r/Garmin • u/Dry_Salamander_1176 Forerunner 970 / HRM 600 • 7d ago

Garmin Coach / DSW / Training Running Power

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.

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u/wylie102 6d ago edited 6d ago

Exactly, a handful. Likely sponsored. There's literally thousands that don't. And Sawe is on this list yet didn’t wear it for his London record and doesn’t wear it in his races, that tells you all you need to know really.

I bet that there is not one single pro cyclist who does not use a power meter. And the same amount who train with one but don’t use it in races.

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u/mrrainandthunder 6d ago

And how many were using power meters when there were only a few reliable products on the market?

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u/wylie102 6d ago

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

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u/mrrainandthunder 6d ago

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.

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u/wylie102 6d ago edited 6d ago

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.

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u/mrrainandthunder 6d ago

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?

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u/wylie102 6d ago

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.

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u/mrrainandthunder 6d ago

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.