Frequently Asked Questions About Garmin Coach Expert Running Plans

Garmin Coach expert running plans allow you to choose an expert running coach and your race goal, to receive guidance with a free Garmin Coach plan that includes dynamic workouts selected for you. These workouts sync to compatible Garmin® watches and will adjust to get harder or easier based on your performance in the plan. The following coaches are available:

• Jeff Galloway

• Amy Parkerson-Mitchell 

• Greg McMillan

As you approach your race date, the running plan will begin to taper down in order to keep you fresh for race day. If a goal is met early on in the training plan or if several workouts are skipped, it is normal to see some repetition in the training plan, as no adjustment is needed. It is also normal to see fewer "Long Run" workouts in the final weeks of a training plan as the coach's plan tapers down in order to keep an athlete fresh for their race.

Plans support run/walk pace up to runners that can manage between a 7:05 - 12:04 minute/mile or 4:24 - 7:30 minute/kilometer pace. 

• Garmin Coach 5K

• Garmin Coach 10K

• Garmin Coach Half Marathon 

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Select an option from the following list to jump to common topics:

• How Do I Load a Plan to My Watch?

• What Activity Profiles Can I Use for My Garmin Coach Plan?

• Can I Add My Own Alerts to the Garmin Coach Workouts?

• Can I Pause a Plan?

• Can I Skip the Optional Sections Within the Workout?

• What If I Miss or Skip a Workout? Can I Reschedule a Workout?

• What If I Quit My Plan?

• How Do I Change My Race Date?

• Garmin Coach Will Not Accept My Race Date

• What is the Garmin Coach Confidence Score?

• What Does a Garmin Coach Workout Look Like?

• Does Changing My Run with Time Goal Impact Future Workouts?

• Why is "Run With Time Goal" Not an Option When Setting Up a Garmin Coach Plan?

• Why Am I Getting a Message That Says "Room to Grow"?

• Why Am I Seeing Long Runs on a Non-Long Run Day?

• What Languages Does Garmin Coach Support?

• Expert Running Plan Video

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How Do I Load a Plan to My Watch?

You can sync a plan to your watch using the Garmin Connect™ platform. Select your platform below for detailed instructions.

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What Activity Profiles Can I Use for My Garmin Coach Plan?

When a Garmin Coach Plan workout is sent over to your watch it can be used with any indoor or outdoor profile that is compatible with that workout type. 

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Can I Add My Own Alerts to the Garmin Coach Workouts?

Any alerts you previously had set on the watch from the Run, Treadmill, or Bike profile will not go off when you are in a Garmin Coach workout. Garmin Coach workouts and alerts will override any alerts you had set up on the watch. 

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Can I Pause a Plan?

Yes. Pausing a plan beyond the scheduled race date will cause the plan to be marked as completed. If you need to pause the plan past the race date, edit the plan to extend the race date instead of only pausing.

Choose your platform below for detailed instructions.

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Can I Skip the Optional Sections Within the Workout?

Yes, the optional sections can be skipped by selecting the lap button. If several workouts are skipped, it is normal to see some repetition in the running plan. For details on where the lap button is refer to your owner's manual and search for "Device Overview".

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What If I Miss or Skip a Workout? Can I Reschedule a Workout?

If you miss a workout or physically skip a workout in your running plan, future workouts in the plan will adjust automatically to keep you on track for your goal. If you skip several workouts, you may receive a message asking if you want to pause the running plan and pick it up again at a later date. Once a workout has been missed or skipped, it cannot be rescheduled since running plans are designed to adapt automatically.

If you know ahead of time that you won't be able to complete your next scheduled workout, you can reschedule it from one of these platforms.

NOTE: Workouts can only be rescheduled if you are using a plan that takes advantage of one of the three experts, Greg, Amy, or Jeff. Other plans do not have the ability to reschedule workouts.

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What If I Quit My Plan?

