I still can't see why you would pause it. If it's a race or trial you clearly won't, and if it's not you're just losing a bit of the record of what you did. Checking your recovery data when you were waiting for the traffic of whatever could be an important part of seeing how your fitness is developing.
Sometimes I pause my watch and sometimes I don’t. I don’t pause on my watch on my long runs or any run where I’m not trying to test my improvement on a certain distance. But, for example, I do a 5K once a week at my best pace possible. And if I have to stop for something, (tying my laces or whatever) I’ll pause it, because I want a more accurate reading of how fast My “running” was, not how long the 5K took me including delays. I think it depends more on if you’re consistent about pausing the watch. As long as you’re consistent, then you’ll still be able to get an accurate idea of whether or not you’re improving. Which is the point of tracking.
I think you should only stop you're watch if you are being inconvenienced and its out of your hands , but if you just get tired and stop for a break you should let it play for a more accurate representation of your fitness.
I never pause it when i run on the road with its obvious, expected, start and stops. If i want to try for a personal best I'm going to the park/track with zero elevation.
I have had lymphedema in my left leg for the last 23 years and I almost always have to stop after the first mile and restretch my leg. So, yes I do stop my watch during those times. Not being able to bend my left knee very much while running and carrying an extra 10 pounds in that leg certainly slows me down and I don't need to become slower by counting my stretching time against me. No one needs to worry, because I won't be breaking any course records, but I am just happy to move.
I never pause my Watch, even if I have a forced stop and it's out of my control. I usually plan runs where I don't have to cross a busy road immediately, and plan a long stretch where I have plenty of time to cross over if I need to. It's easier here to avoid any stoppages with all the Greenways and Canal towpaths.
I never stop my watch. Strava sorts it out for me 😂 Funnily though, I went for a run today and decided not to record it at all!! Crazy right? Was actually the most chilled, relaxing run I've ever done. Definitely recommend leaving the watch at home every now and then.
Brilliant video - I've been trying to tell people this for ages! I tend to pause my watch if the stop isn't my fault, other than that keep it running. And use lap button on recoveries. Didn't know about filtering on Garmin Connect workouts, I'll going to use that lots 😊
Just came across this vlog. I saw your 2021 goal for Boston Qualification post. good Luck!. Here is some advise, take you run watch and attach it to a dog collar and let the jog run free. Go out and run by feel and not worry about time, pace, kms. This will prove beneficial later when a time trial comes up to see where you are at for 5k 10k and so on. The best runners don't run with any Electronicsf!, THEY JUST GO OUT AND RUN!
I only pause if say I have no choice to stop for example if I can't get past people on a path stop at a light to cross not if I'm resting. I do however take this into account and understand my time is skewed slightly sometimes if I have to stop for more than say 10 seconds.
I pause my watch because my training runs are time based not distance, so if I don't I feel like I won't run as much as I'm supposed to (trail runner). I don't pause for fatigue caused breaks/walking.
Let it run, both the clock and my legs! I want to see my recovery times as that is an essential part of getting faster, so no, I stop my watch at the end of the run.
It’s so funny that this was just posted because I’ve literally been having this conversation in my head for the past month 😂. I think I’ve only paused once in the last year or so, but it’s definitely crossed my mind!
I agree with your assessments on when to pause your watch. I should lap my watch though on my intervals / repetitions but I don't. I will stop my watch when I am doing a non-critical run and I need to talk to someone or visit the restroom. I enjoy your videos, Running Channel, and love your advice.
Up until I watched this video, I paused my watch. Now I won't as I hadn't considered the recovery effect from stopping. Thanks for explaining. I will, however continue to pause when stopping on a walk as I suspect the recovery effect is too small to affect the overall performance.
This is a seriously deep question! For me, I only pause my watch when I actually stop running eg: if nature calls and I have to take a quick detour into the bushes. But I keep it running if I have to walk, rest from an interval, or anything like that. I'm lucky in that I seldom have to stop at traffic lights but I don't stop the watch if I have to wait for a couple of cars to go past. If stopping at traffic lights was a regular issue for me I imagine I'd pause my watch for longer waits. And then forget to start it again. I suppose it all comes down to this: are you stopping your watch to make your run look better than it was? If the answer is yes then that's naughty! If not then it's probably ok.
On my Garmin, I've copied the Trail Run profile to a "Lara Run", where I have auto-pause enabled. So that profile I use only, when I run with my dog. If I run by myself, I never run with auto-pause and never pause as well, unless I specifically stop to take a longer break.
I used to pause the watch when I still felt I should focus on PR's and speed and such. After discovering trailrunning I quite quickly stopped caring about all that. A good part of my weekly runs are at low heart rate mixed in with some speed training halfway the week. In the weekend it's time to do a long run, 20-30km, at the trails. Enjoy the scenery, the running and being outside and stop to look around when I feel like it. Whatever the time is at the end is what I spent enjoying myself.
Only pause my watch when I am doing forward and backward lunges as cool down after interval training before my final recovery run from the track to my house. I use the manual lap counter to separate the different parts of my workout
I just used this today on my run. Great to see when and where my pace got crazy and I had to slow it down. Hoping this will help me see where I am going too easy and too hard. Running Data = LIFE!
I used to pause back in the day, but now I'm happy to just let it roll on. If I'm doing a TT I try and pick a route with minimum traffic/potential stops so don't really need to pause anyway. Otherwise on easy or long runs I'm not bothered and just check the moving time.
Let’s put it this way... this channel taught me to pause my watch! I really don’t care, but I do ponder it from time to time. I’d forget to un-pause it.
