Seemingly my training status is 'Strained', my Heart Rate Variability has plummetted over the last few days to an unacceptably low level that indicates fatigue. I can see my overnight resting heart rate has gone up considerably too. Unsurprisingly, my recorded stress level is glaringly high all through the night.
Garmin tells me I may be over-exercising. Well no! Just no. I have barely run in the last month or more because of my hip niggle, I've done a couple of short rides, but nothing strenuous. Even my walking is below the usual level. So over-exercising? I think not.
I guess I could be unwell, but I feel OK 🤷♀️
Instead I think it is emotional stress that's causing the problem - and I'm working on that!!!
So, what do we do when we're stressed? Yup, we run (even if it does have to be short, on account of said hip niggle). Of course we choose to run. It's my 'go to' when I'm stressed.
So out I go.
Select 'run' on my watch and .... WHATTTTT? Rest? Rest? Really? 🤬🤬🤬
Errr, no! Garmin, come on, I need all the help I can get just now! I'm afraid I'm just going to have to ignore you.
Part way through the run, Garmin announced that my 'performance condition' was -4!!!! (and it only gets worse as the run goes on) - like that was going to make me less stressed.
Imagine my surprise post run, to find Garmin hadn't docked my VO2.
Guess it's saving that for next time. Grrrr!
Hey ho! Let's keep smiling 🥰
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linda9389
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My ARH is up, VO2 max has plummeted, my balance is off on a morning….but I am still running! Not running makes everything worse….so pants to any negative messages from Garmin! 🤭
I am in awe of your ability to run without your watch ... I shiver at the thought (something like needing an adult present at all tiles I think 🤣).
Generally the RHR and HRV reflect what's going on in my life. I quite like those stats - esp when they're improving. But to tell me to rest - that's stepping beyond it's limits as far as I'm concerned. If it's going to behave like that it can indeed do one!!!
Thing is, I have never, ever found my Garmin helpful in motivating me. The stats only serve to beat myself up about what I'm not doing, or not doing well enough, or basically whatever you care to name. I can do that perfectly well without the help of an algorithm!
While I know that the algorithm must have some scientific or mathematical basis, and of course I'm chuffed on the rare occasions it favours me, I know for a fact that I was much fitter when I did the Trail du Gévaudan than I am now. Yet my current VO2Max score is a point or two higher now than then.
I'd rather run to please me than to satisfy the demands of the tech, however many whizzy things it can do.
In all honesty, not a lot. I've no idea about most of the functions and it's only a Forerunner 45s!
Runny-type things: checking how far I've run. Seeing how fast (or slow) I'm running, mostly estimating my pace first then seeing how accurate I am. Sometimes challenging myself, things like run up to the top of a particular incline without dropping below a certain pace. Or, very rarely, seeing how fast I can go on a downhill or flat without face-planting. There's also the heart rate game - keep the effort identical uphill and downhill on the same stretch and look at the difference in heart rate!
Non-runny-type things: Checking what time it is. Seeing how my suntan's developed. Entertaining very small humans who like the buttons and little figures running, walking and cycling etc.
Ah, and an antibac wipe on return, mine doesn't do it often but is stuck in a return and replace transit, I'm wearing Willows that I got him a different strap for and can't find the original strap. Hopefully my replacement will be back soon
I put Vaseline in the crook of my elbows otherwise I get heat rash and sometimes in a spot under my bra to stop chafing. It’s a wonder I don’t slide my way around a run 😂
I read somewhere that apparently Marilyn Monroe smeared Vaseline onto her face before makeup and that is what created those stunning “glowing” photographs. Who knows? I might try it one day…. 🙂
I only got a Garmin when I'd been running for about a year and was training for the trail mara. Thought it'd make me more like a proper runner. It was useful for distance and duration, but mainly just gave me more to worry about.
I've never worn it all the time and stopped using it on every run when I realised how much it was detracting from my enjoyment of running.
ooh I’m glad I’ve got a basic Garmin forerunner 35, I don’t think it does such things. You did the right thing in completely ignoring Mr Garmin. You know when you need to run far better than him.
You could always do what I did today and forget to take your watch altogether.
I did once drive to a run destination and realised I’d left my Garmin in the kitchen and had a momentary panic attack 🙊 and was going to drive home to get it but then realised that was being stupid. It was a weird run though and I really missed the watch.
