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Created page with "A picture of the Garmin and Polar Footpods with an AA battery for size comparison. A Footpod is a small device that measures pace and d..."
[[File:Footpods.jpg|right|thumb|500px|A picture of the Garmin and Polar Footpods with an AA battery for size comparison.]]
A Footpod is a small device that measures pace and distance while running or walking. These Footpods contain accelerometers that calculate the movement of your foot, providing an accurate measurement across a broad range of paces and stride lengths. A Footpod does not simply measure each stride, which would be wildly inaccurate. If you have a [[Best Running Watch|Garmin Watch]] then a [http://go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=Footpod&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FGarmin-Foot-Pod-Retail-Packaging%2Fdp%2FB00264GKVQ Garmin Footpod] is an excellent upgrade.
=Accuracy=
Out of the box, a Footpod is typically accurate to 90+% and after calibration this typically improves to 98-99%. This compares well with the accuracy of GPS which is 97-98%. However, a Footpod only gives you this accuracy on smooth surfaces where your stride is reasonably predictable. If you do trail running, I found the accuracy can be rather patchy. Of course if you're running a twisty trail with tree covered, you may find the accuracy of GPS dropping to 80-95%. I have found that a Footpod provides vastly more accurate information for your current pace compared with GPS. While the errors in the GPS signal even out over the course of a run, they can result in a current pace that is inaccurate by 1-2 minutes/mile.
=Calibration=
You can calibrate a Footpod against a known distance, or against GPS. In both cases a longer distance will provide greater accuracy as small variations will even out. I have written a [[Garmin Foot Pod Calibration]] utility to simplify the process. Calibrating against a known distance is far superior to calibrating against GPS because GPS has its own level of inaccuracy.
=Cadence=
The Footpod will provide an accurate display of your [[Cadence]], which is a critical and often overlooked aspect of running.
=Using a Garmin Footpod=
If you have a [[Best Running Watch|Garmin 910XT, 310XT or 610]] then it is possible to display your current pace from the Footpod while getting other data from the GPS. I believe this is the optimal configuration for most runners. In addition, I found that turning the GPS off and relying on the Footpod dramatically increases the battery life of a Garmin watch.
=Troubleshooting =
There are relatively few things to go wrong with the foot pod.
* Make sure the Footpod is attached to the same position on the shoe each time you run.
* The Footpod needs to be reasonably well attached so that it moves with your foot. If it's flapping around you get inaccurate readings.
* The most common problem you have with the Footpod is a low battery level. A low battery warning should be displayed on your Garmin watch, but I've had problems before the battery warning was displayed.
* If you're still having problems after replacing the battery, then the Footpod has probably failed. I've had this happen to me twice, which may just be bad luck.
A Footpod is a small device that measures pace and distance while running or walking. These Footpods contain accelerometers that calculate the movement of your foot, providing an accurate measurement across a broad range of paces and stride lengths. A Footpod does not simply measure each stride, which would be wildly inaccurate. If you have a [[Best Running Watch|Garmin Watch]] then a [http://go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=Footpod&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FGarmin-Foot-Pod-Retail-Packaging%2Fdp%2FB00264GKVQ Garmin Footpod] is an excellent upgrade.
=Accuracy=
Out of the box, a Footpod is typically accurate to 90+% and after calibration this typically improves to 98-99%. This compares well with the accuracy of GPS which is 97-98%. However, a Footpod only gives you this accuracy on smooth surfaces where your stride is reasonably predictable. If you do trail running, I found the accuracy can be rather patchy. Of course if you're running a twisty trail with tree covered, you may find the accuracy of GPS dropping to 80-95%. I have found that a Footpod provides vastly more accurate information for your current pace compared with GPS. While the errors in the GPS signal even out over the course of a run, they can result in a current pace that is inaccurate by 1-2 minutes/mile.
=Calibration=
You can calibrate a Footpod against a known distance, or against GPS. In both cases a longer distance will provide greater accuracy as small variations will even out. I have written a [[Garmin Foot Pod Calibration]] utility to simplify the process. Calibrating against a known distance is far superior to calibrating against GPS because GPS has its own level of inaccuracy.
=Cadence=
The Footpod will provide an accurate display of your [[Cadence]], which is a critical and often overlooked aspect of running.
=Using a Garmin Footpod=
If you have a [[Best Running Watch|Garmin 910XT, 310XT or 610]] then it is possible to display your current pace from the Footpod while getting other data from the GPS. I believe this is the optimal configuration for most runners. In addition, I found that turning the GPS off and relying on the Footpod dramatically increases the battery life of a Garmin watch.
=Troubleshooting =
There are relatively few things to go wrong with the foot pod.
* Make sure the Footpod is attached to the same position on the shoe each time you run.
* The Footpod needs to be reasonably well attached so that it moves with your foot. If it's flapping around you get inaccurate readings.
* The most common problem you have with the Footpod is a low battery level. A low battery warning should be displayed on your Garmin watch, but I've had problems before the battery warning was displayed.
* If you're still having problems after replacing the battery, then the Footpod has probably failed. I've had this happen to me twice, which may just be bad luck.