Which #'s for vDot planning - Certified 5K course (3.1 mi) or the associated Garmin file (=3.2 mi)?
So which numbers would you use for vDot and zone planning? A 5K "official" course result of 3.1 miles in 22:08 = 7:08 min/mi pace, or my Garmin 305 file result of 3.2 miles *actually run* in the same 22:08 = 6:55 min/mi pace?!?! Note I have been using the Garmin all year for my run tests. I was pissed because I thought I ran sub7's on the Garmin after the race, and couldn't figure out why the race results had me at 7:08 min/mi pace until I looked at the Garmin file which had measured a 3.2 mile distance actually run at the end. This same thing happened to me in DC two years ago at the Marine Corps Marathon and screwed me out of sub4 finish by 3 min (but 3 weeks later I got my sub4 at Philly by not depending on the Garmin for a race clock
Anyways, wanted to post it to the forums and get some opinions. Thanks guys!
Comments
I would compare the distance I got with friends' other Garmins
I rent my friends, week to week
After all your VDOT is only a training measure, if you want to push yourself for training a bit take the longer distances one, but at the end you raced a 5k *Period*
Take the race 5 km race time and distance, All garmins have room for fudge factor distance error(called gps accurracy as a setting in your garmin.
. Two recent race examples of mine were a 10 km and my garmin rolled past 10 km mark by 60 meters. Yesterday my garmin was at 21.24 km when I went over the line. GPS Accuracy was at 75 meters. That said when racing we all run the tangents of the course,hoping you picked the shortest route to the finish line which does affect accurancy relative to garmin vs finishline.
Gotta run the tangents tight my friend.
Liebs another vote for race distance, race time.
Gordon