I’ve also had runs where Garmin didn’t connect the WHOLE run and that is so frustrating 🤬
Not at all, but we’d driven too far to turn back when I noticed. I resorted to using Strava which really didn’t like running in a forest. Post is on the bridge forum.
I do like the fact that this 65 year old has the fitness of an excellent 20 year old, but don’t know why I can’t beat one at parkrun.
I love the fitness age reading too, who knew our 20year olds are so unfit! I’m also worried about how slow I run compared to how fast Garmin thinks I could run. Those predictive times are way out of my league.
I always ignore the suggested run because I know better ... oops, no, I mean I always have a plan before I switch the watch on. But never before has it dared tell me to rest 🤣
Garmin sucks, I've been using a forerunner for just over 2 weeks while my Venu is stuck with UPS awaiting replacement. The training stats are different.
So far I've been Productive, Maintaining, Unproductive, Detraining and my V02MAX is steadily degreasing! And my fitness age is increasing, on the other hand it tells me I need to do more vigorous days, my resting heartrate is slowly decreasing and my high heartrate while running is also decreasing. Oh and my training load is optimal, so make of that what you do.
Linda, Garmin is a good guide, but hey, only you know how you feel. Let's hope your watch catches up and starts being more encouraging.
I'm toying with the idea of buying a really cheap watch that doesn't analyse so much.
Oh that's quite a hotchpotch of stats isn't it! To be fair to Garmin, it does take a while to get to know someone and make sense of the data and trends. Hope you're back with what you know very soon though🤞
Actually, although not a medical device Garmin is scarily correct.. three and a half years ago when I got my first one my sp02 was quite low and my daughter was concerned, I told her it probably wasn't correct then was in hospital a few days later.
Its a measure of how much oxygen there is in your blood , expressed as a percentage of the maximum it can carry. Obviously you don't want that one dropping, but how accurately Garmin is measuring it I don't know.
When I got my first Garmin mine was 88% and daughter kept saying I was unwell, I said it's not a medical device and was very defensive about it. Few days later I was in hospital breathing through an oxygen mask, so although probably not that accurate, it's a good guide.
I have just realised that sp02 is the same thing as SATs which has been of serious note here due to my husband's health. I am not surprised SueAppleRun that you went to hospital with a reading of 88%. Very pleased that you recovered did they give your particular condition a name?
Probably COVID but too early to test, it meant that I never wanted to smoke again, and never ran quite as fast but I'm getting back those speeds now as I lose the giving up smoking weight gain. January 2020
The others have said it all.... and they know... but when you mention the emotional stress...yes... I think that is it.... I have stopped wearing my Garmin at all right now... I am not running currently and I am working on my stress and anxiety levels... but I am doing it...not Garmin..
You know you.... just listen to your body,... and hear what it says? xxx
Oh I'm sorry to hear the OF. For me, running is always a help with my stress and anxiety - I hoonestly don't know how I used to manage without it. But as you say, we know ourselves best don't we. Follow your instincts; you know that with patience you will get there again. I hope you feel much better very soon 😘
Me also.. it has got me through very sticky times..but right now...depleted energy levels mean, walks, yoga and daily exercise routines...I'll get there and my body will tell me when..Thanks you xxx
Thankfully either my vivoactive 3 doesn’t ‘do’ that or I’ve never found the setting to enable it!!!
I forgot to charge it for my last run so I just used Strava on my phone - it was a real eye opener as to how often I look at my watch and rely on it when running!!!
I could really do with a new Garmin as the battery just isn’t lasting long but I’m worried a newer one will make the stupid suggestions and comments you’re becoming accustomed to from yours!!
I returned to my Vivoactive 3 after a few months wearing my shiny FR 255 Kevin41 . Yes the battery is bad, the heart rate monitor is laughable as is the elevation, but apart from that (!) it’s great!
It doesn’t keep spouting out unwanted demoralizing information, and even if the FR did say something nice (fitness age 20 - yeah right), I didn’t believe it! 😂
🤣I am just shaking my head at our nonsense fitness age. For a long time I didn't receive that notification, but my son put Garmin Connect on my phone and lo and behold I can now also also see it. Pure nonsense!
Hmm. I'm not sure it's quite all nonsense 😍 For example it has very accurately highlighted trends and issues for me when I have been unwell or not looking after myself. Whilst a healthy dose of salt needs to be taken along with the numbers, I do pay attention to what I'm seeing - except REST on a run day perhaps 😍😍😍
I didn't mean that it is all nonsense, the data is informative and I really appreciate it. It is the fitness age of an excellent 20 year that seems to be pure nonsense to me. As I have Forerunner 35 I don't receive so messages telling me to rest.
