My Current Running Tech
Which gadgets have enhanced my training mileage?
I’m currently in the midst of training for half marathon. I’ve run two full marathons in the past and I believe this will be half marathon number five. Training for long distance racing isn’t completely foreign for me, but it will be my first competitive race at such a distance in over six years. And unfortunately, you can’t say that the skill comes back to you just like riding a bike. It’s not riding a bike….it’s running.
A lot has changed in these years between racing. I’ve gotten older, become a dad, a pandemic limited the number of events I could enter. Technology has also changed quite a bit as well. It got me appreciating how much amazing technology I rely on everyday when I lace up my running shoes.
Running is still one of the most primitive things we do and I’m all for ditching the tech from time to time and just going off the grid into nature. But these apps and gadgets have made running easier, safer, and more efficient for me since I last crossed the finish line of a big race.
Without further ado, here is a list of my current running tech.
Strava App
After relying on Garmin for so many years to track all of my workouts, I eventually transitioned over to Strava like so many other athletes have. I don’t really get into too many of the social aspects of Strava, but it’s great at tracking your workouts and giving actionable data to enhance your training. The premium subscription is totally worth it in my book.
I love having the audio cues turned on during runs so I get a quick chime in my ear when I hit mile and half mile markers in certain workouts. I know most runners like to check these things on their watch, but there is something really satisfying about having split times announced in your ear. It’s like there is an actual coach with a stopwatch shouting at you as you run by.
And for my training, it has been helpful to have weekly mileage goals setup in the app to keep on track as well. Yes, there are plenty of other ways to keep track of mileage, but I’ve totally opted in to Strava’s world and am mostly happy with everything they’re offering right now.
Peloton App
I’ve written about the Peloton Outdoor audio running classes on the Peloton App before and I still think they are the secret weapon in my training that I didn’t have access to years ago.
If you’re not familiar with the concept, there is a real Peloton instructor doing the same run you’re doing. You hear audio cues from the instructor that tell you to speed up or slow down or whatever else the particular workout calls for. They have themed playlists and specific types of runs to accompany them.
I’ve found these audio classes to be the best way for me to increase the number of interval days and speed training without always being able to make it to a track. It’s fun and challenging with just enough structure to make sure I stick to my plan.
Jabra Elite Active 75t Wireless Earbuds
Yes, these are still my favorite wireless earbuds. There are newer models from Jabra and others who may have fancier features, but these are just super durable and able to withstand a lot of sweat that comes from these training runs.
The easy to press big button on each earbud makes it super easy for me to change things up in mid-stride. A quick press on the left bud lets me turn on ambient mode so I can better hear traffic when I’m running through busy areas. But if I tap that same button again, I can turn on active noise cancellation which magically removes excessive wind sounds on blustery days.
Tapping the right bud can easily pause music or Peloton workouts. And if anything comes up where I may need to take a phone call or do a quick Google Assistant voice search, I can do that without needing to reach for my phone.
And a quick side note here. I do still run with my phone. It is a Pixel 6 and it isn’t perfect. I haven’t found a great setup yet to run totally phone-free. I think I can get there with the right smart watch. But I think I’d prefer to just have a smaller phone that easily fits in my pocket. Is that too much to ask?
Oura Ring Gen 3
The Oura Ring is the real wild card in my running tech lineup. In some ways it’s the perfect gadget for runners, but in other ways it doesn’t add a ton of value. Let me try to explain.
The ring’s best feature is its ability to track sleep. Sleep is arguably the most important thing that a runner (or any human) needs. So when my Oura Ring tells me that I’ve had a good night sleep and I have a high readiness score, I’m ready for a big run. And it’s also a great indicator of overtraining. You can see in the Oura App when you haven’t had enough recovery time and can adjust your schedule accordingly.
The actual fitness tracking features of the Oura Ring do leave some things to be desired. For instance, they recently launched the ability to track heart rate during workouts. I’ve tried this during several of my more intense runs lately and it hasn’t been great. The app tends to crash or get hung up when syncing the data at the end of the run. It’s still a work-in-progress but having a reliable heart rate monitor on your finger during a workout would be excellent.
Technically, yes I do have a heart rate monitor on my watch while running but I haven’t found it to be super accurate. I still wear my GPS-equipped Amazfit Bip for most runs but just let Strava handle the tracking via my phone instead. The watch can give me decently accurate mile splits when I need them but I usually just use it as a basic time-keeper for specific workouts.
Conclusion
No, this technology doesn’t necessarily make you a faster runner on its own. It may not make it easier to lace up and get out there everyday. Some would argue that it’s all a lot of nonsense and we should just go run without any screens or GPS as our ancestors did.
I can’t really argue with that, it sounds nice. But in reality, the modern conveniences of modern running tech seem to be worth investing in. Ideally, they help us avoid injury and maximize the precious time in our busy schedules that we allocate toward running.
At least for this busy dad with several jobs, I couldn’t imagine running without them.
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