Which would you trust?

[Outofpuff]

Hello tech geeks - some advice please. I have a Garmin and I also use Strava. This morning my Garmin recorded me running 6.76k whilst Strava recorded 6.2. Garmin recorded a pace of 6.41 and Strava 7.11. So I’d obviously really like to think Garmin was right - but is it??

[pinkaardvark Graduate10]

Maybe they are both wrong. Assuming you were outdoors and not on a treadmill, then you could just plot the route on google maps and get a pretty close judgement on the actual distance it was.

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to pinkaardvark]

👍

[roseabi]

Either device is probably not 100% accurate. Probably best to use one or the other to avoid driving yourself potty! Whichever you choose will follow your progression over time, which is the main thing.

Here is what Strava have to say about it:

support.strava.com/hc/en-us...

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to roseabi]

That was a very interesting read. Thanks very much.

[Hidden]

I personally think the inbuild GPS on the watch will be more accurate than phone GPS Strava uses.

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

I’m absolutely 100% sure you’re right. (The stats are always more positive on the watch!)

[Hidden in reply to Outofpuff]

That made me chuckle! Garmin the enabler! 😂

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Pity it doesn’t have a ‘run faster’ function..

[Hidden in reply to Outofpuff]

I Ming Merciless, my Garmin, is quite ruthless enough without a run faster function. I turned off his move reminder very early on because he was so rude - imagine what he’d be like let loose with a run reminder!

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Just out of interest how was gender established? Are boy Garmins rude and girl Garmins bossy? These seem to be the defining characteristics of my four year old daughter and three year old son.

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

I don't know about Strava as I don't use it but I would always trust the fastest pace .......😏

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to Irishprincess]

That’s the principle I’ve decided to adopt...😂

[Sqkr]

I've had as much as 5k difference before, with Strava always being the higher amount. There's something really screwy going on with algorithms used by both parties, and some huge inconsistencies in rounding data. Trying to pinpoint the issue one time I deleted Garmin's data which had automatically uploaded to Strava and reuploaded it manually, and the Strava algorithms added an extra 3km right away, which was in rough agreement with my plotted map distance. Since that occasion it's happened a few other times, always on runs over 20k in the hills and/or with tree cover, so presumably the initial differences come from patchy gps coverage and elevation calculations.

Generally I find the real distance is somewhere between the two, and so if there is a marked discrepancy I upload the gpx file manually to get what appears to be the most accurate distance, though really it's probably just Strava rounding up Garmin's over cautious data. 🙄

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to Sqkr]

Wow. I can’t imagine running the kind of distance where there would be a 5k discrepancy. Respect. And it’s definitely beep beep.

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Are you starting Strava as well as your watch outofpuff? I start my watch and have set it to automatically download that info to Strava when I save the run. I think it’s less confusing that way.

[Hidden]

To add to this, my watch and my chip time in the 10k race on Sunday were within 10 seconds of each other. The watch said 1.23.21and the chip said 1.23.10. I figure the extra 10 seconds on the watch were the delay between me crossing the finishing line and stopping the watch.

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

You know when you’re doing those core strengthening exercises - don’t forget the ‘Garmin finger’ - an intense digit workout that can make all the difference between a PB or a crushing sense of disappointment- it’s a fact that a fast Garmin finger can save you up to two seconds off your finish time....

[Hidden in reply to Outofpuff]

Ah, I will bear that in mind as I flip Ming the Merciless the bird!

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

🤣

[Tony_68]

I think strava is only as good as your as your phone gps, I download footprint app on my tablet, it’s a route planner similar to google maps but you just run your finger along route and it gives you accurate distance and 1 KM markers, I plan route before run I bought a wrist stop watch from decathlon for a fiver, and run this as well as strava i find strava is mainly ok in comparison, but sometimes freaks out especially off road, i was thinking of investing in a gps watch and link it to strava on my p2k anniversary next June, I am surprised they are not accurate, l love the data on strava, it’s free and it keeps me motivated, been working on getting more consistent split times, so far a fail, I like the segments, 10 people have ran it today and you are positioned 10th apparently I ran up vomit hill last week happy running x

[seaspaniel in reply to Tony_68]

I like the segments as well. I do well for the last 100m of the local parkrun despite being at least twice the age of all those who are quicker. However I suspect there are measurement/accuracy issues for the actual time but it should be reasonably accurate relative to others.

The segments can also provide a useful guide for speedwork/high intensity and fartlek runs.

[Outofpuff Graduate10 in reply to Tony_68]

Don’t like the sound of vomit hill. 🤢 I’d avoid that one in future...

[seaspaniel]

There are a variety of reasons to do with the technology, where you wear it and how you run.

I would calibrate by running your local parkrun route which will be 5km. My phone shows mine as 4.9km but it can vary but not by much.