TRAINING WITH APPLE GEAR
One could argue that an iPhone 11, an Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple’s AirPods Pro are enough to pretty much run your life. The powerful phone can seemingly handle anything you throw at it, and the watch seamlessly connects to the phone, while also keeping track of everything from how noisy things are around you to your heart rhythm, to how often you’re standing up during a busy work day. Add the AirPods Pro to the mix, and you can listen to music or a podcast, chat on your phone, even while working out.
All of which sounds great, but can this system replace the high-end training watches that have become a staple for avid triathletes? Are you just as cool and serious a triathlete if you’re wearing an Apple Watch instead of, say, Garmin’s flagship 945, Polar’s new Grit X or Suunto’s 9?
For the most part, the answer to that question is an only slightly qualified yes.
iPhone 11
We could dedicate a good portion of this magazine to a look at the iPhone 11, but since we’re focused on triathlon and training, we’ll do our best to stay on task. We want to focus on whether or not you can use the Apple Watch Series 5 for high-end training, but to really get the most of out the watch you’re best to pair it with an iPhone, and if you’re going to do that, the 11 is well worth the look.
Thanks to a super fast processor and impressive hardware and software integration that optimizes power usage, this phone does pretty much everything you can imagine and easily lasts a day. The camera is very impressive – you’ll be amazed at the photos and videos you can take using the dual-camera system, making taking quick shots while out on a ride or a run simply a joy.
Hard-training triathletes will appreciate the tough glass on the front and back coupled with the fact that the phone is water-resistant up to two metres for up to 30 minutes that means you can carry the iPhone 11 with you while biking and running without concern. (In our minds, a case is a given for some added protection in case the phone does get dropped.) The relatively compact size of the 11 makes it easy to carry along with you either in a cycling or running pocket.
Apple Watch Series 5
As easy as the iPhone 11 is to bring along for a workout, having the Apple Watch Series 5 can make that completely unnecessary. In fact, if you set the phone up with cellular access, the only reason you’re bringing your phone along at all is in to take photos with the outstanding camera.
At some levels its hard to picture the Series 5 as a sport watch because it looks so, well, stylish rather than functional. Available in a variety of different materials including titanium and aluminum, you can personalize the watch with a variety of different bands.
With cellular access the Series 5 can make calls, send texts and even stream music. Add the comfortable AirPods Pro to the mix and you can listen to that music on the go, turning up the volume with a simple spin of the dial on the side of the watch, and easily shifting from noise cancelling to transparency mode – we strongly suggest that mode while working out as it allows you to hear what’s going on around you.
The Series 5 seemingly spends much of the day tracking your activity. All day long it reminds you to stand, breathe – it reminds you to take a few minutes to “practise mindfulness” to reduce stress, and keeps track of your activity. The watch encourages you to reach your activity goals by closing your move, activity and stand rings (to close that ring you need to get up and move around for at least one minute during 12 different hours of the day).
Most active triathletes will blast through their rings with ease. So does the Apple Watch have something to offer them when it comes to working out?
Absolutely. The latest version of the Apple Watch features an always on display, so your workout metrics are always visible. The watch has lots of different workout apps to keep track of your training. The GPS sensor is both accurate and quick (the watch even figures out if your out for a walk or hike and you haven’t started a workout, asking you along the way if you wanted to track the activity.) Water resistant to 50 m, there are both pool and open-water swim app options to track your swim workouts. The pool app records splits and can even recognize what stroke you are doing. The open-water app tracks your distance and overall pace, and can even map your route after you’re done.
In addition to all the regular metrics like pace, distance and time, the run app provides pace alerts and monitors your cadence. The cycling app provides all the basic data you’ll want, too, including speed, distance and elevation.
Apple has always been renowned for its huge app store, and the watch benefits from that library as well, offering numerous third-party apps to expand your monitoring capabilities. Everything from Strava to apps that will keep track of your power are available, which turns the watch into an impressive training tool.
After a few months of using the Apple Watch Series 5 as my main training watch, I’m pretty much sold on the fact that this watch can serve as a more than capable option when it comes to keeping track of even an avid triathlete’s training. There are a few aspects from other training watches that I miss, though. While the Series 5 has no problems lasting a full day, when you’re working out regularly with the watch, it is pretty much impossible to get two days’ use out of it. A three-day camping trip requires bringing along a battery to charge up the watch each night – something I never had to think of while reviewing say the Suunto 9, Garmin 945 or Polar Grit X. While those watches don’t sync quite as smoothly with a phone for, say, volume control, when it comes to getting texts and other alerts, the sport-specific watches can be quite functional. They are also designed for working out, so getting splits and tracking workouts, especially on the fly, is much easier.
The bottom line? If you’re looking for a stylish smartwatch that can also keep track of your triathlon training, there are lots of good reasons to look at the Apple Watch Series 5.