Garmin Guru Deep Dive: Decoding the Internal Response to 4-Minute VO2max Intervals

A consolidated physiological data graph of a 5x4 minute VO2max cycling session, showing overlapping data for VO2 consumption, Moxy SmO2 (muscle oxygenation), heart rate, and power output.

Garmin Guru Deep Dive: Decoding the Internal Response to 4-Minute VO2max Intervals Today’s session of 4-minute VO2max intervals was a masterclass in why I lead with physiology, not physics. As the Garmin Guru at Online Bike Coach, I’m constantly looking for the “truth” behind the numbers. Today, that truth was found in gas exchange and […]

Sleep Score HRV Stress: The Yin and Yang of Recovery

A vertical three-light traffic signal with a black housing, shown against a plain white background. The middle yellow light is brightly illuminated, while the top red and bottom green lights are dark.

The Yin and Yang of Recovery Physiology First Training | By Coach Richard Wharton Managing your Sleep Score HRV Stress data is the ultimate balancing act for any serious athlete. I’ve spent the last 48 hours in the “pain cave” building a trailer, manhandling heavy steel. When I pulled my metrics this morning, I saw […]

The Garmin Ecosystem: Why Your Watch is More Important Than Your Power Meter

Updated Garmin Recovery Time of 13 hours showing Train as Usual status after a night of rest.

Garmin Recovery Time: Why Your Watch Beats Your Power Meter By The Garmin Guru | April 24, 2026 Understanding Garmin Recovery Time is essential for any athlete following a “Physiology First” approach. As a coach with over 20 years in the industry, I know that your bike computer is only half the story. To truly […]

Vo2Max and Heart Health – A Single Ride Following Dr. Paddy Barrett’s Formula

DFAA1 and SmO2

Vo2Max and Heart Health Correlation With DFAA-1 and other Metrics I recently stumbled across a Substack post by Dr. Paddy Barrett that explains how Vo2Max is impacted by low intensity exercise. While I had not known about Dr. Barrett previously, when I read his history and other posts, I became intrigued. I think he’s a […]

The OBC Dicta

OBC Dicta - Welcome to the Cathedral of Watts

The OBC Dicta (or, The Nine Commandments for Peak Performance In Cycling). *** I wrote the first version of this over twenty years ago, hoping that it would become the foundation for another book, but life and acceleration got in the way, and I just found it again in my Google Drive. A ‘Dicta‘ is […]

Rotor Q Rings Revisited – Yet Again

Rotor Q Rings Position using InPower App.

Rotor Q Rings DO Work – Just Not The Way You Might Think I’ve been using Rotor Q Rings ever since they came out. Prior to that, I was using Rotor’s ‘RSX’ technology, because the company gave their product to trained scientists for honest review and application. The theory behind Q rings is that they […]

Building An MTB Course With Garmin Connect Course Creator

Garmin Connect Course Builder Climb Detail

Garmin Connect Course Creator Offers Course Building – But Singletrack Can Be A Challenge The Garmin Connect Course Creator is yet another of Garmin’s under-utilized features. Other Apps and Software offer Course Creation, like RideWithGPS, but keeping everything inside the Garmin Connect Ecosystem allows for easier transfer to a Garmin Bike Computer or wristwatch. However, […]

Peavine Mountain Bike Video

Peavine Singletrack is fun, challenging, and easily accessible.

Mountain Biking On Peavine Mountain Is In My Blood! Hey everyone – I’m still working on several blog posts, but I had to post this mountain biking video real quick. It was filmed with a Skydio 2 Sports Drone, and I filmed this all on one battery. It depicts a trail on Peavine, the Halo […]