Strava: How to Crop Runs, Understand Its Impact, and Best Practices

How to crop run on Strava?

Cropping a run on Strava involves trimming the start or end of a recorded activity to remove unwanted data, such as warm-ups, cool-downs, or GPS errors, thereby ensuring your performance metrics accurately reflect your main workout. This feature is primarily accessible through the Strava website.

Understanding Strava's Cropping Function

The ability to "crop" an activity on Strava is a valuable tool for athletes seeking to maintain the integrity and accuracy of their training logs. Unlike simply pausing your GPS device, cropping allows you to retrospectively adjust the recorded duration and distance of an activity.

• Purpose of Cropping: Users typically crop runs to:
  • Exclude the time spent walking to a starting point or warming up before the actual run begins.
  • Remove cool-down periods or walks back home after the main effort.
  • Correct for GPS drift or errors that might add spurious distance or time at the start or end of an activity.
  • Isolate the specific performance segment of a workout, such as a tempo run or interval session, from the overall activity file.
• Impact on Data: When you crop an activity, Strava recalculates all associated metrics based on the new, shorter duration and distance. This includes:
  • Total distance and moving time.
  • Average pace and speed.
  • Elevation gain (if the cropped section contained significant elevation changes).
  • Calories burned (recalculated based on the adjusted metrics).
  • Segment matching and achievements, as segments outside the cropped window will no longer be considered.

Step-by-Step Guide: Cropping an Activity on Strava.com

The cropping feature is not available on the Strava mobile app and must be performed using the Strava website on a desktop or laptop computer.

1. Access Your Activity:
   • Log in to your Strava account on Strava.com.
   • Navigate to the specific activity you wish to crop. You can do this by clicking on "Training" > "My Activities" from the top menu, then selecting the desired run from the list.
2. Locate the Crop Tool:
   • Once on the activity page, look for the wrench icon (Activity Options) located on the left side of the activity map, usually below the activity title and date.
   • Click on the wrench icon to reveal a dropdown menu.
   • Select "Crop" from the options.
3. Adjust the Start and End Points:
   • The activity map will display your route, and a slider bar will appear below it. This slider represents the entire duration of your activity.
   • You will see two draggable handles on the slider: one at the beginning and one at the end.
   • To crop the beginning: Click and drag the left handle to the right, past the unwanted warm-up or erroneous data. As you drag, the map will visually update to show the new start point.
   • To crop the end: Click and drag the right handle to the left, past the unwanted cool-down or erroneous data. The map will update to show the new end point.
   • You can also zoom in on the map to pinpoint the exact location where you want your activity to start or end, ensuring precise cropping.
4. Save Your Changes:
   • Once you are satisfied with your adjustments, click the "Crop" button (or "Save" button, depending on the current interface) located below the slider.
   • A confirmation prompt may appear. Confirm your decision to apply the changes.

Strava will then process the activity, and your run's distance, time, and other metrics will be updated to reflect the cropped version.

Key Considerations for Effective Cropping

While cropping is a useful feature, it's important to understand its implications before making irreversible changes to your data.

• Permanence of Changes: Once an activity is cropped and saved, the original, uncropped data is permanently removed from Strava. There is no "undo" button for cropping. If you realize you've cropped too much, your only recourse would be to delete the activity and re-upload the original file (if you still have it from your GPS device), which is a more complex process. Always review your crop points carefully before saving.
• Segment Impact: Cropping directly affects how your activity interacts with Strava Segments. If you crop out a section that contained a segment, you will lose any achievements (PRs, KOMs/QOMs) associated with that segment for that specific activity. Conversely, if you crop out slow sections that were negatively impacting your average pace on a segment, it might improve your segment time.
• Accuracy vs. Completeness: Consider what you want your activity to represent. While cropping can make your "main workout" more precise, some athletes prefer to keep the full activity, including warm-ups and cool-downs, as it represents the complete physiological effort of the session. Balance the desire for precise performance metrics with the overall completeness of your training log.

Best Practices for Recording Runs

To minimize the need for cropping and ensure the most accurate data from the outset, consider these best practices:

• Wait for GPS Lock: Before starting your run or pressing "start" on your device, ensure your GPS device has a strong satellite lock. This prevents "GPS drift" or inaccurate initial readings that often necessitate cropping the start.
• Use the Pause Feature: Most GPS watches have a pause function. If you stop for a significant period (e.g., at a traffic light, to tie a shoe), pause your device to prevent accumulating "standing time" that skews your average pace. Auto-pause features can also be helpful.
• Manual Split Laps: For structured workouts, use your device's lap button to mark the start and end of specific intervals or efforts. This allows for detailed analysis of each segment without needing to crop the entire activity.
• Review Before Uploading (if possible): Some advanced GPS devices or software allow you to review and trim activities before they are even uploaded to Strava, offering a pre-emptive cropping solution.

Conclusion: Enhancing Your Training Data

Cropping runs on Strava is an essential skill for any serious athlete or fitness enthusiast who values data accuracy. By meticulously trimming your activities, you ensure that your performance metrics truly reflect your focused efforts, aiding in more precise training analysis, goal setting, and progress tracking. While the feature is powerful, remember its permanence and use it judiciously to maintain the integrity of your comprehensive training history.