Back to back long runs? Just got my watch and it suggested 1 hour run yesterday, and today it is suggesting 1 hr, 20 min. I run on average only 12 miles per week. I know it says I need more easier aerobic training, but this seem excessive.

man up! your watch thinks you can do it, don't quit until something tears or pops.

guneyc said:

don't quit until something tears or pops.

I really hope you are joking...its vital everyone learns how to listen to their body and when - and most importantly!! - when to not train! 

I am in my 50s and Garmin would have me doing intervals 3 times a week which is obviously nuts!!

Those are weird recommendations! I turned off the daily suggestions a couple of weeks after I got the 255, but I don't remember it ever suggesting anything that excessive. In fact, it tended to tell me to take more days off in a week than I usually do. Is your watch set to align with some training goal, or an upcoming race, or anything? Maybe check "Training Plan" under "Training" in Garmin Connect, or PacePro to make sure nothing bizarre is happening. Are all the settings in the user profile correct? I'm just guessing here, you've probably checked this stuff yourself.

Thanks.  I am 64 in two weeks.  Yeah, I could do it, but why would I?  I think it was because it wanted me to do more low, slow aerobic work--I tend to push regularly, and I think it was just a way to even things out, but that was not the way to do it.  On a side note, I swim and bike as well, and the watch was great for my swim workout.

I think I am going to give the watch a couple of weeks to figure me out, and if it is still weird, I will turn off daily suggestions.

Okay, I found the answer.  When you hit start for a Run, and open settings, and go to training, then workouts, and then daily suggestions, it lists all your runs for the week, but at the very bottom of those runs, if you select settings, you can set which day you want for your long workout day.  For some reason, my was set for both Saturday and Sunday.  Having turned that off, it is much more normal.   

However, it still has me do a lot more running than I intend because I prefer to spend my time cross training.  If I were to want to focus on my running I would do it.

Just a thought, but would triathlon work for you? 

Thanks for the suggestion.  I have done them in the past, but truthfully, I enjoy the training more than racing.  I race "myself".  But because I will be 64 in a few weeks, my times have slowed.  But there are some great apps which "age grade" for running and swimming, so I can always compare my now to my younger self.  

What I am really interested in trying my watch on my trail run with hills.  There is a 6 mile hill near me, with 1400 ft gain in the 3 miles up, and reverse on the way down.  I find I can compete better with hills because my back has been fused and my hips are arthritic, which slows me on flats.  But everyone is slow up an 8.5% incline.  I will have to wait at least a couple of weeks because we are in the mid 100's temp out here in suburbs of los angeles.

Thanks.  I love tech stuff and am willing to search and look and see what the internet has to say.  So much this watch can do!

PaulEllliot said:

I think I am going to give the watch a couple of weeks to figure me out, and if it is still weird, I will turn off daily suggestions.

Yesterday (wednesday) it wanted me to do 80 minutes of which there were 2x 20 intervals at threshold. Which I did.

Today (Thursday) its wanting me to do 74 minutes 4 x 8 minutes intervals at threshold. Thats intervals 2 days in a row.

On Saturday I did a 4 hour trail run (the long run recommendation was 1h30 mins), I rested Sunday (ignored watch suggestions)

Monday watch suggested a 40 minute run which I did, followed by 1 hour on Zwift # 2.0w/kg I did as a recovery on my own initiative.

Tuesday was another 80 minutes base suggestion.

The suggestions for older people who need more recovery time are insane! It just doesn't factor in that soft tissue etc needs to recover and that we recover slower - and seems to not know that gains are actually 'banked' in recovery, not by constantly thrashing yourself.