As with so many things, it depends. With running, no, I don't pause. At some point I will do one of those amusing pause/recovery 5K efforts, but only for a laugh and only when I can work out how to stop it corrupting my best effort time record. There are three examples of when I do pause. I like to track distance, so a cargo bike trip needs a pause while I walk around the supermarket. I am just interested recording the cycling distance. the walking is just 'steps count'. I will not be hitting any KOMs with 30Kg in the trailer - beer and wine weight a lot and make railway bridges feel like epic climbs. In a similar vein, hiking trips pose a conundrum. In mountain areas, there is a bit of GPS creep when stationary for a lunch break. Now sometimes in Scotland that scatter pattern could be me dancing around flailing at the midges, but mostly it is just sitting on a rock with a cheese butty and some flapjack. On these, I am more interested in an accurate distance than an accurate time. If I am doing a Yorkshire 3 Peaks attempt then I stick with time and no pauses, for non challenge events, I pause to get a more accurate distance. Again, following on from the stop for lunch theme, I often do mountaineering routes that require roped climbing. Again, I have to decide what is the more important statistic, the time, the distance, or even the estimated calorie count. Either way a GPS signal affected by reflections and signal dropouts while climbing in an enclosed gully can seriously affect the reading. If it is distance that is of interest, then I will pause while doing the roped section and just record the walk in and walk out. One other thing that messes up statistics, is a quick dip in a mountain tarn. It affects the altitude calculation if not paused. A dip in Angle Tarn added 1200m of ascent to a 1400m day.
Thanks for sharing, Chris. Have to say, I just went on a scenic tour of the most beautiful parts of the UK reading your comment! I absolutely agree that for mountaineering, it's more about distance and altitude than time.
I can admit I stop the watch at crossings & not ashamed of that. Can't say I analyse the data itself & anyone who wishes to call it out on Strava I don't need to justify it, you have a lot of time on your hands to assess other people's data but also very privileged someone cares for the terrible performances I still churn out
Well that was compelling enough. I have been letting it auto pause because I perceived stopping for a crossing or whatever to be wasted data. I didn't even think about how it's putting invisible recoveries into my performance and data.
I would pause my watch at traffic lights etc as have traffic lights in the first 35 seconds of some of my runs and up to 3 sets in the first mile. To be honest, I feel stopping and starting actually slows my pace as you lose time slowing down and moving off so you lose rhythm. For intervals, I always keep the watch running through recoveries to keep track especially when leading a track group. Also during sessions squeezed into lunchtime you have a track of how long you've been out the door. I might try inputting interval sessions into Garmin again if you can toggle the data so good tip. You do end up looking at your watch if time based towards the end of an effort rather than waiting for the beep.
Strava auto pause FTW. It's awesome running around an industrial estate at peak time. Depending on my route, I get 2-3 forced road crossings in the 1st km!
I used to pause my watch on intervals when I had recovery because I wanted to know what my pace was on the fast bit but now I keep it going because you need to time the recovery normally. When I’m doing a continuous run I keep it going because your not meant to stop even if there’s traffic etc
I use to have my watch set on auto pause until ultra training with a friend, who recommend to keep it running to see actual time that would reflect races. It helped a lot seeing how much time lost with bathroom breaks, which I learned how to not over hydrate before running. I do pause on treadmill running for bathroom breaks but most treadmill runs are recovery or slow runs.
On intervals I don’t but I use the lap function, so I don’t pause there. I don’t use pause on long run either as I would often forget to unpause. I do pause on my weekday runs though.
I would occasionally pause when I first started running last year but I wouldn’t bother now where I live. If I’m running at pace I try to find somewhere where I can run without crossing roads or crossing at quiet sections. The only time I’d consider pausing would be if I had to fit an errand around a run where I’d have to stop for more than a few mins, though I’d potentially just record it as 2 separate runs instead.
Thank you.. I don't run for performance, just to maintain heart health. I never do more than five K any longer. So, for interest sake, I will take my Garmin off auto pause. I usually just take my Training Effect for that run, to give me a gage of how much I've exerted myself.
I'm set up auto stop on my Garmin watch... why not? So it will record only my running time. But if you are preparing for race you will exclude that option and that's it... Excellent video thanks 😊
I am still a beginner tbh and working on my times, but have never paused my run - I think I would only ever consider this if there was a major holdup, but even then I would probably just hit finish instead and start a new one when I set off again. Loving the parakeets in the background 1:29 onwards 🦜
@@goth_dude6874 I mean don't get me wrong, I like to see my times as much as the next person, but if it takes me a minute to cross the road, then so be it. Doesn't change the fact I've run 10 miles ect.
Since there is no formal training allowed at the moment. My Coach send me interval sessions to do. They are most times quite complex. So I use the workout feature in garmin connect. It’s easy to use and it is great for staying honest and only having 90 seconds rest between reps. I find that the autopause feature can be a bit laggy. I certainly wouldn’t use it for interval training. I personally hate to stop on a run and like nothing more than matching elapsed and moving time.
I like that recovery idea during intervals. When I ran with older watch without interval / workout options i paused activity. Now I use garmin with workout and i have exact time for recovery intervals - so i do not pause during that.
very nice video (as usual, we might say).. when it comes to pause or not my device, it's like you've just said... it depends on what kind of training we are doing... there's no point cheating on oneself during your training sessions.
I don't pause during a run but use the lap button when changing pace, for example from running to recovery or running to cool down. You can change the interval type afterwards in Garmin Connect on the PC. Note that you can't use the lap button when using the predefined Garmin (Coach) programs, it will then switch to the next stage of the workout or stop the workout entirely if the workout consist of only one activity.
I find the workout feature to be invaluable for my runs. Even if I’m not doing an interval session. It requires a bit more work to set up then just pressing the start/stop button. But the clean organised data you collect is worth it.