When quitting a Garmin Coach training plan it is not possible to resume it like you can when you choose to pause a plan. Resuming a plan that you quit requires you to start over with a new one. New plans may be of a different type or threshold level than what you previously had scheduled on your calendar from the plan you recently quit. After quitting a plan, any workouts that were completed before the day on which you quit the plan will remain on your Garmin Connect calendar, but any workouts scheduled for today or later that have not yet been completed will be removed from your calendar.

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How Do I Change My Race Date?

Select your platform to reveal steps below:

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Garmin Coach Will Not Accept My Race Date

Garmin Coach will tailor a race program based on how you setup your plan. Selecting a registered event race or picking your own date will still require a minimum amount of weeks to ensure you receive enough training to reach your set goals. If you do not see your race event as an option, it means the minimum amount of weeks to train exceeds the event date. 

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What is the Garmin Coach Confidence Score?

The confidence score is based on your plan performance to date as it relates to your race goal. Confidence is expressed as a percentage that represents how confident your coach is that you will meet your race goal based on your current performance. Confidence scores will only show on your plan if you select a goal pace for your plan. They will not show if you select Run/Walk or Completion as your goal.

• Purple means you are exceeding your goal.

• Green means you are meeting your goal.

• Orange means you are slightly behind your goal.

• Red means you are likely to miss your goal.

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What Does a Garmin Coach Workout Look Like?

Here are some sample images from a Forerunner 945 watch during a Garmin Coach workout with a pace range and distance set. In the images below you see a graph indicating your speed in relation to the pace goal.

The left image depicts a pace that is slower than the set goal. The middle image shows a pace inside the range. The right image shows a pace faster than the set goal.

The number displayed in the upper half of the watch face is the average pace for the current step in the workout. This average is calculated over the entire step, not by the mile. For example, if the current step in the workout is 3 miles then the pace average is displaying a value from what was gathered over the entire 3 miles. There is no way to change that setting.

The number in the lower-left corner under "Run" is the distance remaining in the step. The number in the lower right under "Step Time" is the elapsed time in that step.

The screen options you will see will vary, depending on the workout and what Garmin watch you are using. Other data fields you may see include "Step Dist." (the distance you have gone during that workout step) and "Step Pace" (the average pace for that step in the workout).

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Does Changing My Run with Time Goal Impact Future Workouts?

When you initially setup the Garmin Coaching plan you are asked if you want to run/walk, run only, or run with a time goal for the upcoming 5k, 10k, or half marathon. Changing the run with a time goal will impact how your future workouts are structured. If you change the run with a time goal back to your original time/pace your future workouts may not go back to the distance or pace you were previously getting. Continuing with your planned workouts will assist in how your future workouts are setup by your Coach.

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Why is "Run With Time Goal" Not an Option When Setting Up a Garmin Coach Plan?

During the setup of our Garmin Coach plans you are asked to select the distance that you currently run on a weekly basis. If the value you select is low compared to the targeted planned distance you are attempting to complete, the tool will suggest selecting a plan with a shorter distance. If you decide to keep the original plan distance you will only be offered a completion goal. A time goal with a coach plan is designed for runners that have an established weekly run regimen comparative to the distance of the plan selected. 

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Why Am I Getting a Message That Says "Room to Grow"?

After a running plan workout is completed the metrics will be evaluated. Room to grow indicates the target goal was not met for that activity. Target goals will vary based on how the running plan was initially setup. For example, Run/Walk vs Run with Time Goal, Your selected Race Date, Pace, etc. 

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Why Am I Seeing Long Runs on a Non-Long Run Day?

Some plans may have longer runs on non-long run days based on the needs of the activity and plan.

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What Languages Does Garmin Coach Support?

• Chinese

• Czech

• Danish

• Dutch

• English

• French

• German

• Indonesian

• Italian

• Japanese

• Korean

• Norwegian

• Portuguese 

• Spanish

• Swedish

• Thai

• Vietnamese

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Understanding Garmin Coach:

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