Garmin "Performance Condition" and max heart rate questions:

Silent_Soliloquy

Okay, im trying to figure out my garmin and have some questions for fellow runners:

Garmin says my "Performance Condition" was terrible!! See:


But i pulled off a decent run (for me):


Now maybe today is an outlier... i have a sore throat, sinus stuff, and my resting HR is the higgest it's ever recorded (59. Usually 51-54).

But the run "felt" good, no huffing and puffing, no aches. I'm 90% sure i could have gone 5 more miles.

So does "performance condition" mean anything? Google searches say its one of the most useful features, then why does it say i suck so bad? Or do i?

And is this related:

No matter what i do, it says my HR is zone 5. This HR graph is very typical of my runs...actually it's lower than most:


... but i dont feel throbby, or winded or anything. I feel better after the runs than before. I sing "house of the rising sun" just fine.

I'd love to do a real max HR test, but when i all out sprint my left knee hurts bad so i figured best not to risk it. Is it possible i have a higher than average heart rate when i jog? My resting is on either side of 54 usually. 51 to 56.

If my actual max hr is 210 and it "thinks" im a 190, would that throw off the performance condition score?

Any help is appreciated.
I'm a male, 5'8", 155 lbs, 35 yo.

scorpio516

I don't know performance condition. Mine doesn't do it. But I assume it's like fitness/freshness from training peaks. It's useless of your HR zones aren't set up.

You don't need to know your max HR to set zones. The transition from z4 to z5 is your lactic threshold. That's easy to find. You could also find your max HR doing a 5k race as fast as you can

NorthCascades

Performance Condition is kind of a mix between your HR response this time vs normal, and also pace. It's meant to be an indicator of whether you're having as good or bad day, either so you get encouragement, or don't blow yourself up over nothing. I think the number is how you're done relative to your VO2max. So this is a feature that takes a week or two to "get to know you."

As a cyclist (with a power meter) I don't think this is one of the more useful things to focus on. For example your splits just tell you more about the run.

If your max HR is off, your VO2max is probably underestimated. As far as zones go, base them off your LTHR instead.

OldAssDude

https://firstbeat.com/en/consumer-product/garmin/fenix-5/

scroll down and you can look at any of the metrics.

Silent_Soliloquy

@OldAssDude thanks for the link! It didnt have all the details i wanted but it did help. And i read a bunch of the other metrics too.

@NorthCascades ...ill try to find my lactate threshold and test that way. Very insightful, thank you.

Ill give it time to get to know me. It says my vo2 max is 50 which im almost sure is overestimated, so I'll give it tine to dial in my abilities before i trust it to tell me i had a good or bad run

twatson4936

My Garmin was doing the same thing until I setup my max heart rate. It was defaulting to 220 - age which was total garbage for me. Once I set my max heart to a more reasonable number it adjusted the heart rate zones. I used to also be in zone 5, but now its doing a much better job tracking the proper zones.

Silent_Soliloquy

@twatson4936 thanks! Im hoping that works for me.

Tacklewasher

scorpio516 wrote: »

The transition from z4 to z5 is your lactic threshold. That's easy to find.

Can you explain how? I've got a Fenix 3HR and would need to buy a chest strap to do the guided test (and I'm thinking about it).

Is there a simpler way to check?

NorthCascades

@Tacklewasher

Run 30 minutes as if it were a race. After 10, hit lap, but run all 30 at race pace. Your avg HR during the last 20 mins is a very good approximation of your LTHR, probably better than the autodetect feature will give you.

DX2JX2

Tacklewasher wrote: »

scorpio516 wrote: »

The transition from z4 to z5 is your lactic threshold. That's easy to find.

Can you explain how? I've got a Fenix 3HR and would need to buy a chest strap to do the guided test (and I'm thinking about it).

Is there a simpler way to check?

Not super scientific, but your lactic threshold generally translates to a comfortably hard effort level that can be sustained for 40 minutes to an hour. You'll be able to talk during the effort but probably not in full sentences and your words will come out a bit breathy.

The Jack Daniels online running calculator can give you a general ballpark for the pace that will put you to your LT if you input a recent race result. I think it generally correlates to ~80% of max. rate or something close to that.

Tacklewasher

Thanks. Will try this out. Still might get the chest strap just because I buy too much fitness *kitten*.

scorpio516

Tacklewasher wrote: »

scorpio516 wrote: »

The transition from z4 to z5 is your lactic threshold. That's easy to find.

Can you explain how? I've got a Fenix 3HR and would need to buy a chest strap to do the guided test (and I'm thinking about it).

Is there a simpler way to check?

Simple? Yes, but you'll need a chest strap either way.
It's also the point which your breathing changes to much shallower. That way it's much easier with help though

Silent_Soliloquy

I used the lactate threshold method and i think i have it dialed in nicely.

A typical run before:


After using the lactate threhold method to set my zones i did a tenK with one quick mile starting at 7k.

And see!!



Also my performance condition read right at zero. So it seeme to be learning me as well

Silent_Soliloquy

Its amazing how easy a 9:00 mile is, yet how hard an 8:00 mile is. I definitely found my lactate threshold.

dewd2

My Garmin told me I was unproductive so I told it that it was ugly. Stupid watch.

I have learned to mostly ignore these metrics as they sometimes have little to do with reality. And if you are using your watch only (without an HRM) you're probably not getting very accurate numbers.