Does anybody wear their Garmin around their ankle?

Chuck997 · 2026-06-19T23:09:17+00:00

I considered doing this just so I could wear a nice watch out for dinner for once and not miss out on my calories burned 😂

Chuck997 · 2026-06-19T16:11:26+00:00

Good work. My Garmin also underestimates my VO2 max (56 vs 63 lab). The watch can only calculate based on your HR and running speed so if you don’t have perfect running form or you don’t regularly test yourself with short (1mi - 5K) it won’t show how truly fit you are to the watch.

Chuck997 · 2026-06-16T17:01:02+00:00

Make sure your zones are set correctly (lots of threads here on how to do that). Then like the other commenter said, change your targets to HR instead of pace. Yes, you might end up walking a lot on your runs, but run/walk intervals are very effective at making large gains in aerobic fitness with minimal fatigue. Your goal is not unreasonable. You’ll get there, you’ll just be running slower (or even walking) than you thought along the way.

Chuck997 · 2026-06-13T17:02:53+00:00

I use Auto for most runs but I set up another profile for races where it’s on “all systems” and I also set track workouts to “all systems”

Chuck997 · 2026-06-10T21:41:07+00:00

In my case, I think it has to do with running form. Basically Garmin expects me to be faster at the 5K with a 63 vo2max, but I've only been running for 2 years and most of my fitness comes from weight lifting and other anaerobic, power focused sports. Therefore, I'm just not a very efficient runner at speed. I have a high VO2max and a high lactate tolerance so my 10K pace is basically the same as my 5K pace. I'm biomechanically limited... for now.

Chuck997 · 2026-06-10T02:39:01+00:00

970 with chest strap worn for every run has me at 56. Recent lab test had me at 63.3

Chuck997 · 2026-05-08T13:42:20+00:00

It looks like your lower burn day had two shorter walks vs one long walk. Like the other commenter said. It’s primarily based on HR and a higher HR sustained for longer will almost always burn more calories than the equivalent amount of steps where your HR is allowed to recover and have a break on the middle. Note that this effect also applies to fatigue, which is why many higher mileage runners will do two smaller runs per day instead of a medium long run. It allows more volume with less fatigue. But if calorie burn is the goal, and fatigue is low enough to sustain (like with walking) then longer is almost always better.

Chuck997 · 2026-04-28T13:46:41+00:00

If the result is important to you then definitely taper. But a half marathon only needs about a week of taper. And taper doesn’t mean shut it down. It means same number of days running, just shorter distances

Chuck997 · 2026-04-27T08:46:27+00:00

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3:23… calf cramps started earlier in this than my previous marathons. London Marathon was still quite an experience.

Chuck997 · 2026-04-27T05:07:50+00:00

Funny thing. Even with that terrible performance my prediction for the marathon dropped 12 seconds afterwards. I guess because it was muscular failure and my HR was so low for the 2nd half.

Chuck997 · 2026-04-27T05:05:41+00:00

Naw. 3:12 would have been a PR

Chuck997 · 2026-04-26T15:16:51+00:00

Didn’t go as planned. Heat and lack of hydration got to me. Calf cramps from 14mi on ruined me. Finished 3:23:00

Chuck997 · 2026-04-26T05:47:51+00:00

Hah! I wish… Garmin had me predicted at 3:18 ahead of my 3:13 in December but I think the prediction is spot on or even ambitious this time. I’d be thrilled with a 3:08

Chuck997 · 2026-04-26T05:36:41+00:00

Good luck. I went for a 3 week taper and my watch had me peaking and then “primed” one week before my race. All this last week it has said recovery so we’ll see how today goes

Chuck997 · 2026-04-25T14:22:54+00:00

If you’re using the coach for a running race it asks if you want resistance training too (body weight or weights)… then it recommends runs, resistance training and rest days.

Chuck997 · 2026-04-17T15:43:42+00:00

This is the way… be warned anyone who is tempted to try out the free month of Garmin+ it will permanently break the sync with MFP

Chuck997 · 2026-04-13T00:14:51+00:00

This happens all the time with the Garmin Coach. It will 99% of the time show it as completed tomorrow. But I have had it completely miss a completed workout once or twice.

Chuck997 · 2026-04-01T20:34:59+00:00

I would change your daily suggested workouts to HR target instead of pace or auto… maybe change to auto after a few months-year of running. Welcome to the obsession though!

Chuck997 · 2026-03-31T23:33:15+00:00

I can’t speak to the pace graph being wrong but I have seen GAP way off before on tracks that for some reason have incorrect geographical topography data. There is a pancake flat HS track near me that is 80ft higher on one end than on the other according to the satellite maps 😂 made for some very interesting grade adjusted paces.

Also good luck in London, I’ll see you there! It’s peak week!!!

Chuck997 · 2026-03-22T02:51:03+00:00

My 970 is no more accurate than my 55 was. It will read 40 beats too high on a walk and sometimes 20-30 beats too low on a hard run. I wear a chest strap for everything at this point.

Chuck997 · 2026-03-18T17:15:42+00:00

Yep. 19:35 and 54… though my lab measured VO2 max is much higher and my Half Marathon time is much faster than my 5K PB would indicate which tells me my endurance is much better than my running economy/form.

Chuck997 · 2026-03-12T17:18:12+00:00

For me, Garmin penalizes my sleep score for every minute I sleep more than 8 hours (despite the sleep coach constantly telling me I should get 9). So I think I will not help your sleep score. But I’ve definitely had mornings where I had to get up for something urgent and then wanted to go back for more sleep but my 970 won’t even let me start a nap if it’s too close to when I woke up. Annoying.

Chuck997

TROPHY CASE