Loading TrainAsONE workouts onto a Garmin TCX watch

Most Garmin watches can guide you through the individual workout steps by running pace or heart rate.

This page is for older TCX based watches.

  • Forerunner 205, 301, 305, 310XT, 405, 410, 610 & 910XT
  • Fēnix 1

More recent FIT capable watches have different (and simpler) instructions

  • Forerunner 220, 225, 230, 235, 620, 630, 645, 735XT, 920, or 935
  • Fēnix 3 or 5
  • Quatix 3
  • Tactix Bravo
  • Vivoactive 3

Setup Garmin Training Center on your computer (needs to be done once)

  • Install Garmin Training Center – this CD should have come with your device, or you can download from download.cnet.com

  • If you are using Garmin Express to upload new activities from your device to Garmin Connect on the same computer, check the system tray ^
    on the bottom right of the screen to see if there is a “gStart” icon (shown as (g)).

  • Connect up your device with Training Center running and it should automatically sync
  • If you are not making any use of the standard Workouts you may want to select the Workout tab and the delete any workouts you see to declutter

Downloading a workout to watch

  • Login to the TrainAsONE dashboard
  • Select Send my Next Run > Download as Garmin Workout > TCX, then save the workout-NNN.tcx to your Downloads folder
  • Run Training Center and select File > Import to Current User Account > Workouts and select the downloaded workout-NNN.tcx file

  • Select Send to device

Selecting the workout on your watch to run

  • Press the button on your watch, then for menu
  • Select the “Training” option, then “My Workouts”, then until you see the workout name, then to select and run

Downloading on Linux/other

You will need a USB protocol debugger and a working knowledge of the USB protocol.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it: reverse engineer the ANT+ over USB communication between the Garmin Training Center and a Garmin watch to determine how to send a TCX workout file to the watch, and implement a program to reproduce.

Your reward: a place in the pantheon of people who have accomplished a herculean task Just Because It Is There, and the lifelong respect of a select group of running geeks. (Most people at the point elect to purchase a new watch instead).

If you have any questions, hit a snag, or have feedback on these instructions please just drop us an email to support@trainasone.com or ask us a question from the TrainAsONE web app.