RW's Garmin Schedules: FAQs

Choosing and customising a schedule

• Which schedule should I follow?
• If I customise the training paces or heart rates in the schedule, will they still get me to my marathon goal?
• I don't know whether the default paces on the schedules are right for me.
• Won't this work on my Forerunner 201?

Downloading the schedule from RW onto your Forerunner

• The Forerunner software update doesn't work
• Can you talk me through the whole download process?
• I get an error message reporting that rwschedule.wkt is not a valid workout file
• I've imported the RW schedule, but I can't see any workouts in my calendar.
• Does changing my HR on the download page change it in Training Center?
• I'm using a Forerunner 405. How do I upload the schedule to my wrist unit?

Using Training Center

• I want to shuffle some dates around - can I do that?
• I want to alter some sessions - can I do that?
• I've been injured – can I recalculate a schedule to allow for this?
• I've started following my schedule but I'm faster/slower than I thought. Is it too late to change my pace targets or heart rate targets?
• Can't I just change the training heart-rate targets and training pace-targets in Training Center?

Following the sessions

• There isn't much detail in the schedule I downloaded, compared with the version on the download page
• The workout names are short - and some seem truncated (eg Fartlek 6M, wu/). Am I missing something?
• The pace alert beeps all the time on my Forerunner 301
• I can't follow the distances in the schedule exactly, even though my Forerunner tells me to
• How can I see my mile splits? Do I need to redefine each of the workouts?
• Why don't some speedwork sessions have heart rate targets? I downloaded the heart-rate-based schedule.
• The schedule specifies 2-minute climbs for hill sessions. My hill is longer/shorter
• How do I vary the pace smoothing option?

More help... If you don't find the answer to your question in the above FAQs, then please email Garmin's helpline, inputting 'Runner's World training plans' in the subject field of your email to aid our product support teams.

Choosing and customising a schedule

Which schedule should I follow? - If you've raced at any distance before, see what our race-time predictor says. Try inputting your race times for different distances if you've done more than one, as the result may vary. If you haven't raced before, see which schedules match your current weekly mileages. One of the advantages of downloading a heart rate based schedule is that your SDM will guide you based on your ability.

If I customise the training paces or heart rates in the schedule, will they still get me to my marathon goal? - There are no guarantees in marathon training, but the default schedules will get most people to the default goals, allowing for a missed week or two and a little flexibility in training paces. If you have natural endurance it may not matter that you run speedwork 30 seconds a mile slower than prescribed, but you should try as hard as you can. Alternatively some injury-prone runners may be able to get above-average results by following a low-mileage schedule at a higher pace than prescribed. If in doubt, start with a schedule in which the default pace targets match your own ability as closely as possible, even if it means tempering your marathon goal for now. Or use heart rate targets, which will automatically provide the right pace for you. You can always change your goal partway through (see below).

I don't know whether the default paces on the schedules are right for me. Should I just trust them? If a schedule's mileage is right for you, start off at its default paces unless you know better. Runners have hit marathon targets on these paces for decades. But everyone has different biases towards speed or endurance, and you can recalculate your target paces (or just the slower ones or faster ones) based on race and training results every four weeks or so.

Won't this work on my Forerunner 201? No, we're afraid that the 201 doesn't support training schedules.

Downloading the schedule from RW onto your Forerunner

You suggested I download a software update to improve pace smoothing on my Forerunner 205 and 305, but I get a 'command line' message when I try to open the update.exe file. Sorry that this is not clear: You need to drag the '.rgn' file onto the 'updater.exe' file, and the update happens automatically.

Find the relevant software update for your device:
Forerunner 405
Forerunner 410
Forerunner 610
Forerunner 310XT
Forerunner 910XT

Can you talk me through the whole download process?
Certainly:

1. Download a schedule - this will place a file called 'rwschedule.wkt' onto your PC
2. Open the Garmin Training Center software on your PC. (This is available on Garmin's website, and on the CD that came with your Forerunner.)
3. If you have already typed workouts into your Training Center calendar for January-April 2007, you may want to delete them, otherwise the RW schedules will sit alongside them.
4. In the top menu bar in Training Center, choose File > Import workouts, and select the 'rw schedule.wkt' that you downloaded. This will bring the RW schedule into your Training Center calendar (starting Jan 1)
5. Next time you connect your Forerunner to the PC, a message will ask whether you want to transfer the workouts onto your Forerunner - select 'yes'.

When I try to import the RW schedules into Training Center, I get an error message reporting that rwschedule.wkt is not a valid workout file. Please check the version of Training Center you're using (go to 'Help > About' in the top menu) - it should be 3.1 or later. If not, visit Garmin's update page, scroll down to your Forerunner model and download the latest Training Center update. Please let us know if you still have trouble.

I've imported the RW schedule, but I can't see any workouts in my calendar. Have you scrolled down to January 1? If they're still not there, please let us know. If they're there and you want to try some early, copy workouts into an early date.

Does changing my HR on the download page change it in Training Center? No, it's just on the download page for illustrative purposes. The percentages of MHR that you see and can revise on the download page will be carried through to Training Center though. To change your MHR, click 'profile' in Training Center.

I'm using a wireless Forerunner (405, 405CX, 410, 610, 310XT, 910XT). How do I pair with my computer? If you are using one of our wireless data transfer devices (Forerunner 405 / 410 / 610 / 310XT or 910XT), please ensure you have downloaded the ANT Agent on to your computer and that you have already paired your device with your computer. You would have done this when you first set up your device with your computer, but if you are unsure, please check the following link).

