Training Status

It says "unproductive" pretty much all the time.

VO2 - was 48..  now seems to be falling to 44. "fair"

7d load is 531 and it says 446 - 988 is optimal.  So, load seems great.

The focus is "High Aerobic"

304 (purple)

1447 (orange)

458 (blue)

The Garmin connect app says to focus on easy runs or rides etc..  

The problem (I guess) is that anytime I run, and I try and go easy im always around 160 - 169bpm (spikes into the 170+ range) and so this is never an "easy run".  Staying under that 158 range is nearly impossible for me for some reason.  I use the Polar arm band OHR connected to the watch for better accuracy too.

Same goes for my bike rides.

How can I raise my VO2 score?

Also, does activity that is not logged (meaning not starting a activity on the watch) also count in all this?  For example, if I just go outside and go for a walk, is this calculated in my scoring?  Or only when an actual activity program is running?

  • This whole area is kind of vague.  You get numbers but only kind of know what goes into them.  For instance, I've done hard runs, for me, the app says recover for 4 days but a day or two later I feel fine.  The recovery advisor even kind of implies this is OK.

    I assume it's some combination of load, RHR, HRV, sleep, stress but there's enough vagueness that it's hard to correlate into something meaningful.  Even reading the FirstBeat pages are vague.

    I take it as sort of a guideline than an actual rule.

  • There's vo2 max for run, and for cycle.
    So I'll do a run not long ago - it is using productivity off that... based on last run. 
    Even though I went and did 150km, 3k of vert - massive 7 hours etc. doesn't really register on the training status. Given its going from run, not cycle.

    REALLY think this needs to be modified. Surely a better algorithm can be done. Combining both at least. 

  • Only running, or cycling with a power meter will generate a VO2Max score.

    If your VO2Max score has dropped from 48 to 44, then yes, it will say unproductive.

    VO2Max compares pace/power with your HR at that effort level, so to improve VO2Max, you need to either run at that pace with a lower HR, or run faster with the same HR. Basically get fitter - and a structured training plan over a number of weeks is probably better for this than changing your plan on a day to day basis based on what the watch is telling you. If you do the right training over a number of weeks, the numbers will reflect that.

    But it is worth noting that as with most algorithms, garbage in = garbage out. In this case, your post suggests that your HR data may not be entirely reliable, and it may be locking on to your cadence rather than your heart rate. You may want to experiment with the positioning and placement of your Polar band.

  • Running with an HR monitor generates/updates the running VO2 Max also. I have never run with a power meter, but I have a VO2Max score for running. 

    The big problem with Training Status is that Garmin Connect does not properly aggregate activities from different Garmin devices. I can complete activities on an Edge and the Fenix, but when I tap on 'Training Status' in Connect, it only shows activities recorded on the Fenix.

  • Thanks guys.   Oh man, I did not realize that anything I do on the EDGE 530 (bike) is not taken into consideration with the total status.  This makes no sense to me.  If thats the case, then this is pretty useless for anyone who both runs and bikes, and is well into the Garmin "eco system".

    I would have just assumed that whatever I did gets mashed together in the connect app and then syncs to any / all devices.

  • Both devices are supposed to support True-Up, but it doesn't appear to affect Training Status.  So I started recording an activity on both my Edge 830 and my Fenix, then discard the Edge and only save the Fenix.  Kind of defeats the purpose.

  • I have the Edge 530 and the Fenix 6 and both change the training status and it is always synchronized between devices.

    I always synchronize the devices before activities, maybe that has an influence. But it seems to work perfect for me.

    If I record a hard run with my Fenix, my Edge also shows the same recovery time, training status, training balance, etc.

  • The way how is computed "productive" or "unproductive" was not very clear either for me. I had similar figures as you and stay long time as "unproductive" despite averaging 10 hours in running and riding. Only when I put more sessions with more anaerobic part (meaning above Lactate threshold heart rate while running (or other sports) and above FTP for riding, I switched to productive! So try to target the dashed areas in 3 Training Intensities areas (Anaerobic; High Aerobic; low Aerobic); especially the purple one.

  • Hi everyone..

     

    This is very confusing..  let me check my understanding..

     

    So, the first thing I am trying to sort out.. is weather or not the Edge 530 (when I bike) is being reflected in the Garmin Connect app when I look at my day?   I mean, yes it of course connects shows the ride etc..  but, are all the metrics reflecting that?   For example, when I look at the “active min” per week status..  I don’t see anything that shows the ride.

     

    When I look at the training status and look at load, I can see the ride I just did (but only when I select the 530 as the device).  When I choose the watch as the device, its not there.  Fine, maybe its just setup that way to show only per device.. but, what about the overall?  The data seems to be the same..  so, is this correct?  That its showing for both?   This alone is confusing.

     

    Basically, I want to know when I go for a ride with the 530, and sync..  is this effecting my training status?  I don’t want a separate training status for the watch / 530..  that would make no sense?  Is that the case?