Initial Setup
Once you’ve received your footpod, follow the setup instructions in the box.
The COROS 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)
- linked the COROS app to the Stryd app
- paired your Stryd as a sensor to your COROS watch
- added Stryd power to COROS data screens
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 understood or configured when getting started. These are detailed on the Settings & Configs page.
Because these instructions 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, 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: disable auto-lap when running intervals/structured workouts
As explained in Settings & Configs, it’s important to disable auto-lap when running intervals using a structured workout.
Auto-lap is enabled or disabled for all workouts, not for each individual workout.
Enabling/disabling Auto-lap is described in Distance Alert – Auto-lap on the COROS website.
Auto-pause: disable auto-pause; never manually pause
As explained in Settings & Configs, it’s important to disable auto-pause, and never manually pause when Running with Power.
Auto-pause is enabled or disabled for all workouts, not for each individual workout.
Enabling/disabling Auto-pause is described in Auto Pause on the COROS website.
Auto-calibrate: COROS watches don’t support auto-calibration
As explained in Settings & Configs, it’s important to disable auto-calibration if you want to track changes in your Running Effectiveness changes.
COROS watches do not support auto-calibration.
If you have concerns, testing and fine-tuning Stryd’s pace and distance accuracy with a COROS watch is described in Pace and Distance accuracy – COROS on the Stryd website.
Recording frequency: COROS records ‘every second’
As explained in Settings & Configs, it’s important to choose ‘every second recording’ so that power averages (used for your metrics) are calculated correctly.
When running a workout, COROS watches record data ‘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.
COROS offers real-time, smoothed and lap power. You can choose which power averages to see when running via the COROS mobile app > Profile > choose your watch > Activity Settings > choose a profile > Activity Data Pages > choose a data page > Edit.
You can use different power averages (on different data pages) for each activity profile.
Power units: COROS watches only offer 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 watch you’re using).
COROS watches only offer Watts. They do not offer Watts/kg or percentage of Threshold Power.
Displaying Pace & HR: I prefer not to show pace or HR; some activities (in the book) suggest you show power, pace and HR on your watch
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, Change layout (when editing a data page) and choose one showing at least three metrics, then include 3s (smoothed) power, pace and heart rate as displayed metrics.
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 COROS watches
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 on 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.
To use Stryd’s calculations, see use Stryd for pace and distance.
Adjusting what’s displayed on your watch
COROS watches allow users to customize which metrics are displayed during activities. Each activity type (run, walk) can have different settings. This is described in Customize activity data pages on the COROS website.
Because Power is natively available on COROS watches, there’s no need to use an additional app – just choose the layout(s) you want to use, and add the metrics you want to see.
Running workouts using a COROS watch
Planning: Training plans; building your own workouts
You can purchase training plans via Stryd, TrainingPeaks or Final Surge and sync the workout schedule to your COROS calendar.
You can also create workouts using those apps, using Intervals.icu or using the COROS mobile app (although you may need to be using the paid or subscription version in some cases).
Downloading: Once connected, your planning app should add scheduled workouts to your COROS calendar
The options to create, download and execute structured workouts is described in COROS setup with Stryd – structured workouts on the Stryd website.
Executing: Your watch should prompt you to do today’s workout (if you have one scheduled); or you can choose an open run
The options to create, download and execute structured workouts is described in COROS setup with Stryd – structured workouts on the Stryd website.
Uploading: All Stryd metrics except Stryd duo balance metrics are uploaded automatically
Completed workouts will be uploaded to Stryd PowerCenter once you’ve linked the COROS app to the Stryd App.
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. Note that Stryd’s heat and humidity information is not recorded in your workout file when using a COROS watch.
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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