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During a Garmin Coach workout for Run-Walk-Run, the configured Run-Walk-Run alert never vibrates during the "Run" interval.

rjstone
9 months ago

I recently started the Garmin Coach 5K training plan using Coach Jeff's run-walk-run method.

Once I got to the first workout containing a Run interval where I'm expected to use the run-walk-run technique (which for me is run 1:30, walk 0:30) the Alert settings that I configured did not work within the workout's Run activity interval.

While the Run interval was still active, I stopped, held down the lower button, and entered the activity settings to see if my run-walk-run alert was still configured for the activity/workout.

The settings showed that the run-walk-run alert was configured just as I had configured it, and it was enabled, but the alert setting never caused the code to generate a haptic for the whole mile. So I was stuck feeling kind of stupid having to look down at the elapsed time to figure out when to stop running and start walking, etc,

Ideally the Garmin Coach software would ask you want interval you wanted for run-walk-run, or pick one based on the pace goal, and set this for you. It doesn't do that, which would be nice but doesn't really bother me much, but when I try to set this up manually it also doesn't work.

Is this a known issue with Garmin Coach workouts?

  • 0 9 months ago

    Did some additional testing:

    Tried just starting a Run activity with the Run/Walk alert left set as before. I went into settings on the watch beforehand to verify that the setting was still the same. The Run/Walk alerts worked as expected during this manually started Run activity.

    Then I created a workout consisting of the default warm up, run, and cool down steps, sent that to the watch, and started that test workout. The Run/Walk alerts did not work during the workout. I did verify again that they were enabled.

    Conclusion: Run/Walk alerts do not work for Run steps during any Workout execution.

    I think the logic here is that these should be disabled because Run/Walk intervals can be configured as individual steps within a repeat loop.

    But the problem with this logic is that repeat loops can only be configured to repeat n number of times and not until some other condition is met like "distance > 1mi". This is insufficient when a training plan requires that "steps" (intervals) continue to be repeated for 1km/1mi or whatever other duration targets are.

    Then the other problem with the implemented logic is that the workaround to this lack of functionality is to use a single Run step with a Duration Type of Distance 1mi, and a Run/Walk alert (which must be set globally, unfortunately, and cant be set per workout step, but global is good enough for a workaround.)

    But this doesn't work because the implemented logic assumes that this won't need to be done.

    The easiest solution for the time being would be to just make Run/Walk alerts (or alerts in general? maybe they're all disabled?) work during workout Run steps. (or make activity alerts in general work during workout steps specifying an activity).

  • 0 7 months ago in reply to rjstone

    How about the procedure to use Coach Jeff's workout. 

    Garmin Connect offers the 3 minute read on what his plan is, but nothing on how to operate the process using your watch.  The female coach which my wife is using; the watch vibrates every time a change happens.

    ON THE SECOND WORKOUT. CADENCE DRILLS.     There is no procedure for Coach Jeff.  I ran a mile and a half waiting for the pace prompt and couldn't push any more.  IF I NEED TO MONITOR A STAT AND THEN PRESS THE PACE BUTTON; maybe it should be instructed somewhere.

    There are years of complaints that IT IS NOT working.  OR SOMEONE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.

    It is a....... how do I get my device to communicate what to do next.

    OR...... fix the automation.

    If the other Coaches are more used, because there is less thinking.  Either do that or explain somewhere WHEN TO PUSH THE "PACE" BUTTON.