I'm pretty sure the pod is more accurate.

Okay so as far as I can tell, unlike the older Garmin watches there is no actual way to calibrate the pod. It seems to auto-calibrate. Do you know when I run indoors with the pod on, is this the source of data for my pace?

thanks again.

I have a 920xt and always run with my footpod on my shoe. Why not if you have one, right? I remember that when I got the watch about a year ago the calibration factor always stayed the same at 100 no matter how much I ran outdoors with it and the footpod. However, now that I checked it had gone down to 97.0, which would indicate that the autocalibration logic has started to work properly. So I'm guessing they didn't have the autocalibrate logic in the first releases of the firmware, but added it sometime during this year.

At any rate, a buddy of mine who runs a lot indoors used to have a 310xt with a footpod before, and his distance on the watch used to track the actual length of the indoor track almost perfectly. However, when he switched over to the 920xt and stopped using his footpod his indoor workout data was always way off. However, now that he has again started using the pod his indoor workout data became accurate again.

So my takeaway is this: the accelerometer in the 920xt xt is a poor substitute for a real footpod.

And make sure you turn off GPS. Even a hint of a signal will push the device to use GPS for pace/distance

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Trust me I’m a doctor!
Well, I have a PhD :-)

Yep

http://fellrnr.com/wiki/GPS_Accuracy

Speaking of foot pods, does anyone have any tips on how to increase accuracy at varying paces? I find I can get pretty accurate results if I run at the same pace as when I calibrated my pod. However, especially during fast intervals, the pace reading starts to drift further and further from the true pace. I'm using a Garmin pod, are there any more accurate units out there that maintain accuracy at different paces?

Using the 920xt alone (without footpod), I am able to be within .03 miles/mile vs. treadmill distance. I feel like that thing is pretty accurate for being on my wrist.

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New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com

Is there anything I can do to improve the accuracy of my 920XT, running on a treadmill. It's about 30s/km off, so if I'm running 4.30mins/km pace, 920 is reporting 5m/km. I'm not using a foot pod.

Not sure but I can verify you are not the only one seeing this.

Caveat...I am only speculating on how this works based on observation.

I have found that when I run outside, my accuracy eventually gets better but only at a "natural pace." What I suspect is happening is that it is calibrating your stride length outside and then using your cadence indoors to determine pace. Since that can vary, when your stride opens up at a given cadence (say sprinting), it can only calculate the steps and multiply to get the cadence.

So in short, indoor running pace will generally be more accurate at the pace you run outside most often as it calibrates...maybe...

Indoors without a footpod, the 920 (apparently) uses accelerometers in the device and the HRM-run (if you have one) to guesstimate your pace. Stride length is determined during your outdoor runs using GPS so, as indicated, might not translate too well to the pace you are running on a treadmill.

There is nothing you can do to improve this apart from using a calibrated footpod. Well I suppose you could look at your stride length calculations in Garmin Connect and work out an appropriate pace on the treadmill to run at to suit.

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Trust me I’m a doctor!
Well, I have a PhD :-)

Cool thanks guys.

Get the foot pod & calibrate it outside. I've had great success using it with the treadmill. Alternatively, get the 735XT - the accelerometer-based "indoor run" mode is superb.

Yes, I get this too. But tbh I've just learned to live with the abject shame of Strava showing me running 5min/km on a treadmill :)

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29 years and counting

Haha that's exactly why I'm asking, all my mates checking out my slow Strava runs.

Can anyone help me with this?

When choosing Bike Indoors or Run Indoors after the workout has been uploaded to Garmin Connect and Training Peaks it shows elevation changes for the workout, when there obviously shouldn't be any. Is there anyway to turn this off? I have been through pretty much all the setting menus and I cannot find a way to turn this off.

GPS is turned off for the above profiles. I realize it doesn't really mean anything but it annoys the f**k out of me.