Tag: Equipment & Apps

How do I start Running with Power?

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫?

I’m glad you asked!

Running power provides numbers that represent your effort.

To use those numbers, you’ll need equipment & apps, and to learn about power concepts.

𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Power numbers come from a power meter.

If you have an Apple Watch or a recent running watch, your watch may include a power meter.

If not, the Stryd footpod is compatible with a wide number of watches.

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐬

Apps work with your power numbers to:
🔹 Plan your runs – to build workouts with power targets
🔹 Execute your runs – to run within your planned targets
🔹 Review your runs – to review individual runs vs. targets, and to calculate multi-run metrics (like your training load)

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬

You’ll need to learn about power concepts like: Threshold Power; Training Load; Training Balance; Running Effectiveness.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?

You have a few choices:
🔸 Books. ‘Running with Power – Getting Started’ contains all the above (and more)
🔸 Facebook groups. ‘Palladino Power Project’, ‘Stryd Community’ and ‘from1runner2another’ are great places to learn and ask questions
🔸 Research. Try the Palladino Article Library

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📗 Get Started

𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫=𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭
⏩ What is power?
⏩ Does Power measure effort?
⏩ Is Power better than Pace, or HR?
⏩ Is Power just for elite runners?
⏩ How do I start Running with Power?

Concepts Equipment & Apps Running with Power

Does running power really measure your effort?

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭?

No.

Running power provides numbers that 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 your effort.

𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 – 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐭?

No, as long as the numbers are repeatable and valid:
Repeatable? The same effort under the same conditions gives the same result.
Valid? The numbers correlate (align) with an existing ‘gold standard’.

The Stryd footpod has been independently validated (at least 10 times). It produces repeatable numbers that are highly correlated with oxygen consumption – a gold standard for measuring exercise energy consumption (effort).

Wrist-based power built into the latest running watches has not been independently validated (that I’m aware of). However, I ran my own (N=1) study during 2024/2025 comparing wrist-based power from Garmin, Coros and Apple to Stryd and found they produce repeatable numbers that, for most recreational runners, are correlated to the Stryd footpod.

𝐒𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬?

Far from it.

Running power numbers CAN be used as a measure of how hard you’re working when you run.

And once you can measure your effort, that’s when the real magic begins.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

❓ Questions?
📗 Get Started

Concepts Equipment & Apps Physiology Running with Power

Is it only about the numbers?

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

Is it only about the numbers?

How can I run faster? ⏩

Equipment & Apps Running with Power