It helped me achieve faster times.. mentally I know how fast I can run in intervals.. overtime you convert that pace into a 5k run. 5 1k intervals and stopping watch gives me a great indication of possible fitness going forward. If I left watch running it wouldnt
On some runs, I want to see what my total ability is and overall time including breaks or stops as in a race/event, the timer never stops. However, on some runs when I'm trying to increase my pace ability, I like to see what my movement pace is only as this is what I want to focus on. I need regular breaks as it's an increased pace. That way after my run I can see that my movement time was at the level I wanted it to be. Then it's a matter of trying to reduce the number of stops I have to make sure I can then run at that pace all the time. If I didn't pause my watch on these runs, I wouldn't know if I was training at the pace I wanted to get to.
I sometimes pause at traffic lights, but the few seconds I gain vs the major annoyance of forgetting to unpause often isn't worth the effort. The points around stealth rest and slightly fake progress is valid so I will probably pause less.
@@runningchannel the more I think about the more I realise there's no real logic behind why I do it that way to be fair 🙈 I guess at first it was a question of not wanting to lose too much time and mess up with average pace, but since I shifted my mindset to focusing on the benefits of the workout rather than numbers, it doesn't matter that much anymore. It must be out of habit.
Tech tip. If you are using Garmin and setup a workout routine, you can have the cool down set to end when you press the lap button. That way you can cool down as long as you like.
I don't have a watch, but I always have auto-stop on, on strava...some people are very strict about not pausing, because it is not accurate then...to me, it's more important to see how I do just on my moving time, my breaks are usually pretty short anyways, and if I want to, I can always check the elapsed pace and time in the activity analysis
Before watching the video, I typically don't pause my watch because I view recovery as very important. We used to run 60/120's in the military, 60 seconds of going all out, 120 seconds of recovery/walking. Those little breaks really need to be counted into your total run time. There are some instances where I do pause. There's a couple major roads we cross that have nearly 3-4 minute waits.
I usually try to route without any crossings etc.. If it still happens I usually don't pause. One thing you can do if you want your statistics to be accurate is to just lap standing or walking segments.
I pause my watch when trail running and stop to regroup because it tends to wander and add extra distance. I use the watch when on a trail run to measure distance not time as much. If I am out on a regular run with good GPS or doing intervals I don't pause'.
I paused on a 10k to have a photo op with a friend, was probably the best run I had done this year. Got to the end with a new PB but Strava didn’t accept it because of the stop even though my pace didn’t change. :(
If it is normal training I don’t think it really matters just personal choice. For intervals I always set up via Garmin workout which is great and really easy to manage. For any virtual race you should really treat this the same as normal race, the clock does not stop so please don’t hit pause 😉👍
I used to pause, but then I thought about it and how I was effectively cheating myself. IMO it gives you a false idea of what your pacing stats were. Even 20secs to cross a road will provide a slight recovery advantage that you can't do on race day. Great tip on using the manual lap counter for interval stuff :)
I use auto pause and auto lap, I stop watch manualy only when I finish my run :D, when I go for a interval session I prepare whole session before run in app and download to my watch :D
I hate auto pause (on my Garmin). It pauses fine but seems to take ages to get going again after I’ve re-started and I lose distance in my recording. Like others, I don’t pause my watch at all any more - too sick of forgetting to start it again!
Depends on the 'quality' of run and data required. Strava tends to auto pause by default and so if I want exact data I just tag it as a race - this elliminates any doubt.
Since I've started training on time instead of distance I find I pause much more often, especially if I need to take a bathroom break. That way I might be out for 65 minutes with a bathroom break but my 60 minute run was still a 60 minute run.
I live in a city and it's almost impossible run without hitting a stoplight at some point. I have my watch set to autopause when I'm at stoplights for my easy runs/long runs/etc. For intervals (where I can pick a shorter route to run repeatedly and therefore avoid stoplights), I just use the lap button to record hard efforts v. recovery. I take my paces with a grain of salt on most runs since the only way I can really run continuously is doing the same 0.7 mile loops in a local park (which I have done sometimes), but I'm okay with the less accurate data. It's more fun to enjoy different routes, people watch, and see the city a bit, and I'm still building fitness either way.
Well. Sometimes. When doing long or easy run I stop when I need to switch song, or stop at the lights. Or step into the store on my way home. But - when I feel I push too hard, it's better to just slow down instead of taking rest. When doing serious workouts - I just avoid situation when I need to stop.
I do only when it's a longer than a few seconds. Like moving over for traffic, no pavements, I don't pause it. But if I stop for a wee then yes I do pause.
I only pause my watch if I’m stopping for a long period of time. Otherwise I just let it run. When I’m feeling really motivated to get my run in on a specific time, i’ll just reroute myself every time I hit a light so as to avoid lights as much as possible. Or I warm up in the direction of the pier that is a mile from my home and had miles of running space with no lights. But on the day to day, the few added seconds or even minutes that stopping for lights brings doesn’t fuss me much.
Hi, for Short waiting times like Traffic light, crossing Streets, walking times to recover and so on i don‘t Pause my activity . Only for Active breaks, like enjoying the view, Talking to a friend i will Pause it
I always have that one nasty traffic light on my running route that costs me up to 3 minutes. Naturally I don't pause and run in circles, which do not get recorded correctly because they are too small for the GPS to pick them up. At least I don't betray my workouts.
I don't seem to get the same options within the Garmin Connect App to view the average pace for recovery stages etc, just the overall pace for the session
You have to set up a workout in order to see them. If you just go run, it doesn't know when you're working and recovering. If you set up a workout with working and recovering and then do that workout, you'll then see that data.
@@TarasSkyJourney this was using a workout, I can see each split (e.g. 0.25, 0.25 etc with the pace for each split), but I don't have the selections at the top to filter by warmup, run, recovery etc even though those are in my workouts
I prefer to not use the pause button. I like to use the McMillan pace calculator. During a marathon training cycle, i will take my average training pace for the previous 4 weeks to plug into the pace calculator to determine training paces for the next four weeks. These incremental improvements in training paces give me confidence that the training is working.