I can agree that we are fitter than many 20 year olds, but I cannot agree that I have the fitness of an excellent female 20 year old, but I still like seeing Mr Garmin saying that he thinks so 😊🤣
Sorry to burst your bubble over61andstilltrying , but afaik Garmin isn't saying you've got the fitness of an excellent female 20 year old. It's giving you an excellent rating for V02Max, based on the ranges for females of your age ((garmin.com/en-US/blog/fitne... and, separately, it's giving you the fitness age of a 20 year old.
Of course it's appealing that Garmin tells me I have the fitness age of a 20 year old, but in real life 62 year old me is probably significantly fitter than 20 year old me. Not that Garmin can really judge because as indicated earlier, I refuse to wear mine on every run, let alone all the time!
Thank you for the link Cmoi Rather too much though for my brain to take in at the moment. I was trying to say that I didn't agree with Mr Garmin. He states and I am quoting from the Garmin Connect screen on my phone, "Your VO2 Max is in the top 5% for your age and gender. Your FitnessAge is that of an excellent 20-year-old." Without going into lots of the detail, I appreciate that many 60 year olds are not particularly into exercise, so I'm confident that I am in the top half, no idea about the top 5%. But I think the statement that Garmin gives me as to having the fitness age of an excellent 20-year-old is nonsense.
Time to read the article carefully. Having said that I really feel blessed toe able to run again, but know that I have injuries that are likely to prevent me if I don't listen carefully to my body and try to respond accordingly. So I am just really appreciating running while I can. I can hardly believe that I was prepared to run in the rain before breakfast today! Prepared accordingly and the the rain fizzled out so I even had some sunshine. 😊🏃🏻♀️
I understand what you're saying over61andstilltrying and completely agree that Garmin is overly flattering re fitness ages. As far as I'm concerned it also talks a lot of nonsense re VO2Max.
However, on my Garmin Connect phone app, which is set up in French and therefore might not be identical to an English language set-up, it says that my VO2Max is in the top 5% (superior) for people of my age and sex. Then separately it says my fitness age (well actually it literally says physical age, but that's because French has adopted fitness as a word but given it a different meaning 🙄) is 20.
On my app there is no adjective before the age; the VO2Max rating and the fitness age are two separate descriptions. That was the point I was trying and evidently failed to make.
I also ran before my (extremely late) breakfast this morning but chose to leave my Garmin at home. 😈
It is the adjective (excellent, that I mentioned) on my English version that makes me say the statement is nonsense. I have the two separate statements as well.
I still enjoy the data for all sorts of reasons, but one of the joys of running is that we can all choose our own journey and how we go about it to suit our preferences. Do you like to have some runs with your watch and some without, or perhaps you have given your watch permanent retirement. 😊
Definitely enjoyed it. I was teated to 'sparkling snow'! Couldn't get my phone out quickly enough to take a photo; the gusts of wind were bringing down a multitude of leaves and the sun shone upon them so that they glittered and sparkled! Amazing sight! And yes I am so appreciating my running but also fully aware that my injuries mean that I need to be cautious. That I can run is more important to me than Mr Garmin, but I still like to wear my watch and enjoy Mr Garmin's take on my run. 😊🏃🏻♀️
Ignore the watch! I too have a basic forerunner 45s. It never tells me I've been unproductive or I need to rest. I ignore the stress and body battery readings cos they are rubbish. I'm not an Olympic athlete so I use it for what I want to - distance and pace and buzzing when I do intervals. The only reason I have a 45s is because you can't buy a new 35 any more!!
😍😍😍 I got a more complicated model for the map functionality - I like the maps for some of my longer runs, but I especially like them for cycling. Having said that, I now have a garmin for the bike so I could probably go back to a less nagging variety of watch once this needs replacing! In the meantime I'll continue to ignore it when it suits me 🤣
I have found to run further 10 km instead of 5 km and then can rest for a day or two is better, always taking vitamin D3, Zinc and vitamin C to keep the immune system 100 percent. Strava also shows recovery which I find very helpful.
I am a bit of a stickler for rest days, probably 98% of the time. I'd just had two rest days!!! Well ... that's running rest days. I have to admit to cycling on both of those days 🙈The recovery stat on Strava - is that the paid version of Strava?
I think I’m glad that my Garmin doesn’t tell me so much information as it would probably put me off.
