Category: Tools

𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬?

This is a common question that runners new to power ask.

It’s not only about the numbers.

Training is more than actions driven by numbers.

When planning, you should consider your training goals, your specifics (age, ability, injury history), supplemental training (strength, mobility, plyometrics, drills) and other exercise activities (cycling, swimming, yoga, pilates).

When executing your plan, you should consider sleep, nutrition, hydration, work and family commitments … anything affecting your training.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to measure most of these.

𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

What can you measure, so that your training is underpinned by things you can quantify?

Power numbers.

They can be used to
✅ plan workouts targeting specific intensity levels and durations
✅ plan and monitor your training load and progression
✅ plan your race-day targets

𝐁𝐮𝐭 … 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬

Because power can be used for so much, it’s tempting to think that your power numbers are ‘the truth’.

That if you use them to make every training decision, you’ll get the best result.

But power meters can’t measure everything that’s happening to you while you train.

For that reason, power numbers are a guide.

They’re a very good guide, but they are only a guide, not the truth.

Which means rather than Running 𝘣𝘺 Power, treating your power numbers as the truth and using them to make every decision, you should Run 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 Power, using your power numbers as a guide, complementing and underpinning other considerations.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

All sports watch brands (and the Apple Watch) offer wrist-based power, but it works better with some brands than others (using the Which Watch? criteria).

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to try all brands to understand what works and what doesn’t.

For the brands I’ve tried, here’s what I’ve found.

𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐒 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬

All COROS watches support wrist-based running power with no additional on-watch apps, but:
❌ you must plan workouts in the companion app, in TrainingPeaks, in Final Surge or in Intervals.icu.
❌ the companion app does not provide power-based metrics – see below.

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬

Polar watches will display power while running and record power to workout files, but:
❌ You must plan workouts in the Polar Flow app, or in TrainingPeaks. If you use structured workouts, TrainingPeaks may be the better choice (although you’d need to subscribe to the premium option).
❌ The system does not support structured workouts (although you can build workouts with phases).
❌ the Polar Flow app does not provide power-based metrics – see below.

𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬

None of the manufacturers provide power-based metrics that would enable you to calculate your threshold, monitor your training, and plan your events and races.

Your app choices are TrainingPeaks/WKO or Intervals.icu.

𝐈𝐟 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

✅ Ideally: use a Connect IQ 5.0.0 Garmin watch, a COROS watch, or an Apple Watch with the WorkOutDoors app.
✅ Try to avoid: using a Polar watch
✅ I haven’t tried: using a Wahoo or Suunto watch

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

Stryd works with all sports watches, but it works better with some than others (using the Which Watch? criteria).

𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐒 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬

✅ COROS watches (except the Pace 1 and kiprun series) meet all the above criteria using native watch functionality.

𝐖𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬

The Elemnt Rival meets all the above criteria using native watch functionality, except:
❌ You must plan workouts in third-party apps like TrainingPeaks or Intervals.icu. You cannot download workouts planned in the Stryd ecosystem to the watch.

𝐒𝐮𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬

Suunto watches will display power while running and record power to workout files for upload to the Stryd ecosystem, but:
❌ You must plan workouts in the Suunto app or in third-party apps like TrainingPeaks or Intervals.icu. You cannot download workouts planned in the Stryd ecosystem to the watch.
❌ Additional Stryd metrics require a manual offline sync (for each completed workout) to transfer them to the Stryd Ecosystem.

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬

Polar watches will display power while running and record power to workout files for upload to the Stryd ecosystem, but:
❌ You must plan workouts in the Polar Flow app or in TrainingPeaks. If you use structured workouts, TrainingPeaks may be the better choice (although you’d need to subscribe to the premium option).
❌ The system does not support structured workouts (although you can build workouts with phases).
❌ Additional Stryd metrics require a manual offline sync (for each completed workout) to transfer them to the Stryd Ecosystem.

𝐈𝐟 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐝

✅ Ideally: use an Apple Watch, a Connect IQ 5.0.0 Garmin watch, or a COROS watch
✅ If you must: use a Wahoo watch
✅ Try to avoid: using a Suunto or Polar watch

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

Yes, with some caveats based on your power meter and the Which Watch? criteria.

𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐝

The Stryd Zones datafield is your best choice – it’s fully compatible with Garmin watches running Connect IQ 5.0.0 or later. Stryd Zones:
⌚ Downloads workouts planned in the Stryd Ecosystem (via Garmin Connect)
⌚ Can show various power numbers while running
⌚ Records power (second-by-second) into your workout file
⌚ Uploads completed runs into the Stryd Ecosystem (via Garmin Connect)
⚡ Supports Structured Workouts
⚡ Provides 3s, 10s, and 30s Power Smoothing
⚡ Provides current and last Lap Averages.

If you have an older watch (running Connect IQ 3.0.0 or later), you’ll need to use the Stryd Workout app (for Garmin) to run Structured Workouts.

𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

The watches listed at Garmin; Running Power Device Requirements in the section ‘Watch Models That Support Native Running Power’ support Wrist-based power, using Garmin’s ‘Run’ app.

Unfortunately, the watches listed in the section ‘Watch Models That Support Running Power With a Connect IQ App‘ (my italics) did not provide repeatable and concurrently valid results when I studied their output.

Garmin’s native running power implementation meets the criteria but note that:
❌ Garmin only offers 10s smoothing. This makes it less useful when running short-duration intervals. Fortunately, it’s possible to use a 3rd-party datafield (like pbRun) to achieve a shorter smoothing interval.
❌ While you can use Garmin Connect to plan your workouts, it does not provide power-based metrics that would enable you to calculate your threshold, monitor your training, and plan your events and races. You’ll need to connect a 3rd-party reviewing app to Garmin Connect to obtain metrics.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

Yes, with some caveats based on your power meter and the Which Watch? criteria.

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐝

Stryd’s Workout app is your best choice – it’s fully compatible with the Apple Watch Ultra, SE or series 3 or later. The Stryd Workout app:
⌚ Automatically downloads workouts planned in the Stryd Ecosystem
⌚ Can show various power numbers while running
⌚ Records power (second-by-second) into your workout file
⌚ Automatically uploads completed runs into the Stryd Ecosystem
⚡ Supports Structured Workouts
⚡ Provides 3s, 10s, and 30s Power Smoothing
⚡ Provides current and last Lap Averages.

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

The Apple Workout app isn’t the best choice for Running with Power, as it doesn’t:
❌ record second-by-second data into your workout file
❌ display lap power
❌ offer power smoothing
❌ upload completed workouts into a power-based reviewing app

Instead, I’d recommend the WorkOutDoors app, which:
⌚ Downloads workouts planned in the IOS WorkOutDoors app
⌚ Can show real-time and lap power numbers while running
⌚ Records power (second-by-second) into your workout file
⚡ Supports Structured Workouts

Unfortunately, WorkOutDoors doesn’t:
❌ Automatically upload into a power-based reviewing app
❌ Offer Power Smoothing
❌ Provide last Lap Average

In other words, there isn’t an app that meets all the criteria when using Wrist-based power. But my preference was second-by-second data and lap power – both essential for running and reviewing intervals.

For me, WorkOutDoors was a better fit than the Apple Workout app.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡?

To Run with Power, you’ll need equipment.

At a minimum, you’ll need a power meter and a running watch. Or you could combine the two using a watch with wrist-based power.

But which watch should you choose?

Are there any that make Running with Power easier? Not easier to run, just easier to use power when running?

𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚

The minimum criteria are:
⌚ Able to download planned runs to your watch with minimal manual effort
⌚ Able to show power while running
⌚ Able to record power (second-by-second) into your workout file
⌚ Able to upload completed runs from your watch with minimal effort

These additional criteria will improve your experience when Running with Power:
⚡ Structured Workouts. You can execute workouts with multiple steps and power targets on your watch – rather than having to remember steps/targets or write them on your hand.
⚡ Power Smoothing. The power numbers can be smoothed by averaging real-time power values over 3 or 5 seconds – replacing ‘spiky’ power numbers and reducing above/below target alerts.
⚡ Lap Averages. You can display the average power for the current lap on-screen – to monitor whether you’re meeting workout power targets.

𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 + 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫

The next few posts will assess watches using the above criteria, finishing with a summary from the perspective of choice of power meter.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📖 Getting Started