Tracking rowing workouts - Garmin Fenix Or Ergdata/Ergzone

[southtampacane]

I have a Forerunner 255, and use it for my running and also indoor rowing. Until today, I always wondered why it gives me very good data for running, but for rowing, the only metrics it tracks from my C2 workouts are stroke count (relatively accurate), time, avg HR and max HR, plus load. But it is not giving me any pace or distance and I've just assumed it doesn't do that. But clearly it does because everyone here is getting it, and I am not sure what I've done wrong. The forerunner and HR strap (HRM Pro Dual) are both recognized by the PM5.

I guess I will be calling Garmin customer support on Monday morning, but if anyone can give me a quick primer on how to get these other metrics added it would be a great help. I've long disputed whether Garmin can measure my anaerobic efforts rowing since it doesn't know if I'm doing 2:10 or 1:48 per 500. So getting these added may help.

Thanks

[HornetMaX]

I don't log my rowerg (or skierg) sessions on the garmin (an instinct 2x for me). I log them via ErgZone/ErgData and let the Concept2 logbook forward them to Garmin Connect. This way you get most of the benefits (you see Training Effect, Training Load and Training Readiness) without some of the hassles of connecting directly the Garmin to the PM5 via ANT FE-C (it seems it has troubles with interval sessions and not all watches support this anyway).

There are some annoying little things:

• The rowerg sessions are properly tagged as indoor rowing, but the skierg sessions are tagged as "Gym & Fitness Equipment".
• If you don't record your activity on the garmin, the device will count some steps (which of course generates some double counting when it will get the forwarded session from c2 logbook). Not a big deal.
• The watch can see my HRM via ANT and it automatically connects to it as soon as the HRM is on. But If you don't log an activity on the watch, the watch keeps on using its internal HRM: this is mostly fine but way less accurate than a chest strap and totally off the ballpark when rowing. Just silly you can't force the watch to use the external HRM when/if needed.
• The watch can estimate your running and cycling VO2max, even when using a treadmill or an indoor bike (with power meter), but it can't estimate your VO2max when using an indoor rower, even if via ANT FE-C (or via forwarded logs) it actually has all the data needed. Bummer.

[JaapvanE]

This way you get most of the benefits (you see Training Effect, Training Load and Training Readiness) without some of the hassles of connecting directly the Garmin to the PM5 via ANT FE-C (it seems it has troubles with interval sessions and not all watches support this anyway).

Does it do them all now? Cool. I always understood that until recently the watch did this, and that the logbook route did not update that data. It would be huge improvement indeed.

Please note that Garmins data is a bit more elaborate than C2's: they also include distance per stroke and breathing. I use these quite a lot actually as DPS tells how tired I'm getting (starts to drop) and breathing rythem tells me when I exit Zone 2 (is seriously above SPM).

[HornetMaX]

This way you get most of the benefits (you see Training Effect, Training Load and Training Readiness) without some of the hassles of connecting directly the Garmin to the PM5 via ANT FE-C (it seems it has troubles with interval sessions and not all watches support this anyway).

Does it do them all now? Cool. I always understood that until recently the watch did this, and that the logbook route did not update that data. It would be huge improvement indeed.

Yes it does. Got my watch only 3 weeks ago but I think the news dates back to March 2023 (training effect from 3rd party apps).

Please note that Garmins data is a bit more elaborate than C2's: they also include distance per stroke and breathing. I use these quite a lot actually as DPS tells how tired I'm getting (starts to drop) and breathing rythem tells me when I exit Zone 2 (is seriously above SPM).

Distance per stroke I'm not sure I see the value of it, but the breath rate could be interesting. I don' t know if when logging on the watch it is any better, but without logging on the watch the accuracy is simply not there: it logged no breathing data at all during a 1h skierg session (at a slow steady pace).

On the Garmin forum some was suggesting to double log your sessions on c2 (ErgData/ErgZone) and on the Garmin, but on the Garmin pick one weird activity that doesn't log anything fancy stuff (e.g. Driving, or maybe eSport) so that you get accurate HR logging on the Garmin (as it will use your chest strap, if you have one) and won't try to count steps. Don't know however if breathing data will be any better. I'll try, maybe: there's a doubt around the fact that if you keep the c2 logbook -> Garmin Connect forwarding you get double counting of your session. Not even sue if this goes away by deleting an activity (or by not saving the activity at its end on your watch).

[HornetMaX]

Hi all,

after a month of using my Garmin Instinct 2X with my RowErg and SkiErg I can say what's below (copy of what I posted on Garmin forum).

Globally I'm pretty happy about the Instinct 2X: integration with c2 logbook is almost perfect (details below), some nice health features.
And you don't need to recharge it every 1/2/3 days: with my limited usage (smartwatch mode, HR always on, overnight PulseOx, Sleep & HRV analysis, no activity logged so no GPS) it lasts something like 3 weeks with a single charge (and no solar recharge at the moment, winter here). Nice.

Not that I care, but I even logged a 1h walk indoor (supermarket) so no GPS as soon as I got in but it used its accelerometer and the accuracy was surprising (I'd say 10-15m at worst, not bad for a 1h walk).

Somehow it manages to even get some VO2max estimates: I'm not sure how (it has dedicated VO2max estimates for running and cycling activities) and the first values were really off (30, really ? Checking some rowing tables with my PBs I should be anywhere 50-63 ...)but after some time it seems to provide something that makes more sense (currently 53), once a week.

--

Some feedback after a bit more than 1 month of usage of my Instinct 2X with my concept2 RowErg and SkiRrg.

I started by simply letting c2 logbook forward my workout data to Garmin Connect. This works almost flawlessly: I get accurate data for HR (the optical sensor is often wrong, esp. when rowing, my chest strap is much better), pace, power ad stroke rate when rowing. When using the SkiErg, surprisingly, there's no stroke rate data at all (graph not there) and instead of pace there's speed (no big deal, it's more or less the same thing, but having the pace per 500m would be better, just like for rowing). Two other weird things: the HR logged by the I2X will use the optical sensor even if my chest strap is ON and connected to the I2X (ext HRM is used only when logging an activity) and while rowing does not log any step, using the Ski|Erg does log some steps (I've just switched Move IQ off but I suspect that won't make any difference). Other than that, I do get Training Effect for each session and, somehow unexpectedly, i also have a VO2 estimation (not for each session, it seems to be a weekly thing).
I then tried to log the activities with the I2X without connecting to the PM5: for the RowErg (activity Indoor Rowing) it's OK-ish, but the distance is zero (of course). For SkiErg I tried to used Cardio activity but that counts some steps. Using activity Indoor Rowing solved the issue.
Finally I tried to log activities (Indoor Rowing for both RowErg and SkiErg) on the I2X connected to the PM5: for the RowErg you get an additional grapah "distance per stroke" but surprisingly for the SkiErg you don't get any power data (graph is there but empty) nor pace/speed data and also the distance is zero. Very weird.

Overall, I'll stick with the simpler approach: log on c2 logbook and allow it to forward to garmin connect. That's way easier to setup and provides all the important stuff. I don't see any benefit for logging on the I2X (in my case, as I log on c2 anyway).