PM4 add "Rest on Demand" to Pause Workout

[carlb]

Recently Undefined Rest was added to the PM4
http://www.concept2.com/us/service/moni ... edrest.asp

That got me to thinking I would like an option for "Rest on Demand" or "Pause Workout and Rest".
So any time during a workout I can hit a button to rest, and like Undefined Rest hit a Continue button to resume.
I see this as an option for Single Distance and Single Time types.

An example of how I would use this: I decide I want to do a 30 minute workout at a pace of 2:10. Mid workout I want to do something quick: adjust the TV, change DVD, put on music, go get water bottle, stretch, put on the HRM I forgot. I would like to pause the workout to stop the clock and _preserve my pace_, versus now the clock keeps running.

Given the buttons available are limited I see it working this way:
In the Single Distance/Time setup add a new question "Allow Rest on Demand" Yes/No
Now pressing Menu|Back will go to a page like the Undefined Rest with a Continue button and rest timer.
Pressing Menu|Back from there will end the workout.

I understand that you need to prevent an Undefined Rest during a Rated distance or time, e.g. 42,195m. The simple appraoch would be that choosing the "Allow Rest on Demand" prevents the workout from being rated. A more complex way is if the user never presses Menu|Back during the workout, then the workout can be rated.

Logging: a workout that used the "Rest on Demand" would be logged exactly like a Variable Interval with Undefined Rest workout. If no Rest was taken then it would be nice to log it as a Single type work. If the workout is ended early I guess the final rest time would not be logged....but I don't care. If the Single time/distance target is completed then pressing Back will not pause at the Rest/Continue page.

So in summary I would like a "Rest on Demand" feature that reuses features of Undefined Rest and Variable Intervals so that there is no new logging and no way to game the rules and use it to do a Marathon distance with rests not counted in the time.

I suppose a 2nd way this could work is as a system wide configuration option "When Exiting Workout Offer Continue". This would be set once and apply to all workouts. Anytime while doing any row when pressing Back to exit a page like Undefined Rest would offer 2 choices "End Workout" or "Continue" and a Rest timer would count. Pressing Back again would also exit the workout. That way it could be used with "Just Row" or any Rerow. I think I would prefer this as log as it gets logged right.

Carl

[carlb]

A few things I wanted to clarify

An example of how I would use this: I decide I want to do a 30 minute workout at a pace of 2:10. Mid workout I want to do something quick: adjust the TV, change DVD, put on music, go get water bottle, stretch, put on the HRM I forgot. I would like to pause the workout to stop the clock and _preserve my pace_, versus now the clock keeps running.

I would not only preserve my pace, I would also stop the clock until I resume rowing so I can get in my desired goal of 30 minutes of rowing. Another example of an unplanned "Rest on Demand" use.... the phone rings.

I'm also trying to have one log entry for the 30 minute workout, if I exit the workout to answer the phone then I end up with multiple logs, plus I have to remember I did 17 minutes so I have 13 left.

I suppose a 2nd way this could work is as a system wide configuration option "When Exiting Workout Offer Continue". This would be set once and apply to all workouts. Anytime while doing any row when pressing Back to exit a page like Undefined Rest would offer 2 choices "End Workout" or "Continue" and a Rest timer would count.

If the monitor is already at an Intervals workout Rest page then pressing Back should exit and not offer to Continue.

New ideas...........
That makes me think of another request and that is on the current Intervals Rest page to add a "Continue Now (End Rest)" soft button so the rest can be cut short. And if you do that also add an "Undefined Rest (Extend Rest)" soft button that jumps to the undefined rest page and lets me continue when I want to.

Sometimes I realize I entered too much Interval rest time and want to get back to rowing, sometimes I went too hard and want more rest then I planned. Using these new Interval Rest soft buttons would change the workout type in the log to Variable.

Carl

[carlb]

I suppose a 2nd way this could work is as a system wide configuration option "When Exiting Workout Offer Continue". This would be set once and apply to all workouts. Anytime while doing any row when pressing Back to exit a page like Undefined Rest would offer 2 choices "End Workout" or "Continue" and a Rest timer would count.

A possible advantage of that way is it does not affect the way workouts are stored, i.e. there are no new parameters. I see on the Undefined Rest page "You cannot save a workout with undefined rest as a "Favorite" or "Custom" workout to your LogCard."

[carlb]

I suppose a 2nd way this could work is as a system wide configuration option "When Exiting Workout Offer Continue". This would be set once and apply to all workouts. Anytime while doing any row when pressing Back to exit a page like Undefined Rest would offer 2 choices "End Workout" or "Continue" and a Rest timer would count.

A possible advantage of that way is it does not affect the way workouts are stored, i.e. there are no new parameters. I see on the Undefined Rest page "You cannot save a workout with undefined rest as a "Favorite" or "Custom" workout to your LogCard."

In thinking about this more I would prefer it to be done as a system wide option that can be used with any workout. Seems very handy to use with Just Row. All the treadmills I have used have a Pause key that allows resuming, this would be the same Pause feature on the PM4.

In summary:
On the setup menu a new option "Enable Enhanced Rest Features" or "Display Undefined Rest on Exit Workout"
When this feature is turned on...
During a workout when the Back key is pressed the monitor changes to a page like the "Undefined Rest" page.
The Continue button can be pressed to resume the workout
The Back button can be pressed again to end the workout, would be logical to have a End Workout soft button under Continue.