Experimental run for me today, didn't pause my watch when I picked up after my dog or stop to cross roads, I did ignore friends 😂, but I had a valid reason as my 3 kids are due at the dentist. All in all good experiment and will continue to not pause my watch and see what happens
I’ll admit when I was doing NRC I didn’t care if I got time-robbed because nobody can see your pace if you don’t post it. But since I’ve been on Strava for the last week (I just wish it tracked cadence smh) I’m more mindful of pausing for long unavoidable stops like trains and traffic
Don’t pause at stops that at out of my hands but I jog in place and correct the distance manually based on a conservative estimate (estimate it at slower than my marathon pace).
@@runningchannel I run marathons at a 9:30-mile pace and I do training runs at 9:00 or below, so when I run in place, I calculate that time at a 10-minute mile pace. When I see a dead window in my running time (when stopping for my dog or traffic) I just add the calculated distance to my total. E.g. if I stop for my dog or traffic for three minutes I add 0.3 miles to my total as long as I was running in place
My favourite watch pause was when a dog decided to join me on my run 🐶, as it was through residential streets I thought best to grab the lead and return it to it's owner 😅. Otherwise I don't really run anywhere where it's an issue. I can understand people stopping for traffic lights etc but those Ross Barkley people 😡🤪
The trick is to never stop, so there's nothing to pause! If I'm waiting to cross the road, I'll usually just double back and forth until the light turns or it's clear to cross.
I’ve been wondering about this as I’m on my run streak! I mainly pause it if I’m at stoplights or if I’m running with my friends (we’re all gaiter’d and masked up!) and I’m waiting for them to catch up 😅 Even then, I wonder if it’s just better to let it run to not stress myself out with the fear of forgetting to unpause it.
I like how the Strava app auto pauses during an outdoor run when I have to stop. I never pause it during interval workouts, the rest periods I am still moving at a slow jog so it won't auto pause either
Do you pause your watch when you run? Maybe you’ve changed your mind about it after watching this video? Tell us in the comments
Should I pause my watch and time??? HELL NO!!!!! You stop your watch when you complete your destination!
HECK NO! thats cheating!! you only stop it when youre done
Ye I pause my watch at traffic lights etc, main thing is to remember to unpause it when you go again 🤦🏻♂️
I still can't see why you would pause it. If it's a race or trial you clearly won't, and if it's not you're just losing a bit of the record of what you did. Checking your recovery data when you were waiting for the traffic of whatever could be an important part of seeing how your fitness is developing.
Sometimes I pause my watch and sometimes I don’t. I don’t pause on my watch on my long runs or any run where I’m not trying to test my improvement on a certain distance. But, for example, I do a 5K once a week at my best pace possible. And if I have to stop for something, (tying my laces or whatever) I’ll pause it, because I want a more accurate reading of how fast My “running” was, not how long the 5K took me including delays. I think it depends more on if you’re consistent about pausing the watch. As long as you’re consistent, then you’ll still be able to get an accurate idea of whether or not you’re improving. Which is the point of tracking.
I think you should only stop you're watch if you are being inconvenienced and its out of your hands , but if you just get tired and stop for a break you should let it play for a more accurate representation of your fitness.
Great point! Thanks for watching :-)
I never pause it when i run on the road with its obvious, expected, start and stops. If i want to try for a personal best I'm going to the park/track with zero elevation.
I think when Strava added the ‘elapsed time’ feature to their records a lot of sneaky pausers were caught out and changed their practice
Haha - yes, possibly! Thanks for watching :-)
I have had lymphedema in my left leg for the last 23 years and I almost always have to stop after the first mile and restretch my leg. So, yes I do stop my watch during those times. Not being able to bend my left knee very much while running and carrying an extra 10 pounds in that leg certainly slows me down and I don't need to become slower by counting my stretching time against me. No one needs to worry, because I won't be breaking any course records, but I am just happy to move.
I usually record my warm up and cool downs as seperate runs. I don't pause the rest of the time.
Thanks for watching Raymond - and yep I know a lot of runners (myself included) who do the same :-)
- Mary
I wouldn’t like to follow you on Strava, 3 runs for every run haha
I private these if I record them to keep down the noise in the dashboard (not that I have many followers)
I just use the split time. Warm up, split, intervals and recoveries as well, then cool down. Works ok for me.
I do this too
I never pause my Watch, even if I have a forced stop and it's out of my control. I usually plan runs where I don't have to cross a busy road immediately, and plan a long stretch where I have plenty of time to cross over if I need to. It's easier here to avoid any stoppages with all the Greenways and Canal towpaths.
Great info, I've had a garmin forerunner 245 for a while now and never knew this could be done
Thank you!
I never stop my watch. Strava sorts it out for me 😂
Funnily though, I went for a run today and decided not to record it at all!! Crazy right? Was actually the most chilled, relaxing run I've ever done. Definitely recommend leaving the watch at home every now and then.
Love doing that! At least once a week I won't turn my watch on (I don't have it set on auto detection). It feels great and very refreshing!
Couldn't agree more! It's not all about the stats... sometimes it's wonderful to just run free :-)
That’s a really great idea!🎈
Highly recommended its a joy to run without on odd occasions 👍🏻
I already did that in the early 2000s and the 90s, so the new thing is running WITH watch.
Brilliant video - I've been trying to tell people this for ages! I tend to pause my watch if the stop isn't my fault, other than that keep it running. And use lap button on recoveries. Didn't know about filtering on Garmin Connect workouts, I'll going to use that lots 😊
Just came across this vlog. I saw your 2021 goal for Boston Qualification post. good Luck!. Here is some advise, take you run watch and attach it to a dog collar and let the jog run free. Go out and run by feel and not worry about time, pace, kms. This will prove beneficial later when a time trial comes up to see where you are at for 5k 10k and so on. The best runners don't run with any Electronicsf!, THEY JUST GO OUT AND RUN!
