What Gets Exported
Pheidi converts your training plan workouts into .fit files — the native workout format used by Garmin watches. When loaded onto your watch, each workout guides you through warmup, intervals, and cooldown with pace alerts, haptic cues, and automatic lap transitions.
Supported Workout Types
| Workout | Watch Structure | Pace Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Easy / Recovery / Long Run / MLR | Warmup → Steady run → Cooldown | Easy zone |
| Easy / Recovery / Long Run / MLR (run-walk) | Warmup → Repeat (run X min + walk Y min) → Cooldown | Easy zone |
| Tempo | Warmup → Tempo block → Cooldown | Tempo zone |
| Intervals | Warmup → Repeat (hard + recovery) → Cooldown | Interval zone |
| Hill Repeats | Warmup → Repeat (200m up + 200m down) → Cooldown | Interval zone |
| Fartlek | Warmup → Repeat (2min surge + 2min easy) → Cooldown | Tempo zone |
| Race Pace | Warmup → Race pace block → Cooldown | Marathon zone |
| Rest / Cross Training / Strength | Not exported (no run workout) | |
Run-Walk Mode
If your Easy, Recovery, Long Run, or Medium-Long Run (MLR) has run-walk intervals configured, the export switches to a repeat structure: run X minutes at the workout pace, then walk Y minutes as recovery. The repeat count is estimated from your expected pace to roughly cover the planned distance, capped at 20 repeats — the individual steps are time-based, so the watch beeps at each transition regardless of how fast you're actually moving. In RPE-only mode there are no pace targets, but the run/walk time cues still apply.
How Intervals Are Derived
Your training plan stores workouts as a distance and pace zone. Pheidi derives the interval structure at export time based on the total distance available after warmup and cooldown:
| Available Distance | Interval Length |
|---|---|
| < 4,800m (~3 miles) | 400m |
| 4,800–7,999m (~3–5 miles) | 800m |
| 8,000–11,999m (~5–7.5 miles) | 1000m |
| ≥ 12,000m (~7.5+ miles) | 1200m |
Recovery jog duration is 60% of the estimated interval time, clamped between 60 and 180 seconds. Repeat count is 3–12 depending on available distance.
Pace Targets
If you have a VDOT value set in your profile, your workouts include speed targets derived from Daniels' Running Formula pace tables. Your watch will alert you if you're running too fast or too slow.
If you use RPE-only mode (no VDOT), workouts are exported with open targets — your watch will still guide you through each step and distance, but without pace constraints.
How to Import
You have two options to get .fit files onto your Garmin watch:
- Garmin Connect (recommended) — Upload the .fit file at connect.garmin.com via Training → Workouts → Import. The workout syncs to your watch automatically via Bluetooth.
- USB transfer — Connect your watch via USB and copy the .fit file to the
NewFilesfolder. The watch will import it on next startup.
Roadmap
Watch export is currently in beta. Here's what's planned:
| Phase | Feature | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Garmin .fit file download (single workout + bulk ZIP) | Available |
| Phase 2 | Garmin Connect API integration (auto-sync, no manual import) | Planned |
| Phase 3 | Apple Watch support via iOS companion app | Planned |
| Phase 4 | Completed workout sync back to Pheidi (auto-log) | Planned |
Technical Details
Workouts use the Garmin FIT Protocol (Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer). Each .fit file contains a workout header with sport type (Running) and a sequence of workout steps. Interval workouts use FIT's repeat-step mechanism where a repeat step references a contiguous range of child steps by index. Speed targets are encoded in meters per second. The file is generated server-side using the official Garmin.FIT.Sdk NuGet package.
Watch export lives inside the Pheidi app — sign in to download FIT files.
Research & evidence
Science behind this feature from pheidi.training.
- Individualized Training Zones (2025) Why fixed heart rate zones fail and what replaces them.
- Wearables and Biofeedback for Injury Prevention Readiness metrics, recovery scores, and what they predict.
- VDOT Race Prediction How Jack Daniels' effective VO2max turns one race into a full pace table.
See also
- How Calendar Export Works Sync your training plan with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook via a live iCal subscription, or export as PDF or printable HTML.
- How Pacing Guidance Works How Pheidi calculates your training paces: VDOT pace zones, Borg RPE descriptions, and heart rate alternatives for every workout type.
- How the Public Plan API Works A public, read-only JSON endpoint exposing the full training plan with every layer intact. Built for AI agents, integrations, and custom tooling.