Discovery Health - Vitality & Team Vitality plus everything else you need to know

[Thor Buttox]

They cracked down because people were claiming points without doing the activity, here we are now looking at claiming less points for the workouts we do.

 

I do not see it as manipulating the system, discovery are requesting that we get X points a week to get a reward.... there is nothing in the t&c's that says we have to advise them we got further additional points than what is required.

 

You get the points requested you get rewarded, you get additional points for further workouts you get no benefit and possibly a negative benefit as your weekly points may go up.

 

As long as you hit the target, then that is all I see I need to inform discovery about, nothing further!

Yup, after first moaning that the new system was crap, and then thinking it would all work out fine, this morning I decided to do no more, no less. Was giving it horns up and down the hills and because my heart rate is naturally quite low, I got 100 pts. Can't be assed to upload more if the weighting system is so biased towards the 80% thing. I need a few rest days now so no points. Pity they think I won't be contributing to my health & fitness. Hope their 'data mining' gets updated.

['Kaze Pete]

I've unlinked Garmin Connect from Discovery. All they'll get will be gym and smoothie swipes and a random watch based activity here or there to get to the minimum. Points are not an issue, as I am maxed out like most on here.

 

So much so for whatever plan they had to collect verifiable data! 

[Rocket-Boy]

5hr ride at 77% for 300 points yesterday

35min run today at 87% for 300 points (my HR always significantly higher when running)

500 points achieved so expect to be on 600 next week.

 

At what point do you have 2 garmin accounts, one for Discovery to show that you are only just achieving the points, hoping that it does not increase each week.... and another garmin account not linked to Discovery so that you can monitor your training?

 

Anyone have an idea what the upper limit will be with this new points system? 1200 like before?

On the previous scoring I often used to upload and then mark as private so that it wouldnt sync through. Otherwise the target just kept climbing too quickly.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Yup, after first moaning that the new system was crap, and then thinking it would all work out fine, this morning I decided to do no more, no less. Was giving it horns up and down the hills and because my heart rate is naturally quite low, I got 100 pts. Can't be assed to upload more if the weighting system is so biased towards the 80% thing. I need a few rest days now so no points. Pity they think I won't be contributing to my health & fitness. Hope their 'data mining' gets updated.

it's your ass. Still writing those cheques it can't cash....

 

[Marq001]

Unless it's recorded on a Garmin or Polar it won't count on Disco, even if recorded on the IDT system. I have the same problem with Tacx.

 

Syncing from wherever to GC via Tapiriik is now a waste of time if you are doing it to get it onto GC to get Disco points, that door closed on April 2.

 

The only way to get Disco points is to use the correct device and load it onto Garmin or Polar.

 

Although, to be honest, I have not tried to load a manual workout onto Polar since Disco started accepting Garmin for exercise a while ago, it was possible to load Garmin onto Polar with some ballache to get 100 points. If I wasn't maxed out on points for 2016 maybe I would try that. Will have to look for my notes.

 

Great, thnaks. Just wanted to know if it was only me having this issue. 

 

Im not to stress about the IDT sessions to get points, more to understand why it doesnt upload properly.

[Thor Buttox]

it's your ass. Still writing those cheques it can't cash....

 

Haha, my ass ain't no donkey!

[slickandtyred]

I've unlinked Garmin Connect from Discovery. All they'll get will be gym and smoothie swipes and a random watch based activity here or there to get to the minimum. Points are not an issue, as I am maxed out like most on here.

 

So much so for whatever plan they had to collect verifiable data!

I think many will do likewise. Well done Disco

[HappyMartin]

I am successfully using my tacx and recording the session to my Garmin 800 at the same time using a tacx HR strap that transmits on ant+ which the Garmin picks up and BT which the tacx uses. Then it's Garmin exercise file to Garmin connect and to vitality. Works flawlessly so far. I feel it's an honest work around. Really am doing the exercise.

 

I figure that as it gets more and more difficult to get vitality points I may as well record all I can.

