Canyon
Sometimes I get nostalgic thinking about my early years as a runner when the most complex piece of tech I used was a Timex watch. It didn’t track heart rate, it didn’t have GPS, and it certainly didn’t try to provide questionable AI-generated coaching advice after a run. It had a stopwatch and a lap button, and it was perfect.
Everything else was managed manually. Distance was tracked using faded markers on the path, known routes, or general estimation. Heart rate was taken by placing two fingers on the wrist and counting beats. Pace was calculated with some simple math in my head as I passed those distance markers or clicked off 400m splits on the track.
Sometimes I miss the simplicity of analog training. On the other hand, I do quite enjoy the benefits and training enhancements that some of today’s technology has to offer.
The evolution of endurance-sport technology over the past few decades has been fascinating to follow. There have been hits, misses, and everything in between.
I purchased my first heart rate monitor when I was 18. It was my first piece of “real” running technology, and I was incredibly excited to try it out. I enthusiastically Yahooed (this was before Google took over) how to properly train using heart rate and studied all the functions and zones on the watch before heading out the door. I was eager to delve into the world of HR-based training.
Instead, I spent most of the run fidgeting with the chest strap, staring at my watch, and being completely disengaged from how my body actually felt. The chest strap was a rigid piece of plastic that never seemed to stay in place and rarely transmitted an accurate reading as the signal dropped again and again.
My initial enthusiasm for heart rate training fizzled after a few runs, and the expensive HR monitor became little more than a fancier version of my trusty Timex.
I had a similar experience with my first GPS watch in 2008. It was a behemoth of a machine that would have been more useful as a doorstop than as a reliable tracking device.
It has taken many years of trial and error, but I am now confident and satisfied with my “team” of preferred devices, interfaces, and gadgets that provide value and operate to my standards as a typical Type-A endurance athlete.
The cornerstone of any triathlete’s tech setup is the single most important device: a good watch. I am currently using a Garmin Fenix 6X. It is a few years old now, but it is an absolute workhorse. I upgraded from the Forerunner 245 when I started training for triathlon for one main reason – open water swimming. I do a lot of open water swims in training, and the open-water tracking on the Fenix is miles better than the 245. It’s also incredibly durable, having survived drops off my car roof, multiple bike crashes, and countless saltwater swims.
My only real complaint with the Fenix is the wrist-based heart rate monitoring. I find it wildly inaccurate. In fact, I’ve turned it off completely because the numbers were so inconsistent. It would show heart rates that my body is literally no longer capable of hitting during an easy run, or it would record a threshold session as if I were taking a nap.
For heart rate tracking, I pivoted away from Garmin and purchased a Coros arm strap. It’s much more comfortable than a chest strap and far more accurate than wrist-based monitoring. I really like it – it gives me consistent and reliable numbers.
The next piece of tech I rely heavily on is a quality power meter for my bikes. I do all my bike training based on power, so having accurate and reliable data is essential.
My road bike has a Quarq power meter and my tri bike has a Power2Max.They both work great and help keep me honest when I race. I know that in a 70.3 race, if I average much more than about 80% of my FTP on the bike, my run is going to become very uncomfortable.
For indoor training I use a Wahoo Kickr Core smart trainer paired with a Zwift Cog. Zwift is a fun way to stay engaged while building fitness during the winter or on those inevitable wet Vancouver days when riding outside isn’t appealing.
On the bike I also really enjoy my Garmin Edge 830 head unit. It syncs with my power meters to provide immediate real-time feedback and tracks speed, duration, route mapping, and a host of other metrics. It’s especially great for KOM hunting as you can preload segments and chase KOMs or personal bests in real time.
For my runs I circle back to the old reliable Fenix for GPS and pacing, and the Coros arm strap for heart rate.
To complement my devices, I also use a couple of apps to monitor training and racing. I know everyone has their opinions about Strava, but I love it. I use it as my daily training log, to track efforts, keep up with friends, and explore places to run or ride while travelling using their heat maps. Their recent pivot toward AI is a little concerning, but it remains my favourite form of social media.
Finally, when I want to take a deeper dive into my training data, I use Intervals.icu. It’s a British-based platform that provides a more detailed view of training progress with a simple interface that allows you to track progress over time or analyze the specifics of individual sessions.
I realize I’ve thrown a lot at you here, so I should probably end with an important reminder: none of this technology is essential.
Technology can enhance your training experience, but at the end of the day it’s still just swimming, riding, and running, and as long as you have a body of water, a bike, and a pair of sneakers, you can get out there and experience the sport we all love.
Happy training.
Rob Watson is a former professional runner and a current triathlete focused on the 70.3 distance. He is also the Head Coach of Mile2Marathon Vancouver: visit https://mile2marathon.com for more information.