pairing – STRYD Review

For first-time usage, ensure that your weight and height are set in the STRYD SMARTPHONE APP and synchronised to the STRYD pod.

Those of you using the Apple app will find that weight & height can be synchronised from Apple Health – disable synchronisation – #ItsComplicated, just turn it off!

The INITIAL setup is not as simple as, say, pairing a new HR sensor for the first time.

Quick Pairing Overview

• iOS/Android: Pair to the Stryd app, then pair and link a second one if you have Stryd DUO.
  
  • Garmin: Install the Stryd Zones CIQ app on the watch and STRYD silently pairs itself!
  • Apple Watch: Install the STRYD watchOS app (should be automatically installed but that can take a few minutes after installing on your iPhone).

Pairing to legacy watches can be easy or tricky depending on the watch. Pair by ANT+ to your Garmin or by Bluetooth SMART to the app on your smartphone. As a rule of thumb, pair STRYD as a FOOTPOD, not a POWER METER.

• Recommended: For newer Garmins, pair STRYD as a footpod (optional) then set STRYD as the source of pace and distance. Do NOT pair as a power meter, and DO not pair as an RD-POD if given either option.
• For Wahoo ELEMNT Rival – just pair it
• Polar Vantage V/V2/V3, M/M2, Pacer Pro & Grit X – just pair it
• Suunto Spartan, 5 or Suunto 9 – pair as a footpod NOT as a power pod
• Some 3rd party CIQ data fields for Garmin, such as DATARUN, require you to pair STRYD as a POWER METER. 
• Pairing to any other watch model eg Coros or Garmin 920XT/935/645M should be as a footpod.
• Pairing to the STRYD smartphone app – do this from within the app, not the Bluetooth General setting on your phone.
• Polar V800 – pair as a power meter
• Legacy Suunto: With AMBITs, you pair as a POWERPOD and use it in RUN mode.
• Legacy Polar, you just pair as “other device”

If you are investing £/$200 in a running power meter, I would suggest you also invest in a watch that properly supports power indoors and outdoors ie it will DISPLAY and RECORD power. Have a look at these that I’ve used over the years.

Running Preparation – Garmin

Use Garmin Express to download STRYD Zones data field from CIQ, or you can use Connect IQ Mobile App.

You configure the averaging calculation performed by the ‘STRYD Power’ data field in either Garmin Express  or the Connect app on iPhone. I use ‘Real-Time Power’ or one of several longer average power durations. I mostly use Real-Time Power and I like its responsiveness to real-world changes, there are perfectly sensible reasons for wanting to show the longer averages if that is how you choose to pace yourself. Your call.

The ‘Stryd Zones’ data field ALSO AUTOMATICALLY RECORDS THE RAW, UN-AVERAGED POWER DATA into the FIT file. It does not record the average you have chosen for display. PRECISELY what it should do.

Running Preparation – Coros

Coros natively supports STRYD. All you have to do is pair the STRYD sensor to your watch and the rest is already there. Coros has the most complete NATIVE STRYD integration, sadly Coros only gets this single line because it’s all so easy to get working…

Running Preparation – Suunto (AMBIT, SPARTAN, Vertical, Race and Suunto 9)

With Suunto, the situation is different and better than with Garmin in the sense that Running power is natively supported by the watch.

Pairing as a footpod is simple enough, you know how to do that. You can have a Stryd and a bike power meter paired at the same time.

Suunto Device Configuration – Suunto App – STRYD Review

The Suunto smartphone app lets you create a custom running profile to change the appearance of Stryd’s power data. There are also pre-configured power-running pages

Running Preparation – Polar – STRYD Review

Running with power with Polar’s Vantage models (Vantage V3,V2/ V) or older M2, Pacer Pro, Vantage M, Grit X or V800, is easy because running power is native to Polar

Simply STRYD to newer Polar models and as a power meter for the older V800. You then configure your running profile/data screen via FLOW on the app or online and then run. The Vantage V2/V3 also has its internal version of running power with readings taken partly from wrist movements and GPS – Use STRYD in preference to Polar’s native power. Whichever you choose, your watch will use the same data fields.

Flow Configuration

Your Polar watch can be configured either in the FLOW app or the online FLOW platform.

Polar has a nice full-pace running power screen as well as a unique (excellent) zone lock feature. there are about 12 running power metrics to choose from, presenting a decent choice for you.

How do you calibrate a STRYD power meter footpod?

Source: STRYD

Most STRYD users will NOT need to calibrate STRYD. STRYD’s internal sensors are accurate at calculating the displacement of every stride responsively and accurately. But there are some nuances to this

Users who require calibration

The minority of you who do require calibration should look at this post (link to STRYD.com).

The phrase “Don’t do this,” probably applies to you who are reading this now and contemplating making things ‘just that little bit more accurate! I’m normally one of those people. Don’t do it! I warned you ;-). 

Stryd’s raw values are only affected by your weight and height and those are stored on the pod. A calibration or scaling factor can be applied on the watch and that can either be a manual override made by you or a dynamically adjusting one as determined by the watch (usually by GPS distance). For this reason, you might get different distance and pace readings on different watches with the same Stryd pod…it’s an issue with the watch scaling factor, not Stryd.

