{"id":39318,"date":"2015-04-17T07:15:53","date_gmt":"2015-04-17T11:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=39318"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:10:50","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:10:50","slug":"stryd-running-power-meter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/tech\/stryd-running-power-meter\/","title":{"rendered":"Could a Power Meter Revolutionize Your Running?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Stryd
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When 32-year-old runner and triathlete Charles Garabedian<\/a> of Boulder, Colorado, ran the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas half-marathon<\/a> last November, he was thrilled to clock a 1:20 finish \u2014 a full five minutes faster than his time at another half just four weeks prior. He knew a month wasn\u2019t long enough to transform his fitness; the big improvement had to have come from something else.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 15 Best Spring Marathons in the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n

Garabedian\u2019s theory? It was paying attention to his energy output, a number he measured via a power meter, a new tool for runners<\/a>. The meter \u2014 a small, oval-shaped pod \u2014 clips onto your waistband and syncs with most existing smart watches or cell phone apps via Bluetooth or ANT. \u201cI took my wattage results from the earlier race and changed my strategy for the second one,\u201d he says. \u201cIn Vegas, I paid attention and kept my power<\/a> output lower in the first half of the race and then went for it around mile eight or nine. I didn\u2019t blow it early on, like I had a month before when my output was about 100 watts higher starting the course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Power output is a very individualized number, but for any runner, the goal is to run faster<\/a> at a lower sustained output. By learning typical outputs for different distances and paces, runners are able to hone in on the right range for them for racing, as Garabedian did in his second race.<\/p>\n

The small tech device Garabedian clipped to his waistband is the first power meter of its kind, specifically for runners, developed by start up company Stryd<\/a>. The product measures power output \u2014 as expressed by wattage \u2014 and sends the data wirelessly to a user\u2019s watch or phone. Wattage is the result of a complex algorithm that takes into account factors like air time, cadence and foot impact on the ground. The lower your wattage at a faster pace over a sustained period of time, the more efficiently you are running. In other words, the meter is the first tool to allow runners to measure their energy output in a tangible metric.<\/p>\n

\"Stryd\"
Photo: Stryd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Power Meter: A New Running Metric<\/h3>\n

Power meters have been around for the past decade for cycling and are widely used by both cyclists and triathletes<\/a>. For this reason, Stryd founder and CEO Robert Dick believes that triathletes will probably be the first to buy in to the same idea for running. \u201cThey\u2019re already comfortable with the technology, while this is a new concept for runners,\u201d he says. \u201cBut once runners understand how it works and how they can benefit from it, it will click.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Stryd meter offers pavement pounders and trail blazers a metric they can\u2019t get elsewhere, like in a GPS watch<\/a>. \u201cIt measures how the body moves,\u201d explains Dick. \u201cIt can help the runner determine whether or not changes in form<\/a> or pace can result in more overall efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Improve Your Running Form Head to Toe<\/a><\/p>\n

Early adopter Garabedian discovered that he was less efficient at his easier paces and so he experimented with his form to make improvements. \u201cI found that I was sloppy at slow speeds, expending much more energy than necessary,\u201d he says. \u201cSo I practiced getting my cadence up<\/a> and learning to keep my head still, and that brought my wattage back down.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Out of all the tools introduced in the past 20 years, this has the potential to make the biggest impact.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For most runners, it will take some trial and error with the meter to determine the \u201csweet spot\u201d for them on energy output or wattage. \u201cAfter a few runs, you will understand your power curve though, which is a rough idea for how much power you need to get through a sustained effort,\u201d says Dick.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>15-Minute Plyometric Workout for Cardio and Power<\/a><\/p>\n

This range will be very different from one runner to the next. An elite runner<\/a>, for instance, will likely have a lower power curve at higher paces and for longer distances than an age-group athlete.<\/p>\n

Knowing this information about yourself and your running ability<\/a> can especially come in handy on race day, says Dick. \u201cIf you know you average around 200 watts on your training runs and you go into a race<\/a> averaging 300 in the first few miles, you\u2019d better reel yourself in,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Information Overload?<\/h3>\n

While Dick and Garabedian say the power meter will change the way runners train, elite runner, coach and founder of Runners Connect<\/a>, Jeff Gaudette, is still skeptical. \u201cI think there is some benefit, but in my opinion, the \u2018danger\u2019 outweighs it,\u201d he explains. \u201cI think the good part is that the meter gives some actionable data, like cadence for example, that can make improving running form<\/a> and efficiency easier,\u201d Gaudette says. \u201cOn the other hand, most runners shouldn\u2019t try to act on this data unless they have a very <\/em>good understanding of biomechanics<\/a>, which most runners don’t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaudette also believes that some of the data provided isn\u2019t that useful, like ground contact, for instance, \u201cbecause it\u2019s going to change drastically depending on pace,\u201d he says. \u201cThere is no ideal ground contact time. Yes, improving it helps you run faster, but it’s not something you should actively try to improve. Trying to pick your foot up too fast could lead to a host of injuries<\/a> tying.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Make Better Use of Your Tracking Data<\/a><\/p>\n

The Future of Running Data<\/h3>\n

As of now, Stryd<\/a> appears to be the only company offering this specific technology. Even Garmin<\/a>, leading maker of GPS running watches, says it has no plans to enter the market. \u201cOur Forerunner 620 with heart rate monitor<\/a> already provides vertical oscillation, cadence, and ground contact,\u201d says spokesperson Amy Nouri. \u201cRunners can use that data to find wasted energy and improve their strides.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Stryd is funded and deliveries to Kickstarter supporters will begin in fall, runners can order now through the company\u2019s Kickstarter site<\/a> for a pledge of $449, which includes a GPS watch.<\/p>\n

Only time will tell if power meters will catch on in the running community. Garabedian remains a believer: \u201cOut of all the tools introduced in the past 20 years, this has the potential to make the biggest impact.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking to shave seconds off your race time? The latest running innovation, the power meter, from the company Stryd aims to do just that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":39447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,10,16],"tags":[133,108,341,357,167,283],"class_list":["post-39318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gear-gadgets","category-tech","category-tracking","tag-gear","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2running","tag-technology","tag-tracking"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}