Treadmill accuracy

[snagsboson]

So I got my Garmin Forerunner 235 today, so eagerly headed to the gym for my w6r2. This has led to me wondering about a few things. According to my Garmin I ran 2.61 miles (4.2 km) in 23:23. This is including the 3 minute walk. I only logged the working time on my watch, not warm up and cool down. By this reckoning I should be well sub 30 minute 5k. 🤔 However the treadmill recorded the full 33 minutes but only logged 3.9km. Which is right?

I did my first 10 minute run at 9.5 kph, walked at 5.5 kph and the second 10 minutes at 9 kph, upped to 9.1 kph for the last minute.

Is the treadmill likely to be so wildly unaccurate? Research seems to suggest the Forerunner 235 indoor run is usually pretty accurate. Am I working harder than I think I am? My heart rate reaching 190 bpm seems suggests I maybe. Am I actually running faster than than treadmill is telling me? What’s the best way to identify which is right and which is wrong? 🤔

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

I can't answer any of those questions, but I can tell you that you don't need to know any numbers to run C25K

at the recommended pace, which is one at which you can speak clear ungasping sentences as you run.....if you cannot, you are going too fast, regardless of what your Garmin tells you.

Your heart rate figure by itself is also pretty meaningless without knowing what your actual maximum heart rate is, which normally reduces with age.

[snagsboson Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

I understand pace and speed aren’t important during this program. I just find it intriguing and it motivates me if I can see improvement.

I have found my pace where my breathing is not too heavy and I can speak clearly. I tend to alter the speed due to how my legs feel, (I’m heavy).

I’m a 38 year old male if that helps understand my heart rate. I thought it seemed high, but I don’t feel I’m hammering myself. Don’t get me wrong I make sure I’m working hard, but not too hard to hurt myself.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to snagsboson]

There are formulae for calculating average maximum heart rate the commonest being 220 minus your age, which indicates 182 as your maximum hr. This suggests that your maximum is considerably higher than the average, or that the measurement is inaccurate. It might be sensible, if you want to pay any heed to bpm, to do some research into the whole area.

A sensible approach might be to ascertain what your heart rate is when you are running at the easy conversational pace, at which you can talk clearly, and use that as a reference, because that is the pace you need to be running at, not flat out.

[snagsboson Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

I’m going to have a good look into this. Thanks for the tips on where to start.

[ANewMe1 Graduate]

I've found the same thing. Strava, Samsung Health and the treadmill all have completely different readings. When ive finished I just choose the reading I like the look of the best 😁

[snagsboson Graduate in reply to ANewMe1]

I expected a deviation but not by this much. I’ll choose a different treadmill for my next run and compare.

[ANewMe1 Graduate in reply to snagsboson]

I've done my last two runs outside all of the others were on the treadmill. I've found by not being able to see the speed or distance is much better for me and I'm enjoying it a lot more. According to the apps they say I run outside much faster than I do on the treadmill. I know this isn't right as I've slowed down my pace. I think just as IannodaTruffe says going at the right pace is the most important thing and for me not focussing on the stats and being outside unable to see the figures and the countdown clock really helps.