🏃♂️ New running shoe day
fitness
🏃♂️ Dynamic run training in Training Today
Sunday, March 24, 2024
I’ve been using Training Today for a while now to track my readiness to train (RTT). They’ve recently released a new feature that provides dynamic training for running based on RTT which takes into account your current recovery and health to make sure you don’t overtrain.
Generating the workouts is easy. In the iPhone app, you choose the type of run (speed, endurance, recovery, etc) and then the app shows you the structured workout, targeting your current RTT. There are options to adjust the RTT (though that seems like cheating) and to shorten the run, if you’re pressed for time. Once you select “Create Workout”, the run is sent to your Apple Watch.
On the watch, the Training Today workout shows up near the top of the list in the Workout app and behaves like any other workout. The interval times and heart rate zones with alerts are passed along, making it easy to follow the workout.
There are a few obvious enhancements, which the developers have already promised. The first is the addition of cycling and swimming workouts. The second is creating actual fitness plans across multiple days.
I’m really intrigued by an app like Training Today. Our smartwatches are continuously monitoring us and tracking our fitness. Why not have them also program tailored workouts? That said, I have an actual triathlon coach that creates a comprehensive fitness plan while also providing expert advice and motivation. My watch isn’t this sophisticated — yet.
🏃♂️ Part of today’s trail run was mostly made of broken bricks
🏃♂️ Today’s run burned off the last of the March Break cervezas. Back on the program tomorrow
🏃♂️ Misty run today
🏃♂️ Back to cold, snow, and ice on today’s run
🏃♂️ Mostly trails on today’s run
🏃♂️ Nice to see some sun on today’s run along the Leslie Spit
🚴♂️ Great crew for a ride up both sides of Achterbahn
🏃♂️ Found some company on today’s run
🏊♂️🚴♂️🏃♂️ Fitness in 2023
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
I kept busy in 2023 with triathlon training. As a reference point for next year, here’s a comparison of 2023 with 2022.
My running was surprisingly consistent. Although the totals are almost identical, I do think that my structured workouts were much better in 2023. Each run had a purpose and all were part of a bigger plan.
There was a trade off for cycling between indoors and outdoors. In 2023, I couldn’t quite get aligned with most of the outdoor group rides. So, there was a lot more indoor riding on Zwift. I’d like to switch this around in 2024.
I’m surprised by my relatively low swimming distances in 2023. This is my strongest of the three. So, I tend to take it for granted. I should bump this up in 2024.
The new Apple Watch integration with Training Peaks is really nice. Like my Garmin friends, I can finally just roll out of bed and do what my watch tell me to without having to manually create workouts 🏊🚴♂️🏃♂️
🏃♂️ Forgot to turn off the workout before getting back in the car. Got some impressive running paces! 😀
🏊 🚴♂️ 🏃♂️ Alright, signed up for the Ironman 70.3 in Muskoka. I enjoyed the race last year and look forward to a repeat
🏃♂️ Light rain, wind, and NIN playlist made for a gloomy ambience on today’s run
🏃♂️ A bit gloomy on today’s off the bike run
🏃♂️ Frosty out there on today’s trail run
🏃♂️ Another Thursday, so another hill repeat run. Note to self, next time don’t start the repeats at the bottom of a big hill. The cool down run back up the hill wasn’t fun.
🏃♂️ Felt winter coming on today’s run with temperatures hovering around freezing
🏃♂️ Hill repeats at a steady, moderate pace for today’s run. I tried to focus on my downhill form: staying loose and keeping ground contact time short
Non-default apps
Sunday, November 5, 2023
As a follow up to my list of default apps, I have a few non-default apps that weren’t on the original list from Hemispheric Views.
- 🏃♂️Fitness: As I wrote about recently, I use HealthFit (mostly) instead of Apple Fitness
- 🧘 Meditation: Waking Up, instead of Mindfulness
- 📓 Journal: Doesn’t count yet, since Apple hasn’t released their journalling app. Soon, though, DayOne instead of the default
- 📚 Books: Libby instead of Apple Books, mostly because of the public library integration
- 🎸 Listen later: MusicBox instead of the Apple Music library
New running shoe day! After 1,109 kms, I’m replacing the orange ones with another pair of Saucony Kinvara. I definitely don’t recommend waiting so long, just got distracted 🏃♂️
Choosing a portfolio of fitness apps 🏊♂️🚴♂️🏃♂️
Monday, October 9, 2023
There’s a bewildering array of fitness apps out there. Here’s an attempt to document what I’m currently using.
I have some criteria when considering a fitness app:
- Available on the Apple Watch, ideally as a first class app, rather than just presenting data from the phone
- Suitable for multisport. I’ll consider a highly specialized app, though prefer one that covers at least running, cycling, and swimming
- Consolidated and local data. I prefer one location for all of the data and certainly not locked into a web service
With these in mind, my current portfolio of fitness apps is:
- Apple Health stores all of my data. Not really an app, rather this is the foundational data store that integrates across all sources
- The Apple Workout app records my workouts. Although there are some better, specialized apps, pressing the Action Button on my Ultra and starting a workout is so convenient that I’m sticking with Workout. The onscreen stats on the watch are more than sufficient for my needs
- HealthFit is for viewing workout data and general fitness trends. I prefer HealthFit’s details to Apple Health’s. As the screenshots below demonstrate, HealthFit provides useful overviews of everything I’ve done recently. I also use HealthFit to selectively send completed workouts to Strava
- Strava is for my local community. Seeing what my friends are up to and cheering them on is part of staying motivated for the training. Strava does have a good set of statistics and summaries. Overall, though, I prefer HealthFit’s design and privacy
- Recover sends me targeted mobility and recovery sessions, based on my recent activity. This is the only reason I’m currently paying for a Strava subscription. However, Strava is rather expensive if this is all I’m paying for and Recover breaks principles 1 and 3. So, I don’t think this one will last much longer
- Training Peaks is exclusively for getting workouts from my coach. There’s way more potential with this app. I’m just not using any of it
- Training Today keeps track of my readiness to train. I’ve written about it before and still consult it regularly
- Zwift Companion is well named. I use it to join Zwift events and as a second screen while Zwifting.
That’s currently it for the portfolio. Being able to consolidate all of my data into Apple Health really frees me up to try new apps without worrying about data lock in. Despite this freedom, I’m comfortable with the current set and don’t plan to switch things up anytime soon.
🏃♂️ Starting to see the Fall colour changes on today’s run. Powered by PUP and Rage Against the Machine
🚴♂️ Likely the last ride of the season with this crew. Getting too dark! Unfortunately we had to end early, thanks to a flat tire.
GPS Watch? No Thanks. Top Runners Are Ditching the Data.
For many, GPS watches are a remarkably useful training tool. But there are other runners, including world-class runners like Jacobs, who have a hard time understanding the fuss. To them, a smorgasbord of data is more hindrance than help. And get this: Some runners don’t wear watches at all.
I’m sympathetic to this idea. In general, I’m trying to stop obsessing over my health and fitness data (tough for this data analyst to do). That said, I’m far from an elite runner. So, I don’t have enough body awareness to intuitively know my pace zones and find realtime data on my performance helpful for making sure my runs are effective.
Perhaps more importantly, my watch is also my source of music and a way to keep my family updated when I’m out on a long run.
I don’t expect to be running out the door without my watch anytime soon.
🏃♂️ Today’s run was an endurance run with a progressive fast finish. I tried breathing through my nose for the first hour to keep things slow.
Powered by Billy Talent and Beastie Boys
Found another long run loop 🏃♂️
My longest swim yet 🏊♂️
Tried a new route today 🏃♂️