If the current page is an Interval Rest then what to do if Back is pressed?
Exiting the workout is logical.
BUT if you did go to the "Undefined Rest" that offers 2 additional features:
1. Can cut short the Interval Rest and resume rowing by pressing Back then Continue
2. Can extend the Interval Rest by pressing Back then sitting on the "Undefined Rest" page
I really like the flexibility as I do not always pick the perfect rest or change my mind.

The way logging works would be the same as all the rules I see for Undefined Rest now. The work is logged as one with a variable rest.

One question is what to do with the last Undefined Rest period since it will happen a lot. Just have to decide some rules. Like maybe only log it if > 100m rest meters rowed. I would be fine with always not logging the final undefined rest so there is no risk of ending up with all works logged as Variable Interval.

Carl

[carlb]

If the current page is an Interval Rest then what to do if Back is pressed?
Exiting the workout is logical.
BUT if you did go to the "Undefined Rest" that offers 2 additional features:
1. Can cut short the Interval Rest and resume rowing by pressing Back then Continue
2. Can extend the Interval Rest by pressing Back then sitting on the "Undefined Rest" page
I really like the flexibility as I do not always pick the perfect rest or change my mind.

Currently when you Rerow a workout that originally used an Undefined Rest you do _not_ get an undefined rest on the rerow, the rest time is fixed and equal to the rest time taked using the Undefined Rest.

If you go with my above suggestion that pressing the Back button while in an Interval Rest goes to the undefined Rest page then it has a 3rd benefit of flexibility in a Rerow of a workout that specified an Undefined Rest....just the user has to know to press Back, and to have turned on the feature.

[rlddikeman]

I don't know about a rest on demand, but it would be nice to have something to keep the PM3 alive instead of always hitting the chg display button. I don't mind that my pace would change due to the rest time, but if I am rowing at home alone and have to run to the bathroom or something, the monitor stops. If my plan was to row a FM or HM, I have lost it all since although I can restart, I'd have to restart the whole thing to have it count. So in my example, I know that the rest time would be counting and decreasing the pace, but the workout would stay "live"

[mishkaya]

I would also love to have the option to pause a workout. I somehow thought this feature existed, but was unable to find out how to do so...

[Citroen]

I would also love to have the option to pause a workout. I somehow thought this feature existed, but was unable to find out how to do so...

It's available on PM4s with the latest firmware. Not available on PM3s.

[mishkaya]

I would also love to have the option to pause a workout. I somehow thought this feature existed, but was unable to find out how to do so...

It's available on PM4s with the latest firmware. Not available on PM3s.

I upgraded to the PM4 and have the latest firmware AFAIK, but haven't found that option yet...

[Citroen]

Do you have a PM4 or a PM4A?

http://www.concept2.com/us/service/firm ... ersion.asp
http://www.concept2.com/us/motivation/g ... athlon.asp
http://www.concept2.com/us/service/moni ... #undefined

The Undefined Rest feature was released with PM4 Firmware Versions 26 and 313.

[jsharpe]

I would also love to have the option to pause a workout. I somehow thought this feature existed, but was unable to find out how to do so...

It's available on PM4s with the latest firmware. Not available on PM3s.

I upgraded to the PM4 and have the latest firmware AFAIK, but haven't found that option yet...

I have a PM4 on a model E running version 26 (hardware version 204) and also can't find it. Or are you just referring to the "undefined rest" feature?

Since most of my rows tend to be rather long (45 to 60 minutes) the "answer the phone" issue has a greater chance of happening in the middle of a row.

[Citroen]

I have a PM4 on a model E running version 26 (hardware version 204) and also can't find it. Or are you just referring to the "undefined rest" feature?

Since most of my rows tend to be rather long (45 to 60 minutes) the "answer the phone" issue has a greater chance of happening in the middle of a row.

That's the one.

Get a bluetooth headset, then you can answer while rowing. Or change your work/life balance so you can get a full hour of personal time without any distractions.

[jsharpe]

I have a PM4 on a model E running version 26 (hardware version 204) and also can't find it. Or are you just referring to the "undefined rest" feature?

Since most of my rows tend to be rather long (45 to 60 minutes) the "answer the phone" issue has a greater chance of happening in the middle of a row.

That's the one.

Get a bluetooth headset, then you can answer while rowing. Or change your work/life balance so you can get a full hour of personal time without any distractions.

Already did both, but I would still find value in a pause capability. Rowing while on the phone is not ideal for the obvious reasons of noise and breathing. I've already chosen to do my rows at a time where distractions are least likely, but there will always be the unexpected events. I can't control when the doorbell rings. Sure I could ignore it, but that is not my preferred option. Rowing at midnight might work for lack of interruptions, but also not the ideal.

I did notice during my evaluation of RowPro that when connected to that app, if I stopped rowing the timer did continue to count and the PM4 did not reset like it does when operating on its own. For my fixed distance rows this might be an acceptable workaround since I just want to get the meters in and usually don't care that much about the exact time.

[slwiser]

Rowpro, from my perspective has always had rest on demand. All one has to do is set up a series of intervals with rest of zero seconds and not pull that first pull on the next interval, take whatever rest you want. Then restart up again. It will report 60 minutes of intervals as an interval session in its log but on Concept 2 site it looks like a continuous session of 60 minutes. That is way I always say when I do this that it was an interval session.

[carlb]

I think "Just Row" is a reasonable solution. When you simply stop rowing it pauses, it does not record the time when stopped and it does not affect the pace...... Your pace is affected by time for te flywheel to slow down, and time for you to speed up.

I think a long pause does mess up the SPM workout average.