 

I'm not too put out about the new points system. Easy for me to say since I have a small advantage being 55 and having a MX HR of 195 and a threshold of 175. Even an easy day qualifies as vigorous. Strange that hitting 185 repeatedly on a Tabata session doesn't get alarm bells ringing though. It's 20 beats over my supposed max.

 

What is annoying is only being able to use one exercise session a day. If the aim is to get us off our couches that doesn't make sense.

[Titanium Rocket]

Can anyone else confirm whether Discovery has stopped awarding Vitality points for canoeing and surf ski races? My wife tried for the recent Umkomaas Canoe Marathon, and it wouldn't upload. She spoke to someone at their main offices, and was told it's "...because canoe races and surf ski events are not electronically timed." She told the bloke what absolute crap, the Dusi and Umkomaas races have been going for over 50 years, now you're saying they're not good enough for Discovery! Anyway she'll continue pursuing this to the very top today. Meantime can anyone else corroborate this?  

[shaper]

Can anyone else confirm whether Discovery has stopped awarding Vitality points for canoeing and surf ski races? My wife tried for the recent Umkomaas Canoe Marathon, and it wouldn't upload. She spoke to someone at their main offices, and was told it's "...because canoe races and surf ski events are not electronically timed." She told the bloke what absolute crap, the Dusi and Umkomaas races have been going for over 50 years, now you're saying they're not good enough for Discovery! Anyway she'll continue pursuing this to the very top today. Meantime can anyone else corroborate this?  

I cannot comment, but wouldn't be surprised at this.  Discovery have changed their focus with this points system and are not interested or actually care about the athletes who train... seem more interested in the couch potatoes in trying to get them to do a park run and then swipe at the gym when they collect their smoothie... perhaps seeing others at the gym working out might motivate them.

 

But is definitely not aimed at the athletes already training!!

[carbon29er]

I can understand Discovery rewarding activities through their partners that charge a fee to participate.

 

After all it is a business for both Discovery and the partner, ParkRun requires a membership, as does the gym. It's us cheapskates doing lot's of exercise and getting rewards without paying fees to partners that is the problem in the business model.

[Cyclewizz]

For the guys that only submit what is required, does it help or does your target still increase by 100 points a week (since 2 April 16) ?

 

Before April 16 I found that the increases were 50 points per week but now it seems Vitality is in a huge hurry to get everybody back to 1200.

[HOEKVLAG]

I got 3000 points for the Route 42 race yesterday - HR based. With the last of the bulk training for Sani over the next couple of weeks that's no going to help my goal at all...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

For the guys that only submit what is required, does it help or does your target still increase by 100 points a week (since 2 April 16) ?

 

Before April 16 I found that the increases were 50 points per week but now it seems Vitality is in a huge hurry to get everybody back to 1200.

Yep, up by 100 points to 500. That's what I was on previously though, but I expect I'll get there by tomorrow. 30 min slow and steady on the spinning bike and then a Tabata session on the rower will get me to 300 points easily. 

[shaper]

For the guys that only submit what is required, does it help or does your target still increase by 100 points a week (since 2 April 16) ?

 

Before April 16 I found that the increases were 50 points per week but now it seems Vitality is in a huge hurry to get everybody back to 1200.

I have increased at 100 points per week since the 2 April (currently on 500, expecting 600 next week).  Today I created a second Garmin Account, delinked my main account and relinked the new one, so intend to start submitting selectively what is required.  

 

My devices will automatically upload to my main Garmin account, and then sync with Strava, Training Peaks etc.  I will then manually upload from device to the 2nd account the workouts that will get me the points in conjunction with my gym visits and that is synced with Discovery

 

So cannot say yet, but will keep people posted as I also have concerns that they are rushing us back to 1200.  To do 4 high intensity workouts a week to meet a goal is not good and affects my training plan (even if is a 30min thrown into the middle of training), especially in winter I spend more time at endurance level.

[Foxie]

I did the 36one MTB race this last weekend . 362km of mountain biking in 21hrs and archived a whole 300points .