Hello all. Recently (last week) dealing with some pacing and distance inconsistencies. It is not too bad, but about 30-40 sec per mile (which I consider significant enough as my ‘guessing’ is better). Also, we aren’t talking about 13:30-14min per mile, but rather 7:30-7min / 6:50. It essentially says I am running faster. And, I am not (despite wanting to believe the data…)…
Have it on multiband / holy grail gps setting… anyone experiencing similar problems and know how to troubleshoot?
Is this when running ‘live’ as in the pace shown on screen, the times for each mile it reports assuming you’ve got it on 1 mile autolap, or in post run review?
What sensors are you using with it for pace - ie footpod, HRM-run or just wrist (GPS)?
If this is real-time GPS pace, then anything goes. I have never had my Garmin anything show a pace I thought was believable.
But, if you have a foot pod, chest strap, or RD pod that is determining pace, then those are usually pretty good.
Mile markers are wrong - about 100m to 200m ahead of where they usually are… AND it is reporting higher than usual speeds. I have found that the ‘speed’ functions (when working both normal and now that it seems fast) to always be delayed, as in, it takes about 10-20 secs to report the avg of what I was doing 10-20sec earlier. This I can live with. It’s these new found ‘shorter’ miles that are perplexing me…
Not using a pod. Should I be? I ask because I have one of the older Garmin ones (pre Garmin power pod thingy…). Would there be any possible benefit to this? I don’t see what more it could do that the device can’t already. In addition, new software just came out that will be hitting all Garmin devices (according to DC Rainmaker) that shows running power and grade adjusted with only the watch… Is there a greater accuracy benefit when using an older pod? I honestly don’t know. But, willing to listen and understand what that may be…
Ok, the miles happening early are slightly odd, as that implies that the watch is picking a ‘zig zag’ plot off GPS adding distance that you’re not actually doing. I do still use one of the initial garmin footpod ‘things’ which when calibrated I find makes the pace a lot more consistent. One of the issues I had with the FR935 was that the start of my run was on an ‘S’ shaped path and I got the opposite of what you’re seeing where it would autocalibrate the footpod in that first 1km to be way shorter stride than I was actually doing. So moved to manual calibration and was fine.
When you look at the data on garmin connect after, are the laps showing as 1 mile still, and if so when you look at the plot is there any deviation from the line that you believe you are running.
Headline, I have a FR955 and would strongly recommend still using a footpod or HRM-run. However, what you’re seeing is different to what I get. The distance run seems very accurate, and that’s the auto lap trigger. The real time pace is what comes from the HRM-Run or footpod (if you have one) and that can be consistently over/under depending on what you’re doing and how you are running. But the autolap is what I use to guide my effort, realtime pace is more of a relative indicator. In my case it tends to be some 5-10s away per km (under or over) but consistent for most runs depending on surface, so that’s just a mental tweak I make.
Is there any chance you can make one run public and share the link here (or on a PM) to either the garmin connect file, or strava.
That’s a good idea. Haven’t even looked on connect yet (been about a month since I last gave that a glance). Lately just looking directly from the watch. So, will give it a look to see if there are any ‘S’ in the run… You could be right there. Are you saying that even with the pod it’s over/under by about 10 sec per km (in real time)? If so, that I would say is about what I get without the pod. It’s just that it seems delayed and the end result (up to this past week) has been fairly accurate / consistent.
Ok. Now this is weird. Just connected to Garmin connect and all the runs that I felt were in question have no map. GPS is on… the most recent run has been detected and is with a map. the 5 that were previous don’t… yesterday i jogged to the train station to catch it to the city to meet my wife (so that I didn’t have to wait for an hour for the next one). once in the city, i jogged again to our meeting destination. The first jog felt as if it was about 8:30-9 pace (didn’t want to get too sweaty), it recorded 6:45 pace… When in the city (about 1 hr later), it recorded the city pace accurately (about 8:30 per mile) AND it posted the map on connect… in between I didn’t change any settings…
With the foot pod then I can get it calibrated to be pretty accurate, but is sensitive to the surface - ie track, tarmac or gravel (for me). As I say, there’s a specific reason I can’t/don’t want to use auto-cal and so for the live ‘glance at watch’ then I just use that to tell me(more confirm) that I’m about the right pace. I use the autolap as the actual times I’m doing.
