Why does pace not reset between training segments?

So I have been wondering for quite some time about this:

In the suggested trainings, for example, there are trainings split up in „run“ segments and „rest“ segments. E.g. 8 minutes at 5:00/km then 1 minute at 7:00/km.

The big issue is: the pace is never reset between these steps.

The pace will slowly fall until it‘s at 7:00/km, giving me several „you‘re to fast!“ messages on the way.

The big issue about this is, I don‘t know whether I currently run at the correct speed or not (which is the whole point of this training mode!) because it needs several tens of seconds for the pace to settle. The rest phases are usually over by then.

So the question is: why won‘t the watch reset the pace measurement if it KNOWS that it will change significatly, assuming the runner does the training correctly? This is just baffling.

0 e7andy 5 months ago

Pace is a calculated value from logged positions. It can't be reset. It can just calculate the next value from the positions. What is measured is not affected by how the workout step is created. Sometimes the athletes don't want to follow a workout step and do something else. The watch should just measure what is happening.

0 Sebastian 5 months ago in reply to e7andy

Hi Andy, thanks for your reply!

You say that there’s only one pace, and that is correct if you look at the current pace only. I am talking about the scope for which the pace is calculated.

Do you notice at the beginning of a workout the displayed pace changes very rapidly? That is because the scope for the pace measurement is not very long yet; the history of measurements is only a few seconds. Over the course of the run, the pace stabilises and it takes more of a difference to make an impact shown quickly.

It‘s already possible to show different pace statistics even at the same time: look at „overall pace“ versus „lap pace“.

Circling back to what I need: I want the pace for a step in a workout only be calculated for that step. Everyone who does trainings with different pace goals by step should want that. Including the pace recorded for the previous step prevents an accurate representation for the pace, because, again, the goal pace is sometimes very different.

So I am wondering why this is not done? You mention people who do not care about the training pace, but I don‘t think a feature should be optimised for people who are not interested in it. These people can still use the overall pace data field which is still available.

0 Etupes25 5 months ago in reply to Sebastian

If you use "average pace" (since the beginning ot the timer) or "lap pace" (since the start of the lap or step), you see averages of course. For shorter intervals, it is better to choose "pace".

In older watches / previous firmware, for a structured workout, the step goal gauge is/was displaying the lap pace. In recent watches, the step goal gauge is displaying the (real-time) pace. I don't know what the status is currently is on the 945 (I have an Epix 2).