I am trying to reconcile the Garmin deffinition of HR Zones, with what I have learn't from other sources. I am also trying to become familiar with some of what are (to me) new features on the FR245 and the Garmin Connect App. It's a big step up from an FR70 ;-).
I know my AeT, as I have measured it using Steve House's (of Uphill Athlete) HR drift test. I also know my Max HR.
What I have always done in the past is peg the AeT at the Zone 2/Zone 3 transition point. So for my 80:20 endurance training I aim do 80% of my activities in Zone 2 and ~20% in Zone 4/5.
I know the are many different HR Zone definitions defined by different experts, which adds to the confusion when discussing this topic.
Two Questions
1. I did a longish (for me) 3 hour ride aiming to stay in Zone 1&2 for 99% of the time. Yet the Garmin Connect App sais my Aerobic Training Effect score is only 1.1. Surely Aerobic Training should be performed beneath the AeT threshold, but this TE score would indicate I was largely wasting my time. Should I perhaps should I configure the Zone 3/4 transition point at the AeT? Will this meaningfully increase my Ae TE score?
3. As posted elsewhere on this forum, I though modern sports science had established that Training in Zone 3 was a no-no. Yet Zone 3 is called the Aerobic Zone. If it is above the AeT, then an athlete will be using a combination of Aerobic and Anerobic systems. And indeed in the Help notes in the Garmin App state in Zone 3 "..it's more diffcult to hold a conversation". Am I missing something here? Should this zone not be called something else?
Perhaps if someone could point me in the direction of a better explanation of how the Aerobic TE score is calculated it would aid my understanding.
TIA
