Stryd Workout app with a Garmin watch
This page describes how to configure a Garmin watch when using the Stryd Workout app.
The Stryd Workout app is the recommended app for running power-based structured (interval) workouts if you’re unable to use Stryd Zones for structured workouts.
If your watch is a ‘Modern Garmin Watch‘ running ConnectIQ version 5.0 or above, you should not need to use the Stryd Workout app.
Initial Setup
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
- installed the Stryd Workout app on your watch – if you have an older Garmin watch and want to run structured workouts
Settings that apply to every watch / power meter
Based on the experience of hundreds of runners who’ve used power, there are some watch / power meter settings that every runner wishes they’d configured when getting started. These are detailed on the Settings & Configs page.
This section describes how to configure these settings for the Stryd Workout app. Because the descriptions are quite detailed, the following sections are collapsed – please expand the sections you’d like to know more about.
Height & Weight: ‘set it and forget it’
As explained in Settings & Configs, you should ‘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) and stored in the Stryd footpod.
Auto-lap: The app doesn’t offer auto-lap
As explained in Settings & Configs, disable auto-lap when running intervals using a structured workout.
The app doesn’t offer auto-lap – in effect, it’s already disabled.
Auto-pause: The app doesn’t offer auto-pause; never manually pause
As explained in Settings & Configs, disable auto-pause, and never manually pause when Running with Power.
The app doesn’t offer auto-pause – in effect, it’s already disabled.
Auto-calibrate: The app doesn’t offer auto-calibrate.
As explained in Settings & Configs, disable auto-calibration if you want to track changes in your Running Effectiveness.
The app doesn’t offer auto-calibrate – in effect, it’s already disabled.
Recording frequency: The app always records ‘every second’
As explained in Settings & Configs, choose ‘every second recording’ so that power averages (used for your metrics) are calculated correctly.
The app always records ‘every second’.
Power averaging: for ‘current power’ use 3s or 10s smoothed; for ‘keep-to-target’ use lap (or step) average
As explained in Settings & Configs, real-time power is ‘spiky’ – you may prefer your power numbers to be averages:
- for ‘current’ power, use smoothed power matched to the lap duration (3-second or 10-second)
- for ‘keep-to-target’ power, use lap power or step power.
The Stryd Workout app offers real-time, smoothed and lap power. You can choose which power averages to see when running via [Settings] in the app.
Power units: The app only offers Watts
As explained in Settings & Configs, it may be possible to display your power targets and actuals as Watts, Watts/kg or percentage of Threshold Power (depending on the power units available in the datafields you’re using).
The Stryd Workout app only offers Watts.
Displaying Pace & HR: I prefer not to show pace or HR, but you’ll need to show them for some activities (in the book)
As explained in Settings & Configs, 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.
To do this, configure a screen using a quad layout, with 3s (smoothed) power, pace and heart rate included. You can configure this layout via [Settings] in the app – note that heart rate is shown in the ‘Other’ field list, where it’s only possible to choose current HR.
Moving to the next lap: use the bottom right button
As explained in Settings & Configs, it’s worth familiarising yourself with the way to move to the next lap before you find that you want to do it but don’t know how.
To move to the next lap, press the bottom right button (labelled Back or Lap).
Settings specific to the Stryd Workout app
These settings are specific to using Stryd Zones with a Garmin watch.
Pace & Distance from Stryd: Rather than relying on GPS accuracy/signal reception
Stryd’s Pace and Distance calculations do not rely on GPS, which can be useful if you regularly run routes with a poor GPS signal.
In addition, Stryd’s Pace and Distance numbers are often more accurate than calculating pace and distance using GPS.
The Stryd Workout app always uses Pace and Distance from the Stryd footpod.
Adjusting what’s displayed on your watch
The Stryd Workout app can be configured with multiple data screens, each showing either a split layout (two fields) or a quad layout (four fields).
You can choose configure each data screen to show a mix of power, time, pace, distance and heart rate fields, plus a few of Stryd’s metrics.
Running workouts using the Stryd Workout app
Planning: Training plans; building your own workouts
You can purchase training plans via Stryd, TrainingPeaks or Final Surge and sync the workout schedule to the Stryd PowerCenter.
Or you can build your own workouts using Stryd, TrainingPeaks or Final Surge (although you may need to use the paid / subscription version in some cases) and sync them to Stryd PowerCenter.
Downloading: The app only downloads workouts from the Stryd PowerCenter
The Stryd Workout app downloads workouts directly from Stryd PowerCenter. If you’re using TrainingPeaks or Final Surge to plan your workouts, you’ll need to connect your planning app to Stryd PowerCenter and sync your workouts.
Executing: Use the app to download Workouts, then execute the workout; use a Garmin ‘run’ profile (and Stryd Zones) for open runs
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)
If you’re using scheduled workouts:
- Press Start and select the Stryd Workout app.
- Choose Workouts, then Fetch Workouts. This will download the next 5 days of workouts from Stryd PowerCenter
- Press Up/Down to highlight the workout you want to execute, then Select to start the workout.
If you’re not using scheduled workouts, or you don’t have a workout planned for that day, choose a native Garmin ‘Run’ profile (and the Stryd Zones datafield) to start an open run.
Uploading: All non-Duo Stryd metrics are uploaded automatically to Stryd PowerCenter; Duo metrics need a Footpath sync
Once you’ve completed your run, the Stryd Workout app should upload from your watch to to the Stryd PowerCenter.
All non-Duo Stryd metrics are recorded and uploaded in your workout file. You don’t need to ‘offline sync’ using the Stryd Mobile app.
If you use Stryd Duo, you’ll need to use Footpath sync in the Stryd Mobile app to transfer balance data to Stryd PowerCenter.
If you have feedback or a question, please let me know in the from1runner2another Facebook group.
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