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Virtual Partner

scotto8
over 8 years ago
As a previous owner of Garmin 205 forerunner, 305 forerunner and 910xt, this feature is an excellent one that I have used regularly in the past when running on my own.

I have noticed with the 735xt however, the few times I have used it, that it shows completely inaccurate time ahead or behind data, most of the time by the end of the run. For example I set the pace at 7:00 minute miling and start my run slower at 7:30 minute miling and the watch correctly displays that I am 30 seconds behind after one mile. I then change data screens and later in the run as I pick up my effort I go back to the Virtual Partner screen. Now for example after four miles in 29 minutes 30 seconds the Virtual Partner screen displays that I am only 15 seconds behind which is obviously wrong as target pace through four miles would be 28 minutes? I then pick up my pace and in no time I am ahead of schedule and it seems to be calculating correct current data, but what about the 90 seconds I lost earlier and I looked forward to catching back up later in the run?

The only time I noticed the data stayed correct was when I did not change the display screen away from the Virtual Partner throughout the whole run. I have a few Connect IQ applications running on other data screens and one of those has no trouble calculating time ahead or behind data which I often set to a different pace so I have a choice depending how good or bad I feel.

Anyone else have similar problems or am I missing something? Other than a few occasional OHR problems and some minor quibbles, I love this watch.
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    I don't use the virtual partner, but if you're mainly interested in time ahead/behind, then perhaps installing my app might be a solution for you: https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/23ea0301-30c6-4c33-b4ef-63e2b5394e76

    it's designed for pacing races, but if you don't use the distance correction feature then I think it might also solve your issue you're having
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    I don't use the virtual partner, but if you're mainly interested in time ahead/behind, then perhaps installing my app might be a solution for you: https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/23ea0301-30c6-4c33-b4ef-63e2b5394e76

    it's designed for pacing races, but if you don't use the distance correction feature then I think it might also solve your issue you're having


    Nice your app.
    But how to disable distance correction ?
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    Nice your app.
    But how to disable distance correction ?


    you can't disable it, but you can have it do zero-corrections:
    * set the lap size the same as the autolap size on your garmin.
    * do not hit the lap button manually.
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    I currently use a couple of other pacing apps and they do a nice job, I will test your one out too.

    The advantages with your app are more data on the one screen, against the tradeoff of how easily readible that is, when pushing effort hard? I could also see that if i was doing laps on the track (or somewhere else where I generally know the distance of the lap), then your app will iron out any gps inaccuracies in distance covered and give an accurate target pace to the end.
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    The fix to the virtual partner issue on my garmin 735xt is to go to 'Training' then 'Set a Target', use either 'Distance and Time' or 'Distance and Pace' and then during my run I get two screens for the Virtual Partner and the time ahead/behind is actually accurate.

    I erroneously assumed I could just set the data either from the long hold on the up key, to the 'virtual partner pace set' or alternatively via 'Activity Settings' then 'Data Screens' then 'Virtual Partner' scroll down to 'Set Pace' and it would work. I guess this is how other garmin 735xt work and garmin instructions are wrong?
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    I guess this is how other garmin 735xt work and garmin instructions are wrong?


    I don't think the instructions in the FR735XT Owner's Manual for using Virtual Partner are wrong. The corresponding instructions in the FR630 Owner's Manual are remarkably similar.

    I don't have a FR735XT, but I tried to reproduce what you described on my FR630, and I found I can't. Neither marking a lap manually, nor switching between data screens, while running could trick Virtual Partner (without setting a target distance) into ‘forgetting’ that I'd already been running and deviating from the target pace for a while. I tried running faster than the target pace and switching data screens back and forth, but that didn't trip the Virtual Partner feature over; I then stopped running and started walking, so that my average pace went to all hell, and switched between data screens again, but Time Ahead remained sensible.
  • 0 over 8 years ago
    I appreciate you attempting to reproduce the issue with the FR630, maybe it is just a FR735XT problem? It makes sense for the instructions to be correct and how to set the Virtual Partner, just does not work on my FR735XT. I will get around to doing some more extensive testing to be more specific on the issue I explained.

    Also today noticed further problems with using the Virtual Partner, I set a target pace at the start of my run but came across a Strava Live Segment. I was unsurprised the Virtual Partner was superceded by the Live Segment during that segment, but after it the Virtual Partner was not working properly. To make it annoyingly worse the other Strava Live Segments I expected to encounter during the run did not appear on the watch, even though I eventually paused my activity and cancelled the 'target', i.e. the Virtual Partner.

    My thoughts are that, maybe it is just a limitation of the watch not being able to perform some of its features at the same time? Disappointing I guess, probably aim to use some Connect IQ apps. for pacing in future and forget about Virtual Partner if I wish to chase any Strava Live Segments.