How does MFP determine what an exercise is?

Question

My MFP is synced with Strava (and Coros to Strava). When I look at the exercise that is logged in MFP, it just says "Running (jogging), in place". I ran 11 miles on a very difficult trail and that definitely was not "jogging in place". My watch was set to "Trail Run". Why does it say that I was jogging in place?

What is used to determine the type of activity and is there a way to change it?

AnnPT77 · Accepted Answer

MFP and the synced source - the companies' staffs - worked out how to bring across exercise sessions, including how to label them.  It happens when they first do the programming for how the two will sync. It's not very detailed or nuanced, in most cases. In its basic list, MFP doesn't have the whole range of exercise types that every synced device or app may recognize, and the name of the exercise isn't copied from the source.  There are just rules that X type of exercise on the source side goes into Y exercise bucket on the MFP side. The calorie reconciliation should work OK, the issue is that how the exercise is labeled in MFP is very generic or approximate.

There is, as far as I know, no way to change it in MFP, or to choose a different MFP exercise bucket to drop it into.  Use your Strava or Coros history when you want to look at that kind of specificity.