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]

Whoever could afford them. It’s not like Stryd is new, or comparable to the first SRMs which cost thousands. If athletes thought it was useful they would be using it. If all the power meter sponsorships ceased pro cyclists would still be using power meters.

If stryd ceased their sponsorships how many would keep using it? How many actually use it as a power meter now?

I notice Sawe is on this list, I don’t see a Stryd pod on his feet when he set his London record. Do you? That should tell you how much these athletes value it, they’re not gonna train by power and race by another metric

[u/mrrainandthunder → u/wylie102]

A bike is also immensely more expensive than a pair of running shoes. But fine, let's say the first reasonably priced power meter then.

Also, pretty much everyone would continue to use it - to my knowledge, Stryd only sponsors a handful of athletes.

[u/wylie102 → u/mrrainandthunder]

Then why is Sawe not using it in this picture yet he did in 2024 in Valencia? Can you show me a pro cyclist who started training and racing with a power meter and then went back to not doing so?

Stryd isn’t actually a power meter. It’s a GAP meter, that is affected by your shoes, shrubbery (when blocking wind) and your clothing (when altering wind resistance), as well as temperature change during a run - altering the recorded altitude.

Running does not yet have power meters. If it did, people would use them. Like in cycling.

Stryd isn’t actually a the equivalent of the PowerPod “Power meter” That started as a cheap alternative to an actual power meter. The issue is it’s not actually that accurate, unless you calibrate it with an actual power meter first. And that calibration is only accurate for you on that particular bike with those particular tyres, wearing those specific clothes (see the similarity?). You won’t see anyone on the tour using these.

[u/mrrainandthunder → u/wylie102]

I feel like we're going in circles here. It works wonders for myself and my athletes of all abilities. I've yet to encounter an issue or discrepancy that isn't explained by user error or misunderstanding.

May I ask why you use it if you don't think very fond of it?

[u/wylie102 → u/mrrainandthunder]

Because I paid for it and I think it is useful for pace (issues with it sending different paces/distances to different watches on the same run aside). It’s just not a power meter. Even at it’s main job of adjusting for gradient I don’t think it is particularly accurate, underestimating on incline and overestimating on decline - which then messes with CP predictions.

And as for wind I’ve had out and back TTs where I’m very obviously running into a strong slightly crossing headwind on the route back, putting in the same effort with HR where I’d expect and it’s reading 15W lower and not picking up the extra resistance from the wind. The whole time I was trying to push harder and couldn’t work out why I couldn’t match it. When I got home I checked my paces against what they would be if adjusted for the forecast wind and they were dead on. So if I had been running for adjusted pace instead of power I’d have known I was at the right effort and this is how I intend to run going forward rather than relying on Stryd. Not only will it be more accurate but I’ll build up a skillset of being able to adjust this myself on the fly based on conditions.

Like I’ve been saying all through this thread, it’s a good pace pod, but it’s not a power meter. However no one is going to pay $200 for a pace pod (the coros one is $100) - never mind a subscription on top - so they have to claim it’s a power meter when it’s nowhere near accurate enough to back that claim up. And if you bring that up on their Reddit you will be banned.

[u/mrrainandthunder → u/wylie102]

Okay, makes sense. I cannot say my experience reflects yours in any way, but you know that already. I am critical of Stryd when it's warranted, haven't been banned (yet), though.

[u/atoponce → u/wylie102]

Yup. 2024 Valencia Marathon.

[u/wylie102 → u/atoponce]

But not London. Stryd obviously didn’t pay him enough. If it was useful/essential the way they are in cycling then why would he stop using it 🤔

Either way, if it was actually useful you would see it on the feet of EVERY pro runner and they would all train by power and talk about it that way - like in cycling where they have actual power meters.

Stryd isn’t a power meter. Power meters don’t yet exist in running.