Training Effect/Load won't be calculated (Garmin)

[PaddoSwam]

I've just finished a small ride, worked great btw., but the downloaded fit file uploaded into Garmin Connect doesn't seem to calculate a Training Effect nor Load.

I haven't figured out what the issue might be but my first hint was to a vo2max/ftp setting that might be missing.

Will investigate this one myself too because open-source! 💪🤓

[dvmarinoff]

Thanks!

Will look into it.

[dvmarinoff]

I don't have it on my Zwift recorded rides either. I am starting to suspect it is a garmin device exclusive feature.

Plus this is what garmin connect says:

[PaddoSwam]

My Zwift rides imported to Garmin Connect automagically (not sure if push by Strava/Zwift or pulled from Strava by Garmin) do have Training Effects en Load calculated as soon as my watch is synced (and has a few seconds to process)

[PaddoSwam]

Just rode on MyWhoosh and had to manually upload my fit file and that one did get a Load and Training Effect calculated, I'll compare the 2 files!

[PaddoSwam]

There is quite some differences, but I suspect the session data part and/or device part. Will take a closer look tomorrow/friday. 🤓

Flux_Half_Chili_Pepper.fit.txt MyWhoosh.fit.txt

[PaddoSwam]

I am starting to suspect it is a garmin device exclusive feature.

It is something that some Garmin devices calculate, Garmin Connect doesn't do the calculation, for me it's a Garmin Forerunner 745 and/or Garmin Edge 530 that calculate the efforts.

[dvmarinoff]

I see, will investigate more closely tomorrow.

Edit: Adding resource: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/06/garmin-training-status-now-includes-zwift-trainerroad-the-sufferfest-and-tacx-app-workouts.html

[PaddoSwam]

I think I fixed it! Edit: first try was unsuccessful will check back tomorrow morning!

[dvmarinoff]

Ray’s article says

• Training Load is calculated on a Garmin device, not Garmin Connect,
• but fit files recored with Zwift, TR, WahooX and Tacx since June 2021 will get Training Load updated on the device,
• They do it by syncing with the device and calculating it there and than uploading it back to Garmin Connect,
• Training Effect was not available at the time (June 2021),

Few things to note from your MyWhoosh .fit file:

• The manufacturer is listed as Garmin and the product as Garmin Edge 1030,
• Here MyWhoosh should be using their own manufacturer id and product id or set it to 255 meaning ‘development product/id’,
• So the .fit files recorded with MyWhoosh claims that it’s recorded with Garmin Edge 1030, and this way it circumvents the current limitations

I modified the .fit file code to match what MyWhoosh is doing and ran some experiments:

• Changing the manufacturer field to Garmin
• Changing the Product field to Edge 1030, and Fenix 5 (my watch),
• Setting Serial Number to the one in your file, and to the one of my Fenix 5 watch,
• Adding File Creator message with Software Version field,

Results:

• When setting it to Edge 1030
• Garmin Connect sees the file as created by Edge 1030,
• After a sync Training load is successfully updated, both on my Watch and the mobile Garmin Connect app,
• Training Effect though is missing, both on the watch and on Garmin Connect,

• When setting it to Fenix 5,
• Garmin Connect sees the file as created by Fenix 5,
• After a sync Training load is not updated, but only Recovery time,
• Training Effect is also not there

So having Training Load updated everywhere is a partial success for now.

BTW do you own a 1030 navigation? And did MyWhoosh had you enter Garmin device type anywhere in settings?

[PaddoSwam]

Hey Dimitar, no I own a Edge 530 and Forerunner 745 both capable of calculating the training loads.

The Edge 1030 Plus was virtually added by MyWhoosh, and so I thought of changing the same thing you did and that seemed to work however my quick edit in Flux code failed so I'll retry right now :)

Edit: sorry I misread, the Training Load part worked with my manual edit, and not in my local Flux changes.

The Training Effect part seems to be only with activities recorded by either the Edge 530 or Forerunner 745 itself, it's missing from Zwift, MyWhoosh etc. activities so I don't think it's possible to trick the Garmin devices into calculating that, probably relies on way more detailed data in the records part.

[dvmarinoff]

Pushed my changes to the develop branch. They are also live on the dev deployment: flux-dev.vercel.app

[PaddoSwam]

Awesome the Training Load is calculated properly and so is recovery time, I think I found my new favorite trainer app!