I first heard about the MilestonePod last week from fellow BibRave Pro Jenna K., our Southern region BibRave captain.  I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a device you could afford to put on each pair of running shoes in your rotation ($25 each), and would track mileage on each shoe without having to remember to log the specific shoe in my Garmin connects account or run log (I’m terrible at keeping track). The addition of a ton of cool metrics and a well-built app sealed the deal. I left work during a lunch break to buy two at Big Peach Running Co (every Big Peach carries them – they’re on the counter at checkout). in Kennesaw, GA so I could try it out a few hours later at evening speed workout. Yes, I’m a glutton for instant gratification.

The awesome stats (in addition to typical pace, distance, duration):

• Real-time metrics including: foot strike, cadence, ground contact, rate of impact, stride length, leg swing, “runficiency” score. Each of these is accompanied by tips on how to achieve highest efficiency in each area.
• No  GPS needed
• No need to recharge – it uses a standard watch battery
• Syncs to app with bluetooth – you don’t need to run a phone app during your workout (which kills phone battery life)
• Once you get a new pair of shoes, you just reset the pod. No need to get a new one.

From the MilestonePod website:

It was obvious from my first run with the pod that my cadence is too low. This is something I suspected but haven’t done much to change it. Seeing the actual data gave me a goal. The app will also send an email after your workout with tips for improvement based on your current scores.

To test some of what I learned from the first run I did a cadence specific 5k workout today with two changes:

• Ran on treadmill – I’m a conference in Baltimore so running on the hotel treadmill is my best option anyway. However, I’m pretty sure that treadmill running forces a quicker turnover and more control of pac
• Use the 170+ BPM classic rock playlist on the Fit Radio app.

And the results:

Huzzah! I think adding this type of workout at least once a week will help make the cadence feel more natural. I’ll aim to go longer each time. I’ll be sure to update as this plan goes along.  With two more months to go until Yeti 100 I’m hoping working on technique will help efficiency and injury prevention.