Planning your own custom workouts using Garmin Connect

As an athlete, one thing you want to remove from your schedule is monotony. Doing the same run over and over again will get you to one point, but beyond that you can improve only if you incorporate new ways of pushing your limits

People like me, who are like obsessive compulsive triathletes, spend hours on websites like runningcompetitor.com or triathloncompetitor.com or runnersworld.com, looking at workouts and selecting the ones that I like and would challenge me. Memorizing the workouts and then implementing them is a part of my schedule.

Garmin users must be aware about the "Intervals" and "Workouts" features where you can customize a workout and pursue it on a session. But what if your workout is a complex set of different variables
For e.g.  There is a workout I like to call the "Sisyphus Session". It is hill repeat workout when the runner has to warmup by running a 5k. And then run uphill for 30 seconds at 5k pace and then go back down 30 seconds on recovery.. The interval size has to be increased by 30 seconds till it reaches 2 minutes, so in the last set you run 2 minutes uphill at 5k pace and the recover for 2 mins. Repeat this process 3 times and then finally you cool down by running a 3k.
The session in itself sounds complex and the issue with using the Garmin Interval mode is that you cannot modify the set linearity. As in, you can set intervals of 1k run, 30 second rest but you cannot set progressively changing intervals.

Here is where the Garmin Connect workout section comes into picture. The Workout section allows you to create, customize and modify a workout as per your own convenience. 
To try this, i'll take the example of the workout mentioned above. So :
 

Step 1 : Go to connect.garmin.com and login.
Step 2 : From the menu, scroll to the bottom and select workouts.
Step 3 : On  the page, Select the type from Dropdown : Run/Bike/Pool Swim/Custom and click on Create workout which would open a window (i'll select Run)
Step 4 : 


This window will open. As you can see there are parts already added to the workout, which can be customized.

Like type of Step :


Type of duration :



Intensity Target :



So after selecting whether you want to run by time or by distance or by heart rate or by calories burnt or simply on the press of the Lap button (too many options, life is easy :P)  and selecting you zone you create your own workout.

Step 5 :  Add finishing touches to your workouts.

This is how my workout looks like

Step 6 :  Go out and smash it on the track!

So, from now, you can carry your own coach on your wrist. Your very own Garmin Device.