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Unproductive, Maintaining, Productive
About three weeks ago I noticed that my Garmin (affiliate link) stats were consistently showing my workouts as unproductive. I concluded that it was probably due to my average heart rate being a little higher due to my lack of acclimation to the increased heat. Also, I was suddenly riding four days a week at the longer distances after a winter of shorter spins. I think Garmin was telling me to chill! 😉
I eased back on the effort, watched my average heart rate drop, and moved to maintaining for a little over a week (at longer distances, too).
And finally, during yesterday’s tough gravel ride (with a lot of climbing) my average heart rate remained lower and my stats showed I had a productive workout!
Overview of the Week
Before discussing each day’s workouts, here’s an overview of my workouts from this past week. Scroll beyond the infographic for daily details…
Sunday
Cycling: 42 miles
• Average speed: 13.1 MPH
• Bike: Salsa Warbird
• Surface: gravel
• Elevation gain: 2,894 feet
• Start time: 9:39 AM
• Location: Western Loudoun gravel roads
• Weather: 72° and sunny, climbing to 89°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey and fingerless gloves
The weather was great albeit humid, I felt strong, and had so much fun at my third Loudoun 1725 Gravel Grinder. I need to remember everything I did leading up to the event because I rode really well. At one point my husband asked who’d shot me out of the cannon. LOL
Monday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
With an unexpected cancelation and stuck at the gym waiting for my next client, I walked on the indoor track for just over a mile (1 mile = 23.7 laps). I stopped Strava when I’d completed those 23.7 laps and it had me at only .68 mile. I laughed, though, when I saw the map of my walk!
Luckily, my next client was available to meet earlier and didn’t leave me walking in tiny circles for too long.
Tuesday
Cycling: 30 miles
• Average speed: 13.5 MPH
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 1,398 feet
• Start time: 8:28 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Leesburg loop with Thomas Mill and Woodburn climbs
• Weather: 66°, sunny, breezy, and with low humidity; climbing to 75°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey and fingerless gloves
While riding out the trail to climb some hills, I rode up behind Erin, one of my BRF’s from several years ago when I was running with friends regularly. It was great to quickly catch up before continuing on my way.
After climbing my last hill I found a four-leaf clover when I got back to the trail. I just looked down at the grass and there it was, standing all by itself.
Wednesday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Thursday
Walking: 5K
• Average pace: 14:46 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 72 feet
• Start time: 6:13 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 60° and sunny
• What I wore: shorts, tank, nylon shell, and visor
Running: 1 mile
• Average pace: 9:50 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 54 feet
• Start time: 7:23 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 63° and sunny
• What I wore: shorts, tank, and visor
I was late to the party when I joined Kim who was already a mile into her walk by the time I got up and outside. I may have hit snooze a few times before getting up – I never hit snooze, but I must have been extra tired because it was a reoccurring theme this past week…
After our walk, I ran for a mile since I hadn’t run all week. I would have loved to run another mile or two, but had to get back inside for work.
Friday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Balance and stretching: 45 minutes
Saturday
Cycling: 29 miles
• Average speed: 11.3 MPH
• Bike: Salsa Warbird
• Surface: gravel
• Elevation gain: 2,664 feet
• Start time: 8:35 AM
• Location: Middleburg, Bull Run Mountain, Bust Head Road loop
• Weather: 66°, breezy, and sunny, climbing to 73° and overcast
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves
Gardening (pulling weeds and cutting back pachysandra): 3 hours
Two years ago when my husband and I rode a loop including Bull Run Mountain and Bust Head Roads, I vowed to never do that ride again. However, I’ve become a better climber and gravel rider since that day and couldn’t resist joining my friends to give it another go. It was challenging, but nothing like I remembered and I finished thinking that I’ll probably ride those roads again.
Last Week’s Blog Posts
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
Questions
- • Have you had any crazy Garmin or Strava maps show up after a workout? ~ One time several years ago I stopped to chat with a runner friend on the trail. When I got home my Garmin (affiliate link) map from where I was stopped looked similar to the map above even though I was standing still and my watch was on auto-pause.
- • Which workouts were your most enjoyable, toughest, and/or memorable? ~ Riding on Saturday was my toughest workout.
- • Did you run in race this weekend? ~ No
And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!
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I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but those of the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
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Ha ha. Your workouts seem productive to me. Stupid Garmin.
I enjoy my walks in the trails even tough everyone else runs.
My favorite this week was of course my race.
Yeah, Garmin can be so judgy! LOL
Nothing wrong with taking a walk while your friends run!
Obviously whatever you are doing is working! keep up the great job. That four leaf clover looks HUGE! Such good luck. 🙂
Those indoor tracks — OMG, that’d drive me crazy!