I'm using a Forerunner 405. How do I upload the schedule to my wrist unit? Open Training Center software on your PC, and ensure that the ANT stick is plugged-in to your computer. (If you are having difficulty pairing your 405 with your computer, click here). Import the schedule into Training Center as per the Runner's World instructions. Then, within Training Center, select "File > send to device", ensuring that your 405 is within range. The training schedule should then start to transfer. To view status, right click on the ANT icon and click Open Garmin ANT Agent.

Using Training Center

I want to shuffle some dates around - can I do that? Yes, just drag them from one date to another in Training Center.

I want to alter some sessions - can I do that? Yes, you have two options. If you want to change all occurences of a session (eg you want to reduce the jog recovery from 3 mins to 2 mins every time you do a 12 x 200m hill session) then edit it in Training Center by clicking the session in the workout list on the left of your calendar. If you just want to change one occurence - eg your normal Monday 5 miles easy needs to be 6.5 miles brisk to accommodate a friend, then don't edit the session in the workout list or it will change all occurences of 5 miles easy. Instead, delete the workout from the day you want to change, create a new workout and pull it into the right day on the calendar.

I've been injured – can I recalculate a schedule to allow for this? No (not at the moment). Most schedules will accommodate a week or two out for illness or injury, and if you are fully recovered you just need to ease back into them over the course of a further fortnight. If you suffer a serious setback for some weeks, but are genuinely able to continue with training, your best course of action may be to import an easier schedule, in which a more modest mileage allows you to get back on track with minimal health risk.

I've started following my schedule but I'm faster/slower than I thought. Is it too late to change my pace targets or heart rate targets? No, just delete the schedule from Training Center (your workout history will remain intact), then come back to this page, adjust your targets and upload the new schedule into Training Center. Alternatively, if you are following a schedule with heart-rate targets and the problem is caused by an inaccurate maximum heart rate, just correct your maximum heart rate in the personal-profile section of Training Center.

Can't I just change the training heart-rate targets and training pace-targets in Training Center? It's easiest to re-upload the entire schedule as described above. The targets are custom-made for each session and do not relate to the training zones that are built into your Forerunner.

Following the sessions

There isn't much detail in the schedule I downloaded, compared with the version on the download page. There is - it's in your Training Center calendar in the 'notes' section that accompanies each workout. There's just not room on your Forerunner to display it. For more explanations and pep talks by email, sign up to our weekly spring marathon email.

The workout names are short - and some seem truncated (eg Fartlek 6M, wu/). Am I missing something? Workout names are limited to 15 characters, so some may look a bit cryptic on your Forerunner. The full workout descriptions, with notes, are on your Training Center calendar (and the printable version of the schedules). ('Wu/cd' means 'with warmup and cooldown', incidentally, and your Forerunner will guide you through both elements.)

The pace alert beeps all the time on my Forerunner 301 If your targets seem wrong, we suggest you change your heart rate or pace settings on this page and download a new version of the schedule. (Delete the old one from Training Center before you import the new one.) Your pace alert may beep too much in some speed sessions, particularly as your heart rate takes time to rise at the start and then drifts naturally upwards at then end, and we suggest you ignore it or switch it off if this happens (see below for more about speedwork)

I can't follow the distances in the schedule exactly, even though my Forerunner tells me to We realise that in real life your warmup to the park may be 1.8 miles not 1.5 miles, your long run route may be 12.8 miles not 13 miles, or your speedwork loop may measure 830m not 800m. If it's shorter than the Garmin prescribes, just press 'lap' to move to the next segment in your workout, or 'stop' to end the session. If the Garmin gets to the end of a segment before you do (eg it says you've reached the end of an 800m repetition and moves straight into the 'recovery jog') you need to pause the Garmin when it beeps, then restart it when you get to the end of your lap. If this proves impractical you may choose to switch off the alert and ignore the monitor altogether.

How can I see my mile splits? Do I need to redefine each of the workouts? You can actually set the Forerunner to automatically record data for each mile already.
To clarify:

• as it stands, the Forerunner will record data for each lap individually.
  This will work really well, particularly for interval based sessions, as each interval/step counts as a lap.
  
  
• if you want to, you can set the Forerunner to auto lap at every mile instead. To do this from the main menu screen in the Forerunner, proceed as follows:
  Training > Training Options > Auto Lap > By distance
  Garmin suggests that this is something the user selects depending on the session e.g. this would work better for steady / slow / easy sessions rather than intervals.

Why don't some speedwork sessions have heart rate targets? I downloaded the heart-rate-based schedule. Repetitions below 1000m don't have heart rate targets because your heart rate naturally changes so much. It takes time to rise high enough at the start and then drifts naturally upwards at the end. In a short repetition this may mean you have barely two minutes in the middle when your body is able to hit a target heart rate. Our feeling is that trying to stick to a heart rate would stifle speed sessions like these. Your aim instead should be to judge your effort. You should finish each rep strongly, but without energy to spare, and finish the last rep as strongly as the first.

The schedule specifies 2-minute climbs for hill sessions. My hill is longer/shorter. We chose a time target rather than pace or heart rate because hills vary so much. If your hill is longer than two minutes, we suggest you try to get further up the hill each session in your two minute window. If your hill is shorter, you'll just need to press 'lap' on your Forerunner to move onto the next step.

How do I vary the Pace smoothing option? To set the pace smoothing on the Forerunner, first select settings from the menu, then select running followed by Speed Units. If you have the Units set to Pace, then the smoothing options will be shown underneath and can be varied depending on user preferences. Selecting 'most' is the recommended option for following the Runner's World schedules.