Watches that over-ride calibration:

Garmin, Suunto, Coros and Polar all have auto-calibration as an option

Autocalibration by GPS can give good results. If you run in areas of poor GPS reception or if your watch has inaccurate GPS then using autocalibration is a really bad idea.

It’s best to entirely override your watch’s view of GPS pace/distance and I would do that on a Garmin watch by adjusting the properties of Stryd when paired as a footpod:

• Set speed & distance to always be from STRYD
• Set calibration to manual.
• Set the calibration factor to the Stryd out-of-the-box default of: 100 (on Garmin) or 1.000 (Coros, Apple, Polar and Suunto)

Watches that can’t be manually calibrated:

As of 2023, it’s only Suunto watches that cannot manually override/calibrate Stryd

Calibration Factors Vary By Sport:

The Polar Vantage products store a Footpod calibration figure for each sport. So you will potentially need to set them all to the same value

How to Run With Power

Simplistically: Use POWER as a simple metric and base your training just on that rather than pace or HR. After all, it is just a number on a different linear. You just have to get used to the scale.

You run your 5k one week at 300w and then you try for 302w next week. That’s neither a scientific nor overly fruitful approach to improving; but if you went from one flat parkrun 5k course to another muddy and hilly one the next week, you may well appreciate the advantage of pacing by your 5k-power level more than your running buddy who is pacing off HR or PACE. Whilst you will achieve a slower time on that new & harder course you SHOULD be able to do the same average power level.

You can also mix up your training and get a new kind of PB/PR. If you do a variet of weekly 5k parkruns on different courses then the difficulty of the courses vary, only your 5k average power is comparable across them all.

Power-time PBs might sound trivial but they are real markers of physiological breakthroughs as well as a way to mix up your training.

That concept hold true for any distance or any duration. There are lots of breakthrough-PBs to be had to keep the motivation levels up and be reassured that these breakthrough sessions do indicate meaningful markers of running improvement.

Benefits of Running With Power

Here are 7 tangible benefits you get from running with power and a link to an article covering a wider range of benefits in more detail

1. Objective Measurement: Takes out the guesswork with direct and objective measurement.
2. Consistent Pacing: regardless of variations in terrain, weather, or fatigue.
3. Training Zones: Supports easier-to-understand zone-based training
4. Analysis: an easier way to compare and dissect performance, with the ability for highly advanced analysis
5. Long-term Progress Tracking: Easily quantifies progress and improvement
6. Perfect pacing strategies
7. Running Efficiency Improvement: Allows for the identification of running inefficiencies and areas for improvement in form or technique.

Remember that the effectiveness of a running power meter depends on the user’s understanding of the data and its integration into a comprehensive training plan. It’s a tool that can complement other metrics and aspects of training for a more holistic approach to improving running performance.

Running Power – 10 Reasons To use It over Pace and HR

How to Run With Power Zones

Most people would want a more rigorous approach based on different levels of power/durations that the body can bear. Running in these ‘zones’ will cause the body to experience different physiological adaptations for each zone. If you are familiar with training by HR zones, then power zones are a broadly similar approach and the HR and power zones might broadly match each other.

Simplistically, Zone2 power might be for your 75-minute endurance run and Zone5 power might be for your 5-minute, or shorter, intervals. Knowing your Zone 5 power could be quite handy for hills reps, wouldn’t it? What pace do you run up hills at? All hills at the same pace? Regardless of the gradient? Thought not!

Once you have a power duration curve, you know what power to target for any time duration. You might target 101% for a PB/PR or you might target 95% for VO2max reps.

Even if you don’t look at your watch when running hard up a hill you can look at your stats afterwards to quantify your efforts. If it was a 30-second hill then I am certain that both your HR and PACE stats for those 30 seconds are largely meaningless…but your power stats will be 100% meaningful (with some minor caveats on running form changes when doing hill reps).

If you currently pace by Heart Rate then you will know it’s difficult to answer the following question, “How do you pace short 1-minute interval reps?” It will take your heart quite a while to get into the zone that properly reflects your effort. Indeed it might take several 1-minute INTERVALS for your heart to get into the right zone that reflects what happens inside your body. It will take the STRYD Footpod about 3 seconds from the get-go and it will be correct from one rep to the next.

Determining Your Power Zones – Automatic

RECOMMENDED Critical Power/FTP (CP) is now automatically & continuously updated based on your recent workouts and also synchronising your power zones – I recommend that most people enable this after using STRYD for a month – ie once there is enough data Stryd calculates your CP and zones for you and they will be accurate if you have completed a few maximal efforts in that month. If not then your training is not making you faster so try harder!

New STRYD auto-CP calculation

New STRYD Zones

Determining Your Power Zones – Manual Method

You have to have a starting point to manually determine your zones. Typically that starting point is your maximum performance at around one hour which can be estimated from a shorter effort ie your 10K PB.

