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Five Garmin Data Screens That Helped Me Improve My 'Running Economy'
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On most runs, I prefer to pay attention to pace and heart rate data from my Garmin, and ignore the rest (even though I love playing with the data later on). But I also believe in trying a fun experiment now and then. So, for my most recent training block, I’ve retooled my watch's data screens around several of the more nitty-gritty metrics available to me— cadence, stride length, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and more—to see what useful insights I could gain.
First, a quick definition, because "running economy" gets thrown around a lot: Running economy is the energy (oxygen) cost of running at a given speed. Two runners can hold the same 8:00 pace, but the one who uses less oxygen to do so is more “economical.” That runner can run the same pace at a lower heart rate, hold it longer, or go faster for the same effort. It's one of the big levers for performance, alongside VO2 max and lactate threshold, and it's one you can improve with training, strength work, and technique.
Technically, your watch can't measure running economy directly and give you one neat number. What it can do is show you how you're producing your speed, so you can spot inefficiencies and then test whether fixing them lowers your heart rate at the same pace. That's the experiment I’m running (pun intended). After my next marathon, I'll break down how my running economy actually improved, and in what ways.
All the running dynamics on Garmin watches
Garmin groups these metrics under "running dynamics." Depending on your watch and accessories, they include cadence, stride length, ground contact time, ground contact time balance, vertical oscillation, vertical ratio, running power, and step speed loss. In all the examples below, I'm using a Garmin Forerunner 970; note that not every Garmin can show all of these data fields.
Cadence works on nearly every Garmin running watch.
Stride length is available on many mid-range and higher watches, sometimes from the wrist and sometimes only with an accessory.
Ground contact time, ground contact balance, vertical oscillation, and vertical ratio have historically required a compatible chest strap, but many newer watches now measure these from the wrist.
Running power has its own requirements, depending on your watch and whether you use an accessory. Check Garmin's running power device requirements.
Step speed loss and step speed loss percentage require an HRM 600 chest strap paired to a compatible watch. They aren't measured when you're moving at a walking pace during a run.
Check your watch's owner's manual (the "Running Dynamics" page) to see what metrics are available for you to rebuild your own data screens.
How I use Garmin data screens to chart my running economy
Keep in mind that while these metrics are useful, there is no universally "correct" cadence or vertical oscillation number. Chasing the oh-so-coveted 180 steps per minute can do more harm than good if you end up overstriding at a fast turnover or running stiff and choppy. Think of everything below as a diagnostic, not a target. Some more tips to make the most of your Garmin data screens, without succumbing to information overload:
Change one variable at a time. I spent a few weeks laser-focused on cadence before getting stressed over anything else.
Use the new data screens on easy runs. Hard workouts are for hard efforts; easy runs are where you can afford to observe more.
Review after the run, not during. Staring at vertical oscillation mid-stride is a great way to trip and fall. Feel free to glance, but don't let the numbers take over your run.
Watch the trends, not single numbers. Again, focus on personal patterns, not any specific number targets.
Keep screens sparse. Three or four fields per screen is plenty. Anything denser is hard to read mid-stride.
Consider keeping your base screen first in the rotation and add the experimental screens after it, so you can flip over on easy runs without losing your usual setup.
Screen 1: Cadence + Stride Length + Lap Pace
"Run at 180 steps per minute" is one of the most repeated pieces of running advice, and one of the most misunderstood. Cadence naturally varies with pace, so chasing one magic number regardless of how fast you're going can actually hold you back. Pace is the product of cadence and stride length. Seeing those two variables together can help show you how you're getting faster paces (or not).
What I noticed immediately: on easy runs, I naturally fall into a longer stride and lower cadence. It felt relaxed, but it also meant a lot of braking on each landing. Over the past several weeks, I've been nudging my cadence up by about 3 to 5 steps per minute, which shortens my stride slightly at the same pace, and my heart rate at that pace has come down a bit (although cooler weather certainly helps there, too).
The goal is to find your own cadence range and shift it slightly higher, not to force a fixed number. When in doubt, aim for a cadence at each pace that keeps your foot landing close to your body rather than reaching out ahead of it.
Screen 2: Ground Contact Time + GCT Balance + Step Speed Loss
This screen needs compatible hardware, and if you do have it, it's my favorite for spotting fatigue.
