While smart watches can be a really useful tool to help us improve our running, they're far from optimal. One of their biggest weaknesses is that they miscalculate people's max heart rate. When your max HR estimation is out be even ten beats, it alters the parameters of your training zones drastically, leading to sub-optimal training. For example, I intuitively know when I'm in zone 2, but my Garmin will tell me I'm in zone 3. I know I'm not in zone 3. However, it is an amazing but of kit for measuring distance, time, pace and laps, which I really appreciate.
Agreed! I don’t use the built in wrist heart rate monitor and haven’t for the past 2 years. I use a Polar Verity Sense bicep based HRM. I have a video coming up comparing wrist / bicep / chest HRMs and the results are interesting, get subscribed if you might be interested in that.
I haven't even watch the video yet but I'm excited. I've bee through about five "Garmin Coach" plans. All three coaches, three 5k, a 10K, and a half. My watch doesn't have the Race Widget/Daily Suggested Workout, so I've been considering upgrading for this very feature. With that....I'm going to watch your vid now.
I hope you enjoy and I hope you found it useful. I think Garmin Coach is a great ‘free’ feature, but it’s limited if your goals go beyond either the distance or time that it allows.
Great video again. Interesting to hear your thoughts on using the race widget for marathons. I’m on the long build up to my first ever marathon in Manchester in April, and I’m finding it really useful to have already loaded the race on so that i have some structure to my week before the specific training starts. Not sure whether i will keep going with it after new year, or whether to get a more specific training plan. The only thing that i see lacking is some more variation in long runs, rather than just the usual long plod.
Thanks Amine, What are you going to be using for your full Marathon training plan? I'm also targetting a full marathon in April time next year, looking at Paris possibly.
Not sure yet about the plan. There are so many online plans/apps/coaches with plans. It’s a bit like going into a supermarket to buy toothpaste and having about 50 to choose from. Paris would be nice. If i do a European one at some point, I’m eyeing up Seville. Marathon then a nice few days holiday in Andalucia would be awesome
Interesting! Set this up a couple of days ago to let it guide me to a spring 11k (7 mile!) race. Just did my first 10k with a “standard” training plan and it felt very generic… looking forward to seeing how well this works and how it feels.
Oh very good! I really valued the feature on it that guided me through each workout with indications of being on pace or not. Good luck with the 7 miler. Have you got a target in mind?
@@RunSDJ Thanks! 1:19 - Beat the 10k time over a slightly longer distance. If Garmin's estimate really starts to come down with training though I *may* revise that. Early days for me running still... I look at some people's pace and just think "How?!?"... ;-)
Hmm. Unsure then. Have you set your race to Primary race? Beyond that I’m unsure if the newer UI on the Fenix 8 might mean the implement of it might be different.
@@RunSDJ just found it. Can access after selecting start->run the scroll to workout -> library then daily suggestion. Wired that Garmin hide it under so many menu items compared to what you have shown.
If you only have 1 upcoming event in your calendar, these option doesn’t come up and that event is automatically your ‘Primary Event’. If you added a second event while you still had an active upcoming event in your Garmin calendar you then get the 3 options you mention in your message, you then also get an extra ‘widget’ called ‘Race Calendar’ which lists all your events on your watch. When you click on each event, I can only see that the primary event gives you ‘Daily Suggestions’ for training. When the Primary event has passed, you’ll then start getting daily suggestions towards what was originally your secondary event, which is I assume automatically now your primary. No Priority events from what I can see, even if they are the only upcoming event, don’t show on the ‘Race Widget’ only the ‘Race Calendar’ widget. When you select it, it gives you no ‘Training Suggestions’.
It’s a bit early to say for sure, but 4 weeks into my 16 week RUNNA plan and I’m enjoying it. I guess I need to do the RUNNA 5k plan at some stage to really be able to compare like for like. I will say that RUNNA workouts so far have felt like they are pushing me harder than the Garmin Widget ones.
You might be right. It got me very close though, and in less than ideal conditions. Having learned more about myself and training during the first couple of months of my marathon training plan, I’d say that has probably got me better conditioned for a sub 20 5K.
While smart watches can be a really useful tool to help us improve our running, they're far from optimal. One of their biggest weaknesses is that they miscalculate people's max heart rate. When your max HR estimation is out be even ten beats, it alters the parameters of your training zones drastically, leading to sub-optimal training. For example, I intuitively know when I'm in zone 2, but my Garmin will tell me I'm in zone 3. I know I'm not in zone 3. However, it is an amazing but of kit for measuring distance, time, pace and laps, which I really appreciate.
