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Erroneous approximation or use of running / walking cadence, leading to huge distance error on treadmill

I've been using my VA4 for combined running outdoor and indoor on treadmill. For the past 3 months, my distance covered on treadmill and watch registered almost identical (1km for treadmill = 1.05km on watch). However, yesterday, my wife asked me to walk outside for 2 km. So we started our walk, set my Garmin watch to walk with gps and we finished 36 minutes later, a slow walk indeed.

Here's the kicker... When I run this morning on the treadmill, my watch is completely off the distance registered by the treadmill! For every 1km registered by my watch, the treadmill has gone 1.5km already(50% difference), which means I'm VERY SLOW according to my watch. This is unacceptable measurement! It's probably a software issue. Why would my slow walking affect my running distance/speed on the treadmill?

Oh, garmin support might say "you can calibrate the distance registered in the watch after a treadmill run". Good point! However, you can only calibrate it by entering a distance "less than what the watch has measured", NOT higher! Meaning if the treadmill measured 3km and my watch says 2km only, you cannot calibrate the watch to 3km. It will only accept a number less than what it registered (2km or less), which is pointless! LET'S SEE WHAT GARMIN WOULD SAY ON THIS... Thanks!

0 ovekvam over 3 years ago

I just did the opposite. I ran 5 km outside with GPS in less than 20 minutes, and average cadence of 180.
Then I jogged 10 km indoors on a treadmill in 60 minutes. I had fast 180 bpm music, so I had a cadence of 180 again. The watch congratulated me with having run 10 km in 45 minutes!

0 RoyBii over 3 years ago in reply to ovekvam

You must love your Garmin eh! It makes you run faster than the treadmill! But seriously, Garmin should allow users to calibrate either way, i.e. if watch says you're faster than the treadmill (longer distace registered) or if you are slower (watch measured distance less than treadmill). Right now, only the first case works, like your experiment.

0 ovekvam over 3 years ago in reply to RoyBii

I prefer manual settings over automatic systems beyond our control. I would like to simply enter a custom stride length. The problem is that the watch has no idea if I am running fast or slow, since it bases the measurements on cadence only. That does not work in my case, as I mostly only change the stride length with speed.

I think Fitbit tries to determine if you are jogging or sprinting based on how vigorous your arm movements are, and they have two stride lengths in their settings.

0 RoyBii over 3 years ago in reply to ovekvam

That's a great idea from Fitbit! I guess Garmin should learn from them!

0 3400046 over 3 years ago

I have found this since 5.80. GPS walking very reliable, treadmill walking very unreliable even with a fixed stride length in place! I just realised yesterday that if I walk with my forearm more horizontal rather than with it down by my sides the step tracking seems to be far more reliable, and my distances are matching more closely. Has gone from 50% of treadmill distance to ~90%. Might work for you too...