Hello everyone! I want to know what methods and apps you use for planning your training sessions and making the whole process smoother.
My current approach looks like this:
I pick routines from training books like those by Pfitz or Jack Daniel’s
I manually type everything into Excel spreadsheets which takes forever
I keep some cells reserved for my target paces even though I usually just go by feel
Before any complex session with intervals or speed work I spend time in bed the night before entering all the details into Garmin Connect because otherwise I lose track of reps during the actual workout
That covers my basic system but I feel like there must be better ways to do this. What apps or methods do you rely on to speed things up? Better ways to schedule sessions, create workouts, or keep track of notes?
I checked out the workout builder feature on intervals.icu which uses text input but it seemed limited except for the scheduling part.
Skip the fancy apps and complicated systems. I’ve tried most of them - they all have the same problem: too much setup time.
What works? Export your training plan once from whatever book or coach template you’re using. Use a simple automation to push workouts to your Garmin based on the current week.
Batch processing is key. Instead of planning one workout at a time, queue up 4-6 weeks in 30 minutes. When life happens and you need to shift things, just drag and drop in the calendar.
For tracking actual vs planned, I record quick voice memos during cooldown walks. Way faster than typing notes with sweaty hands.
This video breaks down Garmin Connect features most people never find:
Once you get the calendar and workout scheduling down, you’ll wonder why you bothered with spreadsheets. The built-in tools are solid if you know where to look.
Switched from spreadsheets to TrainingPeaks two years ago - total game changer. Best part? Build workout templates once, then just drag them to future weeks. No more manual entry headaches since it syncs straight to my Garmin. TSS tracking beats my old “gut feeling” method for avoiding overtraining. Set up my base training blocks as weekly templates, so now I only customize key workouts and long runs instead of starting from zero every time. Mobile app lets me tweak things on the fly, which you can’t do with Excel. Takes a bit to set up initially, but you’ll save tons of time once your templates are ready.
Had this exact problem last year - was spending way too much time on training admin instead of actually running.
The issue isn’t finding another app for manual data entry. You need to automate the whole thing so you never touch a spreadsheet again.
I built an automation that pulls my training plan from a Google Sheet, calculates paces based on recent race times, and pushes workouts straight to my Garmin. No more Sunday night data entry.
It also tracks completed workouts and adjusts future sessions if I’m consistently hitting or missing targets. When I finish a workout, everything gets logged and my weekly volume updates automatically.
Best part? I get a weekly summary with key sessions and recovery reminders. Takes 10 minutes to set up what used to eat hours every week.
Latenode’s perfect for this kind of workflow automation. You can connect all your training tools and kill the manual busy work completely.
Been there with the Excel nightmare. I built my own system using Google Sheets with basic formulas after trying apps that were either too complex or missing key features.
I create workout templates with conditional formatting. Green cells for easy days, red for hard sessions. Data validation dropdowns for common workout types so I’m not typing “4x800m @ 5K pace” every week.
For Garmin sync, I batch create workouts Sunday nights while watching TV. Takes 15 minutes to set up the whole week. Way better than doing it the night before when you’re already tired.
I keep a notes column for how each workout actually felt versus what was planned. Helps me spot patterns when I’m consistently missing targets or feeling great.
This review covers most popular apps if you want more options:
The best system is whatever you’ll actually use consistently. Don’t overthink it.
I was stuck doing manual Excel entry too until I found Final Surge three years ago. Way more intuitive than TrainingPeaks - no crazy learning curve. What hooked me was how it handles training plans. You can import structured programs and it’ll auto-adjust your target paces based on recent races or time trials. The Garmin sync works great, though I still program complex intervals manually since the auto versions miss stuff like recovery jog times. My favorite feature? Copying entire weeks and shifting them when life happens. I keep everything in calendar view so I can see the big picture - hard days, recovery weeks, race buildups all color-coded. Beats scrolling through spreadsheet rows trying to remember if I’m supposed to be peaking.
After trying tons of different platforms, I ended up with Garmin Connect’s calendar plus a basic notes app. Most people miss Connect’s planning tools because they get distracted by the workout builder, but the calendar view is actually solid for scheduling. I map out my week there and use voice-to-text during cooldowns to record how things went. Game changer for me was realizing I was way overcomplicating it. Instead of planning every detail weeks out, I stick to flexible weekly patterns and adjust based on how I feel and recover. No more stressful Sunday night planning sessions, and I’m way more consistent since the system works with real life instead of against it.
Honestly, just get Strava Premium and call it a day. The training plans sync automatically - no complicated setup like everyone’s suggesting. I’ve used it for months and it’s dead simple. No spreadsheets, no manual Garmin programming. Sure, it’s not perfect, but I actually stick with it instead of ditching some overcomplicated system after two weeks.
