Setting up your Stryd footpod
Once you’ve received your footpod, follow the setup instructions in the box.
The Garmin setup instructions are also on the Stryd website.
Once you’ve finished setting up your footpod, you should have:
- created a login to Stryd PowerCenter
- installed the Stryd mobile app on your phone (and paired your footpod to the mobile app)
- connected your Garmin account with Stryd
- installed Stryd Zones as a datafield on your watch
- paired your Stryd as a footpod, and optionally paired for power and/or as a Stryd duo
- disabled Garmin’s native power – if you have a newer watch with wrist-based power
- optionally configured your watch to take pace and distance from Stryd – if you choose to take advantage of Stryd’s Pace/Distance accuracy
- optionally installed the Stryd Workout App on your watch – if you have an older Garmin watch and will be using Structured Workouts
Height & weight settings
As explained in the Settings for all Watches/Power Meters book chapter, it’s important to ‘set and forget’ your height and weight.
Instructions for setting your height and weight are on the Stryd website.
Height and Weight are entered in the Stryd mobile app (for iOS or Android).
Auto-lap, Auto-pause, Auto-calibrate, Recording Frequency
These settings are explained in the Settings for all Watches/Power Meters book chapter. They are made on your watch, or via Garmin Connect mobile or Garmin Connect IQ with newer watches.
In the following:
- Select means press the top right button (labelled Start / Stop or with a triangle)
- Back means press the bottom right button (labelled Back or Lap)
- Up means press the middle left button (labelled Up)
- Down means press the bottom left button (labelled Down)
Auto-lap
Auto-lap is enabled or disabled separately for each activity (e.g. ‘Run’ or ‘Walk’):
- On your Garmin watch, press and hold Up to access the watch Settings.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select the Activities & Apps menu (or similar).
- Scroll through the list of activities & apps using Up/Down, then Select the activity you want to modify (e.g. Run).
- Select Run Settings (or similar, depending on the activity name).
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select the Laps menu.
- Select the Auto Lap menu.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select Off to disable Auto-lap, or By distance to enable Auto-lap.
- Back to exit to the Auto Lap menu.
- If you enabled Auto-lap, scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select Auto Distance.
- Choose the distance you want to use for Auto-laps, then Back to exit to the Auto Lap menu.
- Optionally, enable or disable the lap button using Select to toggle Lap Key.
- Exit the watch settings by pressing Back (multiple times).
Auto-pause
Auto-pause is enabled or disabled separately for each activity (e.g. ‘Run’ or ‘Walk’):
- On your Garmin watch, press and hold Up to access the watch Settings.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select the Activities & Apps menu (or similar).
- Scroll through the list of activities & apps using Up/Down, then Select the activity you want to modify (e.g. Run).
- Select Run Settings (or similar, depending on the activity name).
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select the Auto Pause menu.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select Off to disable Auto-pause.
- Exit the watch settings by pressing Back (multiple times).
Auto-calibrate
Auto-calibrate is enabled or disabled for each accessory or sensor that provides pace or distance data – the same settings will be used for all activities.
- On your Garmin watch, press and hold Up to access the watch Settings.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select the Sensors & Accessories menu (or similar).
- Scroll through the list of sensors using Up/Down, then Select the item named FP-xxxx, or the item with a picture of a running shoe and a number next to it.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select the Cal. Factor menu (or similar).
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select the Auto Cal. toggle to disable Auto-calibration.
- Exit the watch settings by pressing Back (multiple times).
Recording Frequency
Recording Frequency is enabled or disabled in system settings – the same settings will be used for all activities.
- On your Garmin watch, press and hold Up to access the watch Settings.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select the System menu.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select Data Recording.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select Frequency.
- Scroll through the list of settings using Up/Down, then Select Every Second.
- Exit the watch settings by pressing Back (multiple times).
Adjusting what's displayed on your watch
Garmin data screens allow users to customize which metrics are displayed during activities. Unfortunately, it’s not currently possible to display Stryd power metrics using the native Garmin data fields.
Instead, you’ll need to use third party datafields or apps.
Stryd Zones datafield
The recommended datafield is Stryd Zones, and a guide to setting up Stryd Zones on a Garmin watch is on the Stryd website.
