I think it’s true that when it comes to technology, we absolutely don’t use all of the features that we have. There are certain things that my phone does that I never use… for example Siri! I bought a Garmin Fenix 5s* at the London Marathon Expo last year and I’m pretty sure I don’t know everything it can do. But what if some of these things were actually very useful?
In this article, I’m going to share with you some of the features I love most about my watch and the Garmin Connect app. All the instructions I give here, as well as some features, are based on my Fenix 5, so maybe. vary from one watch to another. And, like I said, I purchased this watch myself and this is NOT a sponsored post, just something that I hope you find useful!
1 Screen setup
Garmin is amazing with the flexibility of data and metrics you can configure to display during your workout. Personally, I like to have the same two screens for all my running data, and I alternate between the two depending on the type of running I’m doing.
My first view is what I’ll call the “total execution” screen. This shows me the total time, distance, pace, and average pace for my entire run. This is perfect for any type of run where you are aiming for a relatively consistent pace throughout the run, for example a race, a long run, a recovery run, etc.
The second screen I use I call the “last lap” screen. It’s similar, but only giving the stats above for time and distance traveled from the automatic lap or from the manual lap of the activity. So this shows me lap time, distance per lap, pace and lap pace. This is best for races where you can have specific target paces for individual laps or groups of laps, for example progression runs, intervals, tempo, etc. The “last lap” data gives me much better feedback on what is happening and what happens next. Warm-up miles, cool-downs, etc. are not spoiled by the average pace.
Note that one of the reasons I use average pace and not just pay attention to the “pace” value is that it is not as reliable and can vary wildly from one time to the next. minute to minute – he is also greatly affected by this. accuracy of your GPS. I had the pace reading read at 11:10 one minute and 7:50 the next… only to come out at 7:40 min/mile for the entire mile!
2 Intervals and automatic lap
If you’re like me, you like to have an update on your pace every mile or two. In this case, the auto lap feature is great: you get a buzz on your watch every time you go past this fixed distance to let you know how long it took. However, for quick work I only want mine intervals be recorded in laps, not miles/km. In the past, this meant going into the run settings and turning it off before a run, then inevitably forgetting to turn it back on for my next normal run! Uh.
But there is a hack for that! And I have to thank the genius that is Ian for this one… setting up a “running intervals” type of workout and having it default to auto-off. I really don’t know why I never thought of it myself!
To do this, go to Settings > Activities & apps > + Add > Copy activity. Then select “Run”, give it a new name, turn off auto-tour and choose the different screen layouts you want. As above, I like to have the full race screen setup AND the final lap screen setup.
3 Use your resting heart rate
How many of you look at your resting heart rate (or RHR) and think “oh, that’s good” and then continue with your day? I thought so… RHR is actually a really good feedback tool on how you should be training in any given day.
The idea is that if your RHR increases by 5 beats or more from your “normal,” then you need more recovery time. This can either be a complete rest day (depending on how you feel, and also that little thing called “life”), or simply a step back day with a recovery run or cross training.
For example, my RHR currently sits at an average of 52, but in reality, the day after hitting a 5k PB time, it increased to 56 bpm. Even though it was only 4 bpm above my average, my body was also feeling pretty tight, so I took the extra recovery time and just did a few stretches that day. The day after my long run, my RHR was only 54, so I felt good about doing a CrossFit jump rope workshop and a cool-down run.
Essentially, you need to use your RHR along with other indicators to determine if and how intensely you should train.
4 And heart rate zones…
I think it was a real eye-opener for me and others that my heart rate zones could change so much with just a few adjustments. I was checking my stats after a run and comparing them to Ian’s results (which I know I shouldn’t do!) and noticed that when he was in heart rate zones 2, 3 and maybe a little 4, I spent the most during my time in zone 5, without feeling like I was working hard enough to justify it! So I took a quick look at my heart rate settings.
Go to Settings > User Profile > Heart Rate and check your HR Max, LTHR (lactate threshold).
There is now a very rough formula for determining your Max HR, which Garmin will have by default. But in many cases, that’s simply not accurate. For example, the stereotypical age of 220 would give me a Max HR of 188, but I reach highs of 185 in training quite regularly! In my opinion, the best way to make sure your zones are correct is to do some sort of max heart rate test…but PLEASE make sure you are fit and healthy to do it, and/or talk about it to your general practitioner if necessary! I found my max HR by doing a 5k run and going all out at the end, then adding 5 bpm.
Once you have your Max HR, you can plug it into the watch. For LTHR, this is usually around 90% of your Max HR, so you can calculate that now as well. Finally, make sure your zones are “based on” Max RH % and you are good to go! These two numbers combined will make your zones much more precise. I now spend a lot more time in zones 3 and 4, but not as much in zone 2 as Ian! The snapshot above, however, is from my 5,000 PB, where I spent most of it in the red – a sign that I was working to the max!
5 Training Status – Are you productive?
Garmin’s smart “training status” feature is a feature I particularly like. If you follow a specific plan, it will be set to achieve many statuses recognized by Garmin at different phases of the plan. For me, who doesn’t follow a specific plan, this is a good indicator of the effect of my training program on my fitness and race preparation.
Basically there are 7 different statuses, plus the “no status” status, which means you haven’t recorded enough data for Garmin to determine the effect of your workout. The statuses are:
- Productive
- Maintain
- Highlight
- Go too far
- recovery
- Unproductive
- Detraining
Below the summary status, you will see two individual indicators: “fitness” and “load”. One is based on your Vo2 max and the other on the quantity and effort of the sessions you have done. You will see arrows under each indicator: ⬆️, ➡️ or ⬇️.
If your physical condition improves and your load is stable or increases, you are productive. If your load decreases and your fitness level decreases, you are detraining. But if your load increases too much, you risk going too far.
You’ll want to time your progression and recovery (i.e. taper) carefully so that you reach the “peak” phase right before you want to run! I hope to stay in the producing or sustaining phases until a week or two before Brighton, after which I hope my taper hits at just the right time for me to see that magical peak status. Once Brighton and London are over, I’ll be happy to stay in recovery for a while!
To learn more about each status, refer to this support page.
6 Dynamic Module
Bonus tip, partly because this one requires an additional purchase… the running dynamics module* was actually an extra when I bought the watch, and I’m really glad I got to use it. Basically, it’s an external accelerometer that you put on the back of your shorts/leggings and it measures a number of different things. The data it gives you is your ground contact time (time you spend with your feet on the ground), your ground contact balance (left to right foot), your vertical ratio (distance traveled from height down in relation to the distance traveled forward) and your verticality. oscillation (the distance you travel up and down). It also gives you a color code compared to elite and average athletes.
This may seem like a lot to take in, but it’s amazing for giving you feedback on your running form and also very interesting to see on longer runs or during races, for example, as you can see where you are get tired or prefer one leg over the other due to muscle tension. I also recently discovered (by accident) that you can actually see them on the fly on your watch and not just retrospectively on the app. This could be ideal if you’re testing out any running or activation exercises you’re hoping to do. improve your running form as part of your warm-up.
If you like to be a little geeky, then the dynamic module is for you!
Your advice?
So I shared my screen setup, how to program some type of interval training to avoid messing up with auto lap, what to get from your heart rate data, and how to tell if your workout is productive and your efficient running style. If you’re going to focus on new parts of your watch for your next race, what will they be? Did you learn anything new from this article?
This article is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Garmin. All products in this article were purchased by myself. However, this post contains affiliate links (marked with *). If you purchase the products through these links, I will earn a small commission, which helps fund the maintenance of my website!