Running Dynamics with fēnix 3

It’s a pretty straightforward idea, but when you don’t feel your best, you won’t preform at your peak. If you’re sick, injured or fatigued, you might struggle to push yourself to beat yesterday. One of the most common injuries for a runner is Iliotibial Band Syndrome, or more commonly called, an IT band injury. When the IT band, the ligament running down the outside of the though from hip to shin, is tight or inflamed, it can be vey painful to run, sometimes completely halting your training. This kind of injury often limits runners, but with a few changes to your stride, you can get back to hitting the pavement in no time. It’s often hard for people to recognize running form errors by themselves.  The difference between good form and bad form can come down to centimeters so these tools help reveal these issues.

The fēnix 3 features running dynamics – a collection of biomechanical measurements that tell you a lot about how you run.  One of these metrics is real-time cadence, or how many steps taken per minute while you run.  By analyzing the data and making the necessary adjustments to the length and frequency of your stride, you could help improve the angulation of your knee and foot position to eventually improve your form and help your pain subside. Another measurement the fēnix 3 calculates, that is very much correlated to cadence, is called vertical oscillation, or how much you bounce or jump. The more you jump vertically, the less energy is being applied to push forward, so it’s wasted energy. If you take long tall strides, it adds extra wear and tear on the IT band. The watch will track your run and present this data in real-time on your wrist. By analyzing your cadence, vertical oscillation and many of the other metrics the fēnix 3 provides, you can make necessary adjustments that could eventually help you push forward with your training.

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