I just got the 920xt and have been monitoring my running dynamics, but have no base for comparison. I’ve always felt that I’ve had good run form, ran XC/Track in college, but after doing a little internet search, I’m not so sure. Was looking for comparison and a good sample size so I thought it might be good here. Searched the forum for a second and couldn’t find anything; my apologies if there is.
Height: 5’9
Weight 145lbs
Age: 23, almost 24
Average Cadence: mid 160s for training runs, upper 160s for tempos
VO: ~12.4-12.6
Stride Length: 1.5m
Contact Time: ~220 for training runs, ~200 for tempos
I started monitoring my dynamics after purchasing the 920 as well. I always thought I was a decent runner but knew my cadence was off. With the help of the metronome function I’ve dialed in my cadence and feel much better and faster as a result. I just had a run gate analysis done and was told I have exceptional form (not sure how that happend, but I’ll take it!) I really have not focused on (nor do I know how to) anything besides cadence.
My last tempo run reads:
180 average cadence
VO 7.5 cm
Length .96 m
Ground contact 253 ms
According to a few people they are the same metrics used by another company (don’t remember name) to calculate running power.
Personally I think it’s a bunch of hogwash but if you can believe it you can determine how much power it takes a certain person to go so fast and then fine tune running form.
I also think that it was wise of Garmin to not try to calculating power from those metrics and just leave them up there for someone else to interpret.
Height 5’7"
Weight 139lbs
7:15-7:40 min. mile
Most runs between 5-8 Miles
Average Cadence: 179-185 (Outside) 186 (Treadmill)
VO: 8.8 cm-9.45cm
Ground Contact: 216 ms
Stride Length: 1.27 (Outside) 1.13 (Treadmill)
I have benefited greatly from the cadence. When I first got the 920 my cadence was around 170 and I had a little bit of a knee issue. I read up on it and found that higher performance runners are up around the 185-195 per minute. Since I have focused on hitting around 180-185 I have noticed a big gain in my speed and no more knee issues.
Are you talking about STRYD? They are the only running base power meter that I am aware of. I actually just got one and have yet to take it out of the box. Here are the metrics from my most recent run (Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon)
Height: 5’8" / 174cm
Weght: 148 / 67kg
Running Dynamics
184 spm Avg Cadence
255 spm Max Cadence
1.36 m Avg Stride Length
8.5 cm Avg Vertical Oscillation
220 ms Avg Ground Contact Time
1:22:43 Duration
21.2 km Distance
3:55 min/km Avg Pace
1,244 C Calories
67 m Elev Gain
We are the same height, but I have an extra ~7 lbs on you. Metrics form my half in July (set PR by 8 minutes, 1:39)
Avg Run Cadence:177 spm
Max Run Cadence:183 spm
Avg Vertical Oscillation:8.1 cm
Avg Ground Contact Time:228 ms
Avg Stride Length:1.23 m
What’s interesting is that I faded a bit in the last 3.1 miles…but while my cadence slowed and my Vertical Oscillation went up, my Ground Contact Time improved. weird…
One thing that I am curious about. Can everybody post there time and distance that the runing dynamics measured? Just how the posts are going. I am not getting a real sense of what good running dynamics look like. It would be fun to run the data and see what correlations can be found.
Yeah I usually disregard the Max as it’s almost always a glitch in the recording. I’d say it was closer to a max of 210-220 which is in line with what I’ve seen in other sessions.
255 spm @ 1.36 m Avg Stride Length works out to about a 4:36 mile pace if my Minnesota math is correct (possible for a portion of the race, hopefully sprinting at the finish). Or a 1:25 half marathon at 180 spm.
Now that I reread the post I see you ran 1:22 (with 184spm). Good race!!
so far what I’m gathering is that I’m basically doing a jumping jack every time I take a stride. I had no idea I was coming up that high. Maybe a gait analysis is in my future.
10K race (6:47min/mile):
Avg Cadence 167 spm
Max Cadence 202 spm
Avg Stride Length 1.39 m
Avg Vertical Oscillation 12.1 cm
Avg Ground Contact Time 203 ms
Easy 6 mile run (8:33min/mile):
Avg Cadence 153 spm
Max Cadence 175 spm
Avg Stride Length 1.23 m
Avg Vertical Oscillation 13.8 cm
Avg Ground Contact Time 235 ms
.
so far what I’m gathering is that I’m basically doing a jumping jack every time I take a stride. I had no idea I was coming up that high. Maybe a gait analysis is in my future.
Why would you consider that bad?
Higher vertical should be ok as long as you gain a proportional amount of stride length right
Your 12cm striding per 1cm of VO is right around the average of what people in this thread have posted
The lowest is the guy who posted after you (9.6 cm / 1cm VO), and there is someone halfway down the page with 16
If your running motion is anything like projectile motion, there is a certain optimal vertical which gets you the maximum horizontal distance.
Yes STRYD, RPM2 is the other one I was thinking of.
I hope it works for you, I think the running dynamics are interesting and they can be helpful. I have some ideas of what they mean, however I’m not convinced that power can be calculated from them.
I don’t necessarily think it’s bad but is there any negative to lower my VO and not shortening my stride length? All I meant was to say that lowering my VO while not negatively affecting anything else would be beneficial. It’s daunting to think that people are only moving half the distance I am vertically.
Here are some examples from random races and a typical easy long run.
First of all, my most recent long run where I felt terrible and pulled the plug after 11 miles (running at about 8:10/mi pace)
Avg Cadence: 177 spm
Avg Stride Length: 1.11 m
Avg Vertical Oscillation: 8.6 cm
Avg Ground Contact Time: 234 ms
My last open half marathon from 6 months ago, averaged 6:37/mi and PRed
Avg Cadence: 186 spm
Avg Stride Length: 1.30 m
Avg Vertical Oscillation: 7.9 cm
Avg Ground Contact Time: 209 ms
Finally, a 5k track TT effort I did as a fitness test back in February at 6:04/mi and PRed my 5k
Avg Cadence: 201 spm
Avg Stride Length: 1.32 m
Avg Vertical Oscillation: 6.9 cm
Avg Ground Contact Time: 188 ms
It just seems to me that the faster the run, the “better” your running dynamics necessarily need to be. In general, I think you ought to be trying to hit a cadence over 180 regardless of the run type, and then depending on how fast you go the other numbers will come along for the ride.