• Power Zones – cyclists with power meters will know all about FTP and CPs. For running power it will be the same sort of thing, essentially you use fairly short tests to estimate your hour power. STRYD discuss some of the detail and the PRECISE test protocol at <this> link. You can spend a LOT of time reading various pros and cons of different testing protocols that essentially all end up with a similar enough answer that is actionable.
  • This is the recommended STRYD test: “5-800m-5-1200m-30-2400m-10” ie 5 minutes warmup, 800m easy, 5 minutes further warmup, 1200m @near-max, 30 minutes very easy jog recovery, 2400m @max, 10 minutes cooldown. You enter the results in your STRYD dashboard to get your zones and/or the CP will be auto-calculated. Sorted.
  • Vance and others give formulae for running power zone calculations that are subtly different from those for cycling power. So beware of using your cycling power spreadsheet (instead use one of these 😉 ). My recommendation is to use the STRYD Zone method
  • CP will probably be the same as your best power for your 10k PB. If not the same, it will be VERY close.

• Pace Zones – there are various online running calculators. This is a pretty cool spreadsheet: Daniels Tables v3: (source: electricblues.com/html/runpro.html)
• Heart Rate Zones – essentially these are either based on a lab test, which few of you will be able to afford to do sufficiently regularly, or on the last 20 minutes of a flat-out 30-minute test to estimate your lactate threshold heart rate (or similar).
• RPE Zones – rates of perceived effort, these zones have their value too in training and racing. More so than many of you think.

My personal view is that your 10K power PB is probably very similar to your critical power/rFTP. For sub-40 10k runners, your 10K power PB can be adjusted based on the time to give a more accurate estimation of rFTP (it will be something like 0.97*10Kaverage power for very good runners)

This link shows a spreadsheet to determine your running power zones by ALL of the currently popular methods including STRYD, Palladino, Vance and Polar.

STRYD Running Power Zone Calculators – All of them

Alternative Methods of Determining CP: RunningByNumbers

Running With Zone Alerts

Running Power Zone alerts are now even native to the Apple Watch, albeit for Apple’s running power. Wherever you use the Stryd app alerts can be set within that. Wherever running power is truly native to the watch, like Polar, Suunto and Coros, then running power alerts just work like other zone-based alerts.

As of November 2023, the Stryd Zones data field can execute structured workouts natively with alerts.

Polar has separate Running Power Zones and a nice ZONE LOCK facility which allows you to easily lock into/out of the current power zone multiple times during a run.

Running With Zone Displays

STRYD Zones is a configurable Garmin CIQ data field that displays your current running power zone either as a digit or dial.

Stryd – next gen Garmin Data Field 2.0 – A SIGNIFICANT Improvement

Polar & Suunto have power Zone pointer displays

Planning, Scheduling and Creating Running Power Workouts

It is now possible to create your own complex running power workouts in Training Peaks, Stryd or Final Surge and execute them on either a recent Garmin watch or the Apple Watch with Stryd’s app. By the same token, you can buy a plan from those same companies and the workouts are scheduled with flexibility to move to different days as needed.

STRYD initially introduced Structured Workout support in 2020.

STRYD Structured Workouts – major app update

Further updates to the interface used to execute running power workouts were made for Garmin watches in 2021 in an updated STRYD Workout app.

new STRYD Workout App

In 2023 the ability to execute workouts was cleverly added to Garmin CIQ data fields, meaning that Stryd’s features easily mesh with how you usually use your Garmin.

Post-Run Power Analysis Options

To analyze your power data you have to get it from the watch/pod to ‘somewhere else’. During each run your watch will store the workout data as normal but also include Stryd power data. Additionally, the non-GPS data is also stored in the pod.

You should try to use Stryd Powercenter as it is an excellent platform for analysing running power and gait metrics. to do that you will need to link, say, Garmin Connect using Stryd’s smartphone app to enable the GPS data to get into Powercenter. If you have highly advanced needs then you will connect your watch’s data platform Flow, Suunto or Connect to a 3rd part service like Training Peaks or Golden Cheetah.

Other Aspects of Linking Running Power Data

TOP TIP: Make sure you use the STRYD app to RECORD>OFFLINE DATA

Polar, Suunto and some older Garmins do not store all the extra GAIT metrics eg the Vantage just stores POWER CADENCE and SPEED. That’s fine for Polar FLOW as Polar FLOW couldn’t, for example, display LSS in any case. However what if you want to analyse the data elsewhere?

We will cover some of that in a minute but you should find that STRYD PowerCenter will merge your data cached in the pod with data from the source system (eg Polar FLOW). Thus you can then export your FULL data from PowerCenter to use in Golden Cheetah, Training PEAKS or elsewhere.

If you are using a later Garmin like the Garmin Forerunner 965 then ALL your Stryd data will be in your Garmin’s FIT File.

Analysis – STRYD PowerCenter

STRYD has invested heavily in developing the capability of their apps (iOS/Android) and the web version of Power Center both are now extremely powerful tools.

STRYD Power Center – 2020, new features

Analysis – Garmin Connect – STRYD Review

Garmin Connect is not great for analysis. It gives a very simple view of your data and the ability to overlay two metrics, but that’s about it:

Analysis – Suunto app

Suunto’s app offers slightly superior reporting and analysis of power data than Garmin Connect but nowhere near as good as Powercenter.

Analysis – Suunto (MOVESCOUNT) – STRYD Review

Suunto Movescount is now discontinued

Analysis – Polar FLOW – STRYD Review

Polar has the best views of power data over the 3 major platforms but it’s still certainly not a full-blown analysis platform.

