I have recently started to use Xert and did indoor workouts on trainer. I had an idea that for outdoor, I would just do freestyle riding following Xata recomendation for Focus duration and having datafield Focus and Strain in Garmin. The reason for that was, that I live in a quite hilly area and cannot see, how to perform interval workout in such hilly terrain. But I was wondering, if my outdoor training would not be much more beneficial with smart workouts than with just with free riding while focusing on interval target of focus duration? I.e. would be training with smart workouts more efficient than free riding at interval target power?
. How do you deal with interval workouts with similar hilly terrain - riding uphill when recovery should start and vica versa. There is no option to pause workout (time still runs), till I get to more appropriete terrain for particular interval and I would loose navigation functionality, elevation profile… with Xert player.
Other option would be to download it and import workuts to Garmin, but workouts would stop being “smart” (BUT does it really matter?). I tried import with a few different workouts, but always got power nonsense (as shown on photo). I exported them from xert as tcx and than connected Edge and put files in newfiles folder, which is correct way I think. I used to create workouts with intervals in garmin connect before and they could have duration till pressing lap button (I have remote control, so it was convenient) so I could adjust interval length to elevation profile, I thought that I could modify xert workout similarly.
Are there no out and back routes along a river that include a gradual climb?
Have you tried the Connect IQ app on the Garmin?
I would surely find some gradual climb, but its length will not match any intervals duration of Xert workouts.
What app do you mean, Xert player? I tried it and it works fine indoors.
I think your approach of riding to focus and using the terrain is most sensible. So push on the uphill, cruise the downhill if you’re doing short focus workouts, and keep more steady up and down for endurance workouts.
You could try and create your own workouts that fit the terrain a bit better, but as you get fitter they’d need to be adjusted (you’ll climb quicker / for less time), so feels like hard work to maintain. I don’t think you can define Xert workouts in terms of distance, but may actually be useful in this case… perhaps one for the Xert team to think about?
The biggest issue with hills (depending on steepness and length) is the downhill - can be dangerous or impossible to do high intensity downhill, especially with bends. For endurance workouts it’s typically more manageable, but I just ride to target power for those, rather than do a workout
You can pause workouts but everything runs in the background including recovery of MPA, which can significantly change the nature of a Smart workout, which I guess is part of your issue.
You are right re navigation and the player but don’t find that an issue in practice. Only need navigation on long rides to new places, which are going to be endurance focused and not needing a workout as already mentioned
Thank you for help Wesley, it was exactly my thinking, when I created workout, where intervals/laps changed with distance in Garmin Connect in the past. But I did not like a lack of informatins of garmin workout page (it doesnt show HR, cadence…), so I have started to use racenotes datafield, where I written(and memorized) distance markers, where each interval of workout should begin and I have started them by pressing lap button on remote control(or edge device). It required planning to go through elevation profile thoroughly and on base of that I written down notes for intervals. I was thinking to do something similar with Xert and as player shows more information (not sure about size of power number outdoor), distance markers could be useful for that, as you wrote. I was thinking if I dont miss something with focusing on Interval target and not using smart workouts, so I tried to replicated one in GC (its not smart anymore, but its at leas structured and for endurance rides should not be important anyway) and will try next week if it could work on some more flatty terrain. But as you as well mentioned, it would be hard work to maintain, because with every BT I would need to adjust intesity for each workout according to new fitness signature.
Another approach might be just going for the loose ride.
What I understood from another threat in this forum is that the Garmin Xert app gives you some easy to follow directions without following the strict power timeboxes in your regular workout.
“Interval Targets” is on of these directions. From the FAQ:
“The last value shown in your Interval Targets. This value provides a rough estimate of the power target you should be looking to maintain during intervals, if you are planning on just riding and not following a workout. The more time you spend at this intensity, the more you are training at the correct focus. Combining efforts above and below this intensity is also effective.”
Gr Johan B