Six ways to train smarte r wit h GPS sportsw atc hes

01 Good fo rm

Good technique will help avoid injury and make you a more efficient runner. Get to know the Garmin’s running dynamics – or at least start with trying to get a cadence of around 180 on any sports watch that offers it. This means 180 steps per minute, and is the average rate of elite runners.

02 Peaking too son ?

The Garmin’s Training Status feature is a monitoring tool that automatically evaluates your recent exercise history and performance indicators to let you know if you’re training productively, peaking or overreaching. Listen to it! Overexerting or training when you’re weak helps no one.

03 Sleepy tim e

The world record-breaking Kenyans seriously value their shut- eye time and so should you, especially after bigger workouts. Use sleep tracking features to check you’re getting enough high- quality kip. If not, you can make adjustments to your timing, diet or other lifestyle factors and see whether they help.

04 Dia ris e

The simple act of keeping a training diary – which all these watches do automatically via their apps (in the built-in Health and Activity apps in the case of the Apple Watch) – is a hugely useful resource. And it makes you more likely to stick with your training.

05 Recovery

The various recovery time features are a great asset, hopefully helping ward off injury and overtraining. HR data can indicate fatigue too, so keep an eye on unusually high rates.

06 Stay so cial

Though not every run should be fast, use social media and especially apps such as Strava for friendly competition. The Fitbit and Apple Activity apps have built-in ways to share and challenge friends, too.