Ground contact time (GCT) is how long your foot stays on the ground each step. Generally, shorter is associated with a springier, more efficient stride, and it tends to shrink as you get faster. GCT balance shows the left/right split.
Step speed loss is the newest of these metrics, and the one most directly tied to economy. Every time your foot lands, it acts a bit like a brake, and your forward speed dips before you push off again. Step speed loss measures how much speed you give up during each footstrike, and the percentage version expresses that loss relative to your running speed. Lower numbers mean less braking and more of your energy going into moving forward instead of fighting yourself.
It's useful for a few reasons:
It captures overstriding. Reaching your foot out ahead of your body increases braking, and this metric shows you the cost. That makes it a great companion to the cadence screen: if raising cadence brings your landing closer to your body, you may see step speed loss drop.
It's a cleaner efficiency signal than bounce. Vertical oscillation tells you how much you move up and down. Step speed loss tells you how much you're slowing down horizontally, which is closer to what actually costs you energy.
It shows fatigue. Like GCT, it can creep up late in long runs as form degrades.
Two other uses I found valuable on this screen:
Fatigue tracking. In long runs, my GCT always creeps up in the final third, well before my pace or heart rate tell me I'm utterly cooked.
Asymmetry flags. A consistent tilt away from 50/50 isn't automatically a problem, since a small imbalance is common. But if yours shifts noticeably on days something feels off, it's worth listening to.
Again, don't stress about small imbalances. Look for changes from your normal.
Screen 3: Vertical Oscillation + Vertical Ratio
Vertical oscillation is how much you bounce with each step. Vertical ratio is that bounce relative to your stride length, which makes it easier to compare across paces and across runners. Lower generally means less energy spent going up rather than forward.
Personally, this was the most misleading screen in the beginning. I saw my number, decided it was too high, and tried to "run flatter." That just made my stride feel forced and awkward. What worked better was treating it as a trend. The plan is that when I improve cadence and let my stride shorten a touch, vertical oscillation naturally drops on its own. Strength work and a slightly higher cadence should do more for me than any overly contrived form cue about "floating."
Screen 4: Running Power (if you have it)
The economy framing here is simple: compare power to heart rate over time. In fact, I'm planning to go in and put heart rate on my screen alongside power. Because power responds instantly to changes in effort and terrain, it's a better gauge of your economy compared to pace on hills or extra windy days.
If you can hold the same wattage at a lower heart rate than you could two months ago, that's a real improvement in fitness and efficiency, regardless of what pace says. Just be aware that different power systems calculate the number differently, so stick with one source and don't compare across devices.
Screen 5: Base screen
Finally, the screen I never removed: pace, heart rate, and lap or average pace (plus a timer and time of day, since this is still my watch, after all). For the sake of these runs, I could judge my form changes by whether my heart rate at a given pace went up or down. At the end of the day, this is how you find out whether any of the tweaks above are making a difference.
How to add or edit data screens on your Garmin watch
You can customize your screens on the watch itself or in the Garmin Connect app. The app is easier if you're editing several screens at once, since the fields are larger and easier to read. Menu names vary by model, so treat these as the general path.
On your watch
Open the activity settings. From the watch face, press Start and select Run. Then hold the Up/Menu button (or tap the screen on touchscreen models) and choose Run Settings.
Choose Data Screens. This lists every screen you cycle through during a run.
Pick a screen to edit, or choose Add New to create one.
Set the layout. Choose how many data fields appear, from one large field to several smaller ones.
Choose your data fields. Select each field slot, browse the categories (Cadence, Running Dynamics, Power, Heart Rate), and pick the metric you want.
Reorder or remove screens back in the Data Screens menu.
In the Garmin Connect app
Open Garmin Connect and tap your watch (usually under More or the device icon).
Go to Activities & Apps, then select Run.
Tap Data Screens and pick the screen you want to edit.
Change the layout and fields, then sync your watch so the changes carry over.
The bottom line
If you have the hardware and a little curiosity, spending a few weeks with running dynamics on your wrist can help you nerd out like you're a true running machine. Look, learn, adjust one thing, and let your heart rate tell you whether it worked. For more, check out these ten hacks every Garmin user should know.