Polar correctly displays running power data in FLOW (2020). But if you want to export power data anywhere else then you must do that manually by creating a TCX file. The TCX file IS then properly imported into, for example, Golden Cheetah. Polar FLOW has automatic links to STRAVA and TRAINING PEAKS but I have not checked if the power data is automatically sent there.

Analysis Features – Golden Cheetah, Final Surge, TrainingPeaks, Stryd PowerCenter

There are many kinds of advanced analyses and insights to be gleaned from running with power. The analysis platforms mentioned in the title all offer analysis to varying degrees of awesomeness. STRYD’s PowerCenter is free. Golden Cheetah is free but the data analysis gets really complex, really quick. TRAINING PEAKS is well-known, and comprehensive but comes at a price, Final Surge’s analysis features are free.

If you intend to train by power, you must familiarise yourself with a CP curve, like the following example images show. Once you get your head around logarithmic time scales and power durations rather than pace or speed over linear time scales, a CP curve WILL make sense and WILL be useful for many exciting evenings alone in front of your computer 🙂

For the cyclists: one thing to note with running CP curves is that the range of your power  is much lower, mainly because cycling supports your body weight. Thus running power curves are flatter AND THE RUNNING ZONES NARROWER. Running CP curves also tend to be more ‘stepped’ .

STRYD have also introduced actual and modelled power curves to their PowerCenter platform. As shown below STRYD’s CP curve is MUCH more colourful and includes a clever heat map of all your efforts.

Another great Powercenter chart is for Running Stress Balance. This is a KEY TRAINING METRIC that shows how you should be handling your accumulated running load. You will want this to increase for race day (but not peak too high) and you will want to avoid it getting too low as there is then a significant risk of injury.

Running Stress Balance is a backwards-looking metric and you should combine it with HRV and ‘feel’ when making a training decision today.

Other Running Power Software Analysis Options

• Golden Cheetah – Free, open-source
• Final Surge – Free, includes POWER structured workout creation and scheduling
• TrainingPeaks – Free (Premium @$10/mo)
• WKO4 – $169
• Strive.ai – A great and straightforward tool to help you improve performance. It also alerts you to PEAK THRESHOLD breakthroughs and the like. It DOES work for STRYD via the iOS app and Garmin Connect even though strive is STRAVA-focussed.
• Xertonline.com is my favourite platform and turns FTP/CP on its head, looking at it from a different perspective. They ‘know’ what maximum power you have available at any given moment and your efforts are quantified and guided by that knowledge. I use it for my cycling power stats but, unfortunately, it can’t handle run AND bike stats. Xert stuff from me here. Xert’s model seems very accurate in my experience.
• Runalyze.com – a nice platform and interesting analysis tool. Even nicer is the cost…FREE

Example Run – Running Up a Hill

How well can you and I do it in practice? This STRYD Review made me take a look at dealing with hills to see if it was the best footpod.

Let’s run up my favourite hill in stats (and yes I was listening to the Kate Bush song at the same time)

For me, running on the flat, it seemed that 300w was somewhere close to 3:50/km. So I endeavoured to maintain 300w for the near flat at the bottom of the hill and the same power up the hill and then over the crest of the hill.

To give you an idea of the hill; if you were running DOWN this hill, it’s one of those where you have to let go and hope, it’s shortish and steepish. If you were going up it on an otherwise flat run, it would rank as short but unpleasant. It was about 2 and a half minutes long at this speed and gained 30 vertical metres.

The change (drop) in speed required to hold 300w was considerable. From somewhere around 4:00/km at the start the steepest and hardest part of the hill had me going at 6:00/km. OK, I was trying to focus on a watch and run and maintain effort so the numbers bounced about a bit. You can see that the orange power line is vaguely flat varying from 300w+/-15w (5% or so).

I would say 4 things about this

1. This is broadly indicative of the sort of thing that the STRYD Footpod can tell you ie you should probably be running a LOT slower up hills if you want to maintain a constant effort
2. As with cycling, what I have noticed is that people can regulate efforts WITHOUT A POWER METER quite well for half of the hill or so. But, with the end in sight, people often tend to try harder when they are already going faster than they should. Typically they make it to the top before you and then grin. They’re grinning because they beat you but they have taken a lot out of themselves. In a hilly race, you WILL catch people like this, of a similar ability, after a few hills. 
3. You can use HR for this but, with a 30-second or so, lag it’s not quite as effective.
4. Running by RPE/feel works if you are at one with yourself. Typically we aren’t! and, as pointed out in the second point, the competitive urge often kicks in.

Hill Pacing Strategy with Power

Generally, in a ‘time trial’ on the flat and in ideal conditions, where it is you against the clock, the best strategy is to aim for your critical power for the likely duration. eg rCP35 is your critical power for a 35minute 10k

An advanced cyclist time trialling by power over an hour would exceed CP/CP60/FTP by about 5% on uphill sections and be unable to maintain CP downhill. This is a complex area to understand and you might want to look at pacing based on Normalized Grade Power for hills. Do some research on the use of NGP with rCP if you are seeking to manage the variability of your power output.

Treadmill Running

I run infrequently on treadmills and typically set the incline to be 1%, invariably I get a super smooth power track.

