User guide to make the most of RunMotion Coach
Are you looking to run a 10K? A marathon? A trail or ultra-trail? Beat your personal record? Or run regularly? Discover our RunMotion Coach user guide in 6 steps to take full advantage of all the app’s features.
The RunMotion Coach app was created by top-level coaches and runners with the aim of democratizing training for everyone. We believe that everyone deserves personalized training. We want to help you achieve your dreams, no matter your level or goal. 😉
You’ve just downloaded the app, and a conversation will open so that your new coach can get to know you and provide a training plan tailored to your needs.
Tell us about your running experience.
Note: Provide your past race times and distances to get accurate training paces 😉 Otherwise, your coach will give you intensity levels. You can add more races in “My Profile.” Our algorithms calculate your VAM and endurance index (once you have at least two race results) to give you the appropriate training paces.
After this initial conversation, remember to enter your email address in “My Profile” -> “My RunMotion Account” so you can retrieve your account if you change phones or drop it during a run. 😉
You can choose different types of goals:
Performance: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon? Enter the time you want to achieve!
Finisher: More than just the time, you want to cross the finish line.
Trail: 20K, 40K, 80K, 100K, 160K trail? Also indicate the elevation gain.
Well-being or fitness: Do you want to run regularly? Or lose weight?
Prepare for a test: Half-Cooper, Cooper, 3000m, 3x500m.
The preparation is focused on your main goal. When you set intermediate races, the days before and after the race are lightened so you arrive relatively fresh for your race and recover properly.
We recommend setting a maximum of 3 to 4 main goals per year, spaced at least 2 months apart. Intermediate goals are typically a half marathon if you’re preparing for a marathon in 3 to 4 months.
If you start, for example, 17 weeks before your race, you will go through different training cycles before diving into your main goal preparation 12 weeks before the race. In any case, the last 2 weeks before a main goal are lightened so you arrive in top shape for your race!
Our training plans are generated by artificial intelligence, created by engineers, elite runners, and coaches for runners of all levels. Your program evolves based on your feedback, fitness level, and availability.
You will find varied workouts based on your level and goal: endurance, short intervals, long intervals, hill runs, general physical preparation, etc. For trail running, we provide a target elevation for hike-runs about 3 months before a main trail goal.
Indicate your feeling after training, and the coach will recalculate your next weeks based on your feedback. If you miss a session, don’t worry—it happens. The coach adjusts based on trends over multiple sessions.
Modify Your Week
What days do you want to run? Let us know your fitness level and availability.
Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday? Thursday? Friday? Saturday? Sunday?
Advanced Settings
If you train at least 3 times per week, you can specify in “My Profile > My Training Preferences > My Training Days > Advanced Running Settings” when you want to schedule your long run (marked as the main session) and your interval session (marked as the second main session). Generally, it's best to avoid two hard sessions on consecutive days.
Still in “My Training Days,” under “Complementary Training,” you can add cycling 1 or 2 days per week and strength training 1 or 2 days per week.
Find all your personal information: the number of sessions and goals achieved, and in Premium mode, your estimated VAM, endurance index, and VO2 max.
Note: Training paces calculated in RunMotion Coach depend on your VAM and endurance, which are determined based on your race results (the most accurate method). For basic endurance, we have set a pace at 60% of VAM.
You can enter your maximum and resting heart rate here, and we will indicate the corresponding heart rate zone. The pace is calculated for flat and non-technical terrain. If you are running on a trail, heart rate is a better indicator of effort.
My Info: Enter your email address. Useful if you change phones or break it while running!
My Running Experience: Distances and personal records.
My Training Preferences: Training days, terrain, coach, display (km, miles).
If you are training for trail running and have access to a hill with at least 100m of positive elevation gain, you can indicate in “My Training Terrains” that you have access to the mountains (even if you are not in a mountainous region). Your training plan will be different if you do not have access to elevation gain. If you live in a city, we recommend cycling at least once a week to build strength (indicate this in “Advanced Settings”).
The goal is to analyze the consistency of your workouts and track your activities in your summary. To sync your RunMotion Coach app with your GPS watch (or a tracking app if you don’t have a watch), you can connect:
GARMIN
SUUNTO
POLAR
COROS
APPLE WATCH
WAHOO
DECATHLON
STRAVA
ADIDAS RUNNING
HUAWEI
FITBIT
Note: There is not much difference between connecting a GPS watch or your Strava account. Prioritize connecting your GPS watch. If two services are connected, we will display data from the GPS watch.
In the “Summary” section, you can find all your latest runs. Connect your Garmin, Suunto, or Polar GPS watch or the Strava app in “My Profile” -> “Connect a Tracking App” to sync your future activities in RunMotion Coach.
