Adding to the challenge, 2023 turned into a whirlwind of travel. I went from country to country, and through it all, I walked it Camino de Santiago a month and hike to Everest Base Camp a few months later. Between the constant environmental changes and jet lag, my running routine fell by the wayside. All I could manage was to squeeze in a 5K a few times a week.
But with the end of the year approaching, I wanted to find my own winter bow and gain some momentum for next year. One day, while playing with my Forerunner 265S, I discovered the daily suggested workout feature. The idea intrigued me: Daily runs tailored to my fitness level, designed to steadily increase overall performance — not for a specific race, but for life in general. I committed to following Garmin’s instructions for four weeks. At least it would give me something to work towards.
The workouts pushed me further than I would have gone on my own.
What are the daily workouts recommended by Garmin?
Garmin’s daily recommended workouts are based on a combination of performance data, according to Garmin product manager, Joe Hykes: your training load, calculated VO2 max, sleep data and recent activities.
“These personalized recommendations made by your watch will help you maintain or improve your current fitness level,” says Heikes. “Easy runs, harder runs and interval training are smartly combined. What’s right for you today is determined by what you’ve been doing lately, whether you’ve been training hard, taking some time off, or something in between.” This customized approach felt like exactly what I needed to regain consistency and find the fun in running again.
My experience using Garmin’s recommended daily workouts
Although you can set your running suggestions to be based on speed, I chose heart rate training (zone 2), which focuses on running in an effort that keeps your heart rate low and steady. I chose this option because my heart rate tends to rise quickly when running and I wanted to improve my ability to sustain lower intensity efforts. As I ran, the Garmin alerted me in real time whenever my heart rate wasn’t in the ideal zone, encouraging me to go either faster or slower.
The variety in design was another feature that surprised me. Some days focused on endurance, while others incorporated speed work or active recovery. Rest days were built into the plan, and I was surprised at how well the system balanced challenging workouts with plenty of recovery time.
Apps like Garmin that provide data can be really helpful, but you have to be careful to consider the context, he says Yolanda Bruce Brooks, PsyDclinical sports psychologist. With her advice in mind, I checked my recommended workouts on days when I wasn’t recovering as expected or when I hadn’t slept well the night before. I found that my suggested workouts would change, going down the scale. I didn’t feel like over-training or recovering – I was just being gently pushed towards a better version of myself.
My favorite part of the Garmin suggested workouts was the relief of not having to plan. I would wake up, check my suggested run, and head out the door. I didn’t have to wonder if I was pushing too hard or not enough – the system had already done the thinking for me. It took a lot of guesswork—and mental strain—from training.
The simplicity of following Garmin’s instructions allowed me to reconnect with why I started running in the first place—it made me happy.
This convenience allowed me to focus on what was missing from my running routine: consistency. Before, I avoided speed runs and tempo workouts because they scared me. I’ve always been more of a “slow and steady” runner. But Garmin made me stick with those sessions, and by the end of the four weeks, I found myself gaining confidence in my ability to tackle faster, more intense efforts. The continuous improvements have amazed me. I was able to run faster for longer than I thought I could and the workouts pushed me further than I would have gone on my own.
Over the course of four weeks, I didn’t transform into a speed demon, but I did notice some pretty impressive changes. By focusing on zone 2, my heart rate became more stable during runs, which made longer efforts feel less daunting. My average pace started to get faster. My consistency was better than ever, and I also began to trust my ability to handle tension.
While I wasn’t chasing specific metrics like VO2 max or race pace, I could feel my fitness improving each week. According to the Garmin measurements, my predicted VO2 max increased and my estimated race times decreased. And perhaps the most unexpected victory was how much I began to enjoy the process again. The simplicity of following Garmin’s instructions allowed me to reconnect with why I started running in the first place—it made me happy. I’ve even decided to enter another race in the new year, a sure sign that I’m regaining my confidence.
Although my four weeks are up, I plan to continue using Garmin’s recommended workouts moving forward. Not only have they helped me regain coherence but also rebuild my confidence in areas I used to avoid (cough, cough, work speed). As someone who tends to overthink my training, the Garmin has been a helpful guide, taking the mental strain out of running and letting me focus on what matters: putting one foot in front of the other.
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