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race / training / trail /altitude

Heilrath
over 1 year ago

If I insert a race in the calendar and Garmin generates training suggestions from it, are trail-specific training requirements also taken into account if a race for example has an altitude difference of 2000 meters?

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    Not really.

    Also the estimated pace or estimated race finish time doesn't take the race elevation gain into account. All these features have been designed by people who have no idea what trail running is.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to silentvoyager
    silentvoyager said:
    designed by people who have no idea what trail running is

    That’s a bit harsh. Elevation gain/descent can apply just as much to road running and pace estimation isn’t really of much value there either. How steep are the climbs/descents? How long? Lots of short pinches or long easy climbs?

    What really differentiates trail from road is the nature of the surface and that can affect pace just as much as changes in elevation; even more so of course when change in elevation is taken into account. As I see it, there’s no way an algorithm can arrive at a sensible pace for any trail run whether flat or hilly. Even using the past history of the athlete is little to go by as even the same trail can change from one outing to the next. And what if it’s a new trail? 

    I do think there is room for improvement. Perhaps have some input from the user concerning the nature of the trail in terms of elevation gain and surface; some sort of grading system that could be taken in to account with the user's training information. 

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Dr Phil

    Sorry, but that's just not true. A 10 or 15% elevation grade (so 1000 or 1500 m at 10k), which is pretty normal on trails, affects the training much much more than the nature of the surface.

    And AI tools like humango demonstrate, that it's possible to include such races into personalized training plans very easy.

    And even Garmin with pacepro and elevation splits basically knows how to analyze a course with changing elevation grades. It would just be a step to do...

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Heilrath
    Heilrath said:
    A 10 or 15% elevation grade (so 1000 or 1500 m at 10k), which is pretty normal on trails,

    There is no 'normal' for trail running. Like road running, there are flat routes and not so flat routes. And a trail run can vary from easy forest trails with a good surface to very gnarly single track where it can be difficult even to stand upright..

    Heilrath said:
    it's possible to include such races into personalized training plans very easy.

    if only it were that easy but it is not.

    And Garmin's Pace Pro plans are all over the shop at the best of times for any long runs, trail runs, or anything with lots of elevation.