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Know Your Run: MilestonePod Review

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Do you know your run? The MilestonePod will give you run and walk metrics like foot strike and cadence, and it’s affordable! MilestonePod review 

Disclosure: I received a free MilestonePod in exchange for a blog review
Know Your Run: MilestonePod Review with new redesign and tech updates! - @thefitcookie #ad #run #gear

Update: Milestone Pod was purchased by Zwift in 2018 and was rebranded as the Zwift RunPod that integrates with the Zwift platform. Zwift will discontinue support and development of the Milestone app as of August 31, 2019. The app will continue to function as it does currently, but they will no longer dedicate resources to further development. Someday, it will no longer function as it does today.

They assure users that they’ll still be able to sync runs beyond this date but given the ever-evolving technology landscape, they can’t say how long that’s going to last. To be clear, this is the same inevitability whether you’re syncing a MilestonePod or Zwift RunPod to the Milestone app.

I originally posted this MilestonePod review back in January, and since then they did a re-launch of their new design, updated app, and updated website! MilestonePod sent me a new pod unit to share with you all once it officially launched (which was August 2nd), so I’ve updated this post with the new details!

The redesigned MilestonePod has is still small and light, but it now has a sleek new appearance and an easier way to get it attached to your shoe. The new MilestonePod has 2 parts so it can easily be set up by adding to your shoelaces and then twisting the Pod onto the base until it clicks to lock.

Know Your Run: MilestonePod Review with new redesign and tech updates! - @thefitcookie #ad #run #gear

This new design makes it easy to switch pods between shoes! Just make sure you twist the Pod securely until it clicks. I didn’t do this the first time I ran with it and it came off my shoe since I didn’t have it secured properly (my fault!). I love the new design – it makes it so easy to get it off and on your shoes!

Know Your Run: MilestonePod Review with new redesign and tech updates! - @thefitcookie #ad #run #gear

The MilestonePod is lightweight and small so you won’t even notice that it’s on your shoe, and you can run through rain or streams with it. It works just as great as the original, too! 

Additional Pod improvements include a longer battery life of six to eight months, water proofing, overall improved accuracy and the removal of the odometer window. The price is still just $24.95 – pretty reasonable!

Know Your Run: MilestonePod Review with new redesign and tech updates! - @thefitcookie #ad #run #gear

The updated app measures all the same metrics as before but it has an easier registration process, a faster sync time and overall cleaner navigation. The update also gives runners a refined Runficiency Score®, a propriety calculation that combines metrics such as cadence, ground contact and stride length. You can also now download your run log in Excel to be viewed on a desktop!

Know Your Run: MilestonePod Review with new redesign and tech updates! - @thefitcookie #ad #run #gear

Check out the updated MilestonePod website and their new video!


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Hey, friends! I hope your winter is going good so far. I haven’t been very excited about running in the cold here (especially if there is wind), but since I am working on increasing my mileage for our upcoming trail race this summer, I am getting my miles in. I don’t log a bunch of miles each week right now as it is, so increasing my mileage with intention (and no injury) is important.

Part of of increasing my running mileage the smart way is not only making sure I’m getting my miles in, but also making sure that I’m running with good form and doing plenty of stretching, foam rolling, and PiYo/yoga.

I’m also taking a closer look at my running biomechanics to see where I’m at and where I can make some improvements. Milestone Sports sent me a MilestonePod (now the Zwift RunPod) to try out and review, and I have been having some fun checking my run metrics with it!

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The MilestonePod is a small and lightweight device that laces up onto your shoe so it can measure your run metrics (like stride length, footstrike, etc.). There are no buttons to push, so you don’t have to worry about turning it on when you start your run, and it runs on a battery so there is no charging required. The MilestonePod not only tracks data for your running but it will also track metrics for walking too.

Initial setup for the MilestonePod is pretty easy, and syncing is simple (just make sure your MilestonePod is close to your phone). I was a little worried at first that my MilestonePod wasn’t working since I didn’t see the green light show up when I tapped on it and I had dropped it a couple times trying to get the battery in (a battery comes with the device), but it logged my first run perfectly and has been working great since I got it.

Other than the distance being off a bit (which I expected since it doesn’t use GPS), my MilestonePod has been working great.