Whilst Stryd cannot control the treadmill incline nor sense the incline, the company’s workouts assume you have set the incline as specified and adjust your power accordingly. There are 12 free indoor treadmill workouts and subscribers can create new treadmill workouts. Indoor workouts cannot be executed outdoors.

Stryd Treadmill Workouts – Structured Indoor Training

If you are training all winter indoors consider all the points in this key resource: from1runner2another. If you want to change the incline see this information from Stryd. 

Consider also: NPE RUNN Review – an inexpensive and good Treadmill Sensor that captures treadmill incline in a FIT file.

Special STRYD Running Form Metrics

Stryd has an excellent array of running form metrics. You can see how aspects of your form deteriorate during a run, you can compare 3D visual tracks of your foot’s motion at different times and you might even see how aspects of form trend over time. However, the difficulty is knowing how to change your training or form to improve, other than the basics of cadence/stride length.

Many/most casual runners neglect consideration of their running form. One of the points of those long slow miles is to increase your aerobic efficiency BUT also to increase the efficiency of your FORM AND ALSO to reduce the risk of injury.

There are probably some relatively quick gains to be made here with aerobic training but also lots of rather elusive ones. Tread carefully.

If you are looking at power for running then maybe you have plateaued and are desperately looking for something that might make you faster.

Once your stride length/cadence is in a ‘sensible zone’ then it becomes much less clear which ‘efficiency metric’ is the next best one to look at. Even if you look at the next best metric and it tells you X%, then you are not so sure what to do about it. Normally to improve on X% involves running faster. That “insight” doesn’t help.

STRYD has proprietary metrics like Leg Spring Stiffness (LSS) and Form Power (FP) and more widely used ones like vertical oscillation (VO), cadence, and ground contact time (GCT/GT). The latest Stryd DUO presents some of this data in the context of the balance between your left and right sides.

• FP is the power produced by the essence of your form alone, ignoring everything else. Lower is better.
• LSS: Stiffer muscles/tendons require less energy to move you forward. Higher is better.
• GCT: Is the amount of time your foot is on the ground, try to lower it
• VO: Is how much you bounce, try to lower it.

2023 saw the addition of a subscriber-only 3D visualisation of each of your feet’s motion in 3D from any angle. The following images give you a flavour of the extremely interesting FOOTPATH data you now have access to.

Note: Plyometrics, strength work, anaerobic intervals including VO2max intervals are all likely to help improve your form over time. Do those…or just keep plodding along in zone 3 – your call.

It is possible to experiment and attempt to change your form slightly whilst running at a constant pace – for example, on a treadmill. If you find your power DROPS when you change your technique on a treadmill (and the pace is the same) then, in theory, you might have found a way to increase your running form efficiency. It might be worth experimenting but I am not entirely convinced by that argument.

ACCURACY

Here are some test results from my 2022 comparison of Stryd, Polar Running Power, Garmin Running Power, Apple Running Power and Coros Running Power. The key takeouts are

1. Each watch vendor’s proprietary power results will NEVER match. There is no accepted standard
2. Stryd, Apple and Coros are similar.
3. Garmin and Polar are similar.
4. Garmin peaks too highly
5. Apple doesn’t properly incorporate cadence or low-speeds

As of November 2023, I’ve covered about 100 miles with Stryd Duo but the accuracy seems the same as far as charts like these go. Supposedly the data is more responsive on the watch but it feels the same as before.

Hilly Intervals

Constantish Effort on Hills

Flat Intervals of varying Intensity

STRYD have their validations and stats to demonstrate accuracy against the true metabolic cost of running. Naturally, the vendors all have such information to some degree.

STRYD claim that their product produces power data that DOES correlate to a true metabolic cost measured by VO2max. It’s a convincing argument and they have, in my mind, convincingly refuted all studies to the contrary

Is STRYD accurate on a variety of surface conditions? There are independent validations like this one (pdf)

Race Day Planning

STRYD has now introduced a race day and event planning tool which lets you model race day conditions and possible finish times. As your CP progresses with training then your race day power target adjusts accordingly.

STRYD Race Calculator 🥇Event Planner

Alternatives to STRYD

No competitors are offering the same, complete solution as STRYD’s pod. The biggest competitor to a new STRYD is a secondhand version of the previous STRYD pod from eBay.

If the cost of STRYD is too prohibitive for you then consider Apple, Coros, Polar and Garmin who all have competing flavours of running power calculated on the watch and without a footpod.

• Since Q4.2018 RunScribe PLUS has their dual-sided RUNNING POWER POD working with Suunto and Garmin CIQ. However, RunScribe has mostly withdrawn from the consumer side of the market.
• High-end Polar watches have their Power Calculations from the WRIST and also natively support STRYD.
• Garmin announced ‘Garmin Running Power‘ formally in Q4.2017 and that became native (pre-installed with supporting features) in 2022. The Garmin power figures are partly derived from GPS pace and wind and are thus unpredictable (wrong). You could use a footpod to improve accuracy but then what is the most accurate footpod? A: STRYD. Go figure.
• Coros announced native power support for STRYD on their Pace 2 watch in 2020 and at the same time also introduced a proprietary power metric calculated in the watch. Coros admit its wrist power is not as accurate as Stryd’s.
• From September 2022, the Apple Watch workout app supports running power calculated in the watch. Apple tends to only release new proprietary metrics when they are highly validated and ‘correct’. Apple’s data is similar to Stryd…go figure. Stryd’s data capture in a pod is superior to Apple’s..go figure.

