Nerd alert! We're going to dive into the details of how to use your watch to log running interval workouts.

So you’ve got this awesome piece of tech strapped to your wrist, but how exactly do you use it to log an interval workout correctly? Whether you’re on the road or the track, using your GPS watch effectively to log your interval sessions will make sure you get quality data that can help propel your growth as an athlete. We'll show you how to use the start/stop and lap/split functions to get one continuous set of workout data showing your warm up, intervals, recovery periods, and cool down.

Logging intervals on your watch is very similar whether you’re running ovals on the track or pounding the pavement. The key difference is that on the track your distance is determined by the track measurements, and on the road your interval is usually determined by either the distance or time measurements on your watch. For example, if you’re doing a mile repeat type workout on the track, you’ll run four laps to get 1600m, and you will stop your interval even if your watch says .99 miles. On the road, you’ll run until your watch reads the interval distance or time that you’re targeting.

Setting Up Your Watch

You’ll want to use different data fields on your watch for interval workouts than you probably use for your regular workouts. Many athletes will have one screen with elapsed distance, elapsed time, and lap pace for regular training; and an additional screen with lap distance, lap time, and lap pace for interval workouts. If you’re doing reps on the track you may want to turn off your auto lap function so that it doesn’t interfere with your intervals.

On the Track

When you begin your warm up you’ll hit start on your watch. At the end of the warm up you can stop the watch while you stretch and grab some hydration. Many watches allow you to mark a new lap while your watch is stopped, so do that during your break if you can then hit start when you begin your first interval. Alternatively, hit start right before you begin your first interval, then lap to mark the transition from warm up to your first rep.

After you’ve begun your first rep, just hit lap at the beginning and end of each interval to mark your interval and recovery times. Even if your recovery is a standing recovery it's still great to log the time between each rep. After your last interval you can stop your watch if you want while you rehydrate it, then keep it going for your cool down. At the end of your cool down hit stop and save to end your workout.

On the Road

For road intervals you can set your auto lap to the length of your interval or do everything manually using the lap/split button on your watch. Some athletes like to load their workout onto the watch and follow the prompts instead of marking the splits manually. Whether on the road or the track, you still want to keep your watch running through your intervals and rest periods to get a continuous set of data from warm up through recovery.

Intervals are a phenomenal way to build speed and fitness. Knowing how to use your watch to log your workout effectively can help you get the most out of your training and give you great data to refer to as you progress through your training cycle.