So 3 weeks of running, road biking and mountain biking... and still no training status. Can't figure would what's the deal. I'm coming from decades of Polar and lately Suunto software and watches, so I'm pretty new to Garmin. Watch says to run outdoors with heart rate twice. Yea, did that lol. I've got stuff like VO2 max and training load numbers. At the end of each ride or run I'm getting training effect for aerobic and anaerobic which is cool, but no overall training status.
In the 3 weeks I've had the watch I've only done three trail runs (rolled my ankle), but 15 mtb and road rides.
There's your problem. F5 only gives a VO2Max estimate (and then able to generate training status) for normal runs - trail runs introduce too many variables like trail surface to generate a reliable VO2Max. Just record a couple of runs with the regular running app (rather than trail running) and you should be good to go.
So none of the metrics like training load and recovery work either unless I run on the road? I never run on the road. My trail head is like 1km away and I drive there to do a 20km run. Ick! I hate pavement, seems so boring.
In that case use the standard Run activity and accept that it might be a bit out. That's all we had on the 920 and the VO2max seems to work out reasonably well. And I do something like 80% of my running on trails.
So do trail run activities contribute to or effect overall Training Status, training load, recovery, etc. My training status finally started working after logging a few more road runs, but most of my runs are on the trails as well. I did a trail run today (recorded as a trail run) and the F5 shows a recovery time and I think it added to the training load number but I'll have to pay attention on my next run. It also gave me the aerobic and anaerobic training effect after the run.
So 3 weeks of running, road biking and mountain biking... and still no training status. Can't figure would what's the deal. I'm coming from decades of Polar and lately Suunto software and watches, so I'm pretty new to Garmin. Watch says to run outdoors with heart rate twice. Yea, did that lol. I've got stuff like VO2 max and training load numbers. At the end of each ride or run I'm getting training effect for aerobic and anaerobic which is cool, but no overall training status.
Cannot speak for biking but having been frustrated with NO STATUS after 3 weeks of trail running EVERY DAY !!! turns out that Training Status only works for Run not Trail Run. No idea why but problem resolved after two consecutive RUNs
Cannot speak for biking but having been frustrated with NO STATUS after 3 weeks of trail running EVERY DAY !!! turns out that Training Status only works for Run not Trail Run. No idea why but problem resolved after two consecutive RUNs
Reason for this is that in general, any activity on trails, hills, bad footing etc, the algorithms do not work well - pace is slower than expected for the HR and HRV readings. This change was hard fought with the F3 because anytime you switched to trails, snowshoe running etc, your VO2Max would drop like a rock so you either ignored thae values or didn't use your HR band. The solution allows you to even add custom apps based on the run or trail run, call them what you want (and mod the data fields) allowing you to select which one you want depending on if you want VO2Max etc calculated.
So none of the metrics like training load and recovery work either unless I run on the road? I never run on the road. My trail head is like 1km away and I drive there to do a 20km run. Ick! I hate pavement, seems so boring.
No, it just needs a road run or two (20-30 minutes) to establish a reliable baseline VO2Max figure for YOU. Once it has that baseline, it can then use that to calculate load, training effect, etc. for trail runs. Although it is probably a good idea to do a road run once a month or so just to keep to ensure that the VO2Max reflects your current condition.
It doesn't necessarily have to be pavement - if you can find a trail surface that is relatively smooth and even (ie. free of roots and other obstacles you have to negotiate, not tilted sideways, etc), then that will probably give you a reliable figure. Just make sure to log it as a road run.
anytime you switched to trails, snowshoe running etc, your VO2Max would drop like a rock
Not the case with the 920 as my VO2max over the last 12 months shows. Yeah, there was some weird stuff happening back in November, but generally the trend is pretty level around 50 ml/kg/min. I'd say my ratio of road to trail is in the region of 30:70 with most of the runs being steady aerobic intensity on either surface. I do one interval session on the road per week, might do a hard parkrun, and race club cross country at the weekend.
Since I don't use VO2max as a training metric, I've never been too fussed about it changing. I know that at my level of fitness (10 - 15 h of exercise per week) and age (60), changes will be very small and hard to come by. I've noted before that there's too much focus on VO2max as a short term training metric. That is still very much the case. You're far better focussing on things such as vVO2max (velocity at VO2max) for instance and working out how to get that improving. Once those changes to VO2max get really small, you have to look at how you can improve your performance outcomes for the same metric. Improvements in physiological factors will only go so far.
In the early stages of moving from doing nothing to doing something, you might see gains of up to 20% in VO2max. After that you'll be down to 2-3% annually (roughly) and diminishing returns thereon. And logic should tell you that you should not expect to see gains continuously. It's just not physiologically possible. And as you get older, well it will get increasingly harder to get any gains, especially if you been active for most of your adult life. Sadly, life starts going in reverse as those birthday numbers increase.
And BTW, my Garmin VO2max correlates well with my tests in the lab.
