Problem with Polar Flow's Cardio Load Report

I got Polar Vantage M few weeks ago. I have generally been happy with it. Even more after last update which fixed some issues and made it measure activity like M430 and other models did. But there is still one thing I have problems with. It is Cardio Load Report. It is either bug or way it is counted which makes it work weirdly sometimes. I assume bug because I had years ago similarly calculated report which didn’t have this problem.

I know I don’t train that much.

Cardio Load Status sometimes go up for no good reason. Cardio Load Buildup shows I haven’t trained today. Yet. But Cardio Load Status goes to overreaching. After three days of not training I shouldn’t be overreaching. This report is calculated comparing short period of training data to long period of training data. Long period gives you tolerance and short short gives you strain. This could be because at first Vantage M counted lower activity levels than M430 and now Tolerance calculation doesn’t use M430 data any more. But I this isn’t first time this has happened.

I had similarly calculated report years ago. I could trust it perfectly. If I went to train when strain/tolerance level was at certain point or above it I got ill. But this time I am pretty sure I have no problem going training even when graph shows I am already overreaching. What makes me even more sure is another graph I still have in Polar Flow.

Older superior report.

You don’t get Recovery Status report with Vantage M. I have it because I still have M430. When I open this Flow wants me to use Cardio Load Report. It should give better data but it doesn’t. I have used this for years and at this point it still seems to be superior. Here time brings bars down and activity brings them up. This report changes status levels based on you previous training. I am not sure how it is calculated but it does that.

I can see how Cardio Load Report should be better and more informative report. Similar report I had in other program years ago was that. But this doesn’t show changes in tolerance levels very well and it works weirdly. Like I would go to overreaching without doing anything and then to detraining in one day if I don’t train today or tomorrow.

Training twice a week

I went back to training twice a week. I feel it was correct choice. Most training instructions tell you should train at least three times a week. I had that opinion earlier but now I feel two times a week is enough. It probably depends on how hard you go when you train. I feel I can train harder when I train only twice a week. More you train easier you have train to recover from your training. I recovered from training three times a week but I was tired most of the time.

When training twice a week I can go harder. I can use bigger gear and go faster. I don’t attempt good average speeds. It is pointless to try to get your best average speeds. On mountain biking it depends on where you ride and on urban roads it depends on traffic lights and other traffic. It also makes you ride too hard on easy parts. I don’t care about average speeds but my heart rate monitor shows when I have new record average speed. Getting back to training twice a week has given me new average speed records.

I probably get back to train three times a week next summer when weather gets better. But it is good to know I don’t have to train that often to get results. This probably depends on how hard you can train. If you can’t train hard enough twice a week is not enough.

Should I train two or three times a week?

I switched from training two times a week to training three times a week during my summer vacation. I trained twice a week for almost one and half year. Now I have been training three times a week for two months. It is mostly because cycling is fun and that fun won't last too much longer. We have had good weather but it is getting colder and evenings are getting darker. I started to think if I should get back to training twice a week.

You can see my recovery status of August from Polar Flow in picture above. My goal is to stay inside balanced. As you can see I go to strained often when I train three times a week. One reason for it is mountain biking. Mountain biking sessions are longer than other sessions and also harder. When I go to strained I am pretty tired all the time. I get back to balanced during weekends but I am too tired during them.

Training twice a week would make sense from that point of view. But training is still fun. I might keep do it three times a week because I am not going too much on strained. My main goal is to lose weight without it affecting my fitness. Two or three training sessions in a week doesn't matter too much for that goal. Training twice a week might even be better. It is easier to control what you eating when you train less.

If you have Polar Flow and heart rate monitor which gives recovery status in Flow you should keep checking it. Other brands and software have their own ways to measure your recovery. If you are motivated to train you tend to train too hard. You need to recover from your training to get better. If I compare today to day when I raced it is easier to see how you are recovered. Back then it was mostly your rest heart rate. Now you can find reliable estimates in your training software. Some can even help you estimate how to peak on competition date. Flow's recovery status can't do that but I am not planning to competing any time soon.