Data Field: Peter's (Race) Pacer

This is the support Thread for the Data Field Peter's (Race) Pacer.

Setup Guide with pictures: http://starttorun.info/peters-race-pacer/

Download
https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/23ea0301-30c6-4c33-b4ef-63e2b5394e76

Summary
Peter's (Race) Pacer resolves 2 issues for me when I'm running a race:

Before the race starts I want to see the time of the day (How long till the race starts?)
I often pace marathons and it used to be doing mental math all the way, now this is no longer necessary as I can fully depend on the average pace/speed, because this data field allows to correct the distance at the kilometer / mile marker by simply pressing the LAP button

While the data field's primary intent is to race races, you can also use it to run laps around the track, just set the lap distance to 400 meters and press the lap button as you cross the line!...

Intro
In it's full glory this data field uses about 24kb which is too much to run on the older devices. To enable using the data field on older connect IQ devices I've stripped some functionality from these older watches in order to let them operate within the 16kb limit that Connect IQ 1.x allows. (Items marked with (*ciQ2) are only available on the high memory watches (high memory watches are FR735xt, fenix chronos & fenix5 variants))

The data field is fully functional as is, yet donations are encouraged on the watch by a small encouragement text.

Usage
Before starting the race an initial data screen is shown (* cIQ2), this screen shows you the following data

Time of the day
Current heart rate (+ zone indication)
Configured Settings Summary (Change these settings in Garmin Express or in the Garmin Connect Android App)
Battery Percentage Remaining
Gps Signal Strength Indication

After pressing the START button the race timer will start and a new data screen will be shown, this data screen will show you the following information:

top middle configurable field: current heart rate / average pace / average speed / perfect pace / perfect speed (*)
row 1 left configurable field: average pace / average speed / current heart rate / perfect pace / perfect speed
row 1 middle configurable field: speed, smooth speed (5s average), smooth speed (10s average), pace, smooth pace (5s average), smooth pace (10s average)
time ahead / behind
race timer
(adjusted) distance covered (see adjusting distance explanation below)
estimated time of arrival

After Activity in Garmin Connect (*cIQ2)

When you opt to record the ahead Time to the FIT track an extra graphic is shown in Garmin Connect

Perfect Pace / Perfect Speed
This field recalculates as you run and gives you the pace you need to run to arrive at the finish with 0 seconds behind / ahead (eg if you run a 10k race and want to arrive in 1 hour (avg pace=6:00min/km), currently you're at the 7k point in 41:30, which means you're 30 seconds ahead, the perfect pace will thus show the value 6:10 (min/km) as you can run the next 3k 10 seconds slower to still get in time at the finish line)

Distance Adjustment
When you press the LAP button the on screen distance is adjusted to the nearest LAP SIZE (eg 5.31k will be adjusted to 5k if the lap size is 1000 meters).
When you press the LAP button by mistake you have 30 seconds to undo the last correction (just press the LAP button again)

When you miss a mile/kilometer marker, don't worry DO NOT PRESS THE LAP button and wait for the next kilometer/mile marker and press the LAP button there.

Adjusting the distance has no influence on the recorded distance (In Garmin Connect when you come back home you will see the real recorded GPS distance, yet of course you will be able to determine based on the lap marker postions where the LAP markings really were)...

Recommendations

Train with the data field before you race with it so you're used to the layout!
Have a backup second datascreen layout, in case the field crashes you can switch to the native data screen layout
If you have a Connect IQ 1.x device consider the application option to enjoy all features of Peter's (Race) Pacer: https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/ea97af1f-1e5d-4541-820c-9bd994080d4

Tested on real FR735XT, all other devices were tested in the simulator.

Top Replies

All Replies

DerDembo over 7 years ago

Hi Peter,

first of all: Thank you for the excellent data field - it does just what I need during races. However, one small thing I am sure somebody already requested: Can anybody come up with a cleaver idea to use the recalibration function for triathlons? If I am using the 735's triathlon profile, pressing the lap button will end the triathlon (and play the victory music). I was wondering whether anybody has an idea to allow Peter's field to receive an input without stopping the race.

peterdedecker over 7 years ago

I don't see an immediate solution to enable you to press the lap button in the triathlon profile and not transition to the next stage...

