This post was originally published on Well + Good
You will shortly be re-directed to the publisher's website
After finishing the Run Barbados Marathon last December, I found myself at a crossroads with running. In the post-race lethargy, I wasn’t sure what my running goals were. I bought myself a Garmin Forerunner 265S ($450) as a reward, a type of post-run treat, but in a twist of irony, my training became inconsistent. I’d lace up my shoes now and then, but it was more about not forgetting how to run than pursuing any real progress.
Adding to the challenge, 2023 turned into a whirlwind of travel. I was going from country to country, and in the midst of it all, I walked the Camino de Santiago one month and trekked to Everest Base Camp a few months later. Between the constant environmental changes and jet lag, my running routine fell to the wayside. Squeezing in a 5K a few times a week was all I could manage.
But with the end of the year approaching, I wanted to find my own winter arc and gain some momentum heading into next year. One day, while playing around with my Forerunner 265S, I discovered its daily suggested workouts feature. The concept intrigued me: Daily runs tailored to my fitness level, designed to steadily build overall performance—not for a specific race, but for life in general. I committed to following Garmin’s guidance for four weeks. At the very least, it would give me something to work toward.
The workouts pushed me farther than I’d go on my own.
What are Garmin’s daily suggested workouts?
Garmin’s daily suggested workouts are based on a combination of performance data, according to Garmin’s lead product manager, Joe Heikes: 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-type workouts are smartly mixed. 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 tailored approach felt like exactly what I needed to regain consistency and find the fun in running again.
My experience using Garmin’s daily suggested workouts
Although you can set your run suggestions to be speed-based, I opted for heart rate-based (zone 2) training, which focuses on running at an effort that keeps your heart rate low and steady. I chose this option because my heart rate tends to spike quickly when I run, and I wanted to improve my ability to sustain lower-intensity efforts. As I ran, Garmin notified me in real time anytime my heart rate wasn’t in the ideal zone, encouraging me to either go faster or slower.
The variety in the plan 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 ample recovery time.
Apps like Garmin that provide data can be really helpful, but you do have to be careful to take context into consideration, says Yolanda Bruce Brooks, PsyD, a clinical sports psychologist. With her advice in mind, I checked my suggested workouts on days I wasn’t recovering as expected or when I hadn’t slept well the night before. I found that my suggested workouts would change, scaling back. I didn’t feel overtrained or under-recovered—just gently pushed toward a better version of myself.
My favorite part of Garmin’s suggested workouts was the relief of not having to plan. I’d wake up, check my recommended run, and get out the door. I didn’t have to question whether I was pushing too hard or not hard enough—the system had already done the thinking for me. It took a lot of the guesswork—and mental strain—out of training.
The simplicity of following Garmin’s guidance allowed me to reconnect with why I started running in the first place—it made me happy.
This ease allowed me to focus on what had been missing from my running routine: consistency. Before, I’d avoided speed runs and tempo workouts because they intimidated me. I’ve always been more of a “slow and steady” runner. But Garmin made me stick to these sessions, and by the end of the four weeks, I found myself gaining confidence in my ability to tackle faster, more intense efforts. The consistent improvements surprised me. I was able to run faster for longer than I thought I could, and the workouts pushed me farther than I’d go 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. With a focus on zone 2, my heart rate became steadier during runs, which made longer efforts feel less daunting. My average pace started getting faster. My consistency was better than it’s ever been, and I also started to trust my ability to handle intensity.
While I wasn’t chasing specific metrics like VO₂ max or race pace, I could feel my fitness improving week by week. According to Garmin’s metrics, my predicted VO₂ max increased, and my estimated race times decreased. And perhaps the most unexpected win was how much I began to enjoy the process again. The simplicity of following Garmin’s guidance allowed me to reconnect with why I started running in the first place—it made me happy. I even decided to sign up for another race in the new year, a sure sign that I was gaining my confidence back.
Although my four weeks are up, I plan to continue using Garmin’s suggested workouts moving forward. They’ve not only helped me regain consistency but also rebuilt my confidence in areas I used to avoid (cough, cough, speed work). As someone who tends to overthink my training, 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.