If you have multiple run profiles, you should include Stryd Zones in each one, so that all of the Stryd metrics are recorded into your workout files whichever profile you’re using for your run. For example, if you regularly use ‘Run’ and ‘Treadmill’, make sure you add Stryd Zones to both. And if you’ve setup an additional “Run” profile (one with Auto-Lap enabled, the other with Auto-Lap disabled), make sure you add Stryd Zones to both.
Once installed and configured, you can adjust Stryd Zones Settings in the Connect IQ app on your mobile phone.
Note that the settings you choose will apply to Stryd Zones in every profile where you’ve added it – it’s not possible to use a different setup for each activity profile (a Garmin restriction). Instead, either you’ll need to use a single Stryd Zones setup across all of your profiles, or you’ll need to manually adjust the setup before each run.
I’ve found it most useful to setup Stryd Zones on its own data screen (in each profile) – that way I’ve been able to take full advantage of the customisation options.
Stryd Workout app
On older watches, you may need to use the Stryd Workout app to execute structured workouts – a guide to setting up the Stryd Workout App on a Garmin Watch is on the Stryd website.
pbRun datafield
Another option you may want to consider is the pbRun datafield. Depending on how you’ve configured Stryd Zones, pbRun may allow you to have a different setup showing the same (or similar) information. This datafield is covered in the pbRun page.
Power Averaging
Power averaging is explained in the Settings for all Watches/Power Meters book chapter.
Due to a restriction in Garmin watches, it’s not currently possible to display Stryd power metrics using the native Garmin data fields. Instead, you’ll need to use power averaging options available in Stryd Zones, pbRun or other 3rd party datafields.
Stryd Zones and pbRun both offer real-time, smoothed, lap and last lap power.
Due to a Garmin restriction when using datafields, it’s not possible to use different power averages for each activity profile – instead, either you’ll need to use a single setup, or you’ll need to manually adjust power averages before each run.
Displaying power, pace and heart rate
Some of the activities in the book ask you to display power, pace and HR on your watch so that you can keep track of changes in those metrics as you begin to experience running with power.
Stryd Zones datafield
You can adjust Stryd Zones Settings in the Connect IQ app on your mobile phone.
Make sure Stryd Zones is on its own data screen, then use a setup with at least 3 metrics, with 3s (smoothed) power, pace and heart rate included.
pbRun datafield
This datafield is covered in the pbRun page.
Moving to the next lap
To move to the next lap, press the bottom right button (labelled Back or Lap).
Additional Stryd metrics
The Stryd footpod offers a number of additional metrics that can be viewed (and analysed) in Stryd PowerCenter, such as Air Power, Form Power, Leg Spring Stiffness, and Impact Loading Rate – see Stryd’s website for more information.
As long as you’ve included the Stryd Zones datafield in an activity profile (e.g. ‘Run’ or ‘Walk’), or are using the Stryd Workout app, these metrics are recorded in your workout file and uploaded along with your power data. There is no additional step you need to complete to make these metrics available.
Using structured workouts
You can create structured workouts (with multiple steps, often used for interval workouts) using the Stryd mobile app.
Transferring workouts onto your watch differs depending on whether you’re using the Stryd Zones datafield (or a third party datafield) or the Stryd Workout app.
Stryd Zones datafield (or a third party datafield)
Structured workouts are downloaded to your watch using native Garmin functionality.
To enable this, make sure you’ve connected your Stryd account to your Garmin connect account as described on the Stryd website in Step 1 of the Stryd Zones Update & Workout Import page.
Once connected, all workouts planned in Stryd PowerCenter or using Stryd mobile will be transferred to Garmin Connect and downloaded to the training calendar on your Garmin watch.
On newer watches, when you start a run, if there is a workout planned for that day your watch will ask if you want to execute the workout. If you’re not asked you can use the instructions provided in Step 4 of the page linked above.
Once you start the workout, you can switch to the Stryd Zones (or third party) datafield using the Up/Down buttons on your watch.
Stryd Workout App
Structured workouts are downloaded to your watch using the Stryd Workout App (rather than via Garmin Connect and the training calendar).
The process to download and execute workouts is described on the Workout App on your Garmin Watch page on the Stryd website.
Uploading completed workouts
Completed workouts will be uploaded to Stryd PowerCenter once you’ve connected your Garmin account with Stryd (when Setting up your Stryd footpod).
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