Virtual Pacer

Former Member over 9 years ago

The Virtual Pacer data field helps you achieve your goals. Virtual Pacer shows all the information you need to cover the distance in the pre-set time. It's just as if you have your own personal pacer at your wrist.

You can get the Virtual Pacer here.

*********** Features ***********
- Allows you to set the required time and distance using the new App Settings features;
- Pace or Speed required to achieve your goal;
- Sliding bar showing you the percentage of distance covered;
- Option to change background color when you're behind;
- Shows achieved time, when finished.

Depending on the size you set the field, you can also have access to the following additional features
- Time or distance you're ahead or behind;
- Estimate of you end time;
- Remaining distance.

*********** Requirements ***********
Connect IQ version 1.2 or above

*********** Feedback and support ***********
Please consider this a beta version. I've tested this app successfully on Forerunner 920XT, Vivoactive and Forerunner 230, but since it's an advanced data field that's close to the boundaries of available resources, I'd like to do some more testing before I'll consider releasing v1.0. If you have any problems using this data field, please let me know.
General information about app settings can be found here.

*********** Version history ***********
v0.2: Included a lot of extra features, as described above.
v0.1: Initial version. Only shows required pace.

----------------------------------------
Setting up your goal time and distance in Garmin Express

Go to "Manage Apps", a list of all your apps is shown;
Look for the Virtual Pacer data field and press the "..." besides the data field name, a page is shown where you can change the settings;
Change the settings to the appropriate values:
- Distance: set the distance. The number is interpreted as Kilometers or Miles, depending on your device settings
- Time (hh:mm:ss or seconds): Set the time in seconds or as mm:ss or hh:mm:ss.
- Show Speed in stead of Pace: The data field shows required Speed if set to true, else it shows pace
- Show ahead/behind as distance in stead of time: Show how much you're ahead or behind as distance if set to true, else as time
- Switch background color when behind: If set to true, the background color changes if you're behind => This setting has been removed in version 1.0 and is always true.
Press "Save" to save the changes. The new values will automatically be send to your device.

I you want to check whether the new values are saved to your device, you can simply go to the settings page again. Garmin Express will always load the settings directly from the device.

----------------------------------------
Setting up the zones in Garmin Connect Mobile

The following explanation is based on GCM for Android. GCM for iPhone should be (almost) the same.

In the menu go to "Garmin Devices";
Select your device from the list;
Select "Connect IQ Apps";
Select "Data Fields";
Select the Virtual Pacer data field;
Select "Settings" (if your device does not have Connect IQ 1.2 installed, you'll get a message "An error has occured");
Change the values (as described in the Setting up the zones in Garmin Express section above);
Select "Done" to save the values to your device

Same as with Garmin Express, you can check the settings by going to the Settings page again.

Former Member over 9 years ago

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, as a virtual partner is missing on the 235 and I am used to using the similar feature on my 920 it is just sensational that I can now use my 235 like my 920 but can confidently do away with wearing HR straps now. TeunMo, thank you.

:)

Thanks. :)

Former Member over 9 years ago

simple and clear in vivoactive, excellent datafield. :)

hollyoak94 over 9 years ago

In the four field version the second line has similar information in both boxes could you possibly replace one of them (overall time?) with lap pace and maybe color code it in red/green if its low/fast? Thanks!

Former Member over 9 years ago

In the four field version the second line has similar information in both boxes could you possibly replace one of them (overall time?) with lap pace and maybe color code it in red/green if its low/fast? Thanks!

What do you mean with "similar information"? And on which device?

On (semi-) round watches, the second line is ahead time/distance and estimate, which are 2 different thing (you can be ahead, be still not make your target if you're running to slow);
On rectangular watches, the second line show estimate and remaining distance, which are als 2 completely different things.

hollyoak94 over 9 years ago

Yes sorry FR230, it seems to me that time ahead or behind on the left is then added to the target on the right to show expected time? So that would be similar info unless you've forgotten what your target was because you're pushing too hard ;-)

On the other hand Lap pace (more stable than Instant Pace) would add info by showing how you're currently doing against the pace currently needed shown above without having to wait to see if the gap is going up or down.

Former Member over 9 years ago

Yes sorry FR230, it seems to me that time ahead or behind on the left is then added to the target on the right to show expected time? So that would be similar info unless you've forgotten what your target was because you're pushing too hard ;-)

On the other hand Lap pace (more stable than Instant Pace) would add info by showing how you're currently doing against the pace currently needed shown above without having to wait to see if the gap is going up or down.

The estimate is not target time - ahead time. The estimate is in fact an extrapolation of the expected finish time based on the average speed of the last minute (excluding any moments that you're standing still). So you can use this time in the same way as you would the lap pace (lap always being the last minute). If your estimate is close to the target time, you're on the right speed.

Former Member over 9 years ago

maybe color code it in red/green

I might use this to color the target pace to show whether you're going fast enough. I've been thinking about ways to show the current (average over a limited time) speed in the field without adding a fifth value.
I hope this also work for you.

Thanks.

hollyoak94 over 9 years ago

Thanks for explaining, that's pretty subtle indeed! Based on other data fields with 7+ fields I think adding a fifth field with lap speed (or latest minute speed) might still be worth it, top left or top right, as that's the ("THE" ?) value many runners look at during a race to see how they're "doing".

With 4 fields max I would pick that info over time behind/ahead as that is what it is and your smart estimator (and the required pace to meet your goal at the top) takes it into account and gives additional info.

Former Member over 9 years ago

Ideas...

1) I don't understand why it'so important get a value to the distance. many times I do a workout with no target about the distance but i want to run constantly at 4:56 /km (e.g.). It could be sufficient if the virtual pacer sign how much I'm ahead/behind my target pace (in seconds, in meters) after a determinate time.
2) It could be great if I got the chance to change my pace during the workout. E.g.: I want go run 5 km at 4:56 and the last 4 at 4:33. If I right understand I can change my settings only by USB or bluetooth.

Thank you for your work

webvan over 9 years ago

1. You can already do that just set a distance longer than your planned run
2. Sounds difficult to implement in a pacer but you can already do that with the workout feature by programming steps at different speeds, you won't have time behind/ahead though.

Oh and another vote for the option to replace "time behind/ahead" by "Lap pace" or "Pace over 1 minute"! Thanks!