You know your body better than your watch does and you’re sensible enough to know whether you need to rest or go for a run. If you feel okay, you’re okay.
After the years you have been running you know how you are much better than stupid Garmin. I still can’t go for a run without it though. Do what I do - ignore the bits you don’t agree with and enjoy the flattering bits 😂
I take the stats from the Garmin (955) with a large pinch of salt.
I've been variously Productive, Peaking, Maintaining and in Recovery over the last two weeks.
HRV is a strange one, too. Mine went low for no obvious reason for a while too. Now it's back to normal. It can even be affected by the bed I slept in that night.
I tend to look at a day's variation in stress value more than HRV. If the stress values are pegged at high for more than an hour or so, I know something's not quite right. It's often given me early notice of an infection.
And I've often run on a day it's told me to rest. (It told me to rest yesterday, but it was chucking it down all day so I agreed with the watch.)
Ahh, so you've been told to rest too?i love that you worked it to your advantage 🤣 I've probably avoided it as I generally only run every third day. I fluctuate between the four statuses too and generally just get on with it ... but the bright pink 'strained' got my attention! It's still there today and all my overnight stats are dire again. But as everything kicked off again late last night I suspect Garmin is bang on!
I ignored all my daft bits of information by shutting it away in the drawer, unpairing it from my phone and digging out my Vivoactive 3 which doesn’t spout such nonsense Linda!
I just want distance (accurate distance, not like the FR 255 thanks), time and ….. if I want (I don’t as a rule) other information which I can seek out - not some annoying alert telling me off or telling me untruths - me as fit as a 20 year old? You reckon, Garmin? 😅
I have to say the fenix 6 is altogether more honest about fitness age. It came as quite the shock after the 235's charm 😍I never use the Garmin suggested run prompts - I might see if I can turn those off 🤔
I never follow Garmin’s recommended workout as it would have me on the IC. It does know though when I’m stressed. I had strained for the whole of my time in Spain. I would have struggled to cope without my daily run so I ran but took it easy 🥰
I would generally say the same - Garmin overestimates my abilities! It's interesting that you had the same issues when stresses. Much as I ignored Garmin yesterday, I suspect he is in the money at the moment, just doesn't have enough information to know the cause. I will keep an eye on it though, because it very much highlights how physically damaging ongoing stress is. I hope yours has improved now you are home 🙏
I have had 1 or 2 things to contend with over the last few months , some physical and some emotional!
None have which been easy and still struggling with some !
However,
My fitness graph on Strava has increased dramatically over the last couple of months and I feel fitter now than I've felt for a long time but Garmin has done nothing other than reduce my vo2 Max by 5 points since I restarted C25k (I just have 2 runs left to do)
I have lost 2 stone , I have completely reversed a type 2 Diabetes diagnosis and yet Garmin just knocks me down on every opportunity!
Definitely a good idea to keep smiling. I think I remember that Coach Bennett said somewhere that we are our own best coaches. My Garmin is just Forerunner 35, so Mr Garmin doesn't express his opinions os whether I should run or rest. I remember years ago I must have mentioned to you about my Garmin telling me to 'move', I think you said that you had turned that alert off.
Thank you for this post it has generated a number of 🤣 moments. Always much appreciated.
I am sorry to read of your hip niggle. Do you know what is causing it? I have hip pain too. Comes and goes, but not right. I have got as far as thinking about a doctor visit. So rare for me. Both my parents had hip replacements. I am confident that you will choose a good route forward for your hip, your emotional stress and dealing with Mr Garmin. To me you are a running/cycling/admin super star. Thank you for all you do. 😊🌟🏃♀️🚴♀️
Ahh, thank you for the lovely comments.Switching off the instruction to rest sounds like a very good idea 😍
I've enjoyed this thread too - it was always meant to be somewhat tongue in cheek 😀
I think my hip is just an aggravated ligament and I am hopeful it is beginning to improve. Hio pain is no fun though is it. If you're concerned, it really is worth speaking to your GP. Good luck 😊
well I don't measure heart, VO2 or any of that stuff, I have to say I don't really understand it much, so tend to ignore it anyway! Don't even know if my garmin does any of that (besides thatI only have the forerunner45) !
And I totally agree, running is one of the best stress busters I know, so yep ignore and run!!
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Will a Garmin HRM Pro strap fit me?
Garmin fail !! And my first 10 mile 🥳
Do you wear trail shoes?