If you are looking at the gait metrics, STRYD errs towards performance gait metrics whereas

• RunScribe offers a superior gait solution by also adding a focus on rehabilitative metrics.
• LUMO Body, Garmin’s HRM-RUN, Garmin RD-POD, SHFT, Runteq’s ZOI and others offer basic gait metrics like Vertical Oscillation and Ground Contact Time.
• Garmin and Apple provide some gait metrics.

Overall I would say that STRYD is the best running power meter. However, Apple, Coros and Polar bundle running power for free.

STRYD vs Garmin Footpod – Differences Between STRYD and Garmin Footpod

I still have several Garmin footpods and used them a lot before the arrival of STRYD. If you think STRYD is over-priced then Garmin’s footpods are also over-priced at $70 for what they are. And ‘what they are‘ is LESS THAN what STRYD is.

• A Garmin footpod does not supply RUNNING POWER data nor does it provide more unusual running gait metrics that you find in STRYD. Having said that the Garmin footpod can be used as a source of pace for Garmin Running Power and that will improve the accuracy of Garmin’s power calculation somewhat.
• STRYD is more accurate than a Garmin footpod for pace and distance.
• Other than your height and weight, STRYD requires no calibration. Garmin requires calibration at different speeds.
• The Garmin Footpod has a coin cell battery with a long battery life whereas STRYD is rechargeable
• Both are broadly similar in size, weight and mounting method. The Garmin mount is more secure and durable.
• Garmin’s pod is only ANT+, STRYD is BLE and ANT+. STRYD can thus provide pace/distance/cadence to Zwift Run, whereas Garmin would need an additional ANT+ BLE dongle to do that, although some Garmins now have a virtual run mode.
• Garmin makes the RD-POD which has running dynamics and this is particularly intended to companion a modern Garmin watch with an oHRM. I’m not sure of the accuracy of the RD-POD. My gut feeling would be that accuracy with the RD-POD is poorer than the regular Garmin pod.

3rd Party Garmin CIQ Data Field Awesomeness

There are some very nice people out there who are developing stuff for us to use for free. Partly to address some of the shortcomings of Garmin’s native support for Running Power. If you know of any other interesting and useful RUNNING POWER-related data fields/apps please let me know in the comments below and I will add to this list.

@Joop tells me that STRYD’s ANT+ is private and cannot be used by developers. 3rd party developers are then exposed to working within the remaining memory constraints of each device. Thus developers typically create new functionality via Data Fields for the display of metrics whilst also having the STRYD data field running in the background – Garmin watches can only have two live CIQ data fields, although one of these can be duplicated across multiple pages.!

• 16kB Watches – Forerunner 920XT, Fenix 3, Fenix 3HR
• 32kB Watches – Fenix 5, Fenix 5S, Garmin Forerunner 935
• 128kB Watches – Fenix 5X, Fenix 5X Plus, Fenix 5 Plus, Fenix 5S Plus.
• 256kB Watches – include Fenix 7 Pro, Epix Pro and FR965

Here are some Data Fields

• DataRun and here is the manual – adds lots of fields on one screen partially to get around the limitation of only having 2 active CIQ data fields (?), certainly around the Garmin 935‘s limitation of only allowing 4 data fields per page (Newer Fenix and Forerunner models allow 6 or 8 data fields per page)
• Power Run by FlowState. This allows RUN POWER alerts, display of custom calcs and more. I’m going to look at this. It looks very interesting.

• Appbuilder is also by Flowstate. Building custom calcs to display on-screen eg FORM POWER-to power would be a good efficiency ratio. More: Blogspot
• PowerDashBoard.

STRYD and the Apple Watch

STRYD’s app was developed for iOS and also watchOS ie it works on the Apple Watch. It’s a powerful watch app that brings workouts, plans and power alerts to the Apple Watch.

It’s a sweet app and here are some screenshots (2023)

I sometimes use the iSmoothRun app to record and display running power from STRYD with the Apple Watch. It’s a great app that also supports bike power meters. It’s not as comprehensive as the STRYD Watch OS app for running power but it has a more broad feature set that handles some of my cycling needs and that’s why I use it. If you are a one-sport runner you will use the STRYD app.

STRYD Rolls out Apple Watch Training Service – Garmin too | STRYD Membership for 2021

STRYD and Android’s WearOS

Currently, there are a limited number of third-party apps for Wear OS watches, most notably the Sporty Go app, although Ghost Racer should also work, I had no success with it.

With the introduction of the Suunto 7, Wear OS can now be found there too. Suunto’s app (as of July 2021) does not support STRYD. 

STRYD and Samsung Gear

Again, you can use the Sporty Go app on Samsung Gear: here

The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 (2021) indicates that Samsung’s way forward will be with WearOS (see previous section on Wear OS).

