Garmin 910XT – not a lot of people know this either

Following on from my earlier, massively successful post ‘910XT – not a lot of people know that‘. Here comes some more vaguely useful and relatively obscure bits about the 910XT. Any additional ideas welcomed too.

1. Settings > System > Data Recording – Needs to be set to PER SECOND for RR HRV to work (after you’ve turned it on in the special menus)

2. History > Transfer All – Does what it says. Sometimes Garmin Express fails to upload from your device. So you delete the gunk and then upload ALL ie all of what is left. Sorted.

3. INSTANT PACE – on the 910XT doesn’t work. You need a footpod. And you really need to calibrate it running at the speed that you want it to be accurate for…mildly annoying.

4. TRAINING EFFECT METRIC – You can show the cumulative training effect of your session using the aforesaid metric. You need to get your zones right first otherwise it will show garbage. Also worth a look at FIRSTBEAT’s website to see what they mean by TRAINING EFFECT. In theory this should need RR/HRV recording but I think it doesn’t use that but just does clever maths on the time you spend in your various training zones. One good thing with this is that (for example) Firstbeat can give you a plan based on what training effect you need each day – whatever your training is on that day once you hit the Training Effect you can stop. I don’t use it myself but it seems like a good an well-intentioned idea.

5. RECOVERY HR: As explained a bit in this post recovery HR is available  when you press stop and wait for 2 minutes. Interestingly you can do this (press stop and wait 2 mins) at the end of your very last hard interval and THEN press start again to continue the session as you jog home. The recovery stats are not overwritten in the FIT file unless you do the 2 minute thing again. Now you know.

6. HR Spikes: Other than licking the strap, using medical gel can help. ‘Special’ sports gel is identical to the stuff that pregnant women buy for their TENS machines. the TENS machine gel “ELECTRODE GEL” is about GBP3.00 for 100ml…much cheaper. Sometimes also a dodgy HR monitor can be bought back to life by buying a new strap (rather than strap+POD). Sometimes one can be brought back to life by taking out the battery, putting it in the wrong way round (holding it in that position) and that inserting it correctly – sometimes I have done that with new batteries. Maybe it resets the electronics? WAHOO suggest that as well for their straps so it’s not just me being an idiot!

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