Performance conditions compares your current heart rate against what someone with your VO2Max should be doing running at the current gradient and pace.
However, when trail running, your body is working harder to stay balanced on an uneven trail surface, and to avoid roots, rocks, etc, and there is no longer a reliable relationship between pace/gradient and heart rate, and performance condition would be based on unreliable data.
Performance condition applies only to running, and to cycling with a power meter, where input (heart rate) can be compared to output.
Thanks for the answer, it's sad that Garmin makes such a beautiful advertisement for their watches but does not say that these measurements are only valid for asphalt runners , F5 is an outdoor watch :( VO2Max feeds into so many of the other metrics, as a trail runnerI I can not use the advanced running dynamics, VO2 max influences so-called training status then this is also irrelevant to me. I'm a great fan of Garmin I started with FR 101 it was much easier then, as I said the ad is so beautiful and actually after you buy the watch you have to invest a long time, read the forums trying to understand the reality, Now I understand why some people are disappointed with som watches.
cristidan I simply have my trail runs as "runs" so get VO2 Max and performance condition running dynamics etc. I realise that this is not the intended mode of use but I find overall it gives me figures that fit well with my perceived fitness level etc. Particularly since you are running most of the time on Trails then you will find you get reasonable figures.
Originally, on the Fenix 3, trail running did contribute to performance condition and VO2max. There were so many complaints that it was messing up performance measures for people mixing trail and road runs that this change was made. Generally, folk just use the standard run app if they want performance values from trail runs, with all the caveats above, as JS does.
It wouldn't be hard to factor in climb (after all their power field does exactly that) but conditions underfoot are another matter.
I find this an interesting discussion. I have recently changed locale during holidays. My performance levels and VO2max went through the roof (6 points for Vo2 max in 10 days.) There are two differences: the runs were on almost zero elevation gain/loss ground (at home it is hilly), and in rural areas (home is in the city). Coming back, my VO2max is staying the same (but I expect it to drop any day now), and my performance condition is a disaster. So here's the question: if this is about heart rate vs. gradient and pace (and I do pace myself properly on the gradients) - then why is my performance condition going down during the runs back home (training status is the same for now)? There is something missing here. I do suspect though that air pollution particularly with plays a role, because I do notice that coming back from places which I suspect have a better air quality always left me with the feeling of being ever so slightly out of shape, and this has been going on for some time, though never with this level of difference.
cristidan I simply have my trail runs as "runs" so get VO2 Max and performance condition running dynamics etc. I realise that this is not the intended mode of use but I find overall it gives me figures that fit well with my perceived fitness level etc. Particularly since you are running most of the time on Trails then you will find you get reasonable figures.
For me it does not work ,my trail running looks like thish in running activity.
The same run a few days before March 3 registered with trailrunning activity gives me in training status recovery and almost nothing in training load. Yesterday I made a easy run with running activity with 0 anaerobic training effectand training status its peaking. ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1333859.png
The same run a few days before March 3 registered with trailrunning activity gives me in training status recovery and almost nothing in training load. Yesterday I made a easy run with running activity with 0 anaerobic training effectand training status its peaking.
Are your heart rate zones correct? That has you in zone 5 for 25 minutes and zone four for half an hour.