I see 2 solutions:
* write a dedicated triathlon app but that's a lot of work....
* record your triathlon activities as seperate activities: record swim / while in transition stop and save activity / start activity to record the bike leg / while in transition stop and save activity / start activity to record the run leg... but that's probably not very practical...

FlowState over 7 years ago

I have a (terrible not clever) idea. An app could have optional behaviour where if the user pauses the timer twice in a short period of time (say 5 seconds), custom behaviour gets triggered. Or maybe a quick pause/unpause could be the trigger (less button presses). Probably not practical or user-friendly at all. (Of course, Strava treats your activity differently depending on whether you manually paused it or not.)

I wish data fields could accept input (aside from touch-screen devices), although it's obvious why they can't. (I also wish the touchscreen watches actually had practical touchscreens.)

DerDembo over 7 years ago

I don't see an immediate solution to enable you to press the lap button in the triathlon profile and not transition to the next stage...

Sadly I have to agree, Peter. I definitely don't want a dedicated triathlon app because it would be unable replicate the exact setup I configured for the disciplines. I guess as long as Garmin doesn't move the "change sport" functionality in multisport mode away from the lap button there is no real way to implement this.

dannirr over 7 years ago

Hi

Would it be possible to allow the choice of just 2 or 3 fields to be displayed, with larger text? Some of us are getting older....

peterdedecker over 7 years ago

Hi

Would it be possible to allow the choice of just 2 or 3 fields to be displayed, with larger text? Some of us are getting older....

sure thing.
I already made this and named it Peter's Ahead Timer download link - support topic (I know it's not a very good name I chose for the app - feel free to give suggestions for a better name)

dannirr over 7 years ago

Thanks

dannirr over 7 years ago

A few more questions please:

1.) Perfect pace: is this to reach the final target, or for the current lap to get you back on track?

2.) Today I set it for 10k, but ran 4 miles. I was 22 seconds over target for 4 miles. Yet, it tells me I am 100 seconds behind - maintaining the same pace I would only be about 35 seconds behind. I don't understand.

Thank you

peterdedecker over 7 years ago

1/
Perfect pace / Perfect speed: This field recalculates as you run and gives you the pace you need to run to arrive at the finish with 0 seconds behind / ahead.
Eg if you run a 10k race and want to arrive in 1 hour [avg pace=6:00min/km] and currently you're at the 7k point in 41:30, which means you're 30 seconds ahead, then the perfect pace will show the value 6:10 min/km as you can run the next 3k 10 seconds slower to still get in time at the finish line

so to answer your question: this is to reach your final target.

2/
I'm not sure I understand either... I'm not sure where you get the 100 from and the target distance is only used to calculate the eta time, it has no influence on the ahead/behind time at all.

I just verified if my metric and statute calculations work correctly by adding 4 unit tests to my project:
- Metric 6.437k, Elapsed Time of 38:37, Target Pace 6:00 min/km => Ahead Time 0 seconds
- Metric 6.437k, Elapsed Time of 38:59, Target Pace 6:00 min/km => Behind Time 22 seconds
- Statute 4m, Elapsed Time of 38:37, Target Pace 9:40 min/mile => Ahead Time 3 seconds
- Statute 4m, Elapsed Time of 38:59, Target Pace 9:40 min/mile => Behind Time 19 seconds

Works as expected.

dannirr over 7 years ago

Peter

Garmin allows us to configure mixed units - specifically, I set distance in km's but pace in miles/min. I do this when I run in Europe (live in the US). This allows me to better follow distance, but understand pace better as I am used to those units.

Will the app follow the same conventions? Show distance in km's but pace in miles/min? And do the calculations appropriately? Thanks