Top 5 Garmin Tips

A lot of you,

the Running Channel community, have got in touch with us to ask us questions about how to get the most out of your running watches and Garmin devices specifically.

So, Sarah and I are going to be running through some of our favourite running watch hacks that we actually use on ours.

Yeah, we're gonna be chatting through some features that now we've started using we absolutely could not live without.

And we're hoping that we'll probably learn some tips and tricks off each other, too.

Running watches can just do so many things that can be really overwhelming at times.

So with the help of our friends from Garmin who are kindly sponsoring this video.

We have picked our five favourite tips to share with you.

Technology is changing so much nowadays, so if you found a handy tip that could help out a fellow runner, let us know in the comments.

And make sure you keep watching right to the end,

don't you skip, because we're going to be sharing our ultimate pacing tip with you, too.

So the first tip that I've chosen is one that can help you avoid one of the most frustrating things.

Have you ever accidentally ended a run early or hit the lap button when you didn't mean to mid-run?

Ah, this is all of the most frustrating things. It happened to me once.

I was out running in long sleeves, pulled my sleeves up, hit lap by accident.

I know it's not the end of the world, but when it happens 2K into a 20K run

and you're lapping every 0.3, so annoying.

I really feel your pain, Sarah, and it's very easy to do.

And that's why you need the auto-lock feature in your life, so

never mess up your starts again.

Amazing.

How does it work? On most models when you start your run, press and hold the top left button on your watch, and

then you can select the padlock icon so that will lock all the buttons.

But the activity continues to run, so when you want to end your activity, all you have to

do is press and hold any button to unlock all the rest of the buttons again.

Absolutely amazing.

And if you can't see the padlock button, then you can add it via the controls menu within your watch.

Yeah, and you can set this up to happen automatically by selecting the auto-lock feature in the

System Settings menu.

The watch will then automatically lock a few seconds after you've started your activity,

and you can also choose when it auto locks - always, never or just during

activities.

Absolutely incredible.

So if I wanted to use the lap feature repeatedly for, let's say, interval training, I might not always

want to use this as I would need to unlock the watch to use the lap button.

But for the runs where you just want to look at your watch stats and not press any buttons, this

feature is absolutely amazing.

I will never fear an accidental button press again.

Next up, I've got a tip to help you with speed.

Excellent.

Please tell me more on this.

So, unfortunately, there isn't a jetpack built into the watch, but this handy tip will

make getting out of the door that little bit quicker.

So, Anna, have you ever set up a custom run profile with customised data fields and alerts?

No, I have not.

I just use the same profile for all of my runs.

Well, you absolutely can transform your runs by tailoring the alert and data fields

on your watch for specific sessions you are doing. For example, for your long run, you

could have distance with heart rate with an auto lap on each mile, plus an alert when you go

above or below heart rate zone 2.

Then you could have lap alerts showing miles pace and total distance. Right, so you don't have to change it

for every time you go out for a run?

No, absolutely not.

So then, for a session, you could have a different one set up with a manual lap key with lap time,

last lap time, and lap pace data fields, and then an alert showing your lap pace and lap time.

And then you could even have a special parkrun customised profile with a lap

every 1K and then showing your average pace.

Okay, so all of these different profiles then can help me get the most out of my training sessions without

needing to spend precious time changing my settings

each time I go for a run. Win win.

Okay, next up, I've got a motivational tips and we know that loads of you, the Running Channel community, are always

up for a motivational tip or trick.

So, Sarah, how is your running motivation?

Not gonna lie, a little bit patchy.

I need a tip.

What have you got?

Okay, so did you know that in the watch face menu you can set your weekly distance and your recovery to display on your watch face

display on your watch face.

So basically, you can use it as motivation to get out and run, because it's often really easy just to treat

each run as an individual session.

But having your whole weekly mileage to look at on your wrist helps you keep track of the bigger numbers

so you can also see whether you're on track and keeping consistent with your mileage.

It's perfect if you're taking a break from specific goals or training plans, but you

just want to keep ticking over and improving.

I love that, so useful, and it's always great to have data at your

fingertips.

Speaking of screens, though, I've got a fun home screen tip that you might want to

try. So the face up app, which you can download using the connect iQ store

allows you to set your own photos as your watch face.