Spares, Accessories & Add-ons

You can buy the following spares from the STRYD store

• Spare FOOT POD clip ($5)
• Spare wireless charger ($25, no longer sold)
• Spare wired charger ($15)
• Shoe pouch as a cradle replacement, 3rd party vendor. ($25, Amazon)

Interesting Points, Tips and Issues

Here are some points to consider.

Some useful tips – STRYD Review

• SUPER accurate running pace from STRYD has now been independently verified by other reviewers and STRYD owners almost all independent reviewers say Stryd is the most accurate
• Power averages are taken over 5 steps or about 10 seconds. STRYD can be set to transmit various other averages to Garmin watches via the app settings in Garmin Express or your smartphone’s CIQ app.
• No calibration is required. Enable auto-calibration and always be used as a source of pace and distance if your watch allows that setting – this is true for 99% of you and it’s what I do.
• Do not frequently change your weight setting in the app, indeed if you automatically sync your weight to the STRYD app from Apple Health then disable that feature. The data you get will be more actionable if you keep your weight setting unchanged and will naturally better reflect the subtle changes in your power and weight over time. Even if you were carrying one litre/one kg of fluids I would still not change the weight setting. The only exception to this would be if you were carrying an unusual weight, such as a backpack.
• pod calibration was first introduced by Suunto on Spartans (2017)
• Manual (and automatic), pod calibration is possible with Polar’s V800 (2017)
• Manual calibration on the Polar Vantage V3/V2/M/V/M2 (2019)
• You can calibrate for pace through the STRYD app on your smartphone. I would suggest calibrating in ideal conditions for GPS reception. This method is inferior to a manual calibration factor derived on a running track.
• Unlike Garmin footpods, shoe type/stack/drop or running speed do not seem to affect calibration.
• Footpod devotees might want to look at Fellrnr’s footpod calibration tool but I do not think that calibration makes much difference and I see no need to do that.
• Unlike STRYD’s earlier chest strap model, you can now use the STRYD pod in triathlons alongside your HRM-TRI and bike power meter.
• The LED blinks twice for a new connection or disconnection. A faster blink means ‘charge it now’ or more precisely:
  • Low battery: The LED will double-blink every second. Place the device on charge.
  • Bluetooth Connections: The LED will double-blink when (dis-)connected to/from. This does not apply to ANT+.
  • Power-on: When placing a fully discharged unit on charge it will power on and there will be five short blinks in quick succession during the power-on sequence.

• STRYD report their footpod device to better reflect real power levels compared to the original chest strap STRYD when measured in their labs. Anecdotally I agree as do other reviewers/runners elsewhere on the net. The torso is not a good place to determine inputs to a running power calculation.
• STRYD handles thick elasticated laces, unlike other footpods. Looping through 3 or 4 lengths is recommended
• Since 2016, internally, the footpod is known as the STRYD SUMMIT – now you know. The chest strap was called STRYD PIONEER.
• Data metrics are broadcast over both ANT+ and Bluetooth SMART channels. Multiple, simultaneous pairings are possible.
• When running UPHILL you will find that you have to run a LOT slower than you would imagine maintaining a constant effort. Even if you have a target power you might still want to go slightly over that target (5%) when going uphill in a race.
• When running UPHILL you will probably find that is when you can produce the most power ie more than when running super fast on the flat. Generally, many people find that true in cycling too. Hill reps are a good way to increase your power whilst also improving your technique AND whilst having a lower risk of injury than speedy reps on the road.
• Many of the metrics are the same or similar to other devices (HRM-RUN and Runscribe). I have compared them here, here and elsewhere on this blog.
• The unit weighs less than 10g and is fully rechargeable giving >20 hours of continuous running time. It leaves battery-saving mode when your running CADENCE is detected. A 2018 firmware update prevented STRYD’s battery from being topped up, this was to extend the overall STRYD battery life.
• STRYD is sufficiently waterproof for normal running. Perhaps running in a knee-deep stream for 30 minutes might be pushing the limits. (Officially 30 minutes at 1m)
• STRYD has approximately 9-10 hours of workout storage on the device. That’s irrelevant if you are using a sports watch and sufficient if you frequently sync with the app.
• STRYD uses proximity pairing on their app. When pairing with the app the first thing in the list should be the closest.

Other Points & Tips – STRYD Review

• Whilst STRYD does take ground conditions and slope into account it will not do so at the extremes. ie if you are either running on ice or running through the mud then you get incorrect readings
• STRYD takes account of actual wind. Garmin attempts to take into account WIND from weather forecasts. Watch-based power solutions from Coros and Polar do not account for wind at all.
• STRYD does work on treadmills if the incline is set over 1%. Make sure you input the INCLINE into any of the STRYD apps (Apple, CIQ, smartphone) to compensate.
• Moving STRYD from shoe to shoe is mildly inconvenient. That’s why I used to use 3x Garmin footpods. But 3x STRYDs would be a considerable investment.
• The STRYD Running Power Meter has a battery life of about 15-17 hours (officially 20) which is good for most running needs except those of ULTRA runners. It seems to recharge quickly, although I’ve never timed it. Charging on the run is not possible.
• The charging light goes off when STRYD is fully charged.
• From the STRYD app, you might also want to optionally check that STRYD is set to cache data on the pod as you run – just in case. This enables another route for you to get your data sent through to the STRYD power centre dashboard AND for analysing some of the cleverer metrics which will not find their way into your 3rd party sports data platform. Annoyingly it creates duplicates.

