Apple watch for running

Apple watch for running

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Discussion

Craikeybaby

Original Poster:

10,369 posts

224 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but I know the watch forum aren't keen on smartwatches!

My wife is starting running again after having our son. Nothing to extreme, a few runs in the week and maybe parkrun at the weekend. She currently logs her runs on Strava from her iPhone. She used to have one of the clip on fitbits, but lost that and has mentioned that she would like something better for counting steps and logging runs. So I'm thinking of getting her an Apple watch for Christmas. Or is there something better? Garmin etc?

I did look at fitbits, but the clip on ones seem to get lost too often and I know people who have had skin reactions with the watch type ones, so have ruled them out as my wife has sensitive skin.

For running, would the Nike version be better? Or is the running software available on the standard version?

ben_h100

1,546 posts

178 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
I use a Forerunner 235. Does everything that a Fitbit does and more. If money was no object I would've probably gone for the Apple Watch. That said, I'm very happy with it.

chonok

1,126 posts

234 months

Monday 14th November 2016
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Was looking at this the other day and thought it looked pretty cool.

https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/sports/running-watche...


HR, IPOD and GPS etc in one.

asgard

24 posts

193 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
I started out using an Apple Watch last year, but quickly 'out grew' it to be honest and moved to Garmin. This was the original watch, so with GPS it is now a slightly different prospect. I think you need to look at this from your good lady's perspective. Does she want a watch for running, or something to wear all the time. Does she like gadgets, i.e. will she enjoy using the gizmos on the Apple Watch. I turned all the notifications off on mine after a while, used to drive me nuts.

AndStilliRise

2,295 posts

115 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
Proper sports watch, money no object:
https://www.evanscycles.com/garmin-fenix-3-sapphir...

I have the normal fenix3 which i love but unless you are running a decent level, i would get an iwatch.

The jiffle king

6,894 posts

257 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
My personal views are:

Serious runner who wants a watch look - Fenix 3
Serious runner who wants it to sing and dance - Garmin 920XT (can be a Tri watch as well)
occasional runner who wants the brand - Apple watch
Occasional runner - Any of the Garmin range are pretty good. Vivoactive is good for my wife

There are loads of options smile

dangerousB

1,693 posts

189 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
Personally I've got a Garmin 920XT - it's utterly brilliant, but unless you're seriously into sport, probably a bit of overkill.

My mate who's a serious athlete and a total Applephile recently bought the 2nd gen Apple watch and sent it back within a week saying it was "junk". I'll have to ask him exactly what made him think that, but if he's saying that, it would seriously make me think before recommending one (not that I would for sport anyway, tbh).

If your wife wants accurate heart data, she'll have to wear a HR strap - IME all those wrist based monitors are hugely unreliable.

All in all, my recommendation would be anything Garmin - you can't really go wrong with their products and Garmin Connect is pretty good now as well.

Piginapoke

4,737 posts

184 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
I use an Apple Watch to track my runs pretty much every day. I find it excellent, particularly with the Runkeeper App.

I would struggle with the Garmin watches etc as an everyday watch, just too big for me

Very handy being able to control music from your watch in particular

272BHP

4,960 posts

235 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
Just buy a cheap watch that has a good stop watch feature - that is all you need.

And then record running times on a paper log in Biro


CarlosFandango11

1,914 posts

185 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
Here an overview of the Apple Watch with GPS:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Lots of very detailed reviews of running watches on this site and a list of recommended GPS watches:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/11/winter-sports-...

dangerousB

1,693 posts

189 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
272BHP said:
Just buy a cheap watch that has a good stop watch feature - that is all you need.

And then record running times on a paper log in Biro
If we were still in the 80's I'd agree, but we're not and I don't. Knowledge has moved on.

On many levels this tech offers far more than a stopwatch and biro can ever hope to and even the average jo/joe will gain a great deal more from investing in it.

OP's/wife's shout though - personally I would.

272BHP

4,960 posts

235 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
dangerousB said:
If we were still in the 80's I'd agree, but we're not and I don't. Knowledge has moved on.

On many levels this tech offers far more than a stopwatch and biro can ever hope to and even the average jo/joe will gain a great deal more from investing in it.
New tech offers more ways to confuse yourself. Who really needs GPS every run? most people have less than 10 regular running routes

Who needs heart rate monitoring? what information does it really give you? most people just collect this dubious data they never get round to actually analysing it - I would also argue that most people are not qualified to analyse this data anyway.

Interact with the physical world: having an interval run from your gate to the old oak tree up the hill is perfect and it matters not a jot if it is 200M or 207.4 - time and distance are absolute and undeniable - track that.

And I would say a big sheet of A3 stuck to a fridge or a door is a better training tool than all of that tech nonsense, divide it down to a decent 12 or 16 week training block and only log the serious workouts. It is visible to all, physically interactive, a statement of intent and if you fill it in biro, immutable as well - all very powerful stuff.