So, Anna, you can set your dog as your watch face.

Ralph.

I can't decide which photo I would use.

This is an amazing feature.

Let us know in the comments below which photo that you would pick to be your watch face, maybe a medal

Monday post, a loved one, a pet, or your favourite running location.

So many options, and just in, some intel for you.

Parkrun have even allowed you to now download your parkrun barcode

to your Garmin, which you can scan at the end of the run.

Absolutely amazing.

You can set up alerts for each different type of activity to help with your goals, environment and

navigations.

There are three different types: event, range, and recurring.

So event alerts to notify you once for a specific value.

For example, if you're going out for a run for a certain amount of time.

Okay, that sounds perfect for time runs.

So, like if you're doing 60 minutes easy or progressive tempo, you can set an alert for a

specific time, and then it goes off once the time's up.

Yeah, exactly.

Meaning you don't have to clock watch and there is no risk of accidentally running over time.

Next up, range alerts, which notify you each time your watch is above or below a

specified range of values.

Yeah, this one sounds great for heart rate runs. So you could get your watch to alert you when your heart rate

goes above or below a certain BPM or to the top and bottom values of a specific heart rate zone.

Exactly. Heart rate training will be so simple now.

And there are also recurring alerts.

For example, a time alert, which will go off every 30 minutes.

Yes, this is the one that I use, and it is an absolute lifesaver for long events like marathons and ultras.

So I use recurring alerts on my Garmin to not forget to take gels and water

during races because there is nothing worse than having to remember

when was the last time I drank?

When was the last time I took a gel? Using these alerts,

the guesswork is taken out of your hands, and you can let your watch do the thinking.

Yeah, so use your watch to your advantage and set those alerts up.

And even more cool,

you can set up custom recurring alerts, such as a favourite mantra.

So on a difficult race, your watch could say 'Keep going!' every five miles.

This would definitely make me tear up during a marathon, but in a great way.

You could also ask a friend to write a custom alert for you, and then you get a lovely

surprise during the race.

So if you want any more information about what alerts you can set up on your watch, check the link in the description.

Right, last tip from me is a handy shortcut because, let's face it, sometimes life is too short to take the long way around.

Some Garmin watches offer hotkey options.

That means you can customise the buttons so you can quickly access the specific settings and options that

you want so you can access the features at the click of a button rather than

scrolling through all the menus.

Amazing.

I do love a shortcut.

So what can you set as a hotkey option?

What do you want as a hotkey option,

Sarah? There are so many options. You can save a location, lock your screen, go to music,

take a screenshot.

Did you know that you can take a screenshot on your Garmin?

I love that. I'm often there for hours trying to take photos of my watch after runs that I'm

really proud of, but being able to take a screenshot after big running achievements,

that sounds great.

Yeah, well, on some models, you absolutely can do it.

Other options include bringing up a grid reference or going directly to the stopwatch.

Nice.

So how do you set it all up?

Okay, well go to settings, and then system, and then hotkeys and have a play around.

So there you have it.

Five handy Garmin tips to save you a lot of time, but we did promise you one more, and here it is.

We're so kind, giving you a bonus.

Are you struggling with pacing and cadence?

Well, there's a metronome feature that can help you improve your performance by training at a

faster, slower or more consistent cadence.

So when you go to start a run activity, hold up and then select in run settings,

metronome and change the status to on.

You can adjust beats per minute, alert frequency and the sounds and vibration to create a custom

setting that works for you.

Now this setting might sound simple, but it is so effective.

In fact, this is how I ran my first sub-50 minute 10K.

I learned what the rhythm of five minute Ks was

and counted it in my head, learning the metronome rhythm of my feet until I could feel what the pace was.

Definitely would have been quicker if I'd had a metronome on my wrist, though, and I now use

this feature a lot to help with even pacing on a run.

So why not give it a try on your next run and let us know your thoughts?

Yeah, please do.

And we hope that this video is given you some useful tips that you didn't know before

that could transform your running and make using your Garmin even more effective.

What's your favourite Garmin feature?

Or are there any other handy Garmin hacks that we've missed out that you want everyone else to

know about?

Tell us in the comments and we will see you next time on The Running Channel.