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Best Garmin Set Up for VLM
Johnny2323
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I know it's nerdy and apologies for that but I'm pondering how best to set up my Garmin 305 for the race. I know that there are issues about lost signal and so on but what knowledge/wisdom to people have from previous years.
What I was going to do was just set up mile laps and set my target pace in training centre with run until lap key is pressed. that would avoid distance issues and give me a decent idea of pace. Or maybe it's just best to use it as glorified stopwatch and keep tabs with the mile markers.
Would love to hear any tips.
What I was going to do was just set up mile laps and set my target pace in training centre with run until lap key is pressed. that would avoid distance issues and give me a decent idea of pace. Or maybe it's just best to use it as glorified stopwatch and keep tabs with the mile markers.
Would love to hear any tips.
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I'll be runnng with "auto lap" turned off and the following configuration as my "main" display:
Four data fields:
1. Number of laps
2. Heart rate
3. Average lap
4. Last lap
The idea is then that I'll hit the lap button every time I pass a mile marker. That way the average lap field will tell me exactly where I was compared to my target pace when the last mile was completed - no matter how much the gps might be getting the distance wrong.
The number of laps field is there to make sure I've not missed any mile markers. Should I get to one which has a higher number than expected I'll just press the lap button twice at that point and the average will still be accurate.
I'll be putting all sorts of stuff on the two other screens, of course, but I don't expect to use them much if at all. Except if things go very badly and looking at the average pace gets too depressing.
Apologies if this has been discussed before. Should've searched.
Definitely don't use the pace settings as this was my downfall last year due to the signal around Canary Wharf!
That's largely true about the mile markers, except bear in mind the following:
1. On the Red start, there are none for the first 3 (or there weren't last year anyway). This is a pain because obviously you need to know if you've gone off at the right pace. There was a mile marker for 1 that was clearly a long way out of position.
2. The big balloon things sometimes aren't actually on the mile markers; these are marked by blue lines which are sometimes a few seconds away from the baloons. If you want accurate splits it's worth looking out for the line.
3. The mile marker for mile 15 is just a blue line on about the middle of the underground roundabout at Westferry Circus - there are no balloons.
is it only around Canary Wharf that sat signal is lost?
Even if the balloons are a few seconds off that really shouldn't affect the calculated average pace to any significant degree.
If there are no markers at all for the first few miles that is a bit of a problem. I'd suggest setting up one of the two other displays with GPS based distance and avg. pace data and start out using that one.
Then once the reported distance no longer matches the mile markers as you pass them switch to the "manual" display and make sure the lap count of the Garmin matches the actual number of miles completed.
I know someone who pace himself with his garmin only to find he had finished his marathon 800m before the finish and missed his 'sub 3' as a result.
I use a plain watch and a pace band, just make sure your pace band has 27 splits (the 27th being the split for the last .2 of a mile) and not 26 !
One year I ran 3:15:09 just missing a GFA time because I didn't realise (until it was too late) that the lucozade pace band only went up to 26 !
It was really stupid Cougie. I have since run faster but that year I was just pootling about, waving to the crowds and thinking I had it in the bag and that I was going to use every last minute to make it easy for me.
Doh !
Shamelessly copied from somewhere else...
Time
Pace
Distance
HR
I haeve a second screen that shows time in LARGE HH:MM
Most important thing is to set "autopause" OFF, and to start the watch just after the mat (and stop it just after the mat too: if you stop it on the finish mat then your finishers' photo will show you fiddling with the watch as you cross the line)
Is it true about the no mile markers on the red start at the beginning ?
I've only done Blue and Green and they were definitely there.
That is the best tip I've heard yet. Hardly gonna cherish a pic of yourself fumbling with a watch are ya. Nice one ex-pat
"Is it true about the no mile markers on the red start at the beginning ? "
I saw them last year. They were on lamp posts but not very obvious.
Has anyone run with a footpod as well?
Does this sort out lost satellite signal problems?
It works when I go into wooded areas.....
Red start mile markers can anyone with experience tell me what they know as I was planning just to use those with my standard timex stop watch and leave my heavier garmin at home.
Appreciate knowing if they are visible clearly. Do not want to begger up the start by setting off like a looney with too much adrenalin flowing.......thanks in advance.
Mark, I used my timex last year and saw all the markers. They were on lamp posts but are not as obvious as the big things with balloons on. If you keep an eye on your watch, knowing how fast you run you will know when to keep an eye out.
Alternatively listen for the beeps of everyone else's garmins !
Cheers for that Welsh Alex the speed I am going at is slow and slower so should be no problem running for 10mins and hopefully seeing the mile marker on a lamp post. Thanks for the advice just got to do it now.