My comment about Garmin’s 920xt pace accuracy is not about pace over a km or a full run. It’s about the real time pace displayed especially when i accelerate ( e.g. start of intervals) or the upward terrain make me change pace. Given what it tells me is noisy, I overshoot/undershoot and that can make me more tired if i go too much deep in the red.
I know it’s rounded to nearest x:x5 per km (which is fine by me) but it’s averaged over unknown amount of time/distance and sometimes it takes ~ 20 sec to catch up to my perceived pace and sometimes it’s only a few seconds… I found that starting a sprint a few seconds ahead of the beep helps. Maybe it’s just poor gps accuracy as that generation of gps chipset is known to be poor. Using a footpod is supposed to help. You’ll find many article online. Here’s one: GPS Accuracy of Garmin, Polar, and other Running Watches - Fellrnr.com, Running tips
As for the stryd, I read in reviews that many buy it more for accurate pacing than as a running power meter. I don’t use my stryd for pacing yet, as if i force the pace on my old 920xt to be from stryd then 920 will not record gps path. So I plan to get a new watch ( need latest CIQ like in fenix 6) that can display power, record gps track AND display pace from stryd.
PM on my bike is first: tech is mature, proven and well integrated with watches and computers. I use favero DUO pedals ~$650. I can execute a ironman bike leg per plan with it.
Stryd is ~$200 and it’s new technology so you have to accept some limitations & unknown.
It works with many watches but see above. Stryd support has been top notch. It works ok with Garmin but garmin has work to do. Being new tech, they probably won’t update sw of their older watches.
One doesn’t exclude the other. I bought it in Dec because I hope it can bring to my running what a PM did to cycling. So my reasons are to
- measure & display efforts in real time : HR and pace (even if accurate) doesn’t take into account wind, climbing,…
- track TSS and compare training session to session considering pace & many hills around me
(that 's better than hrTSS) - help pick a target power to pace my next marathon
- pace marathon in real time
- running workouts using power (like TR)
So far I like it and would recommend it for those who like new tech but I haven’t had a season with it or even a race to really pass judgment.
Stryd has a good website to analyze and measure your running FTP. I found free running power training plan on trainingpeaks.