Hey there! Im not sure if this a softwear or training questions.
I just signed up for Trainer Road to use the outdoor work out function (game changer). The problem I’m running into durning workouts is holding the correct power on hills. I’m lucky enough to live in the mountains, but we have to climb where ever we ride. This makes holding the correct power almost impossible depending on the grade of the hill.
Any tips or some sort of calibration I can do for more consistent power?
I have the Garmin Fenix 5, and durning TR Outdoor workouts the Fenix is constantly beeping a telling me when im in my “desired power” and when im not. Does anyone know how to turn that function off?
Durning 15 sec pickups my watch it almost constantly beeping!
You want to have power as 3 or 5 second average - which will smooth out the readings and make it less hectic to try and hold a target. I always have 3 second power as my data screen.
For alerts, most Garmin’s allow you to turn on and off alerts sounds - like the beep you are getting. I’m not sure exactly where in the menu this is for the Fenix 5, but take a look at this support article which might help: fēnix 5/5S - Setting an Alert
First - turn off the beeps I find the audio alerts both annoying and useless. (I don’t knw how to do it on the Fenix but on an Edge, its in the Activities Profiles.
It takes some practice to be able to hold steady power outdoors. Even when you get good at it it will never be rock steady but generally staying within a 10 watt range is achievable with practice.
I go a different route than most people and prefer to have both 3 second power and real time power on my screen. I find looking at both gives me a better picture of what is happening and lets me make smaller corrections.
It should be easier on a climb than on a flatish road. If you’re doing short intervalls, do the work intervalls uphill and the recovery downhill. You’ll probably end up creeping a bit more uphill everytime, but if your climb is long enough, that shouldn’t be a problem.
I wouldn’t worry about hitting the exact power during recovery periods (50% ftp or thereabouts). If the ‘recovery’ is higher as in over-unders, you should probably just keep climbing in a lower gear.
If the hills are too steep to keep power low enough, you’ll need easier gears!
I live a short ride ride from all sorts of Cat HC, 1, 2 climbs. The key is to have the right gears in order to stay inside of power targets for the outdoor workouts.
I’m not small and have to ride in a 36-30/32 in order to stay under my FTP on most of the climbs around there. YMMV.
I find the audio alerts both annoying and useless. (I don’t knw how to do it on the Fenix but on an Edge, its in the Activities Profiles.