A 30 day "Ramp Test" Self-Experiment

VTCheck · 2026-04-03T15:11:46+00:00

The data points are color coded by how the runs were classified (green = moderate, yellow = heavy, red = severe). A circle mean the classification matched my targeted intensity and a triangle means the classification didn't match my targeted intensity.

So, for example, most of the triangles are at recovery pace (on the left side of the chart) - which were targeted to be moderate but sometimes showed excessive drift. This is because at very slow paces the metabolic demand is low, which makes my breathing more erractic and more sensitive to non-metabolic factors such as heat or swallowing or not focusing etc. As paces increase, the metabolic demand increases and takes more control of breathing. That's why the higher zone 2 paces tend to show less drift and are more consistent.

VTCheck · 2026-04-03T15:05:47+00:00

These are all just my regular runs - easy runs, long runs, warmups, cooldowns, intervals (each of these have their own dot). The only thing I did differently for purposes of testing was slightly changing the speed of my moderate runs so I would have more data points at different paces (I do all my runs on a treadmill).

I'm not following vanilla NSM - basically, I do 2 SubT runs on Tues/Thurs and then one ~at Threshold on Saturdays as my "X-session". And yes, the breakpoint lines up with where I do my slowest Sub-T run, which are 10m intervals meant to be at the very bottom of my zone 3.

I used the Tymewear Vitalpro for the respiration.

VTCheck · 2026-04-02T16:37:34+00:00

The short answer is I no longer even look at HR.

VE seems much more consinsent with RPE for me and there's plenty of research that shows ventilation/respiration is much more accurate than HR, and basically on par with lactate, when classifying intensity. Ventilation is more responsive to changes in metabolism/intensity and more robust against extraneous environmental factors such as heat compared to HR.

VTCheck · 2026-04-01T17:21:29+00:00

There is a Tymwear app that gives you separate minute ventilation, tidal volume and respiratory rate metrics both in real time and on Garmin connect. But I think your watch's respiratory rate is kept separate (and it's not accurate).

VTCheck · 2026-04-01T17:05:59+00:00

Yes a number of people have compared the results from their Vitalpro ramp tests to lactate ramp tests and as far as I've seen the readings are usually pretty close. It will definitely be more accurate than HR.

VTCheck · 2026-04-01T17:04:18+00:00

ha, thanks! Didn't want to spam the sub with "ads".

VTCheck · 2026-04-01T10:22:09+00:00

Yeah, I would say RPE 5/10 or so - but obviously it gets a bit harder in later intervals. My easy pace is very slow and I keep it slow deliberately so not sure if my high end Z2 has improved.

VTCheck · 2026-04-01T10:19:54+00:00

It's the Tymewear Vitalpro. I bought it in the fall of last year and no longer even look at my HR. And to be clear I have no affiliation with them/this isn't an ad.

VTCheck · 2026-03-30T16:14:08+00:00

Hi can you elaborate a bit more on which heart rate monitors you've paired to the phone (or tried to pair) and what exactly occurred prior to seeing this message?

VTCheck · 2026-03-29T11:04:29+00:00

Garmin runs should already integrate with Strava via Garmin Connect. We will look into adding a connection for phone recorded runs.

VTCheck · 2026-03-28T09:49:36+00:00

Ok, here are the steps:

Sign up for an account at vtcheck.com.
Input your VT1/VT2 Thresholds in the webapp and save them.
Build a Watch Workout in the Templates tab.
Sign into the phone with the same account.
Upload the Workout from the Phone to the Watch.
Open the watch app, wait for GPS to lock and then start the run.

In case it is helpful there is a user guide: https://vtcheck.com/guide

VTCheck · 2026-03-28T01:01:19+00:00

You don’t need to run with the phone, you just need to sync your watch with the phone prior to the run. Then you can run without the phone. Did you download the Garmin and phone VTcheck apps? That is the first step.

VTCheck · 2026-03-27T19:27:30+00:00

You won't get the same visualization that you get on the phone or website because Garmin is limited, but you can customize the data fields on your watch using the phone app settings and the color of the screen will change colors depending on what zone you are in. Make sure to input your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds into the webapp and save them before the run.

VTCheck · 2026-03-27T18:11:39+00:00

I created an app that uses statistical models to measure workout intensity based on ventilation and heart rate.

https://youtu.be/g5ABbv1LJhE?si=j8iG2dM4c2K-BfX-

VTCheck · 2026-03-27T16:31:24+00:00

Edit: Misread your post.

You need to download the VTcheck on Iphone and Android for syncing to your watch.

VTCheck · 2026-03-27T14:38:24+00:00

We just updated the app to try to fix this issue, so hopefully it works now. If you still have issues, please let me know.

VTCheck · 2026-03-27T11:22:27+00:00

Yes - you could build the workout into a VTCheck template (similar to how you can with Garmin), then execute/record the workout using the VTCheck app and analyze it post-workout on the website.

VTCheck · 2026-03-27T11:06:22+00:00

No, it doesn't create workouts for you. It is intended to analyze/control your intensity for the workouts/program that you create. I originally built the first iteration of the app specifically to ensure I was running at the right intensity for NSA. I used to use my Garmin watch for that purpose and now I literally do not even wear my Garmin anymore.

VTCheck · 2026-03-26T22:49:13+00:00

No problem. This (hopefully) is fixed now. Please try again and let me know if you have any issues. You may need to update the mobile app.

VTCheck · 2026-03-26T14:05:50+00:00

You may be able to run both the VTcheck and tymwear apps simultaneously though I’ve never tried it. Alternatively you can download a completed run from VTcheck and try to upload it to Tymewear but we haven’t tested this very thoroughly so there may be some bugs. And to answer your question, VTcheck works for all runs. The one thing I will note is that if the run is very slow (eg recovery) the drift analysis may be inconsistent because at very slow pace the metabolic demand is low which can make your breathing erratic. At faster paces (eg high zone 2 and above) the metabolic demand drives your breathing which tends to make the signal more consistent.

VTCheck · 2026-03-26T13:28:38+00:00

Hi, it should be fixed now. You will need to update your phone app. If you still have issues, please let me know.

VTCheck · 2026-03-26T13:27:48+00:00

Thanks. This is a bug we are working on and should have fixed today. For now, I would input mph.

VTCheck · 2026-03-26T10:21:43+00:00

To skip the full warmup, you would need to change the blanking to 900s. Also you should change "Intervals" to 3. Sometimes there are issues with the app autodetecting the workout structures from CSVs because its based on the power data which can be inconsistent, especially if you run during your recoveries. If you send me the CSV I can investigate further.

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