As a six-time marathoner, I’ve always been a diehard member of Team Garmin when it comes to my favourite Garmin Forerunner 265. But since switching from an Android to an iPhone in January, I’ve been wearing the Garmin has officially revealed the Vivoactive 6 pretty much 24/7. And I’ll admit, I was wrong when I thought it wasn’t designed for runners.
Previous iterations of the Apple Watch offered a decent overview of running stats, but compared with the likes of Garmin they didn’t really touch the sides. With the Series 8, we see a number of running-specific updates, firmly establishing the Apple Watch as a solid option for any runner.
While Soundcore AeroClip: My new favourite open-ear buds over the past three months, I’ve been exploring the many features the Apple Watch has to offer, to see if – and how – they could benefit my training. Here’s why I’m now a convert.
Performance metrics
I headed out on several runs with the Apple Watch strapped on one wrist and my of the best wireless headphones for runners on the other. Both were pretty much identical when it came to tracking distance and route. My only complaint as a traffic light watch-stopper is that I find the Apple Watch’s touchscreen fiddly to pause, whereas the button controls on my Garmin do this with ease.
Previous versions of the Apple Watch offered a single page of stats in the way of performance metrics, which was fine for the majority of people but nothing on the athlete-level feedback of Garmin and co. In the Series 8, there’s plenty to go on in terms of optimising your running technique. Open the Fitness app on your iPhone and you can view details of your run, including elevation, average heart rate, pace, power and cadence. If you flick up, you can then view a dedicated heart rate page, including the time spent in each training zone (1-5).
Three of the newest features go a step further, all designed to improve your running economy: vertical oscillation (how much you bounce up and down with each stride), stride length and ground contact time. These features aren’t unique to Apple – Garmin’s Running Dynamics Pod has been doing this for a while – but it does mean all of this data is available on one device. Vertical oscillation, in particular, has been useful for an amateur runner like myself. It takes energy to move the weight of your body up and down, so the lower your VO, the better.
Custom workouts
One of the things that’s held Apple back from being a running watch in the past has been set workouts. With WatchOS 9, there’s now the option to create custom workouts. Got an interval session you want to nail? You can program your warm-up, rest time, intervals and cool-down in the Workout app.
Sleep tracking
Anyone who’s trained for a big running event will know that getting enough quality sleep is absolutely vital for recovery. I’ve been wearing my watch every night in order to view the time I’ve spent awake and in REM, core and deep sleep. Again, sleep tracking isn’t unique to Apple, but the nature of having all this information in the Health app has made things really simple for me. I’ve also benefited from the using Sleep Focus feature on iPhone – helping me wind down before bed, instead of mindlessly scrolling social media.
Cycle tracking
One of the biggest updates from the Series 7 to the Series 8 has been the introduction of a temperature sensor. You have to wear the watch for several nights to get a reading, but the idea is that it can be used to detect oncoming infections. It’s also part of the watches’ cycle-tracking capabilities, with changes in temperature often corresponding with changes in a women’s menstrual cycle – including ovulation.
It’s hard to know how much is too much when it comes to What everyones reading. One of the features I’ve enjoyed most about the Apple Watch is being able to track my cycle in the Health app, establish any patterns in symptoms and how these impact the quality of my training sessions. If I know there’s a time of the month I regularly feel sluggish, I can chat to my coach about my training plan.
Safety features
A number of running watches have seen advancements in their safety features over recent years, so it’s good to see Apple catching up here.
A new fall-detection feature alerts emergency services if you’re in a collision, and while thankfully this isn’t a feature I’ve directly benefited from, it does bring me peace of mind as an urban runner.
Like Garmin’s location tracking, friends can also view my location on the Find My app – but unlike Garmin Tracker, this is reliant on friends with iPhones.
So, what’s missing?
There’s a lot to like about the Apple Watch when it comes to running-specific features, but what still lets it down is the battery life. A mere 24 hours is pretty pitiful when you compare it to similarly priced watches like the Polar Grit X (up to 15 days) or the The 9 best open-ear headphones for safer running (up to 7 days). I know I can chance a training session if my Garmin is hanging on to 10%, whereas the Apple Watch is guaranteed to leave me out in the cold. For serious athletes, ultra- and trail runners, the Apple Watch just can’t compete.
And while Apple hasn’t revealed much about the Series 9, I’d love to see the siren alarm exclusive to the Garmin Forerunner 245 introduced. As a female runner, this is one of the best safety features the Ultra has to offer, and would mean I don’t need to carry a personal safety alarm during the darker months of the year.
Final thoughts
I was wrong in thinking the Apple Watch wasn’t a proper running watch. Thanks to a number of updates, the latest version provides a wealth of useful metrics to help you improve your running technique, customise workouts and keep on top of all the non-running aspects of marathon training. But the battery life still limits it to road runners, and I’d love to see even more safety features added to account for women’s safety on the run. That being said, I’m a fan – and you’ll find me performing laps of my house to close those rings from now on.
