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[[File:Footpods.jpg|right|thumb|500px|A comparison of various Footpods, from top left to bottom right): Garmin [[MilestonePod]] V3, [[MilestonePod]] V3, Polar Stride Sensor (Ant+Bluetooth), Adidas MiCoach (Bluetooth), i-gotU Garmin (BluetoothAnt+), Polar S3 (W.I.N.D.)[[RunScribe]], Polar Stride Sensor i-gotU (Bluetooth). You can see the Polar Footpods are huge compared with the others.]]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 These first-generation Footpods can be quite accurate, but require calibration, and this calibration has to be repeated for different shoes. The [[Best Running Watch|Garmin WatchStryd]] then footpod is a [http://wwwsecond-generation Footpod and it's so accurate it doesn't require calibration.amazon.com/GarminThe first generation Footpods use a 3-Footaxis accelerometer, where second generation Footpods typically use 9-Pod-Retail-Packaging/dp/B00264GKVQ Footpod] axis sensors which combine accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers for far greater accuracy. (This page focuses on the first generation Footpods, though Stryd is an excellent upgradefar superior. )
=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. You need to make sure the Footpod is well attached to your shoe; if it's bouncing about the accuracy will be poor. 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.
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 610, Epix, or 610920XT]] then it is possible to display your [[Pace From A 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.
=Bluetooth Footpods=
There are a number of Bluetooth Footpods on the market, but there are various compatibility issuesthat I've tested. {| class="wikitable" ! ! Polar Stride Sensor! i-gotU! Adidas Speed Cell|-| * The [[Polar M400Stryd]]| Worksfootpod is vastly superior to any other footpod, but the sensor is huge. | Not compatible| The watch needs to be paired with also a Polar Stride Sensor to activate the configuration menuslot more expensive. Provides cadenceEven at its higher price, but no automatic calibration or stride lengthit's great value for money.|-| * The [[MilestonePod]] is the best option if you're not going for [[Polar V800Stryd]](and arguably is worth having for tracking shoe mileage even if you have Stryd.) MilestonePod has great compatibility and accuracy. | Works* While the Adidas Speed Cell is accurate, but it doesn't work well with Polar devices and is more expensive than the sensor is hugeMilestonePod. | Not compatible| * The watch needs to be paired with a Polar Stride Sensor to activate is large and is not as accurate as the configuration menusother options. Provides cadenceIt's only worth considering if you have a Polar watch, but no automatic calibration or stride lengthand even then, there are better options.|{{:Footpods-Bluetooth-table}}
=Troubleshooting =
There are relatively few things to go wrong with the foot pod.
=Footpod Failure=
I've found that the Garmin Footpods consistently fail after about 12 months of use. This is around 4,000 miles of running for me, but I don't know if the failure is due to the distance covered or the time. The initial symptoms are similar to a low battery, with the Garmin watch having problems detecting the Footpod. If you replace the battery and still get connectivity problems, then you may have a failing Footpod. The key symptom I've found is that the Footpod starts reporting an unreasonable pace, such as running a 3:00 min/mile pace. I've also had the Footpod cause the GPS to think I'm no longer moving, so the distance display does not increase and the average pace drops steadily. I'm now on my fourth Footpod and I've had to accept that they are consumable items.
=RunScribeand MilestonePod=[[RunScribe]] make Footpods that measure a wide range of biomechanical data in addition to pace and [[Cadence]], including Braking G's, ImpactG'Gs, Ground Contact Time, [[Foot strikeStrike]], and more. [[MilestonePod]] makes a Footpod that makes it easy to record the mileage on your shoes, as well as recording some of the data that RunScribe records. I love both devices, but they have different focuses. RunScribe is about detailed, accurate data, where MilestonePod is about recording mileage while giving some simpler, but useful data.
