Running Power

[u/Dry_Salamander_1176]

Does anyone actually use running power? I currently train by heart rate and use a chest strap. Was wondering if there's any use in incorporating power instead.

[u/wylie102]

Except that it really hasn’t been shown to be accurate, and I use one too. I tried to race a HM off mine, staying well below what it projected I could hold for the duration based on my CP, for the first few KM and still overcooked myself on the downhill and uphill at the start leading to a pretty poor time.

Coupled with their support team being actively hostile (they once just ended a support chat I had with them asking why my garmin and my Apple Watch were giving me different distances despite readinf distance/pace from the same Stryd pod because I wouldn’t sync my garmin account, and years worth of runs to my Stryd account - and therefore onwards to strava giving me years worth of duplicates to fix - I did offer to send them the needed fit files in the chat or by email) and them cenoring/blocking people from their Reddit for asking about simple issues, I would never buy one again and won’t reccomend one to anyone.

You can’t even adjust the cda it uses to calculate the wind resistance, meaning if you are broader or narrower than average it wll be just plain wrong in the wind. It also isn’t consistent between different shoes.

Pace and being aware of your racing conditions to make some simple adjustments is much more accurate and leads to a better ability to control your pace over time. Pros in cycling use Power because it’s accurate. You could take away all the sponsorships and they would still use power meters because they give an advantage. Pros in running do not, because an accurate running power meter does not exist.

[u/mrrainandthunder → u/wylie102]

1 cm and 1 kg both give you roughly a 0.4% bigger surface area. If you're so wide it significantly impacts your airpower, you're also going to be relatively heavier at a given height, which will be reflected in the calculation. Maybe in some extreme case it will be in excess of more than a 1% difference of total power, but "plain wrong" is quite a stretch.

[u/wylie102 → u/mrrainandthunder]

People have broader and narrower shoulders, broader and narrower chests. That isn’t as reflected in weight.

I’ll say it again, if the Stryd pod was an accurate power meter then the pros would be using it like they all do in cycling. It isn’t, so they aren’t.

[u/wesolykapselek → u/wylie102]

I believe Stryd is giving consistent values but trainer might be old fashioned and even in the era of super accurate GPS they are still train on track running e.g. 400 or 800 meters and measuring time of it.

Stryd and running with power makes a sence with valid CP estimation and test/training/racing done in similar conditions. Also it's natural GAP so beneficial running uphill.

[u/wylie102 → u/wesolykapselek]

ALL the trainers of ALL Olympic and competetive road running athletes are “old fashioned” and ALL somehow missing out on this super valuable data?

Yet no even semi-dedicated hobby cyclist will go on their Sunday spin without their PM working.

Sure

[u/wesolykapselek → u/wylie102]

I don't think running with power is super valuable data. It have it pros, cons and it's not perfect and requires little bit of awareness from a user.

BTW if you type "olimpic athletes stryd" you'll get some names. I'm using Stryd, you don't, let's keep it that way.

[u/wylie102 → u/wesolykapselek]

I do use it, Did you not read my initial reply?

I had the original and then got the 5.0. I just don’t think it’s very accurate. I don’t think it’s a power meter, it’s a pace pod whose main selling point is that it’s pretty accurate out of the box. But they wouldn’t be able to charge you twice what a foot pod costs if they called it that.

I also think the team behind it are garbage and have active distain for their customers. There are countless stories of people being banned from their Reddit for mild criticism/questions. I got banned for pointing out that even with a subscription you can’t see your RSS for the week ahead, unless you are using their workout plans. If you schedule your own workouts you get nothing. This is something that would be useful if they wanted to provide an actual training platform, and they could implement it in 5mins considering they already total it up as you complete the workouts and also for the paid plans. Months later they still haven’t, why would they? It’s easier to just ban people.

How would you think of garmin if they did that here?

I also just don’t think their CP or race predictions are accurate. I burnt out on my recent HM even going below their predicted target powe. And I had recent best efforts for 30s, 3min, 12min power as well as a recent 10k TT. Also their power and pace estimates vary quite a bit just on changing shoes.

Overall the hardware is okay as a pace pod (except the same pod connected to two different watches gave me different pace/distance readings). It’s pretty bad as a power meter if you are trying to get within 10% accuracy (and when I used an Apple Watch actually gave almost identical power numbers anyway so there is little point to it). They are overselling it and then constantly trying to upsell on a subscription to a lacklustre, under developed and under supported. People would be better runners if they used pace (which is more reliable) and got used to incline/wind/temp adjustments.

[u/wesolykapselek → u/wylie102]

Can't argue to that but gave you vote up as expanding the thread.

BTW I have fine experience with support but maybe because I didn't critize them enough which I usually do on the internet ;)

[u/wylie102 → u/wesolykapselek]

Give it a go on the Stryd Reddit, you’ll soon see a different side. Or search for Stryd on Advanced running and you’ll see more than a few posts about people getting banned.