People who plan stuff for a living prefer to have important data on a physical board rather than electronic bits.



dangerousB

1,693 posts

189 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
272BHP said:
New tech offers more ways to confuse yourself. Who really needs GPS every run? most people have less than 10 regular running routes

Who needs heart rate monitoring? what information does it really give you? most people just collect this dubious data they never get round to actually analysing it - I would also argue that most people are not qualified to analyse this data anyway.

Interact with the physical world: having an interval run from your gate to the old oak tree up the hill is perfect and it matters not a jot if it is 200M or 207.4 - time and distance are absolute and undeniable - track that.

And I would say a big sheet of A3 stuck to a fridge or a door is a better training tool than all of that tech nonsense, divide it down to a decent 12 or 16 week training block and only log the serious workouts. It is visible to all, physically interactive, a statement of intent and if you fill it in biro, immutable as well - all very powerful stuff.

People who plan stuff for a living prefer to have important data on a physical board rather than electronic bits.
I'm quite sure you enjoy sport, just not sure you understand what's happened in the last 15 years.

Up to you how you structure your sessions.

Craikeybaby

Original Poster:

10,369 posts

224 months

Monday 14th November 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for all of the suggestions, I've had a look at the various other options, and that has given me something to think about.

Mrs CB isn't planning any serious training, and the watch would be as much for day to day step tracking, as for running. She used to have a Fitbit, but now misses having the daily step count, as she finds that her iPhone doesn't log steps when it is in her bag.

CarlosFandango11 said:
Here an overview of the Apple Watch with GPS:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Lots of very detailed reviews of running watches on this site and a list of recommended GPS watches:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/11/winter-sports-...
The first link is just a link back to this thread, the second link was really useful - thanks!

CarlosFandango11

1,914 posts

185 months

Tuesday 15th November 2016
quotequote all
Craikeybaby said:
CarlosFandango11 said:
Here an overview of the Apple Watch with GPS:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Lots of very detailed reviews of running watches on this site and a list of recommended GPS watches:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/11/winter-sports-...
The first link is just a link back to this thread, the second link was really useful - thanks!
This is the link I meant:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/09/apple-watch-se...

AlfaPapa

277 posts

159 months

Tuesday 15th November 2016
quotequote all
If you choose to go down the Garmin / Spots watch route, I would strongly recommend your wife tries them on.

I've been using a Suunto Traverse for about six months, bought for a mountaineering trip to the Alps because my other half had gone away with my old, battered, barometric altitude watch. From a functionality perspective, it's great - tracks steps, links to Strava, allows you to record up to four different types of activity from the watch and has a gps/barometric altitude function which means it's consistently accurate.

However, it is HUGE. At the time, I tried the Fenix 3 and a Suunto Ambit which both felt enormous and really uncomfortable (especially for climbing/ scrambling) on my girly wrists. Personally, I like how the Suunto feels but my friends think it's hilariously massive. On the other hand, an Apple Watch looks like a fairly normal watch and not quite as spectacularly in your face.


PS. Sport Pursuit have the Fenix3 at a bargain £299 at the moment: https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/product/view/...



Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

166 months

Tuesday 15th November 2016
quotequote all
Don't buy a TOM TOM. They're st.

Craikeybaby

Original Poster:

10,369 posts

224 months

Saturday 26th November 2016
quotequote all
Apple watch ordered - I was hoping for a black Friday discount, but there weren't any available on the Series 2 watch. Glad I looked this early though - delivery for the silver watch with nylon strap is 16th of December, which is when I normally start to think about Xmas shopping!

I'll update the thread in the new year when it has been tried out. I'm hoping it will be like the iPad I bought her a few years back, which went from "who needs one of them?" to most used gadget.

EdJ

1,284 posts

194 months

Tuesday 29th November 2016
quotequote all
I use both Apple Watch 2 and Tom Tom watches for running (I'm serious runner at 1000ish miles per week).

Tom Tom is probably better and more accurate at capturing heart rate data but the Apple Watch is very good and the screen is very clear. For some reason the heart rate always seems to start way higher than it should do for about 10 mins before showing accurate data.

For a race, I'd definitely use a Tom Tom over Apple - if nothing else, a touch screen isn't that reliable when you've got sweaty hands / fingers.

clonmult

10,529 posts

208 months

Wednesday 30th November 2016
quotequote all
Craikeybaby said:
Apple watch ordered - I was hoping for a black Friday discount, but there weren't any available on the Series 2 watch. Glad I looked this early though - delivery for the silver watch with nylon strap is 16th of December, which is when I normally start to think about Xmas shopping!

I'll update the thread in the new year when it has been tried out. I'm hoping it will be like the iPad I bought her a few years back, which went from "who needs one of them?" to most used gadget.
And to dress it up a bit, look on amazon for third party straps.

I picked up a milanese band for my fitbit blaze, and it has been a revelation. Probably the most comfortable strap I've ever had on a watch. And they're only £10-£15 (available in a range of colours, the magnetic holder is infinitely variable in position).