Day 8: What metrics matters? 📈

Today was a light run, one of Garmin’s recommended recovery runs based on my fatigue and current fitness level.

• Sleep Score: 97 (7 hours and 50 minutes)
• VO2 Max: 52
• Endurance Score: 5998
• Run Details: 22 minutes and 41 seconds, covering 3.43 km, with an average pace of 6:37/km and an average heart rate of 128 BPM.

Diving into Tracking Tools

There’s a world of data and devices out there to guide running progress. My tool of choice is the Garmin Forerunner 965—a reliable watch with good battery life, GPS accuracy, and a comfortable, lightweight design I can wear all day and night. For me, this watch has all essentials, and they cover more than enough of my needs.

Key Metric: Heart Rate Zones

One of the most valuable ways to train, especially for beginners, is through heart rate zones. First, it’s important to know your maximum heart rate, which can be calculated with a treadmill test or by using the formula (220 minus your age). Once you know this, you can find your heart rate zones, which makes it easier to balance workouts. Personally, I follow the “80/20 Rule”: 80% of my runs are at a low heart rate, helping build endurance while reducing injury risk, while 20% are higher intensity.

1. Zone 1 (50-60% max HR) warm-up and recovery, building overall fitness.
2. Zone 2 (60-70% max HR) Fat-burning and endurance, steady aerobic work.
3. Zone 3 (70-80% max HR) Increases endurance and cardiovascular conditioning.
4. Zone 4 (80-90% max HR) Anaerobic threshold, for improving intensity tolerance.
5. Zone 5 (90-100% max HR) Max effort, boosting sprint and power capacity.

Garmin Connect: Data That Matters

• Sleep Tracking: The sleep metric is one feature I use regularly. Seeing data on how much deep sleep I get, and how often I wake up, has made me more aware of my sleep patterns. Having these numbers pop up each morning keeps me motivated to improve my night routine and prioritize sleep, which I’ve noticed has had a positive impact on my running.

• Run Cadence: It’s not something I track daily, but it can be a fun metric to check over time. It’s interesting to see if I’m improving my running efficiency and gradually getting closer to the 180 steps per minute that elite runners often aim for.

• Pace and Heart Rate: These are straightforward, but crucial. They’re easy to monitor, and I like tracking these over time to see how I’m progressing. While I’d recommend a chest strap for extra precision, newer watches are accurate enough for everyday runs.
• Additional Metrics: Garmin Connect offers a host of other metrics—elevation, stride length, ground contact time, stamina—but I generally keep it simple. Many of these are useful if you’re training for a specific race or working on technical improvement, but for now, they’re more optional extras than essentials for me.

Balancing Data with Intuition

While tracking tools are great, I think it’s important to remember the value of listening to your body. Sometimes, being too reliant on data can make us forget the natural rhythm of running and how good it feels to just run. I occasionally skip wearing the watch altogether, which can feel almost impossible—but there’s something freeing about it.

Garmin also has some excellent features like downloadable maps, which I can transfer from my laptop to my watch for long-distance trail runs. But overall, my biggest focus in data comes back to heart rate zones and pace.