Each provider has its own specifications. Strava allows access to past activities, whereas GPS watches only provide access to future activities. GPS watches provide second-by-second data, whereas Strava only provides lap-by-lap data.
It is also worth noting that GPS watches do not notify us of activity modifications, whereas Strava does. For example, if you change the title or type of activity in Strava, the update will appear in RunMotion Coach. However, if you change the title in Garmin, Suunto, or Polar, it will not be reflected.
In the Premium version of RunMotion Coach, you can also track your session live on your GPS watch, on Garmin, Polar, Suunto, Coros, or Apple Watch. You can even sync your sessions with Google Calendar so you don’t forget them.
Find all the sessions you have completed (synced with your watch or tracking app or manually entered).
For each session, you can: add a photo, rename your run, etc. Add a photo at the end of your training sessions to share your progress with your friends! 😉
In your “Summary,” each chart displays your training load, a unit that takes into account all the sports activities you do (running, cycling, swimming, etc.). You can also view your weekly summary in terms of kilometers and training hours.
For each session, discover advice from the coach ( available in Premium only or during the Premium trial period). You can choose your coach’s personality in “My Profile” > “My Training Preferences” > “My Coach” if you prefer a positive, strict, or philosophical coach!
“Find inspiration to give your best.”
– Joy, Positive Coach
“We’re not here to mess around.”
– Philippe, Strict Coach
“May the force be with you.”
– Socrates, Philosophical Coach
You can enjoy a 7-day free trial and upgrade to Premium at any time.
Choose your coach!
Personalized conversations: Get the motivation and advice you need.
Modify your week: Adjust your training days each week.
Strength Training: Strength and conditioning (PPG) are essential for good running form and technique.
Mental Preparation / Sophrology: Helps with recovery, well-being, and visualization of your goals.
Nutrition: Proper nutrition is key to performance and feeling good in your body.
Syncing: With Premium, you can export your sessions to your Garmin GPS watch (just follow your watch during training), Suunto, Coros, and Apple Watch, as well as Google Calendar (so you never miss a workout!).
Going Premium means optimizing your chances of success, with more features and content. It also supports a French company based in the Alps, with strong values.
With this guide, you now have a great overview of how the RunMotion Coach app works. We hope you achieve your running goals, just like 88% of our users! 😉
The RunMotion Coach app was created by top-level coaches and runners with the aim of democratizing training for everyone. We believe that everyone deserves personalized training. We want to help you achieve your dreams, no matter your level or goal. 😉
Step 1: Welcome, Meet Your Coach
You’ve just downloaded the app, and a conversation will open so that your new coach can get to know you and provide a training plan tailored to your needs.
Tell us about your running experience.
Note: Provide your past race times and distances to get accurate training paces 😉 Otherwise, your coach will give you intensity levels. You can add more races in “My Profile.” Our algorithms calculate your VAM and endurance index (once you have at least two race results) to give you the appropriate training paces.
After this initial conversation, remember to enter your email address in “My Profile” -> “My RunMotion Account” so you can retrieve your account if you change phones or drop it during a run. 😉
Step 2: Choose Your Goal
You can choose different types of goals:
Performance: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon? Enter the time you want to achieve!
Finisher: More than just the time, you want to cross the finish line.
Trail: 20K, 40K, 80K, 100K, 160K trail? Also indicate the elevation gain.
Well-being or fitness: Do you want to run regularly? Or lose weight?
Prepare for a test: Half-Cooper, Cooper, 3000m, 3x500m.
The preparation is focused on your main goal. When you set intermediate races, the days before and after the race are lightened so you arrive relatively fresh for your race and recover properly.
We recommend setting a maximum of 3 to 4 main goals per year, spaced at least 2 months apart. Intermediate goals are typically a half marathon if you’re preparing for a marathon in 3 to 4 months.
If you start, for example, 17 weeks before your race, you will go through different training cycles before diving into your main goal preparation 12 weeks before the race. In any case, the last 2 weeks before a main goal are lightened so you arrive in top shape for your race!
Step 3: Your Personalized Training Plan
Our training plans are generated by artificial intelligence, created by engineers, elite runners, and coaches for runners of all levels. Your program evolves based on your feedback, fitness level, and availability.
You will find varied workouts based on your level and goal: endurance, short intervals, long intervals, hill runs, general physical preparation, etc. For trail running, we provide a target elevation for hike-runs about 3 months before a main trail goal.
Indicate your feeling after training, and the coach will recalculate your next weeks based on your feedback. If you miss a session, don’t worry—it happens. The coach adjusts based on trends over multiple sessions.
Modify Your Week
What days do you want to run? Let us know your fitness level and availability.
Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday? Thursday? Friday? Saturday? Sunday?
