VO2 Max - trail running for Garmin Fenix 6x

Trail run is not necessarily an ultrarun (there is now a setting for ultra run on the new update) . I use trail run setting for technical trails  with some elevation gain.

I use trail run mode for majority of my runs actually. Where I live I have a network of short interconnected neighborhood trails with some pavement in between. Most of them are groomed trails which I can run almost as fast as on road. I still prefer to use trail running shoes because they get muddy and slippery, and record them as trail runs even if half the distance was on road. 

It might be interesting if the Trail Run activity asked you to enter the trail condition and used that as part of the calculation.  Today I ran a very sloppy/icy/snowy trail that was significantly harder than normal and it slowed me considerably which yielded a negative performance condition.  It would be cool if it prompted for Dirt, Crushed Stone, Snow, Wet, etc.

I'm pretty sure that Runalyze uses it's own VO2Max calculation method.

I get VO2Max scores from Runalyze on watches that don't provide a VO2Max - ie Polar V800

I often train off road but I live in a flat region, no elevation gain, in that case which profile may I choose, run or trail run?

5135968 said:

I'm pretty sure that Runalyze uses it's own VO2Max calculation method.

It does, but it also reads the VO2max values from the activity files and can display them in the calendar list view as VO2max (by file) - that’s the value AJR is talking about. It displays the values to 2 decimal places which helps understand what is happening when the watch tells you you are productive or unproductive even though the integer value displayed has not changed. 

Hmm...I'm not convinced. Runalyze has always reported my VO2Max as about 4 to 5 points lower than what Garmin tells me.

The VO2Max that is reported when you click on a run is definately calculated by Runalyze (it even tells you it's calculation methods in a pop up box) and that is also to 2 decimal places, so I don't think the number of decimal points is significant. And I get a VO2Max from trail runs on Fenix 5 Plus in Runalze, the 5+ never got the latest VO2 update for trail running. 

Wherever I see VO2Max reported it's always about 4 to 5 lower than what Garmin Connect tells me - in all honestly I think Runalyze's VO2Max calculation is more accurate, even though it's not as flattering :)

Maybe I'm missing a setting somewhere in Runalyze.but I don't see any evidence myside the VO2Max numbers are coming from Garmin.

5135968 said:

Maybe I'm missing a setting somewhere in Runalyz

Yes, you are. As I said above, it can be displayed in the calendar view.

Configuration>Dataset>VO2max (by file) and tick the Display box next to it.

Neither AJR nor I said anything about it being displayed in the activity view...

ETA: turns out you can see it in the activity view: go right down to the Miscellaneous section at the bottom and click on Fit details (by file). Amazing tool, Runalyze, but there isn’t half a lot to learn about how to get the best out of it!

I've toggled that on and off (I think it was actually on anyway) and it makes no difference (and yes, I did save the setting)

Can you do me a favour and screenshot where I can see this VO2Max coming from the .FIT file.

My side, I see a VO2Max near the top right above Marathon shape (which is calculated by Runalyze and its lower than my Garmin VO2Max by several points) and I see a VO2Max in the listing of activities ie monthly, weekly with an up or down arrow, and this is also way lower by 4 points exactly from my last run, and about 4 points lower than my last 3 month average.

And I see a 3rd report of a VO2Max number on a run activity itself which is also lower. I see VO2Max numbers in 3 places dotted around Runalyze but non correlate in anyway to what Garmin reports and are all lower by several points.

it would actually be nice to be able to see Garmin's calc. vs Runalyzes.

Just edited my post above for another place I’d found it: Miscellaneous at the very bottom of the activity view, select Fit details (by file) and it should be there with recovery time, training effect and one or two other things. Let me know if you can’t see it there and I’ll do screen shots. 
I see lower values also with Runalyze. The Garmin values change much more slowly, looks like a moving average of the values for the last few runs so you don’t see huge changes from a single bad/superb day at the office.