# Garmin Connect "Goals"?



## Switchblade906 (Mar 4, 2012)

Im trying to set goals for myself to complete so i feel more accomplished and I'm having a hard time thinking of a number of hours that would be good to achieve in a months time. I like to try and push my self not just get there and have days left and not be working towards anything.

In 2 weeks of having the Garmin I've done 4 hours and 40 minutes, yeah i know its not a lot but my ride today was 1 hour and 12 minutes so I'm building up pretty fast.


----------



## savagemann (Dec 17, 2011)

Depends how hard you wanna push yourself.
I would set goals for weekly frequency rather than time.
It would push me to go out more often.
That way I wasn't pushing saddle time if I couldn't stay on the bike long enough.
But would force myself to get out and ride if I was feeling lazy, even of it was just a short ride.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Y'know, I think setting goals can be good, and I like cool technology as much as the next guy, but IMHO you may be focusing on the wrong stuff and getting too hung up on numbers that don't mean anything. Sheer number of hours, like miles, doesn't really mean much. If you are enjoying the sport, just go out and ride, as often as you can fit it into the rest of your life, for as long as you have time. More important, try to ride a little harder and faster each time, except on days when you feel tired and want to recover a little.

I think you said recently your longest ride so far was 16 miles. Make a 20-mile ride your next goal.

See if you can find a place where you can measure out a personal time-trial course. Ideally, something over 5 miles, with light traffic and as few controlled intersections as possible, preferably with only right turns so you can avoid stopping. Ride it a couple of times carefully, learning all the little nuances of the road conditions. Then ride it as fast as you can, after warming up for at least a couple of miles first. That's your benchmark. Next time, try to ride it faster. Don't do it every ride, but try it every week or two. Keep in mind that even on the perfect course, conditions (especially wind) will vary, so a change from one ride to the next may not mean much. But the trend will tell you something about the improvement in your fitness and skills.

Use the Garmin's mapping ability to have fun. Go out sometime and deliberately get lost. Just turn onto whatever street looks interesting, and see where things go, without plannng or consulting the map. If you find yourself in a bad spot where there's no inviting way to go, or you are getting tired and want to find the shortest way home, GPS is there. I've found some very nice routes by getting lost (sans GPS).

don't make the mistake of getting too hung up on numbers. It's about turning the pedals.

Don't forget to have fun.


----------



## Switchblade906 (Mar 4, 2012)

I actually just did 20.48 miles tonight. It took me 1:26 minutes but it wore me out lol


----------



## TTigg (Sep 9, 2011)

I wish Garmin would add some more choices on some of the goals. Maybe specific to certain sports? Cycling wise I'd love to set up a goal to ride 100 miles in one go, not possible in current Garmin settings. 

I do like the goals though. I'm still new but the goals I had setup last year (Oct, Nov & Dec) I blew by. In Jan I decided to set up yearly goals for calories, miles (cycling & running). If they begin to add more options then I think its going to be even easier to set different goals specific to certain aspects (Tris etc)


----------



## Switchblade906 (Mar 4, 2012)

Yes i do wish that you could set a goal for 1 ride. I tried to do that the other day but no such luck.....


----------



## RB Mike (Feb 23, 2011)

When I first picked up the Garmin 500, I spent hours setting up weekly distance and time goals for the entire season. After just a few weeks with the device, I quickly learned that these goals were not only worthless, but really a huge distraction.

Rather than setting these goals, I've gained more enjoyment from other data points. Here are a few of the ways that I've really learned to enjoy the Garmin (and the connect.garmin.com site):

*Average Speed*
Especially when I'm stuck repeating similar routes, I find that watching my average speed gradually increase over the course of the season to be extremely gratifying. Comparing an early March 15.8mph to a September 19.4mph leaves me grinning from ear to ear.

*Average HR*
While HR is by no means the end-all-be-all, I've found the average HR data to be quite indicative of my fitness level. Watching it drop 20-30bpm as my average speed and distance climb is very motivational.

*Cadence*
Maybe I'm the only one, but I set out on every ride with the goal of eliminating all dead-spots in my cadence charts. Also, the goal of nailing a perfect (for my riding style) cadence of 90 rpms eliminates any tedium associated with riding the flats.

*Explore*
What better way to see what routes other riders in your area are riding and how you stack up? Inevitably, you'll find humility and pride in these somewhat-anonymous data sets.


----------



## TTigg (Sep 9, 2011)

Agreed,

I set up yearly goals for miles, calories and runs. That's pretty dam impressive on the average speed gains. Can you share tips on how to increase speed?

Thanks
Steve


----------



## RB Mike (Feb 23, 2011)

TTigg said:


> Agreed,
> 
> I set up yearly goals for miles, calories and runs. That's pretty dam impressive on the average speed gains. Can you share tips on how to increase speed?
> 
> ...


My best tip: employ a high intensity interval training plan. 

The gains I posted were from the first year on the bike and I owe much of my gains to following Chris Carmichael's Time Crunched Cyclist.


----------



## TTigg (Sep 9, 2011)

RB Mike said:


> My best tip: employ a high intensity interval training plan.
> 
> The gains I posted were from the first year on the bike and I owe much of my gains to following Chris Carmichael's Time Crunched Cyclist.


Thanks Mike, 
I'll have to check that out. :thumbsup:


----------

