Garmin Foot Pod

If I turn off GPS or lose GPS signal, it automatically kicks in?

Is that right that calibration is only to get accurate pace, assuming I can keep consistent stride length of cause and the cadence is always accurate?

Jerry wrote:
If I turn off GPS or lose GPS signal, it automatically kicks in?

Is that right that calibration is only to get accurate pace, assuming I can keep consistent stride length of cause and the cadence is always accurate?

The cadence will always be accurate. The distance measure, not necessarily because that does rely on your stride being a consistent length (hence the necessary calibration). It's really only good for a relatively narrow pace range if you're wanting to accurately measure distance traveled with it. Which is why I haven't bothered getting one.

I did find it very valuable for cadence training. It is difficult to tell when you are falling off as you tire, so serves as a real time reminder.

Jerry wrote:
If I turn off GPS or lose GPS signal, it automatically kicks in?

Is that right that calibration is only to get accurate pace, assuming I can keep consistent stride length of cause and the cadence is always accurate?

Based on what I understand about biomechanics, you won't/shouldn't keep a consistent stride length as speed varies. You SHOULD keep a relatively consistent cadence, within a reasonably wide speed band (maybe 8K to marathon pace). So if cadence stays the same, stride length has to change to cover the same distance in more, or less, time.

I use my footpod a lot. Whatever level of accuracy it has, it's always the same amount off. Treadmills will vary machine to machine. Plus, I run on an indoor track, so my footpod is the ONLY measurement device.

If you think about the four variables of training being pace, distance, duration, and intensity, aren't the first two the least critical, from a training perspective? Maybe that will be tomorow's Running Forum question.

Does it REALLY matter if speed and distance are a percent or three off from a race preparedness standpoint? I mean, GPS is a percent off, should we not rely on that for training either?

I have my footpod calibrated to a 7:30 pace, at a track, which is approximately halfway between MP and LSD pace. For me, that's "close enough." You could, in theory, get multiple footpods and calibrate each to different paces, like 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30.

Also, you COULD use a Nike+ footpod and your iPhone in place of the Garmin. It's half the price. You don't get the nifty bracket that slips under your laces, but I've noticed that my adidas shoes now have a footpod holder in the sole that's the same size as both of those (for miCoach, which I'm not familiar with).

Thanks all, but Jerry really cares about the first question the most:

If I turn off GPS or lose GPS signal, it automatically kicks in?

Jerry wrote:Thanks all, but Jerry really cares about the first question the most:

If I turn off GPS or lose GPS signal, it automatically kicks in?

If you turn GPS off, definitely, it's automatic. I don't know if it kicks in if you lose signal. I suppose you would have to run outside and then continue to run inside and see what happens. My guess is, it would.

Yes, it does kick in automatically if you lose signal. I have run a half marathon that went through quite a long tunnel and I continued to get speed and distance readings.

By the way, accuracy does not depend on a constant stride length. It would be pretty useless if it did. I think the main purpose of calibration is to take out manufacturing inaccuracies, though running gait probably does have some effect.

Martin VW wrote:

Jerry wrote:Thanks all, but Jerry really cares about the first question the most:

If I turn off GPS or lose GPS signal, it automatically kicks in?

If you turn GPS off, definitely, it's automatic. I don't know if it kicks in if you lose signal. I suppose you would have to run outside and then continue to run inside and see what happens. My guess is, it would.

YES if you lose GPS signal the footpod will kick in and keep updating your Garmin.

Q: If GPS signal drops (like in a tunnel), will the foot pod pace be used instead?
A: Yes, foot pod pace takes over if GPS speed drops to 0, and foot pod speed shows a higher number. The inverse is also true, if foot pod speed shows 0, and yet GPS speed shows a number, than GPS speed will be used.



Accuracy:

I get a lot of questions around accuracy of foot pods in general. For example – if you change pace, are they still accurate? Or if you do intervals, are they still accurate? Or what about terrain, or snow?

I’ve found again and again that the latest generation of foot pods are incredibly accurate. Last winter I put together a review of the FR60 – which is an ANT+ watch that doesn’t have GPS. As such, it depends on the Garmin ANT+ foot pod. After doing calibration I did many runs side by side with it’s GPS-enabled brethren, the FR310XT.

Perhaps the most telling test was one I did in the snow, for 7.78 miles, doing intervals. The FR60 using the foot pod, and the FR310XT using GPS. The end results? Well, check out the photo below:

I use the Garmin Foot Pod indoors, and really like it.

One thing to note - You need to calibrate it for the shoe you are using it on. This is due to the shoe laces being is slightly different places, and hence the angle of the pod.
My flats, where pod is mounted very forward and almost flat, needs a 6% different factor than my typical training shoes, where the laces/pod is farther up my foot, and is at an angle.

Gobbles wrote:I use the Garmin Foot Pod indoors, and really like it.

One thing to note - You need to calibrate it for the shoe you are using it on. This is due to the shoe laces being is slightly different places, and hence the angle of the pod.
My flats, where pod is mounted very forward and almost flat, needs a 6% different factor than my typical training shoes, where the laces/pod is farther up my foot, and is at an angle.

Yep I would agree with this also!

Gobbles wrote:I use the Garmin Foot Pod indoors, and really like it.

One thing to note - You need to calibrate it for the shoe you are using it on. This is due to the shoe laces being is slightly different places, and hence the angle of the pod.
My flats, where pod is mounted very forward and almost flat, needs a 6% different factor than my typical training shoes, where the laces/pod is farther up my foot, and is at an angle.

Hadn't thought about this. Thanks, Gobbles. While I would say the positioning is generally the same when I do use the lace clip, I may make different choices in footwear when I run indoors so that I can place it in the foot well more often.

Gobbles wrote:...You need to calibrate it for the shoe you are using it on. This is due to the shoe laces being is slightly different places, and hence the angle of the pod...

Very good point. We should probably calibrate for each pair of shoes and note the numbers. A bit of a nuisance to go through the menus and re-enter the calibration figure every run, but perhaps it's necessary if we want greater accuracy.