Anyone using Firstbeat Athlete software w/ Garmin

PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot

Any runners out there with Garmin Forerunners using the Firstbeat Athlete software? As a data storage engineer by trade, I'm into data - especially data that shows me improving. I'm trying the demo, and it gives a hell of a lot of information from heart rate (METs, calorie burn, EPOC). Even at a rather pricey $85, I'm thinking I'll drop the cash and do it.

Anyone else use it? Worth the money?

CarsonRuns

Have you looked at www.RunningAhead.com? Free log and you can upload right from your Garmin. Worth a look before you drop the money. Lot's go good data mining capabilities (IT Geek too).

ATT949

Any runners out there with Garmin Forerunners using the Firstbeat Athlete software? As a data storage engineer by trade, I'm into data - especially data that shows me improving. I'm trying the demo, and it gives a hell of a lot of information from heart rate (METs, calorie burn, EPOC). Even at a rather pricey $85, I'm thinking I'll drop the cash and do it.

Anyone else use it? Worth the money?

I've been using FBA since late last year and I think it's a valuable tool.

I bought FBA (and iThlete) because 2012 was a horrible year for me due to injuries (I ran < 400 miles in 2012) so I needed to do something to get a gauge of the amount of stress I was putting on my body. I found FBA's visual data presentation features helpful.

The MET display is new in version 2.2 and, I agree, it's quite handy. The calorie calcs and TE readings differ from the values displayed in Garmin Training Center (it's decent on the Mac but quite awful on Windows) but I consider them more accurate and I use FBA's calorie estimates in MFP.

What's most enlightening to me is fat burning % - I've corresponded with FBA tech support about the values and they've assured me that my readings are not uncommon. What's interesting about it is that even at high VO2 Max, after about an hour my percentage starts to rise from the 20's to at least 50%. Very helpful in understanding how my body is using fuel and it confirms the science guys who state that there's no need to carbo load for the Half.

You're using an HRM that does R-R?

Have you reviewed their white papers?

ATT949

Have you looked at www.RunningAhead.com? Free log and you can upload right from your Garmin. Worth a look before you drop the money. Lot's go good data mining capabilities (IT Geek too).

:-) I figured you were in IT.

I've been writing software for a living since 1990, mostly owning my own business though I've worked for other companies, including 3 years at the Mothership (Apple).

PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot

Will definitely take a look, thanks Carson.

ATT949, seeing as how you're a user, have a question for you - I'm seeing that the distances are off by almost exactly 10% from what I logged via the Garmin. Looking under the specific lap info, every lap is shown as "0.9 miles", not 1.00 as was logged in the Garmin. Do you see this behavior on your install? I'm wondering if I have some incorrect settings either in the watch, or the app.

Thanks
Pete

ATT949

Will definitely take a look, thanks Carson.

ATT949, seeing as how you're a user, have a question for you - I'm seeing that the distances are off by almost exactly 10% from what I logged via the Garmin. Looking under the specific lap info, every lap is shown as "0.9 miles", not 1.00 as was logged in the Garmin. Do you see this behavior on your install? I'm wondering if I have some incorrect settings either in the watch, or the app.

Thanks
Pete

Pete:
Sorry for the tardy reply — I just found this thread again.

I don't recall seeing anything like that in FBA and it does sound strange!

Having said that, however, that last tab has a very "rough "interface, to put it in a very charitable way. Is it possible that the distance is displaying incorrectly because the edit mask is too small?

The folks at FBA tech-support have been very helpful when I've had questions. Perhaps you could email them?

trail_rnr

SportTracks is another pretty good one, but doesn't work with Mac OS (well, without Parallels). I used to use it when I was still in the Windows world, but when I switched (and said "no" to Parallels), I quit using it. It's different from RunningAhead in that SportTracks is actual software, not an on-line system. I think RunningAhead is just fine, but I personally don't like the on-line systems.

http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/

You can use the trial version for free.

SportTracks doesn't have the same power as FBA, though, if that is really what you are looking for.

TheBrolympus

I have been using SportsTracks since version 1 (back when it was freeware) and love it.

Like trail_rnr said it doesn't do the comparative stuff you say Firstbeat Athlete software does.

BTW: Does everyone in the group work in Technology. Another programmer here. Over 15 years writing custom web applications and SAAS.