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Survey for using instant vs step pace on the workout screen

JanH
over 4 years ago

As discussed here: https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-945/167532/bug-in-the-interval-workout-screen-with-pace-as-target-the-watch-doesn-t-use-instant-pace the garmin devices show the average pace during a pace-based workout step.

This can lead to issues as I describe here: https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-5-plus-series/172039/pace-target-data-screen-showing-not-actual-pace .

For a meaningful support during the workout (i.e. to keep the target pace), showing the step pace does not make sense (I-our-HO), as it does not give indications if you are currently too slow or two fast. Additionally, on the workout screen on the watch, it is not indicated that what the watch shows is an average/step pace and not the instant pace.

Garmin apparently thinks that step pace would make more sense, probably as instant pace frim GPS is tricky, as not very stable. I agree, the "instant pace" would need to be averaged over the last 10s maybe, but not more. To use the step pace might work for a 30s workout, but if the step is several minutes, obviously, the step pace is not a good indicator if you should go faster of slow down.

We (, myself and hopefully others) think that Garmin should let the user chose on what is displayed on the workout screen (gauge).

This is to find out, what the other Garmin users think. Thank you for participating!

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    I just found this. I'm glad I'm not crazy. The pace meter for structured workouts is useless. it just makes me not want to use it at all. Why can't it use the pace indicator on the main run page? I have structured workouts sent from Training Peaks. Lately I've just been hitting the lap button until I'm in the cooldown phase because I can't concentrate with "pace low" or "pace high" every few seconds. Sure enough when the workout is over, I'm exactly at the pace prescribed by the coach. The avg pace is not helpful at all for workouts.

  • 0 11 months ago

    Woah, using average pace for all intervals doesn't make any sense. I usually used the workouts feature with cycling power and there you can choose to use either instant, 3sec average or lap average.
    I think this is a relic from older times when the GPS data was highly unreliable.
    In the current form it makes pace-based HIIT sessions impossible to do using the inbuilt workout screens.
    I was sure that there is something buggy with my clients garmin watch. When we ran together I realised that it's taking the lap average. She would sometimes start the interval at a slower pace and then have to sprint her lungs out to make the average what was prescribed.

    Are there any updates on this? It directly affects my possibilities to coach someone with a Garmin watch.

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to sebreens

    It's not a relic. It used to work correctly few years back; i.e. showing current pace - not ideal but far more useful than showing average. Garmin changed it with one of the firmware updates.