This is why I’m confused with your comment that the autolap is out compared to what I am assuming are accurate mile markers on the run, and by quite a long way if it’s 30seconds per mile out at the pace you state. Actually, just wondering if that’s consistent or related to just the first one or two and then is staying at 1 mile distance, and so 30s ahead of every marker after that initial error. I had an odd few weeks a couple of months back where sometimes it was taking 2-3km to lock onto the satellites. I sorted that with a restart, but did get some odd km times as it got the lock
My 955, as well as just about every Garmin I’ve had is really good. The 955 has been better than the rest.
This is the craziest thing! I read this post yesterday and thought that was crazy your 955 is “ in accurate “ I went out for a long run this morning… auto live track on for my wife. About 9 miles in it says “live track not connected†I selected it and it said “trying to receive dataâ€. I wear the new white hrm+
I went from instant speed 7:40 for around the past 4 miles to 7:05, 7:00, 6:50. My wife called me and said she couldn’t track m the last 4 miles. Not sure what to make of it!
I started a new workout while driving and reconnected live track and reset my trip on my car and it was back to being spot on for that, for distance at least.
I’m wondering if it has something to do with the live connection got dropped during the run. But it never said searching for hrm+ so that was always connected. I’m gonna sit down today and look at the mile laps also
Not using a pod. Should I be? I ask because I have one of the older Garmin ones (pre Garmin power pod thingy…). Would there be any possible benefit to this? I don’t see what more it could do that the device can’t already.Quick go-back to confirm the issue… Are you having issues with GPS accuracy in general (mile splits, overall distance, etc.), or is instantaneous pace inaccurate? Those two are completely different things. Judging from your comment about no map on runs, it seems like you are talking about overall GPS distance.
As others commented, in general, the 9xx watches have been very accurate in overall GPS distance, and the 955 is better than the prior versions. Like spookily very good. But it can still flake out occasionally.
Instantaneous pace is a dumpster fire. On all watches. Unless it is using an external device like a pod, or better a pod with more than just a step counter, to calculate speed. Those are very good.
Not sure about Garmin’s older pods & straps versus the latest for instantaneous pace. The old ones might be fine too, I just have not played with them.
Key question for all of those commenting that have a 955:- what software version are you on ?
(Reading the Garmin forums, firmware 12.20, then 12.23, then 12.25, and now 12.27 all in beta one after the other within about 5-6 weeks, and all seem to bring a plethora of different problems - 2 steps forward and a random number between 1 and 5 steps back each time).
Inc distance with GPS (and this problem you have all seems to centre on falsely recorded distance, which then converts to incorrect pace).
So far I’m glad I’ve stuck with 11.12, and not been beta guinea pig on the 12.2x .
(The WiFi on 11.12 seems to kill the battery in quick time, but otherwise with that turned off, it’s behaving OK).
I am on 12.23 (I just had to look it up). The watch installed updates at its pleasure. I have not noticed any changes or performance issues since introduction.
12.27 - not beta or anything, just normal programme of upgrades.
Equally didn’t notice any change after updates, good or bad. It just ‘works’.
I’m in 12.23
Also looking at Garmin connect after todays run… when Garmin live track was dropped and pace was “off†the Garmin connect map stopped showing mile markers.
Do you guys use the “live tracking†when running?
No. And I rarely have a phone on me.
12.27 as of yesterday. Ironically, it now is working correctly again… no idea what the issues was as it started working properly again before the update. The issues was with the total mileage and distance. instant pace has always been off / had a lag…
Ditto above. I do not usually carry a phone. And I only use live tracking on long solo runs. I have not used it in months (maybe never on the 955).