In our regular training group in Whatsapp we talk about training and gadgets on top of all the bullshit discussion, this is some of the topic I seem repeating from time to time especially some of us still not making the most of our expensive training tools - Garmin, in our Monday track session at Happy Valley.

The Basic

The built-in Run function of Garmin come with the default setting of GPS-On, Auto-lap-Enabled. It’s good to go for our long run with the lap split km by km. However, if we keep this setting for the structural run set, then the lap split will be screwed up.

The Context

In any structural run set, we wouldn’t be restricted by the distance. The run set was designed based on the venue and time available for our athletes and the objective of our training. It would be 10x300 fartlet, 10x800m, 10x1.1k or 6x1.4k….etc

Screenshot 2019-08-22 at 2.32.37 PM.png — Happy Valley

Inner lap 1.1k
Outer lap 1.4k

When you run the track set with auto-lap enabled

Take last Monday session for example:
1.1k warm up
10mins dynamic stretching
3 set of (
2 x 1.4k zone 3,
1 x 1.1k zone 2 as recovery,
rest 2mins between lap)

In this example, he ran with auto-lap, so he finished each 1.4k lap and press pause. At the end of each lap, the watch recorded it as 1 x 1km lap plus 1 x 400m lap, as he paused the watch, he lost the sense of time he was resting in between, and we … — In this example, he ran with auto-lap, so he finished each 1.4k lap and press pause. At the end of each lap, the watch recorded it as 1 x 1km lap plus 1 x 400m lap, as he paused the watch, he lost the sense of time he was resting in between, and we couldn’t see how the HR was recovered. If he reviewed it from Garmin Connect or Training Peaks, he may not understand these data….

When you run the track set with auto-lap disabled

In this example, He only press lap whenever he start and finish each set, you can see he ran the first 4.3k (roughly 3 x outer lap) as warm up, then 8 x 1.4k lap from zone 3 in negative split with 3mins rest in between, and the HR drop 15-20 beats d… — In this example, He only press lap whenever he start and finish each set, you can see he ran the first 4.3k (roughly 3 x outer lap) as warm up, then 8 x 1.4k lap from zone 3 in negative split with 3mins rest in between, and the HR drop 15-20 beats during recovery. So the data precisely present how he executed the run program.

Old School Myths

I don’t care, it’s all about how much and how fast I really run.

Yes, but it’s the modern world of data, it’s a few thousand device we should make the best of use and helping on our pace awareness that’s the end goal of all training and so leading to a smarter race execution

New School Myths

I only replied on the GPS telling me the pace….

GPS accuracy is not 100% guarantee, GPS spike commonly found especially we got surrounded by lot of tall building. At the end of the day, run speed is all about the time over distance….

Social Media Myths

Including rest time made us look slow on Strava

……………The race will tell!

The Smarter Way - How to

You can replicate the Run function into Track function on Garmin.
Take Fenix 5 for example, go to Run function > Menu > Copy Activity > Rename it as Run Track > there you go ‘Run Track Settings’ > Auto-Lap - Manual only

You can also configure your Run Track Data Screens to include the Last Lap Distance, Last Lap Time, Last Lap Pace/km, and Lap Time as below