Garmin 010-12520-00 Running Dynamics Pod

Bought this to use with a Garmin Forerunner 245 watch, to get some extra data about my running dynamics. Works as advertised to provide info about stride length, vertical ratio, vertical oscillation, ground contact time balance, and ground contact time. I am not sure yet how useful this info will be for me ultimately. Was curious to try it to see what it could tell me about my running form, and if it would be helpful pointing out anything non-ideal, or giving feedback to help me improve. Clips easily onto the back of shorts/training pants/tights, and feels secure: have not had any instances of it coming off. Wirelessly connects easily to the watch, and nice controls on the watch for activating or de-activating communication to the RD pod. Have only had it a short time and do not yet need to replace its battery. However am pleased to note that it has a user-replaceable standard battery size.

I use this product to guage how I'm running at a deeper data level. After an injury, I wanted to be sure that I was running balanced, right to left. That works great (be sure it is centered on your running shorts). Other data is useful too, including cadence and step duration time (faster cadence means less time on the ground with each step). I'm not exactly sure how to change vertical oscillation... But I can see it is less when I'm in the running zone, and more when I'm walking, which is actually pretty interesting.Overall, I enjoy the data, and I think it improved my form. Plus you do nothing after initially connecting it .. it just works.The only downside is that on most runs it drops the connection at least once. Then, the data is missing until it reconnects and the average is skewed. But, the graphs are still excellent for review, and I do like the device a lot, and all the data it gives me.

Garmin’s tiny but entirely capable Running Dynamics Pod is a device worn on the back of your running shorts which then communicates with your Garmin running wearable to provide running dynamics in real time during your workouts. These six combined metrics will help you with your running form and efficiency and are as follows:Cadence - measured in steps per minute (spm), this is how quickly you are moving your feet. The pod overrides your watch’s included cadence sensor. This is more accurate since the pod is far more static on your torso and is therefore closer to the ground than it would be if the data were coming from a constantly moving source (wrists).Ground Contact Time Balance - shows the balance of your left and right feet at the time of impact/strike. This is presented as a numerical value on the watch in real time, showing either a perfect 50-50 balance reading or giving you a value with an arrow showing which side you are favoring. Knowing these metrics in real time or viewing this data after your run can help improve running form.Ground Contact Time - shows the length of your impact when striking the ground and is measured in milliseconds. The lower this number is, the better as there is less strain on the joints with a lower contact time.Stride Length - this measures the length of your stride in meters and is an important metric to monitor when doing speed work and pace training.Vertical Oscillation - this is the height of your bounce measured in centimeters and the lower this value is, the less strain you are putting on your body. Think of this in terms of if you jumped high and landed on your feet, the impact would be far greater on your joints as opposed to if you did a smaller jump.Vertical Oscillation Ratio - this is a combination of the values of your stride length and vertical oscillation to help gauge how much time you are spending off the ground. This metric is expressed as a percentage.The actual pod is encased in a silicone housing from which it can be removed if the batteries need to be changed. Battery life is rated for up to a year and is user replaceable. The pod is waterproof to some degree in the sense that heavy sweat and the occasional downpour during your runs will not affect performance, but one cannot fully immerse it in water for prolonged periods of time. It is only available in a single color and while that may be puzzling at first, it is actually a smart decision on Garmin's part as the unit is highly visible on nearly all colors of clothing. This is a blessing as the pod is slightly larger than a peanut M&M and can easily be forgotten about once you throw your running shorts in the hamper. The unit is so light at 12 grams that the user forgets it's even there during a workout. The silicon layered clip is strong and never once has the pod fallen off during or after a workout.There are no physical buttons on the pod, you simply either wear it, walk to your starting point and initiate a run on your watch or wake the unit by gently giving it a vertical shake or two. Pairing is extremely simple and if your Garmin wearable supports it (check Garmin's website for compatibility), you'll be up and running in under a minute. On supported devices, there will be two visible data pages consisting of the six metrics described above for monitoring dynamics in real time. This data is also saved and logged to your run statistics under your Garmin Connect account for viewing at a later time. Having used the pod for well over a month now, I can say that these metrics update with an alarming rate of frequency during a workout. If you move your feet faster, you'll see your cadence increase and your stride length decrease almost instantaneously. The same goes for all the other metrics. When the workout is over, your watch buzzes to remind you to remove the pod.Garmin's Run, Tri and now Pro chest heart rate monitors will provide these same metrics with the added benefit of giving the user heart rate data over its optical, wrist -based counterpart. But what if you have another, off-brand chest strap or simply don't like wearing heart rate monitors to begin with? That's where this little pod comes in.Bottom line, if your watch supports it and you love data, there's no reason not to have this little device in your arsenal.

I tried this a few runs and compared to my Runscribe+. Not even close to the accuracy of the Runscribe. I think this would be good for some basic oscillation information for generalized gate analysis.It is easy to use, and works well with the Fenix (unless you have the latest firmware, which it shows as connected, but doesn't record anything). This should be fixed soon enough though.I like that you just clip and go. no brainer. It's worth the cost for the average runner or person who wants to make sure they have a balanced run.

I bought two. The first one I lost a couple of times and found again before it finally was lost for good. The second one I placed in my CamelBak Rogue hydration pack. It still provides the data and I have no problem keeping up with it now. It still provides all the data and is just as accurate as far as I can compare to my previous stats on the back of my running shorts. But, I can always leave it in the pack. Much better plan than on the back of something I throw in the wash all the time (which also happened a couple of times with the first one). All things considered, the first one lasted a good while given all I put it through. The second one has had a very cushy life in comparison... and that is a very good thing. If the only place you can attach it is your clothes, your mileage may vary (YMMV). For me, now I think my money is well spent and I can recommend.

This little gadget is attached to the back of my shorts and can how many time my foot is striking on each side. It also tell me my cadence. I received this in November so I haven’t drilled into all of the metrics but the ones I’ve been concerned about really help with my training. Garmin has drill workouts the set specific cadence and strides, this device have provided the info to Garmin Connect for me. What i really like is that it works while running on. A treadmillA word of caution. This thing is tiny and can easily be forgotten when changing. If you have a paired Garmin device it will remind you too remove it before changing.