Review on Enhance Your Running Performance with Garmin's 010-12520-00 Running Dynamics Pod by Kevin Swier

I trained for six months with a heart rate chest strap that delivers the same running dynamics as this pod. Then I started to feel uncomfortable in my chest and decided to try the capsule instead. I'm glad I did. If you keep your watch band taut enough, the heart rate sensor on your Garmin watch's wrist will give you heart rate readings "close enough" that you can still take full advantage of the heart rate sensor. In the meantime, the pod takes care of all other running speakers. Dead easy. There are two downsides: First, the pod can be a bit finicky. You have to make sure it's right in the middle of your shorts or it will mess up the ground contact balance data. You also need to make sure it is as vertical as possible, otherwise again this will result in GCB data loss. It may take time to learn how to do it just right. Another disadvantage is that you cannot get lactate threshold data when using a capsule. You'll need a heart rate monitor to do this, presumably because reliable lactate threshold estimates require higher heart rate accuracy. For me personally, that's not a big loss, because I don't consider lactate threshold data to be particularly accurate for me. Perhaps the next generation of Garmin technology will improve this feature. Overall, most users should get more out of a capsule than a strap. The strap is uncomfortable, clumsy and silly-looking, and doesn't offer much of an advantage over wrist-based heart-rate readings. The stand is simple, unobtrusive and convenient. Unless you need near-medically accurate heart rate readings, I'd say grab a pod and ditch the strap.