No heart rate data for GPS runs?

[RMansley]

Hi all,

I've recently been tracking my runs using GPS as that is said to give the most accurate cardio fitness score (which I"m trying to improve!), but unfortunately there is no heart rate data? If I run without GPS, my Fitbit recognises the run and automatically logs it and that includes heart rate data, but not distance of course. I've read that to get an accurate cardio fitness score the Fitbit needs both distance/pace and heart rate from runs? But when using GPS there's no heart rate data recorded! I've recently completed the Couch to 5K plan and definitely feel my fitness has vast improved since I started running, and my resting HR has come down, but my cardio fitness score remains low.

It's very frustrating. Does anyone know if there's a way I can fix this or is it just a bug?

Thanks!

[Heybales]

You should call in for support or submit trouble ticket.

Because even without GPS you should be getting a distance - and if stride length is right it can actually be really accurate.

So when you say no distance - your device is really screwed up, and may be reason why no HR when GPS is enabled.

Are you getting a distance for daily walking?

You could start with a device hard reset.

[RMansley]

I get a distance for daily walking yes. It's just when my device automatically tracks a session of walking/running as an 'exercise' there's no associated distance - just heart rate, steps taken and calories burned for the session. It will still give me a distance travelled on the 'today' page which includes the session, but there's no distance associated with the session itself on the 'exercise' page and so no calculated pace either, if that makes sense.

For example, if I ran for approx. 5km without using GPS (assuming I've done no other steps that day) and Fitbit automatically tracked it, it will save the run under 'exercise' with heart rate, calories and steps taken but no distance or pace. However on the today page it will say I've travelled ~5km or whatever the device calculates my distance to be based on my stride length as I haven't used GPS.

I only get a value for distance and pace when I use the GPS to track my session, and when I do this there is no associated heart rate. It makes no sense to me why this is happening because the device does show elevated heart rate data for the time of day I've completed my run.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try resetting my device! It's a Versa if that makes a difference at all.

[Heybales]

Curious what happened?

Something else you can do to see if the data is actually there - just not being displayed.

And you can do this on a past workout right now.

Need to use the web account access, not through the app.

On Exercise page, create an Activity Record.

Where you could log a workout - this is link in top right of that space - it's different than typing in running or swimming.

You enter the description yourself, there is on place input calories or distance, only start/end time.

This is merely taking a start & end time, and displaying a snapshot of the data that is there. Not adding it to the day.

So doesn't matter there is another record already there.

Use the start and duration time for existing record that isn't showing the data that came from device.