How to Create Custom Workouts & Race Strategies

1. Overview: Why Build Custom Workouts?

While ZoneTrainer comes with calibrated aerobic progression programs, real-world endurance running demands complete flexibility: pacing a 10 km race with a disciplined negative split, planning a progressive Sunday long run, or capping your heart rate on hilly terrain to avoid cardiac drift.

The Custom Workout Builder allows you to structure any session with precision, combining time, distance, heart rate ceilings, and zones into an automated, eyes-free audio coaching experience.

Complete workout creation interface with the 10K Negative Split strategy loaded.

2. The 2 Modes: Single Workout vs Multi-Week Plan

At the very top of the creation screen, a toggle lets you pick between two distinct architectures:

3. Quick Templates: Zone 2, 10K Split & Progression

In Single Workout mode, the top template bar offers three 1-tap endurance blueprints:

Progression Run Template (Z2 → Z3 → Z4)

Miles (Imperial) Mode with 6.2 mi Split

4. Reference Pace & Unit Adaptation (KM & Miles)

Whenever any step in your workout uses Distance instead of fixed minutes, the Reference Pace card appears automatically below the workout name.

Unit Setting: ZoneTrainer inherits your preferred distance unit from Settings → Display → Distance & Pace Unit (or from the post-session recap sheet). When configured, all step distances (e.g. 3.0 km or 2.0 mi) and reference paces adapt seamlessly, while the -30s / -5s / +5s / +30s chips let you fine-tune your target pace.

5. Anatomy of a Step: Every Control Explained

Each step card in the workout builder provides granular control over pacing, duration, and physiological targets:

Distance (KM) + < Max BPM Ceiling

Distance (KM) + Strict Zone 2 Corridor

1. Step Label

A short name for the step (e.g. Warm-up, Km 0-3, Cruising Tempo, Final Kick). This label appears on your live workout HUD and lock-screen notification.

2. Duration Mode: Minutes vs Distance (KM)

• ⏱ MINUTES: Sets a fixed time block. Use the -5m, -1m, +1m, +5m buttons to adjust duration quickly between 1 and 180 minutes.
• 📏 DISTANCE (KM): Type any decimal distance (e.g. 3.0, 4.2, 10.0). The app instantly calculates the expected duration based on your Reference Pace.

3. Step Management Actions

• + ADD STEP: Appends a new step to your workout.
• Red Trash Can Icon: Removes the step (disabled when only one step remains).
• Summary Ribbon: Located at the bottom of the steps list, shows the total step count and total estimated duration in minutes (e.g. 🏁 3 STEPS • ~50 MIN TOTAL ESTIMATED DURATION).

6. Target Types: Max BPM, Zones 1–5 & No Limit

This is the core intelligence of ZoneTrainer's audio engine. Each step can be assigned one of three physiological target modes:

∞ No Limit for all-out race finishes

Minutes duration mode with quick -5m / +5m chips

7. Building Multi-Week Periodized Plans

Switching to 📅 Multi-Week Plan allows coaches and runners to structure full training progressions:

• Plan Details: Enter the program name, optional description, and select the difficulty (Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced).
• Plan Duration Slider: Drag the slider from 1 to 26 weeks to define the length of your training block.
• Scheduled Workouts: Tap + ADD WORKOUT to schedule sessions into specific weeks (e.g. Workout 1 in Week 1, Workout 2 in Week 2).
• Automated 3-Stage Structure: For every workout created in this mode, ZoneTrainer automatically balances intervals:
  • Warm-up: Zone 1 (up to 5 min or 25% of total time).
  • Work: Target Zone (Z1 to Z5) for the main training block.
  • Cool-down: Zone 1 recovery.

8. During the Run: Lock-Screen & Voice Cues

Once you tap SAVE, your custom session is ready to run immediately. Here is what happens out on the road:

9. Frequently Asked Questions