Running workout builder
This running workout builder gives you training paces and sessions from your goal race. Send them to your watch as .fit files.
Your training paces
Riegel formula, ±16 s/mi window on the watch
Very easy. Between hard sessions.
Conversational. Most of your weekly volume.
Steady endurance pace.
Your goal pace.
Comfortably hard. About one hour of race effort.
Hard. 3 km to 5 km race effort.
17 sessions for your 10 km
All steps use the paces above. Build a training plan
- Warm up
- Steady
- Hard
- Recovery
- Cool down
Endurance
5The easy volume that builds the engine. Most of your week.
Recovery run 30 min
30:00 · 2.7 mi
30 min at 10:58/mi. The day after a hard session. Slower than you think.
1 stepsShowHide
- Steady: Recovery10:42-11:14/mi30:00
Easy run 45 min
45:00 · 4.5 mi
45 min at 10:05/mi. Slow enough to hold a conversation. If it hurts, you went too fast.
1 stepsShowHide
- Steady: Easy9:49-10:21/mi45:00
Long easy run 10 mi
1:34:45 · 10 mi
10 mi at one pace, no surprises. Time on your feet is the point.
1 stepsShowHide
- Steady: Steady9:12-9:45/mi10 mi
Long run 9 mi
1:22:25 · 9 mi
9 mi steady, then 2 mi at race pace on legs that are already tired.
2 stepsShowHide
- Steady: Steady9:12-9:45/mi7 mi
- Steady: Race pace finish7:47-8:19/mi2 mi
Progression run 6 mi
55:32 · 6 mi
Three equal blocks: easy, then long run pace, then threshold. Each one faster than the last.
3 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Block 1 easy9:49-10:21/mi2 mi
- Steady: Block 2 steady9:12-9:45/mi2 mi
- Hard: Block 3 threshold7:56-8:29/mi2 mi
Threshold
3Comfortably hard. Raises the pace you can hold for an hour.
Tempo 20 min
45:00 · 4.8 mi
One block at 8:12/mi, no breaks. Comfortably hard, not a race.
3 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Steady: Tempo7:56-8:29/mi20:00
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
5 x 1600 m cruise
1:13:18 · 8.1 mi
Same work as a tempo, cut into pieces with a 90 s jog. It hurts less.
12 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Repeat 5×
- Hard: 1600 m threshold7:56-8:29/mi1600 m
- Recovery: Jog recoveryby feel1:30
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
Over-under 5 x 1000 m
59:08 · 6.4 mi
Half above threshold, half back at race pace, no rest between the two. Teaches you to clear the burn while still running.
17 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Repeat 5×
- Hard: Over7:13-7:45/mi500 m
- Steady: Under7:47-8:19/mi500 m
- Recovery: Jog recoveryby feel2:00
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
Speed and VO2 max
5Short and hard, with recovery. One session per week is enough.
5 x 1000 m intervals
1:03:15 · 6.9 mi
Repeats at 7:29/mi, jog between each one. The last two reps are the ones that count.
12 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Repeat 5×
- Hard: 1000 m hard7:13-7:45/mi1000 m
- Recovery: Jog recoveryby feel3:00
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
12 x 400 m
1:05:20 · 7 mi
Short and sharp at 7:29/mi with a 90 s jog. Start controlled, the volume adds up.
26 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Repeat 12×
- Hard: 400 m fast7:13-7:45/mi400 m
- Recovery: Jog recoveryby feel1:30
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
Ladder 400-800-1200-800-400 m
49:45 · 5.4 mi
Up the ladder and back down, 2 min jog after each rep. The way down is where you find out.
11 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Hard: 400 m hard7:13-7:45/mi400 m
- Recovery: Jog recoveryby feel2:00
- Hard: 800 m hard7:13-7:45/mi800 m
- Recovery: Jog recoveryby feel2:00
- Hard: 1200 m hard7:13-7:45/mi1200 m
- Recovery: Jog recoveryby feel2:00
- Hard: 800 m hard7:13-7:45/mi800 m
- Recovery: Jog recoveryby feel2:00
- Hard: 400 m hard7:13-7:45/mi400 m
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
10 x 60 s hills
55:00 · 5.6 mi
Find a climb of about 5 %. Hard on the way up, walk or jog down. Strength work that does not feel like the gym.
22 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Repeat 10×
- Hard: Uphill hardby feel1:00
- Recovery: Jog downby feel2:00
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
Fartlek 1-2-3-2-1 min
1:01:00 · 6.5 mi
A pyramid of hard bursts with equal easy running between them. Twice through. No track needed.
22 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Repeat 2×
- Hard: 1 min hard7:13-7:45/mi1:00
- Recovery: 1 min easyby feel1:00
- Hard: 2 min hard7:13-7:45/mi2:00
- Recovery: 2 min easyby feel2:00
- Hard: 3 min hard7:56-8:29/mi3:00
- Recovery: 3 min easyby feel3:00
- Hard: 2 min hard7:13-7:45/mi2:00
- Recovery: 2 min easyby feel2:00
- Hard: 1 min hard7:13-7:45/mi1:00
- Recovery: 1 min easyby feel1:00
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
Race specific
3Goal pace on tired legs, so race day feels known.
10K pace 4 x 1600 m
1:05:00 · 7.2 mi
Reps at your goal pace of 8:03/mi. Race day is a bad time to discover what it feels like.
10 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Repeat 4×
- Steady: 1600 m race pace7:47-8:19/mi1600 m
- Recovery: Easy floatby feel2:00
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
Race simulation 5 mi
1:05:14 · 7.4 mi
One unbroken block at 8:03/mi. A dress rehearsal for shoes, drinks and pacing.
3 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Warm up9:49-10:21/mi15:00
- Steady: Goal pace7:47-8:19/mi5 mi
- Cool down: Cool down10:42-11:14/mi10:00
Negative split 8 mi
1:12:32 · 8 mi
First half easy, second half at goal pace. The pacing you want on race day.
2 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: First half easy9:49-10:21/mi4 mi
- Steady: Second half goal pace7:47-8:19/mi4 mi
Technique
1Cheap on the legs, good for your form.
Easy run + 8 strides
50:40 · 5.1 mi
Easy running, then 8 short bursts of speed. Good for your form, cheap on your legs.
18 stepsShowHide
- Warm up: Easy9:49-10:21/mi30:00
- Repeat 8×
- Hard: Strideby feel0:20
- Recovery: Walk backby feel1:00
- Cool down: Easy9:49-10:21/mi10:00
Getting a workout onto your watch
Three steps, no account needed.
- 1
Download
Tap the .fit button on any session above.
- 2
Copy over USB
Plug the watch in and drop the file in
GARMIN/NEWFILES. Eject the watch, then restart it. - 3
Run it
On the watch, go to Training → Workouts and start the session.
Do not upload the file to Garmin Connect. It does not accept workout files.