• Two Stryd pods can now be paired together via the Stryd smartphone app.
• AMBIT Tip: Get pace and distance from STRYD. Then set GPS accuracy to the lowest level (as it will be overridden by STRYD). That will extend your battery life.
• Garmin & Suunto 9/SpartanTip: Like the previous AMBIT tip, set your GPS to the lowest setting to save battery. 
• Calibration Tip: Don’t bother trying to configure it on your watch! Just set your weight correctly on the app and sync that through to STRYD. You will probably spend a long time trying to manually calibrate for VERY little if any, improvement.
• DATA RECOVERY TIP: Embarrassingly I once forgot my watch for a race. Embarrassingly I also got a PB/PR. If you have caching enabled via the app then you will at least be able to recover your power data after the race. That’s one tip this STRYD Review can quietly pass on 😉 Ssh.

FAQ – STRYD Review

Futures – STRYD Review

In my opinion, now that Apple has entered the Running Power market, its popularity will significantly grow through 2024 and beyond. We are likely to see further refinement from vendors using on-the-wrist calculations of power. These rely on GPS to some degree and hence will always be wrong.

STRYD’s Future – STRYD Review

STRYD’s platform will be significantly developed over the coming years on the back of significant outside VC investment. As of Q4.2023, we have seen many improvements with the platform and PODs – both are now at an ‘advanced’ state, although refinement is always possible.

1. I hope we shall also see the automatic detection of treadmill incline
2. Perhaps 2025 might see the next-gen pod. I wouldn’t expect it to be more accurate but I would expect a longer battery life.
3. Stryd perhaps could sell other gait sensors for different parts of the body.

MARKET FUTURE – STRYD Review

New entrants usually drive innovation. However, Stryd’s patents will stop any new running power pod from entering the market. There will only be scope for wrist-based calculations

The market cannot evolve like cycling power meters. Cycling power meters essentially all strive for the same ‘correct’ power figure. Cycling Power is a more mechanically derived figure upon which there is general agreement as to what is correct.

Note well: Running power will NOT be like that. So I would expect that you will NOT be able to switch between technologies as the numbers will be different. 

ONE of the reasons for the differences in power is that the STRYD Running Power Meter aims to asses the true metabolic cost of running whereas other approaches include the recoiled power from the lower leg.

Further Reading – STRYD Review

• Competitor.com have a good look at a 2:16:00 marathoner’s race power.
• STRYD’s own White Paper about their new metrics is a good sports-science-based read for those of you looking at the type of training you need to do to improve.
• STRYD’s white paper looking at the effects of wind
• STRYD’s Critical Power Test 
• In 2018 STRYD produced the Running With Power Manual, this is more of a ‘how to train with power‘ document than a ‘functions and features’ document. So it’s worth a look for power newbies.
• For a technical review of STRYD’s Running Power Meter model: head over to Ron George’s site if you want to talk about GOVSS, EESA and STRYD.

Handling Data Corruptions & Data Losses – STRYD Review

I probably get a corrupt FIT file a year where I can’t access my STRYD power data.

• Fit File Repair Tool does fix most FIT file corruptions that can be fixed.
• Read this if you still have problems.

Summary & Further Comments

The STRYD Running Power Meter is a highly useful pod that works as it should on all major sports watches (except Wear OS!)

 It fits seamlessly into how we already use our sports watches and sports data which is both consistent, actionable and sufficiently open across all the key vendor platforms.

STRYD’s PowerCenter is well-designed, useful and easily the best platform for deeper insights into your running power.

Running with power has reached a critical mass and there is a broad acceptance from that mass of runners/coaches on how to train for running with power zones.

It’s widely accepted that STRYD also give accurate instant pace figures. 

STRYD’s gait metrics look compelling but the truth behind them will be in the ability of committed runners to use them to improve form.

STRYD is a relatively expensive but useful accessory – especially for a data-driven runner/triathlete or even for those endurance runners who feel the need to gain a competitive edge on non-flat ground.

Is it worth updating your watch to this year’s model to get 5 new features that you won’t use OR is it best to, instead, get new and more accurate data that might provide additional benefits above what you currently have? ie Don’t upgrade your watch…buy a STRYD!

I use it for most runs. I like it.

Price, Availability & STRYD Discount Code

I use STRYD regularly each week and would say it’s worth it for me.

ALTERNATIVES: All key running watch brands produce power on their top-end watches. Stryd has patents that stop those companies from producing a more accurate pod. 

If you want to proceed with STRYD then the following are your buying options and these mostly include local shipping and taxes but not international shipping.

• STRYD USA: $219
• ??  Amazon UK: £205 – UK Fulfilment – no import taxes
• STRYD Europe: $199 – Eu fulfilment – no import taxes
• ?? Amazon Europe – Eu 219-Eu249
• ?? Amazon USA – Normally not sold

Apps are at the end of your sports profiles. STRYD Discount Code 2020: STRYD coupons, promotions and discounts rarely happen. In 2017/18, there was been a relatively small discount if you buy 2 as part of a Black Friday deal and in 2019/20 there was 10% off one but that’s it, Stryd is rarely discounted to any great degree.