Please could the Garmin Swim 2 PDF Manual and the Online support manual include precise instructions for required button press during a Pool Swim Workout.
I have spent ages searching the manual (both PDF and online) and forums and watching garmin support and other videos to understand exactly when the lap button needs to be pressed during a Workout.
Here's what the MANUAL says:
1 From the watch face, select START > Pool Swim > Options > Workouts.
2 Select an option: • Select My Workouts to do workouts downloaded from Garmin Connect. • Select Critical Swim Speed to determine your anaerobic threshold speed. • Select Training Calendar to do or view your scheduled workouts.
3 Follow the on-screen instructions.
To many fitness device users I expect all of the following is obvious but to a person doing a first ever guided workout using a smart device, more info would have been very helpful.
Here's ONE EXAMPLE of ISSUES during a recent workout and further down what I found out (SOLVED SEVERAL HOURS LATER)
Here's what I did for my workout this morning and here's what happened:
Planned workout: Warm-up 500m Free - Rest - 10x (50m Free - Rest - fixed repetition 1:15) - Swim 500m any stroke - Cool down 50m any stroke
1) select 50s Workout
2) select Do Workout
3) press start button Watch displays 500 Free (initially on black background, after 5 seconds changes to white background)
Swim 500m freestyle
4) press lap button Watch displays Rest timer in Field 1(on dark background) AND Next:10x50 Free on 1:15 with a blue arrow showing I need to press the lap button to start the set
Rest one minute
5) press lap button Watch displays 3-second countdown to start first 50m
Swim 50m freestyle (55-60 seconds)
Wait until time shows 1min 15s
Swim 50m freestyle
Wait until time shows 2min 30s
etc (as there was no blue arrow to the lap button and no instruction I assumed the intervals were automatically being recorded)
on 10th 50m watch vibrates (but I now think this was because i also set the watch to tell me whenever I am on the last lap of 500m)
6) At end of 10th 50m press lap (to start rest) but the display shows 1/10.
I figured it hadn't been automatically progressing through the set so -
7) I kept pressing until the next part of my workout but the watch had already begun timing my 500m swim so
8) I pressed lap but all that did was finish the swim which I hadn't done and begin the cool down
I could continue but suffice it to say that the record was something of a mess compared to what I had expected and I ended up completing my workout with the Pool Swim start/stop.
SOLVED SEVERAL HOURS LATER:
I found one post that was somewhat relevant and realised I might be able to figure it out by doing several dry runs (and discarding each one) through my workout.
This is what I have learnt about setting up my workout:
To avoid the workout automatically going from one set or segment to the next (points 7 & 8 above):
ADD a Rest-Lap Button Press after each set or segment EVEN if the set includes a rest after each swim.
Revised Workout:
Warm-up 500m Free - Rest - 10x (50m Free - Rest - fixed repetition 1:15) - Rest-Lap Button Press - Swim 500m any stroke - Rest-Lap Button Press - Cool down 50m any stroke
This is what I have learnt about how the lap button should be used and what happens:
1) select 50s Workout (Start/stop button)
2) select Do Workout (Start/stop button)
3) press start button Watch displays 500 Free (initially on black background, after 5 seconds changes to white background with distance and timer)
Swim 500m freestyle
4) press lap button Watch displays Rest timer in Field 1(on dark background) AND Next:10x50 Free on 1:15 with a blue arrow showing I need to press the lap button to start the set
Rest one minute (or desired time)
5) press lap button Watch displays 3-second countdown to start first 50m
Swim 50m freestyle (55-60 seconds) Watch vibrates mid-way on lap 2 (2 x 25m) indicating the last lap of the interval
6) press lap button Watch displays Time to Go in Field 1 counting down the remaining part of the 1 min 15 seconds
When the remaining time is 4 seconds, tthere are 5 beeps 4-3-2-1-0 immediately followed by vibrations indicating the start of the next 50m
(Also displayed during the rest is the interval number (1/10) and time for the 50m just swum)
Swim 50m freestyle (55-60 seconds) Watch vibrates mid-way on lap 2 (2 x 25m) indicating the last lap of the interval
7) press lap button Watch displays Time to Go in Field 1 counting down the remaining part of the 1 min 15 seconds (as above except interval 2/10)
Swim 50m freestyle (55-60 seconds) Watch vibrates mid-way on lap 2 (2 x 25m) indicating the last lap of the interval
8) Repeat 7 until set is complete but NOTE: when finishing 10/10 press lap button Watch records the time but does not countdown the remainder of the 1min 15 sec, it automatically BEGINS timing the next activity - this is why I need a rest after each set.
Watch displays Rest timer in Field 1(on dark background) AND Next:500 Any with a blue arrow showing I need to press the lap button to start the swim
Rest one minute (or desired time)
9) press lap button Watch displays 3-second countdown to start 500m swim
Swim 500m any stroke
10) press lap button Watch records 500m swim time, then displays Rest timer in Field 1(on dark background) AND Next:50 Any with a blue arrow showing I need to press the lap button to start the cool down
(no rest)
11) press lap button Watch displays 3-second countdown to start 50m cool down
50m any stroke
12) press lap button Watch displays Workout Ended with a little tune, then displays the distance and Rest Timer begins counting up (you can scroll down through various stats or up to the Drill Log)
13) press start stop button to stop, then save the workout!
Screnshots:
(1) The original workout
(2) Revised Workout