Agreed! I don’t use the built in wrist heart rate monitor and haven’t for the past 2 years. I use a Polar Verity Sense bicep based HRM.
I have a video coming up comparing wrist / bicep / chest HRMs and the results are interesting, get subscribed if you might be interested in that.
@@RunSDJ Nice, I'll look out for that video. Cheers, mate.
I haven't even watch the video yet but I'm excited. I've bee through about five "Garmin Coach" plans. All three coaches, three 5k, a 10K, and a half.
My watch doesn't have the Race Widget/Daily Suggested Workout, so I've been considering upgrading for this very feature. With that....I'm going to watch your vid now.
I hope you enjoy and I hope you found it useful. I think Garmin Coach is a great ‘free’ feature, but it’s limited if your goals go beyond either the distance or time that it allows.
Great video again. Interesting to hear your thoughts on using the race widget for marathons. I’m on the long build up to my first ever marathon in Manchester in April, and I’m finding it really useful to have already loaded the race on so that i have some structure to my week before the specific training starts. Not sure whether i will keep going with it after new year, or whether to get a more specific training plan. The only thing that i see lacking is some more variation in long runs, rather than just the usual long plod.
Thanks Amine, What are you going to be using for your full Marathon training plan? I'm also targetting a full marathon in April time next year, looking at Paris possibly.
Not sure yet about the plan. There are so many online plans/apps/coaches with plans. It’s a bit like going into a supermarket to buy toothpaste and having about 50 to choose from. Paris would be nice. If i do a European one at some point, I’m eyeing up Seville. Marathon then a nice few days holiday in Andalucia would be awesome
Interesting! Set this up a couple of days ago to let it guide me to a spring 11k (7 mile!) race.
Just did my first 10k with a “standard” training plan and it felt very generic… looking forward to seeing how well this works and how it feels.
Oh very good! I really valued the feature on it that guided me through each workout with indications of being on pace or not. Good luck with the 7 miler. Have you got a target in mind?
@@RunSDJ Thanks! 1:19 - Beat the 10k time over a slightly longer distance. If Garmin's estimate really starts to come down with training though I *may* revise that. Early days for me running still... I look at some people's pace and just think "How?!?"... ;-)
I have tried that on fenix 8. No daily suggestion. Not sure were to find that on the fenix 8.
Have you set it up in the Garmin Connect app first?
@@RunSDJ yep. Also have the glance race clicked start like you did but no suggestion option just by course or pace pro to run it.
Hmm. Unsure then. Have you set your race to Primary race? Beyond that I’m unsure if the newer UI on the Fenix 8 might mean the implement of it might be different.
@@RunSDJ just found it. Can access after selecting start->run the scroll to workout -> library then daily suggestion.
Wired that Garmin hide it under so many menu items compared to what you have shown.
Do you understand how things change when selecting "Primary, Secondary, No Priority" for your event?
If you only have 1 upcoming event in your calendar, these option doesn’t come up and that event is automatically your ‘Primary Event’. If you added a second event while you still had an active upcoming event in your Garmin calendar you then get the 3 options you mention in your message, you then also get an extra ‘widget’ called ‘Race Calendar’ which lists all your events on your watch. When you click on each event, I can only see that the primary event gives you ‘Daily Suggestions’ for training. When the Primary event has passed, you’ll then start getting daily suggestions towards what was originally your secondary event, which is I assume automatically now your primary. No Priority events from what I can see, even if they are the only upcoming event, don’t show on the ‘Race Widget’ only the ‘Race Calendar’ widget. When you select it, it gives you no ‘Training Suggestions’.
Is Runna better or they both similar?
It’s a bit early to say for sure, but 4 weeks into my 16 week RUNNA plan and I’m enjoying it. I guess I need to do the RUNNA 5k plan at some stage to really be able to compare like for like. I will say that RUNNA workouts so far have felt like they are pushing me harder than the Garmin Widget ones.
@@RunSDJ sounds good , I’ll look at both, great video and good luck on the plan , thanks for reply , 👍🏼
Hi, It does not seam to work with Ironman? It finds the event but you can not add any goal. it does not ask for prio and so on. Any info on this?
I don’t sorry. Unsure if it works with multisport events or just single disciplines. Ive only used it for running.
Not gona lie. That does not seem NEARLY hard enough to go sub20 5km. maybe a sub25 5km
You might be right. It got me very close though, and in less than ideal conditions. Having learned more about myself and training during the first couple of months of my marathon training plan, I’d say that has probably got me better conditioned for a sub 20 5K.