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The best features of the MilestonePod aren’t really the distance and pace. My favorite part about the MilestonePod is the run stats like stride rate, footstrike, etc. Here are the things that the MilestonePod can measure (for both running and walking):

  • Distance, duration, pace and number of steps
  • Calories
  • Weekly mileage totals
  • Total mileage on shoes
  • Foot strike
  • Stance time
  • Rate of impact
  • Cadence
  • Stride length
  • Leg swing
  • Run log
  • Runficiency score

There is also a place for awards for miles run, but I haven’t accessed any awards yet

Do You Know Your Run? Milestone Pod Review - @thefitcookie #ad #run #gear #fitfluential #sweatpink

If you’re curious about how they measure metrics with the MilestonePod, you can read all about it here. Here’s a little bit about how they calculate distances:

From the moment you start your run or walk, the MilestonePod automatically starts tracking your distance. We look for your step count to go above a cadence of 100 steps per minute for 6 minutes or more before we officially start tracking a run (we go back to the very beginning of the six minutes when counting your run). If you go below a cadence of 100 for less than six minutes (stop to tie your shoe, take a drink, etc) then we remove the stop time and combine the sessions on both sides of the pause. If you stop during your run for more than 6 minutes, the MilestonePod will assume your run/walk is over. If you continue running, then you will see two separate runs in the app.

As long as your walk breaks aren’t too long (6 min +) your run should log as one.

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The MilestonePod allows you to choose something to get email insights on (cadence, stance time, or stride length) and they will send you emails with insights along with tips for improvement.

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When you set up your MilestonePod, you can choose your shoe and it will give you your shoe stats. You get to vote on the shoe and the MilestonePod will also let you track miles on that pair of shoes.

The app also shares some handy graphs so you can check things like Pace vs. Cadence, Pace vs. Stride Length, and more to see how your pace changes those other metrics.

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A few MilestonePod graphs

The MilestonePod provides all kinds of great running insights, and sends summary emails with helpful tips so you can improve our running efficiency. Want to know how much this costs? Just $24.95, super affordable (plus I have a discount code!). It also comes in 3 colors and adds virtually no weight to your shoe.

You can adjust and calibrate your distance run by tapping on the run details and then inputting your actual distance if you know it. I suggest running on a track or a specific route that you know the exact distance of and then making the mileage adjustment to calibrate the Milestone Pod to your stride details.

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My dashboard before and after adjusting my distance on yesterday’s run. Pace adjusts automatically when you adjust your distance

I want to get another MilestonePod to put on my trail shoes once I get a new pair to see how it does with tracking miles from multiple MilestonePods. The app will track miles from multiple pods, and they recommend using a different pod for each pair of shoes you run in.

I’m looking for a new pair of trail shoes for our upcoming race this summer and once I get a new pair I’ll be able to get another one to track the miles on those shoes.

I always knew I was a heel striker, but the MilestonePod helps me know that 100% of my strike is on my heel. That being said, my rate of impact is very low (on my last treadmill run my rate of impact measured 100% low).

A strong heel foot strike like mine doesn’t necessarily mean a high rate of impact: whether your foot hits the ground in front of your body or directly below your body usually determines rate of injury, not necessarily foot strike (a detailed discussion for another day!).

So far so good with my MilestonePod! I haven’t had any issues with my device as of yet besides the distances not being exact (which is to be expected) and a couple of my runs being cut into 2 because my walk/bathroom break was longer than 6 minutes. The amount of info provided for the price is amazing, and the quality of the device and app is great.

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One of the really cool things about the MilestonePod is that the company has curated and organized the information from all the MilestonePod users to get run metrics to share with you! Under the Compare Yourself page on the MilestonePod site, you can look at all kinds of information gathered from device users, like gender specific run and walk data, pace vs. age, shoe brands vs pace, and more.

Just today (January 11th), Milestone Sports launched the first ever marathon training gamification program with the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon.

The program offers runners incentives to meet their training goals through access to run form data from the MilestonePod, a real-time, virtual training leaderboard and weekly challenges, contests, and giveaways. They have already gathered some interesting data before the program even officially launched today:

  • 416 runners have registered their MilestonePod’s, logging 3,510 total runs with an average page of 11:15 minute/mile
  • On New Year’s Day, runners ran a combined total of 509 miles in 84 hours and 23 minutes, burning 58,149 calories
  • Of the 416 registered MilestonePod users, 84% are heel strikers, 9% are mid-foot strikers and 7% are toe strikers

While I’m usually the kind of person who doesn’t like to compare stats, it is pretty awesome to look at the run stats from other people and see where I’m at. Adding a bit of friendly competition would make training for a marathon a bit more interesting and fun too!

Follow Milestone Sports on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on the company and device. The Milestone Blog also has great articles on running, injury prevention, and making the most of your MilestonePod

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