Running pace filter time now set to a minute !?

Today I was out for an intervall session and noticed that the FR955 pace is now useless after one of the recent updates. I was running 20 times 1min/1min 3:45/6:00min/km. It was impossible to reach 3:45min/km pace (alert: to slow) within a minute and also impossible to reach 6:00min/km pace (alert: to fast) in the following minute. It looked like the pace filter time is set to arround 1min, which makes it useless for short intervalls. Even for 5min intervalls it would still be anoying as to slow/fast alerts would pop in the first minute of the transitions. 

The pace that was reported after each segment was correct. Example: maximum displayed pace during 1min intervall ~3:50min/km, segment pace that is shortly visible after each minute was 3:40min/km. 

I had my last outdoor intervall training in October last year (pace was displayed correctly), so this was introduced with some update between November and today. I can imagine that the strong filtering was introduced to use the pace as input to the running power calculation that seems to be new as well. 

Is there any way to set the pace filter time back to like ~5-10s, as it was before ? Otherwise the watch would no longer support intervall sessions as it is highly annoying. 

BTW: the pace graph in the app is also wrong, super slow and smooth acceleration in between the intervalls, taking roughly a minute to reach resting-pace. 

Thanks,
Sören

  • Same issue with my 955 today, FW 13.23. I had to do 7x1min @3:55/km + 3min @somethingslower, during the 1m interval the pace was always shown as too low (beeep beeeep beeeeep) but in the end it was 3:52. Then 3min slow, again beeeeep beeeeep for ~2min always showing outdated much too high pace.

    Does Garmin use their own devices? Do they test this? It feels that nobody but some youtube influencers is doing any real world tests.

  • this makes me even more worried. Means that as a company, they think this is what they need to deliver? It is possible that most people don't care about this, but then it is not a running watch anymore. Don't sell it as such and we will simply buy something else

  • I am sure that there are users that complain about pace variability...how addin an option so that users can decide to have a 3-5-10-30 second moving average on the pace calculation?

    I don't understand why garmin doesn't read and partecipate in these forums...

  • Done several times 2min @3:55 + 1min @4:25.

    Watch show higher pace at the start of each interval, then stabilizes. At the end of interval the pace is just 1 or 2s different from what showed (I use lapl pace)

  • Were you able to solve the problem in the meantime? I still have the issue. Very disapointing that I cant use my 600€ watch for simple interval running. Now started to run this short ones by feel, because it is way more accurate than the pace that is displayed on the device. I am using Garmin for ages, but this would actually be a reason to switch to another brand that supports intervalls.

  • I changed to another brand for exactly this reason.  After a couple of months banging on about this with zero effect it was just easier to move on.  Garmin seems to have lost the plot - I still live in hope they'll eventually fix this, and many other things while they're at it, but not holding my breath.

    It's only one small thing to change, use lap pace on the workout display.  

  • Yes, it is really bad, especially because it would probably take 5min to add a configuration option for this. Will probably also switch to another brand for the next season :-( !

  • Nope. No one is interested. Purchase and forget. Meanwhile I found a workaround to complete exercise with an acceptable score - start your interval 10 sec before countdown begins and stop it 10 sec earlier. It is really silly but it works ;)

  • That is what I am used to do already. It helps...

  • I think the original problem is twofold. 

    Firstly the current pace is all over the place, I guess mainly because of normal GPS signal variability. which means the reported pace can be plus or minus 15-30 seconds in the pace value reported - it can flip completely from one to the other at any time so you get constant alerts as it exceeds your pace upper and lower limits.  I've ended up having to use a 2 minute range just to stop this and then that's starting to get ridiculous.

    Secondly the pace value reported is useless for allowing you to control your speed workouts - there's no way of knowing what your average pace at the end is going to be.  Too slow and you don't achieve your goal, too fast and you risk injury (been there, done that).  And to rub salt into the wound Garmin then gives you a lousy execution score, every time. 

    An alternative I've used is to not use a set pace at all (to stop the endless beeping and buzzing), to not look at the workout screen at all but instead use another display with lap pace and follow that instead.  Let the workout inform you of distance or time, but use the other display to track your pace.  It works, but fiddly button pressing while attempting to maintain good running form isn't ideal. 

    This change from lap pace to current pace was only introduced with the 955 series.  I remember seeing communication from Garmin to say they did this to stop us looking at the watch every second.  I still can't get over how stupid that is.

    Eventually I got sick of it - at least one other maker provides fully customisable workout display data.  No more frustration and annoyance.  The 955 does have a very nice screen though. and it does lots more stuff if that's what you prefer.