Advanced Settings
If you train at least 3 times per week, you can specify in “My Profile > My Training Preferences > My Training Days > Advanced Running Settings” when you want to schedule your long run (marked as the main session) and your interval session (marked as the second main session). Generally, it's best to avoid two hard sessions on consecutive days.
Still in “My Training Days,” under “Complementary Training,” you can add cycling 1 or 2 days per week and strength training 1 or 2 days per week.
Step 4: My Profile, My Settings
My Info, My Running Experience, My Training Preferences
Find all your personal information: the number of sessions and goals achieved, and in Premium mode, your estimated VAM, endurance index, and VO2 max.
Note: Training paces calculated in RunMotion Coach depend on your VAM and endurance, which are determined based on your race results (the most accurate method). For basic endurance, we have set a pace at 60% of VAM.
You can enter your maximum and resting heart rate here, and we will indicate the corresponding heart rate zone. The pace is calculated for flat and non-technical terrain. If you are running on a trail, heart rate is a better indicator of effort.
My Info: Enter your email address. Useful if you change phones or break it while running!
My Running Experience: Distances and personal records.
My Training Preferences: Training days, terrain, coach, display (km, miles).
If you are training for trail running and have access to a hill with at least 100m of positive elevation gain, you can indicate in “My Training Terrains” that you have access to the mountains (even if you are not in a mountainous region). Your training plan will be different if you do not have access to elevation gain. If you live in a city, we recommend cycling at least once a week to build strength (indicate this in “Advanced Settings”).
Syncing My App with My GPS Watch
The goal is to analyze the consistency of your workouts and track your activities in your summary. To sync your RunMotion Coach app with your GPS watch (or a tracking app if you don’t have a watch), you can connect:
GARMIN
SUUNTO
POLAR
COROS
APPLE WATCH
WAHOO
DECATHLON
STRAVA
ADIDAS RUNNING
HUAWEI
FITBIT
Note: There is not much difference between connecting a GPS watch or your Strava account. Prioritize connecting your GPS watch. If two services are connected, we will display data from the GPS watch.
In the “Summary” section, you can find all your latest runs. Connect your Garmin, Suunto, or Polar GPS watch or the Strava app in “My Profile” -> “Connect a Tracking App” to sync your future activities in RunMotion Coach.
Each provider has its own specifications. Strava allows access to past activities, whereas GPS watches only provide access to future activities. GPS watches provide second-by-second data, whereas Strava only provides lap-by-lap data.
It is also worth noting that GPS watches do not notify us of activity modifications, whereas Strava does. For example, if you change the title or type of activity in Strava, the update will appear in RunMotion Coach. However, if you change the title in Garmin, Suunto, or Polar, it will not be reflected.
In the Premium version of RunMotion Coach, you can also track your session live on your GPS watch, on Garmin, Polar, Suunto, Coros, or Apple Watch. You can even sync your sessions with Google Calendar so you don’t forget them.
Step 5: Summary
Track Your Progress!
Find all the sessions you have completed (synced with your watch or tracking app or manually entered).
For each session, you can: add a photo, rename your run, etc. Add a photo at the end of your training sessions to share your progress with your friends! 😉
In your “Summary,” each chart displays your training load, a unit that takes into account all the sports activities you do (running, cycling, swimming, etc.). You can also view your weekly summary in terms of kilometers and training hours.
Step 6: Choose Your Coach
For each session, discover advice from the coach ( available in Premium only or during the Premium trial period). You can choose your coach’s personality in “My Profile” > “My Training Preferences” > “My Coach” if you prefer a positive, strict, or philosophical coach!
“Find inspiration to give your best.”
– Joy, Positive Coach
“We’re not here to mess around.”
– Philippe, Strict Coach
“May the force be with you.”
– Socrates, Philosophical Coach
Premium Features
You can enjoy a 7-day free trial and upgrade to Premium at any time.
Choose your coach!
Personalized conversations: Get the motivation and advice you need.
Modify your week: Adjust your training days each week.
Strength Training: Strength and conditioning (PPG) are essential for good running form and technique.
Mental Preparation / Sophrology: Helps with recovery, well-being, and visualization of your goals.
Nutrition: Proper nutrition is key to performance and feeling good in your body.
Syncing: With Premium, you can export your sessions to your Garmin GPS watch (just follow your watch during training), Suunto, Coros, and Apple Watch, as well as Google Calendar (so you never miss a workout!).
Going Premium means optimizing your chances of success, with more features and content. It also supports a French company based in the Alps, with strong values.
With this guide, you now have a great overview of how the RunMotion Coach app works. We hope you achieve your running goals, just like 88% of our users! 😉
Updated on: 03/02/2025