Run into a friend and stop to chat for 10 minutes? No, unless I am administering First Aid. :) Thanks for another great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I only pause if say I have no choice to stop for example if I can't get past people on a path stop at a light to cross not if I'm resting. I do however take this into account and understand my time is skewed slightly sometimes if I have to stop for more than say 10 seconds.
I pause my watch because my training runs are time based not distance, so if I don't I feel like I won't run as much as I'm supposed to (trail runner). I don't pause for fatigue caused breaks/walking.
Let it run, both the clock and my legs! I want to see my recovery times as that is an essential part of getting faster, so no, I stop my watch at the end of the run.
Sounds good, Jason!
It’s so funny that this was just posted because I’ve literally been having this conversation in my head for the past month 😂. I think I’ve only paused once in the last year or so, but it’s definitely crossed my mind!
Ah and the Running Channel reads runner's minds again! Glad you enjoyed the video :-)
I agree with your assessments on when to pause your watch. I should lap my watch though on my intervals / repetitions but I don't. I will stop my watch when I am doing a non-critical run and I need to talk to someone or visit the restroom. I enjoy your videos, Running Channel, and love your advice.
Up until I watched this video, I paused my watch. Now I won't as I hadn't considered the recovery effect from stopping. Thanks for explaining. I will, however continue to pause when stopping on a walk as I suspect the recovery effect is too small to affect the overall performance.
Great, Ziggy - glad you found the video helpful :-)
This is a seriously deep question! For me, I only pause my watch when I actually stop running eg: if nature calls and I have to take a quick detour into the bushes. But I keep it running if I have to walk, rest from an interval, or anything like that. I'm lucky in that I seldom have to stop at traffic lights but I don't stop the watch if I have to wait for a couple of cars to go past. If stopping at traffic lights was a regular issue for me I imagine I'd pause my watch for longer waits. And then forget to start it again. I suppose it all comes down to this: are you stopping your watch to make your run look better than it was? If the answer is yes then that's naughty! If not then it's probably ok.
Haha - yes I see your point there... It's all a matter of personal preference. Thanks for watching!
Seriously! This is what I was wondering not that long ago! THNX!
Great timing, then! Hope you found the video helpful :-)
@@runningchannel Yup. :)
Running in the sunshine! I remember when i used to be able to do that!
On my Garmin, I've copied the Trail Run profile to a "Lara Run", where I have auto-pause enabled. So that profile I use only, when I run with my dog. If I run by myself, I never run with auto-pause and never pause as well, unless I specifically stop to take a longer break.
That's really useful to know Philipp - thanks for sharing :-)
I used to pause the watch when I still felt I should focus on PR's and speed and such.
After discovering trailrunning I quite quickly stopped caring about all that. A good part of my weekly runs are at low heart rate mixed in with some speed training halfway the week.
In the weekend it's time to do a long run, 20-30km, at the trails. Enjoy the scenery, the running and being outside and stop to look around when I feel like it. Whatever the time is at the end is what I spent enjoying myself.
That's amazing Tjerk! And so wonderful that you're enjoying the trails. Thanks for sharing :-)
Only pause my watch when I am doing forward and backward lunges as cool down after interval training before my final recovery run from the track to my house. I use the manual lap counter to separate the different parts of my workout
Thanks for the heads up!
I just used this today on my run. Great to see when and where my pace got crazy and I had to slow it down. Hoping this will help me see where I am going too easy and too hard. Running Data = LIFE!
Running data is life - SO TRUE! Glad you found the video helpful :-)
I used to pause back in the day, but now I'm happy to just let it roll on. If I'm doing a TT I try and pick a route with minimum traffic/potential stops so don't really need to pause anyway. Otherwise on easy or long runs I'm not bothered and just check the moving time.
great topic. thanks for the video. I mainly use the garmin connect workouts or the lap button.
Glad we could help! Thanks so much for watching 😊
The manual lap for intervals is interesting, thanks for the tip - I'm definitely going to play with this later.
Let’s put it this way... this channel taught me to pause my watch! I really don’t care, but I do ponder it from time to time. I’d forget to un-pause it.
It's a risk we all take! And most runners at one time or another will forget to unpause it!
Love it, very informative. Will definitely dig deeper into my watch. ❤️
As with so many things, it depends. With running, no, I don't pause. At some point I will do one of those amusing pause/recovery 5K efforts, but only for a laugh and only when I can work out how to stop it corrupting my best effort time record.
There are three examples of when I do pause.
I like to track distance, so a cargo bike trip needs a pause while I walk around the supermarket. I am just interested recording the cycling distance. the walking is just 'steps count'. I will not be hitting any KOMs with 30Kg in the trailer - beer and wine weight a lot and make railway bridges feel like epic climbs.
In a similar vein, hiking trips pose a conundrum. In mountain areas, there is a bit of GPS creep when stationary for a lunch break. Now sometimes in Scotland that scatter pattern could be me dancing around flailing at the midges, but mostly it is just sitting on a rock with a cheese butty and some flapjack. On these, I am more interested in an accurate distance than an accurate time. If I am doing a Yorkshire 3 Peaks attempt then I stick with time and no pauses, for non challenge events, I pause to get a more accurate distance.
Again, following on from the stop for lunch theme, I often do mountaineering routes that require roped climbing. Again, I have to decide what is the more important statistic, the time, the distance, or even the estimated calorie count. Either way a GPS signal affected by reflections and signal dropouts while climbing in an enclosed gully can seriously affect the reading. If it is distance that is of interest, then I will pause while doing the roped section and just record the walk in and walk out.
