Elapsed time: STOP versus SAVE

Are you using elapsed time for anything? Why don't you press save after the last stop close in time?

I believe that the last stop pretty much always is followed by a save close in time unless there is a reason to why the user waits with doing that and therefor the elapsed time should be the time from start until save.

The activity ends by saving. When you stop the activity, it is only paused, and can be resumed again (unless it times out after 30 minutes and auto-saves). Hence only the Saving is the true end of the activity, and the Elapsed Time respects it.

The value in "Time" shows the elapsed time excluding the pauses, though, so you have that value there too.

Hello e7andy
No I do not use the elapsed time in Garmin Connect.
Nevertheless, Strava uses this data to compute an average pace; in this case it is not reliable/irrelevant.
Regarding the delay between Stop and Save, well my first reflex is not to immediately save my activity after a training but to rest.
After a running session I usually monitor my recovery HR.
And obviously sometimes I simply forget.
Anyway I do not understand the purpose to record the time between the last "Stop" and "Save".
Perhaps it impacts some metrics...

Strava uses this data to compute an average pace; in this case it is not reliable/irrelevant.

No, Strava does not use the "Elapsed Time" for the pace. It uses the "Time" value (and incorrectly labels it as "Moving Time"). The "Time" is the elapsed time excluding the pauses, hence it does not matter when you save the activity. I have just check a few of my activities at GC and at Strava to reverify it again. 

Hello trux
That is not correct; Strava uses both "Moving time" and "Elapsed time" in the detailed view of the activity.
For Swim and Run activities, under the Pace graph there are the 2 times with their own average.

Can you post a screenshot of what you are looking at? Also post the moving time, elapsed time and average paces that you see.

I checked a few of my activities in Strava that got different moving and elapsed times and the average speed was calculated from moving time.
In my pace graph I get an even higher average value than in the overview so Strava is doing something odd, but still not using the elapsed time since the average value should then be slower.

Strava uses both Moving time and Elapsed time in the detailed view of the activity

Yes, it does show them, and I did not tell it did not, though as I wrote the Moving Time is in fact corresponding to the Time in GC (and not the true Moving Time there), and the Elapsed Time is not used for the pace calculation as you wrote. Strava uses the Time (labeled incorrectly as Moving Time) for that purpose. And that value excludes manual and auto pauses (including the one between stopping and saving the activity).

I doublechecked it and recalculated the pace at several Running activities - the Elapsed Time is not used for the pace at Strava.

Unfortunately I am not able to upload my screenshots.

But I confirm that in my Strava mobile app (Android) there are both but it looks like the average based on elapsed time is not present in the web app.

I see it in the app. It is labeled Avg Elapsed Pace so it is based on the elapsed time.

In Garmin you got total time. That is the time you logged the activity including non moving time but excluding time when the timer was stopped. Strava lacks that concept. I think it will be hard to convince Garmin to make changes so it looks good in Strava. Have you asked Strava to add Total time? That might be easier since they are a data aggregator.

Unfortunately I am not able to upload my screenshots

Yes, the forum is broken since a few days. However, I checked both the app and the web version of Strava, and both of them use the Time value from Garmin, and not the Elapsed Time for the pace calculation. As I wrote already several times, Strava calls the Time value the Moving Time, although it is not the case. The Time (in GC) is the time excluding the pauses, while the Moving Time excludes also the periods you do not move (much), even if the pause or auto-pause functions are not used.

To show it on an specific example, without using the screenshot, let me copy the values of a slow short jog from all interfaces here, in order to illustrate it:

Garmin Connect:

- Distance: 2.02 km
- Time (excluding pauses): 15:04
- Moving Time (excluding pauses and non-moving periods): 15:01
- Elapse timed (from Start to Save): 16:26
- Pace: 7:26 (Time / Distance)

Strava Web & Strava App (I see identical values on both sides at Strava, just do not see the Elapsed Time at all on the overview on the app)

- Distance 2.02 km
- Moving Time (incorrect! In fact it is the Time value from GC): 15:03 (there is often around a second difference for some reason, at Strava, despite that the FIT file contains the right time. Perhaps a rounding problem)
- Elapsed Time: 16.25
- Pace: 7.26

NOTE: please be aware that the Time and pace values get skewed in the moment you use the function Correct Distance on Strava Web! And the are the not set back accurately to the original values even if you use the function Revert Distance !!!

That is the time you logged the activity including non moving time but excluding time when the timer was stopped. Strava lacks that concept.

Yes, they miss the concept, but appear to be using it it anyway by mistake, because the value they call Moving Time is in fact no Moving Time as sent by Garmin. It is the Time as used in GC, hence the same time (excluding pauses, but including non-moving periods).