After completing the Garmin Coach 5k and Half Marathon training program I finally got to try out the 10k program! Since finishing my last Garmin Coach 5k during the Summer of 2020 I got pregnant and had a baby… so a lot had changed with me! =) This 10k was my first attempt at some speed work and running a race postpartum. For my Rock’n’Roll Nashville race, I had a goal to just complete the race, and feel good doing it. No time goals, just me getting used to training and running strong. I decided to use the Garmin Coach feature on my Garmin Venu watch to train for my race. Keep reading my Garmin Coach 10k training program review for all the details about my experience!
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Getting started
As with all the Garmin Coach training programs, getting started is easy. Simply use Garmin Connect to select the Coach feature. From there you can choose your distance, goal, and coach. Since I was easing back into training I chose a goal of “completion” instead of a time goal.
The coaches each have different training program durations and number of workout days. You can watch a bio on each coach to see if they fit your personal style. This time around I chose Coach Amy since her program seemed to align the best with my race date.
Unfortunately, the earliest race date I could choose was one day after my actual race. I thought I would be able to edit this later on (since you can move all of your workouts around if you need to), but I wasn’t able to. So I did not get to use the “race” workout on my Garmin coach program when it came time for my 10k. This isn’t a huge deal (I just clocked it as a normal run), but it is something to think about when setting up your program. If you want all the dates to align with your actual race, make sure they are within your training program’s completion dates when first setting it up. Luckily for me, my race was only one day off, so it didn’t throw any of my other workouts off.
Garmin Coach 10k Workouts
As with all the programs you start with a benchmark. This way they can gauge where you are at in your fitness. From there depending on which coach you chose you will have workouts a certain amount of days a week. I was surprised to find that with my trainer, Coach Amy, and my “completion” race goal, I ended up with a decent amount of workouts (three days a week) and one easy run.
The workouts included hill repeats, pace runs, tempo runs, cadence drills, and negative split runs. Like I have said in my previous Garmin Coach reviews, make sure you read the workouts before you do them! Even with knowing this, I messed up my hill repeats workout a few times before I figure out which button to hit. Just make sure you do a little research before you start a workout.
For the most part, the workouts are self-explanatory. I was also surprised by how challenging some of the workouts felt considering I wasn’t trying for a specific time goal. The main difference I noticed with these workouts versus the “time goal” workouts I’ve done in previous Garmin coach programs was the workouts wouldn’t give me a pace range to hit. My workouts would simply say “run harder on the second half”. This was nice since it can be annoying having your watch beep at you telling you to run a 7-minute mile when you really don’t have that in you!
Favorite Workout
One of the workouts did give me a range to hit, but it was my cadence. “Cadence” is your footfall turnover rate when you are running. So instead of focusing on just “running faster”, picking up your cadence will make you run faster simply by having a quicker turnover. The first few workouts gave me a relatively easy range to hit, and I thought that the workout was not very challenging. Though Garmin Coach adapts to your fitness and after a few easy workouts gave me a more difficult range which really pushed me! In the end, this workout became my favorite. During my race as I ran up hills and started to struggle. I remembered my training and focused on my cadence which saved me on those hilly miles!
Long Runs
All the workouts were helpful, though I did find it slightly annoying that my long runs were all negative split runs. This means that you run faster at the end of the run than at the beginning. Left to my own devices, I never run a negative split, it’s really hard to do! I know that it’s the BEST way to run, but I have never been able to execute a negative split during a race. In hindsight, these long run workouts definitely made me stronger (though I still didn’t run a negative split).
One more slight gripe is that I never reached more than 5 miles for my long run, which was nerve-wracking considering the race was over 6 miles! Ultimately, I knew/know I am strong and was fine on race day. But having at least one six-mile run would have made me feel much better going into my race!
Moving a Garmin Coach Workout
Moving a workout is easy! Click the dots in the upper right-hand corner of your workout and reschedule. You can move it throughout the week. Note, you will get a warning pop-up that having too many workouts in a row is not recommended.
Completing a Training Workout
Something to think about after you complete a workout is the difficulty level. This is one of the main factors they use when customizing your program. Though a workout might never feel “easy” per se, I would suggest thinking about it as “could I run a little more after this workout?” Or “am I completely exhausted.”. This way you can still push yourself a little and keep getting more challenging workouts. I promise you it will make you stronger in the end!
Extras
Garmin Coach Training Programs also include plenty of short videos and articles to help you along the way. I’ve checked these out before with my past programs and think they are a great tool for new and seasoned runners alike. Especially if this is your first time training for a race be sure to check them out! They give you the extra information to help you feel strong and confident come race day!
Race day!
Come race day I didn’t get to use the “race” workout that is part of the Garmin Coach Program. Like I said before I was unable to move my race date to the Saturday of my race. I used the race feature for my half marathon when I used Garmin Coach before and it worked well. It simply counts the miles down until you are done. The reason I couldn’t move my race date was that it was outside of the program completion timeline of 14-18 weeks. While most things are flexible in the program, I was surprised to see that this is not.
Outside of that one hiccup, I loved running my 10k! I felt strong and like my training 100% paid off! Even though I trained for the shortest amount of time that Coach Amy allowed, I was able to get in race-day shape and have a fantastic time. For my Nashville Rock’n’Roll 6.15 race recap read my post here!
Is the Garmin Coach 10k Program Worth It?
As always I am happy to have this wonderful Garmin feature! Even though I have a few gripes, for the most part, the Garmin Coach 10k training program is totally worth it. It gives me the extra push to run workouts and train harder than I would ever do on my own. The continued support through the adaptive workouts and extra material helps the program feel more interactive and keeps me engaged. Simply starting the program makes me feel committed to something, and I will stick with it more than I would if I found a random program on the internet. This feature is free with your compatible Garmin device, so give it a try! You might surprise yourself and fall in love with training like some of us crazies out there!
Don’t forget to check out my reviews of the Garmin Coach 5k and Half Marathon Training Programs!
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