One other thing that messes up statistics, is a quick dip in a mountain tarn. It affects the altitude calculation if not paused. A dip in Angle Tarn added 1200m of ascent to a 1400m day.
Thanks for sharing, Chris. Have to say, I just went on a scenic tour of the most beautiful parts of the UK reading your comment! I absolutely agree that for mountaineering, it's more about distance and altitude than time.
I can admit I stop the watch at crossings & not ashamed of that. Can't say I analyse the data itself & anyone who wishes to call it out on Strava I don't need to justify it, you have a lot of time on your hands to assess other people's data but also very privileged someone cares for the terrible performances I still churn out
Well that was compelling enough. I have been letting it auto pause because I perceived stopping for a crossing or whatever to be wasted data. I didn't even think about how it's putting invisible recoveries into my performance and data.
I would pause my watch at traffic lights etc as have traffic lights in the first 35 seconds of some of my runs and up to 3 sets in the first mile. To be honest, I feel stopping and starting actually slows my pace as you lose time slowing down and moving off so you lose rhythm.
For intervals, I always keep the watch running through recoveries to keep track especially when leading a track group. Also during sessions squeezed into lunchtime you have a track of how long you've been out the door.
I might try inputting interval sessions into Garmin again if you can toggle the data so good tip. You do end up looking at your watch if time based towards the end of an effort rather than waiting for the beep.
Very true I do find stopping does put you out of rhythm as well good point 👍🏻
Thanks for watching, Jason - and definitely good point about your rhythm.
@@runningchannel It could be rhythm or just old legs trying to move off again but would rather keep moving than stood waiting for lights to change
Strava auto pause FTW. It's awesome running around an industrial estate at peak time. Depending on my route, I get 2-3 forced road crossings in the 1st km!
I used to pause my watch on intervals when I had recovery because I wanted to know what my pace was on the fast bit but now I keep it going because you need to time the recovery normally. When I’m doing a continuous run I keep it going because your not meant to stop even if there’s traffic etc
Sounds good, Sophie! Thanks for watching :-)
I use to have my watch set on auto pause until ultra training with a friend, who recommend to keep it running to see actual time that would reflect races. It helped a lot seeing how much time lost with bathroom breaks, which I learned how to not over hydrate before running. I do pause on treadmill running for bathroom breaks but most treadmill runs are recovery or slow runs.
On intervals I don’t but I use the lap function, so I don’t pause there. I don’t use pause on long run either as I would often forget to unpause. I do pause on my weekday runs though.
I would occasionally pause when I first started running last year but I wouldn’t bother now where I live. If I’m running at pace I try to find somewhere where I can run without crossing roads or crossing at quiet sections. The only time I’d consider pausing would be if I had to fit an errand around a run where I’d have to stop for more than a few mins, though I’d potentially just record it as 2 separate runs instead.
So useful, thanks! I had no idea about manual laps. Will definitely be utilising this :-)
Glad it was helpful Becky!
Thank you.. I don't run for performance, just to maintain heart health. I never do more than five K any longer. So, for interest sake, I will take my Garmin off auto pause. I usually just take my Training Effect for that run, to give me a gage of how much I've exerted myself.
I'm set up auto stop on my Garmin watch... why not? So it will record only my running time. But if you are preparing for race you will exclude that option and that's it... Excellent video thanks 😊
Glad you enjoyed it Ivan!
Absolutely.... you are fantastic ... Thank you for your videos , i learn so much things and get so much support.... 🙏😊
When you pause but forget to unpause 🤬
Right?! 😜
ufff
I have never, ever done that. Ever.....
Heh.....
One of the banes of my existence 👺
Forgot to press go at the start a few times 🤣
I am still a beginner tbh and working on my times, but have never paused my run - I think I would only ever consider this if there was a major holdup, but even then I would probably just hit finish instead and start a new one when I set off again. Loving the parakeets in the background 1:29 onwards 🦜
Thanks so much for watching Malvin! Yes, those are our Epping Forest parakeets :-)
Never ever pause. I'm more bothered about how far I go, not how fast I do it.
How about if a lace comes untied after 75% of run is complete. I need to tie better, I guess.
@@stevenwatson2699 lol
Yup some people are obssessive i am 50 now and just getting out there is good enough for me , my garmin is just there so I don't go over my maximum HR
@@goth_dude6874 I mean don't get me wrong, I like to see my times as much as the next person, but if it takes me a minute to cross the road, then so be it. Doesn't change the fact I've run 10 miles ect.
@@nathans3771 I am too old and slow to worry about times , gone are the days that I ran 10 miles in 59 mins
Yes
Since there is no formal training allowed at the moment. My Coach send me interval sessions to do. They are most times quite complex. So I use the workout feature in garmin connect. It’s easy to use and it is great for staying honest and only having 90 seconds rest between reps. I find that the autopause feature can be a bit laggy. I certainly wouldn’t use it for interval training. I personally hate to stop on a run and like nothing more than matching elapsed and moving time.
I like that recovery idea during intervals. When I ran with older watch without interval / workout options i paused activity. Now I use garmin with workout and i have exact time for recovery intervals - so i do not pause during that.
Good to know, Tomas! Thanks for watching :-)
♥ from Paris. Apreciate the content. Give thanks family.
Thanks so much :-)
@@runningchannel my pleasure. TRE is my second Family "soul mately"... Sincerely. 💙🙏
very nice video (as usual, we might say).. when it comes to pause or not my device, it's like you've just said... it depends on what kind of training we are doing... there's no point cheating on oneself during your training sessions.
Absolutely, Paulo! Thanks for watching :-)
Relacing shoes, taking in views on trail and crossing roads are all gravy, but not between intervals, that would be a bit cheeky!
Warm up and warm down during a workout I use manual input and don't rely on specific distance or time...