Luckily, I don’t normally use the track unless I’ve got a client on it. I know we all complain about the treadmill, but in the case I think a treadmill trumps running or walking on that tiny track. 😉
I’ve had some not nice worlds for my Garmin lately too. While I am “maintaining” it keeps reminding me to do more high aerobic activities which are not in my best interest right now. Ugh annoying! Looks like a pretty productive week to me
After today’s 35-mile hilly ride Garmin rewarded me with a “recovery” status. LOL
I’ve been strapping my Garmin to the wrap-around koozie on my bike for recent rides. I don’t know if it thinks my heart rate is stellar or if I’m dead (since it’s not detecting any heart rate from the koozie). It gave me a badge for yesterday’s ride, due to the 1,000+ feet of climbing. Speaking of which, yesterday’s ride was tough! After my crash (around mile 21), I still had 35+ miles to go and my aching ribs made breathing difficult and my compromised shoulder was frustrating. But, no regrets (as if, LOL).
I was so sorry to hear about your crash, but happy that you’re “mostly” okay. LOL on the Garmin possibly mistaking the koozie for you.
I would be annoyed having my watch telling me the quality of my workouts! Well done with all those miles this week and you seem to be doing great whatever Garmin says.
My best workout this week was the Friday session when I crushed the chest presses and everything else. I think I’m in for some heavier weights next week though!
Thanks, Susanne!
That’s a good trainer – you crush a workout and they make it even harder the next time. 😉
Ha ha, when I saw that map of your walk I was wondering what in the world it was from- oh yes, walking around a tiny track will do that!
i don’t listen to most of what Garmin tells me. My husband has a vacation now, and one morning he was sitting on the couch happily, reading and sipping coffee. Suddenly he got a notification from Garmin that his stress levels were high- WHAT? He just laughed and ignored it.
Anyway, sounds like you had a great week!
Maybe your husband had an increased heart rate from the caffein in his coffee and Garmin mistook that for stress?
I haven’t gotten any crazy maps on Strava or Garmin, but I just don’t understand why Strava measurements are different than my Garmin. My Garmin doesn’t tell me anything about productivity, which is fine by me! But it does give me a stress level. Ha!
Strava and Garmin used to be very different for me, too, but recently they’ve been pretty much in sync. Go figure!
My husband just got a new Garmin watch, which has a lot of cool features. He keeps showing them to me. I’m going to need a new Garmin now 🙂 Hopefully his will continue to tell him great things about his training and now show the dreaded “unproductive” any time soon!
Lisa @ TechChick Adventures recently posted…Weekly workouts – party week
Yep, sounds like you need a new Garmin, too!
Nice on the Gravel Grinders ride! I haven’t been on my bike since Memorial Day weekend. I think my butt is finally ready to be in the saddle again. 😉
My Garmin VenuSQ doesn’t show me that “productive” (or “unproductive”) screen — there must be another way to see it, but I’m not sure I want to.
I see the workout status on my Garmin Connect app. After today’s 35-mile ride with two significant climbs it showed my workout as a “recovery.” SMH
Nice use of some extra time when you were stuck in the gym!
What happens when a client cancels on such short notice? Do they have to pay for the lesson anyway? My Crossfit has a 6-hour time frame – if I cancel within those 6 hours, I won’t get a refund. Which seems fair to me!
I can’t stand wasting time so I always find something to do in my downtime. And yes, I charge the client for the session unless they’re sick and then I waive the fee.
I cannot run without my Garmin even if it is not so accurate about the distance and the effort.
The indoor tracks: it would be impossible for me to do what you have done! Brava!
Walking on the little track wasn’t so bad… I would have gone outside to walk, but it was raining and I didn’t want to get wet and then cold while working with my next client.
Even though I complain, I also love my Garmin and all the stats it throws my way.
OMG my Garmin told me I was “unproductive” after the Chicago marathon. Thanks, Garmin. No, really, THANKS.
great week and well done on going back to a bike trail you said you would never do again!
WHAT? I wonder what it would have told you if you’d sat on a sofa for four hours eating chips while cheering runners on? Recovery maybe? LOL
Garmin can be so rude.
No race for me this weekend, but I did do my first ParkRun, and that was fantastic.
Great job with your workouts and rides this week. I’ve been hitting that snooze button, too!
Fun! I wonder if we have any ParkRuns around here?
I have had Strava show me walk across a lake and other weird maps…frustrating it was so short on mileage for you though!
I love the four leaf clover, so cool!
HaHa, Garmin once showed me running across Currituck Sound as part of a run on the beach on the Outer Banks.