Garmin workouts - using average power

Wrath Rob

With the end of winter supposedly coming, maybe, I'm starting to think about how I'll be training once I get off of the turbo and no longer have Trainerroad. I've created workouts on Garmin Connect and downloaded them to my 800 before but I've hit a snag that, for me, renders the workout feature unusable.

Say I set the workout to be 5 minutes between 300w and 330w. I start the workout and accelerate to get my power up. This causes my power to be over 330w so Garmin beeps and tells me my power is too high. I then settle down into the zone and Garmin shuts up. For about 5 seconds before my power drops slightly out of the zone, so it beeps. Then I get back in the zone, then go slightly too high and it beeps. My 5 minute workout becomes 5 mins of Garmin beeping at me before I turn the workout off and try and remember what I was supposed to be doing.

Can I change this so that the workout is based off of one of the average power metrics, e.g. 5s average? If I could do that then my spring workouts (when they start) will be much more effective.

danowat

Wrath Rob wrote:

Can I change this so that the workout is based off of one of the average power metrics, e.g. 5s average? If I could do that then my spring workouts (when they start) will be much more effective.

Yes, just select one of the other metrics when you create or edit the workout

Wrath Rob

I don't get a choice in Garmin Connect. For example I select an interval, then set the duration using Time - 5 mins, and then the Target. The target is "Power Zone" and I then pick one of the zones. There's nothing to show what metric is being compared to that zone. Where are you seeing the choice of metrics? On the Garmin itself?

danowat

Yes, just create it on the unit, I've never used GC to create workouts

bigpikle

and to be fair, surely there arent really too many workouts that you need to programme into your Garmin to be able to do. The only ones I used to do this with were for stuff like 30 sec on/off whn you were doing 10-20 of them or something and keeping count while coughing up a lung could quickly get to be a challenge These also just tended be done on time rather than a power metric as well.

If you are doing all the intervals at a power range then just programme in time segments and use an Lap AP power display or 3 or 30 sec power field to track your progress.

danowat

Need?, maybe not, but I tend to do 95% of my rides with workouts, mainly because it makes post ride analysis easier, as each interval is given it's own lap without you having to actually press the lap button.

maryka

Can't you set the target to be avg watts for the whole interval? That's how I do mine, then it only beeps at the start (as you go off hard and it's briefly above your target watts) or if you dip below your desired average. Works for steady intervals obviously, not so much for surgy ones.

Edit: or yes, Lap AP display works best, it avoids all beeping

Wrath Rob

Thanks all, it sounds like GC is the root of my problems. I'll try re-creating the workout on the 800 itself and see how I get on.

a_n_t

Don't set a target in gc. I just keep an eye on the average power on the garmin.