I use automated stop option and I do stop my whatc if I have a recovery time. ✌💪💯👍
The pause icon on the caption screen blew my mind. I thought the video is paused without me ever starting to play it.
Ha! Brilliant Kristian - good to know it was effective! Thanks for watching the video :-)
I don't pause during a run but use the lap button when changing pace, for example from running to recovery or running to cool down.
You can change the interval type afterwards in Garmin Connect on the PC.
Note that you can't use the lap button when using the predefined Garmin (Coach) programs, it will then switch to the next stage of the workout or stop the workout entirely if the workout consist of only one activity.
Great tips, thanks Daan!
Should I pause my watch and time??? HELL NO!!!!! You stop your watch when you complete your destination!
Exactly - what’s next - asking a race to pause the timing clock while you stop to recover before starting fresh again 🤣😂🤣
@@badmuppet6532 A real runner doesnt pause the watch until they reach the destination
@@BJSteigner dude. Chill. I was agreeing with you lol
Not that I know what a “real” runner is. I mean. I run several times per week though I’m sure some would say I’m not a real runner lmao
I find the workout feature to be invaluable for my runs. Even if I’m not doing an interval session. It requires a bit more work to set up then just pressing the start/stop button. But the clean organised data you collect is worth it.
Thanks for sharing - good to hear you've found something that's working well for you :-)
It helped me achieve faster times.. mentally I know how fast I can run in intervals.. overtime you convert that pace into a 5k run. 5 1k intervals and stopping watch gives me a great indication of possible fitness going forward. If I left watch running it wouldnt
On some runs, I want to see what my total ability is and overall time including breaks or stops as in a race/event, the timer never stops. However, on some runs when I'm trying to increase my pace ability, I like to see what my movement pace is only as this is what I want to focus on. I need regular breaks as it's an increased pace. That way after my run I can see that my movement time was at the level I wanted it to be. Then it's a matter of trying to reduce the number of stops I have to make sure I can then run at that pace all the time. If I didn't pause my watch on these runs, I wouldn't know if I was training at the pace I wanted to get to.
I sometimes pause at traffic lights, but the few seconds I gain vs the major annoyance of forgetting to unpause often isn't worth the effort. The points around stealth rest and slightly fake progress is valid so I will probably pause less.
Depends on how long I have to stop for, if it's just a couple of sec going to 10/15, no. But if it's longer, then definitely yes
Thanks for watching, Patrick! Any particular reason why you do sometimes and don't others? Just the length of time?
@@runningchannel the more I think about the more I realise there's no real logic behind why I do it that way to be fair 🙈 I guess at first it was a question of not wanting to lose too much time and mess up with average pace, but since I shifted my mindset to focusing on the benefits of the workout rather than numbers, it doesn't matter that much anymore. It must be out of habit.
Tech tip. If you are using Garmin and setup a workout routine, you can have the cool down set to end when you press the lap button. That way you can cool down as long as you like.
Ah that's a helpful tip - thank you :-)
I don't have a watch, but I always have auto-stop on, on strava...some people are very strict about not pausing, because it is not accurate then...to me, it's more important to see how I do just on my moving time, my breaks are usually pretty short anyways, and if I want to, I can always check the elapsed pace and time in the activity analysis
Good point Jana - thanks for sharing!
Before watching the video, I typically don't pause my watch because I view recovery as very important. We used to run 60/120's in the military, 60 seconds of going all out, 120 seconds of recovery/walking. Those little breaks really need to be counted into your total run time.
There are some instances where I do pause. There's a couple major roads we cross that have nearly 3-4 minute waits.
Thanks for watching and absolutely agree - those recoveries are so important :-)
I usually try to route without any crossings etc.. If it still happens I usually don't pause. One thing you can do if you want your statistics to be accurate is to just lap standing or walking segments.
I pause my watch when trail running and stop to regroup because it tends to wander and add extra distance. I use the watch when on a trail run to measure distance not time as much. If I am out on a regular run with good GPS or doing intervals I don't pause'.
I paused on a 10k to have a photo op with a friend, was probably the best run I had done this year. Got to the end with a new PB but Strava didn’t accept it because of the stop even though my pace didn’t change. :(
Oh no!!
If it is normal training I don’t think it really matters just personal choice. For intervals I always set up via Garmin workout which is great and really easy to manage. For any virtual race you should really treat this the same as normal race, the clock does
not stop so please don’t hit pause 😉👍
I used to pause, but then I thought about it and how I was effectively cheating myself. IMO it gives you a false idea of what your pacing stats were. Even 20secs to cross a road will provide a slight recovery advantage that you can't do on race day. Great tip on using the manual lap counter for interval stuff :)
Each to there own 😊
I use auto pause and auto lap, I stop watch manualy only when I finish my run :D, when I go for a interval session I prepare whole session before run in app and download to my watch :D
Great! And super organised too :-)
I hate auto pause (on my Garmin). It pauses fine but seems to take ages to get going again after I’ve re-started and I lose distance in my recording. Like others, I don’t pause my watch at all any more - too sick of forgetting to start it again!
Thanks for watching Andy! Yes, I think many of us have been stung by the forgetting to re-start the watch nightmare!
If my workout is based on distance - I don't stop, if it's timed run - then stop, otherwise I wouldn't run as much as prescribed, right?
I never hit pause but certain apps with pause/un-pause for me if I stop completely (usually waiting at a red light)
I pause it!
Depends on the 'quality' of run and data required. Strava tends to auto pause by default and so if I want exact data I just tag it as a race - this elliminates any doubt.
Yep - great tip! Thanks for watching :-)
I gotta admit I sometimes do it out of frustration when I realise I’m stuck at a crossing for what feels like forever
True... I think we've all been there!
