How to Load Custom Workouts into TrainerRoad in One Minute

TrainerRoad has a huge built-in library, but sometimes you want to ride a specific session: one from a coach, a club or our library. TrainerRoad's Workout Creator can import it from a file in about a minute.

Which file to use

TrainerRoad imports MRC and ERG files. It does not read ZWO files directly.

• MRC stores targets as a percentage of FTP, so the workout scales automatically when your FTP changes. This is the best choice.
• ERG stores targets in watts. TrainerRoad converts it to a %FTP workout using your FTP, or the FTP written in the file's header.

Every workout in The ERG Room library has an MRC download, and an ERG file you can generate for your own FTP.

Import the workout

1. Download the MRC file of the workout you want.
2. Open Workout Creator in TrainerRoad.
3. Drag and drop the file onto the workout list. Dropping it on the list, not on the editing area, is what triggers the import.
4. Give the new workout a name when TrainerRoad asks for one, then save it.
5. Find it under your custom workouts in TrainerRoad and ride it like any other workout.

File rules that matter

Rule	Why
The extension must be lowercase: .mrc or .erg	TrainerRoad does not recognize .MRC or .ERG
Keep the course header unchanged	The MINUTES PERCENT (or MINUTES WATTS) line tells TrainerRoad how to read the columns
Times are decimal minutes	10.50 means 10 minutes 30 seconds, not 10:50
Columns are separated by a tab	Spaces can break the import if you edit a file by hand

Our files already follow these rules. If you edit one in a text editor, keep the tabs and the header as they are.

Optional: on-screen text

MRC and ERG files can carry text cues in a [COURSE TEXT] section after the course data, each with the time in seconds, the message and how long to show it. TrainerRoad displays them during the ride, which is handy for cadence or position instructions.

Troubleshooting

• Nothing happens when you drop the file. Drop it on the list of workouts and check that the extension is lowercase.
• The intervals are wrong. The header or the tabs were changed; download a fresh copy.
• You only have a ZWO file. Use the MRC download of the same workout instead.