I usually try to run up and down until the lights change - no need to stop and no need to pause
Since I've started training on time instead of distance I find I pause much more often, especially if I need to take a bathroom break. That way I might be out for 65 minutes with a bathroom break but my 60 minute run was still a 60 minute run.
I live in a city and it's almost impossible run without hitting a stoplight at some point. I have my watch set to autopause when I'm at stoplights for my easy runs/long runs/etc. For intervals (where I can pick a shorter route to run repeatedly and therefore avoid stoplights), I just use the lap button to record hard efforts v. recovery. I take my paces with a grain of salt on most runs since the only way I can really run continuously is doing the same 0.7 mile loops in a local park (which I have done sometimes), but I'm okay with the less accurate data. It's more fun to enjoy different routes, people watch, and see the city a bit, and I'm still building fitness either way.
Sounds really sensible, Aja - and agreed it's wonderful to enjoy different routes and see more of your city!
Well. Sometimes. When doing long or easy run I stop when I need to switch song, or stop at the lights. Or step into the store on my way home. But - when I feel I push too hard, it's better to just slow down instead of taking rest.
When doing serious workouts - I just avoid situation when I need to stop.
I do only when it's a longer than a few seconds. Like moving over for traffic, no pavements, I don't pause it. But if I stop for a wee then yes I do pause.
Thanks for watching, Ivan!
I only pause my watch if I’m stopping for a long period of time. Otherwise I just let it run. When I’m feeling really motivated to get my run in on a specific time, i’ll just reroute myself every time I hit a light so as to avoid lights as much as possible. Or I warm up in the direction of the pier that is a mile from my home and had miles of running space with no lights. But on the day to day, the few added seconds or even minutes that stopping for lights brings doesn’t fuss me much.
All sounds good, Jane! Thanks for watching :-)
I only pause at intersections. Warmups, cooldowns, recoveries and walk breaks are all included in my data because those are under my control.
Dodging cars is "advanced training" :)
Hi, for Short waiting times like Traffic light, crossing Streets, walking times to recover and so on i don‘t Pause my activity . Only for Active breaks, like enjoying the view, Talking to a friend i will Pause it
I always have that one nasty traffic light on my running route that costs me up to 3 minutes. Naturally I don't pause and run in circles, which do not get recorded correctly because they are too small for the GPS to pick them up. At least I don't betray my workouts.
Yes I do when I take hydration break
I use Autopause, but I find it rarely kicks in - only for those really long lights.
I don't seem to get the same options within the Garmin Connect App to view the average pace for recovery stages etc, just the overall pace for the session
You have to set up a workout in order to see them. If you just go run, it doesn't know when you're working and recovering. If you set up a workout with working and recovering and then do that workout, you'll then see that data.
@@TarasSkyJourney this was using a workout, I can see each split (e.g. 0.25, 0.25 etc with the pace for each split), but I don't have the selections at the top to filter by warmup, run, recovery etc even though those are in my workouts
I prefer to not use the pause button. I like to use the McMillan pace calculator. During a marathon training cycle, i will take my average training pace for the previous 4 weeks to plug into the pace calculator to determine training paces for the next four weeks. These incremental improvements in training paces give me confidence that the training is working.
Great tip! Thanks for watching :-)
I pause when I stop to have a gab with friends I see whilst I'm out running, but I'll post I've stopped for a gab on Strava
Experimental run for me today, didn't pause my watch when I picked up after my dog or stop to cross roads, I did ignore friends 😂, but I had a valid reason as my 3 kids are due at the dentist. All in all good experiment and will continue to not pause my watch and see what happens
stop and chat with a friend for 10 minutes? absolute madness.
I'll only pause for something out of my control, like crossing a road or letting a lorry pass on a country lane. Anything else it keeps going!
I’ll admit when I was doing NRC I didn’t care if I got time-robbed because nobody can see your pace if you don’t post it. But since I’ve been on Strava for the last week (I just wish it tracked cadence smh) I’m more mindful of pausing for long unavoidable stops like trains and traffic
I am 68 ,190 lbs. What heart rate pace should I train in for a 5k, male. I seem to max out around 170, resting pulse is around 49.
Don’t pause at stops that at out of my hands but I jog in place and correct the distance manually based on a conservative estimate (estimate it at slower than my marathon pace).
That's interesting Barret! How do you estimate the distance covered?
@@runningchannel I run marathons at a 9:30-mile pace and I do training runs at 9:00 or below, so when I run in place, I calculate that time at a 10-minute mile pace. When I see a dead window in my running time (when stopping for my dog or traffic) I just add the calculated distance to my total. E.g. if I stop for my dog or traffic for three minutes I add 0.3 miles to my total as long as I was running in place
My favourite watch pause was when a dog decided to join me on my run 🐶, as it was through residential streets I thought best to grab the lead and return it to it's owner 😅.
Otherwise I don't really run anywhere where it's an issue. I can understand people stopping for traffic lights etc but those Ross Barkley people 😡🤪
Pausing on Garmin doesn’t stop the GPS route it still recording?
The trick is to never stop, so there's nothing to pause!
If I'm waiting to cross the road, I'll usually just double back and forth until the light turns or it's clear to cross.
Extra mileage - good tip!
Thats when people look at us like we are mad they just don't understand 🤣 but it works well or continue running down the road
I’ve been wondering about this as I’m on my run streak!
I mainly pause it if I’m at stoplights or if I’m running with my friends (we’re all gaiter’d and masked up!) and I’m waiting for them to catch up 😅
Even then, I wonder if it’s just better to let it run to not stress myself out with the fear of forgetting to unpause it.
Entirely up to you, but auto pause (if you have this available on your watch) will do this for you.
I like how the Strava app auto pauses during an outdoor run when I have to stop. I never pause it during interval workouts, the rest periods I am still moving at a slow jog so it won't auto pause either
Good to hear you've found something that works well for you, Farah! Thanks for watching :-)